yogini

I went to college in the Boston area. It is a great place to go to school. They have a good subway system and there are lots of schools in the area, so there are many young people. And there is a lot to do: shopping, restaurants, bars, arts and cultural events, etc. I hate the cold weather there, which is worst in Jan and Feb. Otherwise it's a good city. One advantage to being in Boston is that it's easy to get around if you want to travel in the U.S. There are lots of interesting places to visit in the Northeast within driving distance and Boston's airport is well connected to other cities in the U.S. My parents live in Austin. I just visited them last week. I love it there. It is a fun and hip city. People are friendly and things are relatively inexpensive. It is deathly hot there from late May to early August and the sun is very strong. Even in late Sept. the temperature was above 100F every afternoon. The rest of the year, the weather is fabulous. When we went anywhere, my parents dropped me off right at the door and picked me up because I couldn't walk outside in that heat for more than a couple of minutes. The call Austin "Hill County" beause the rest of Texas is totally flat. I would say that it is not hilly at all compared to NY where I live! I am sure they have lots of things within walking distance in the university area, but otherwise you need a car to get around, and there isn't good transportation. The airport doesn't have great connections, other than to Dallas and Houston. I don't know anything about N.C. You have gotten into three good schools, though. I am sure you'll have a blast whichever you choose!

This is a great topic. It's so interesting to read about everyone. I used to work full time, but now work 4 days a week as a corporate lawyer. I missed about 3 months of work last year when I got sick. My job can be stressful, but at least I can sit at a desk all day. I had a lot of trouble getting around last year and getting to and from work was almost worse then doing the work itself. For many months, I couldn't do much more than my job, but I seem to be slowly improving. Now I am able to do some light errands and chores and can also sometimes manage to exercise and do social activities. I can't do nearly as much as a normal person, but I guess I can't complain too much for someone who has POTS.

Lthomas, I am so glad you posted this. I actually meant to post about this, because I have been wondering about this ever since we added the signatures. It seems like almost everyone else here has listed other conditions in their signatures. Most of these seem to be conditions that probably caused the POTS and/or conditions resulting from the POTS. As far as I know, POTS is my only medical condition. I was basically very healthy and this whole bascially hit me out of the blue following a virus. So I am interested in reading the responses to this post. Morgan, you are hilarious!

Goldice, Thanks for the update. I was wondering how you were doing. Best wishes for a quick and full recovery. -Rita

On my first TTT, they had set up an IV line to give me isuprel, but within 10 min my HR went to 150 and I threw up. So they never had the chance to give me the isuprel. I guess that I'm lucky that I avoided the 30-40 min TTT that everyone talks about! It has really been helpful in my treatment to have a positive tilt test and an official diagnosis of POTS. The doctors I have seen don't always know how to treat me, but at least they believe I actually have POTS. So I agree with Poohbear - I would opt for getting the isuprel if it helps to get the diagnosis. I was pretty sick after that TTT and they kept me in the hospital for the afternoon and gave me IV saline. The IV really helped, so maybe that's something you can talk about with your doctor.

I think (but am not sure) it's the autonomic nervous system which is responsible for constricting the blood vessels. For those of us who don't have EDS, when the vessels don't constrict properly, it could be just another function of having an autonomic disorder. Again I am not sure, but I think this is called autonomic neuropathy. Compression garments should help with this, as should anything which increases the BP or blood volume (florinef, midodrine, salt, etc.).

Baby Boy, Have you tried adding fiber to your diet? I have done this recently and it has really helped in the bathroom department. Most people don't get enough and it can be as simple as eating a high-fiber cereal for breakfast. Some of them actually don't taste too bad, either! As for caffeine and alcohol, I can tolerate a little of both and there are others on this board who can too (although many can't). We are all so different -- you just have to do what works for you. -Rita

I have a Polar heart rate watch and this happens to me all the time when I am near an appliance or electrical device, such as my computer. It says in the manual that electromagntic signals can screw up the reading. For me, the screwed up reading is usually around double what my base rate is. I don't think it's cause for concern, unless you are feeling funny. If you have any doubt, though, check with your doctor.

My sister was stuck in the Houtson traffic jam yesterday. She got 10 miles in 14 hrs in 100+ degree heat with no air conditioning. I can't imagine what that would be like with POTS or any other chronic illness. By chance, she was able to get a flight out this morning. I have some relatives in Houston who wanted to leave, but couldn't get out due to the traffic. I think they are already out of supplies (food, water and gas) in the affected areas. I hope that everyone stays safe. -Rita (the Potspal )

People who are underweight tend to have lower blood volume. I think that's why many of us feel better with a few extra pounds and many people actually feel better while pregnant. I used to be thin and my family has told me that I looked way too thin right before I got POTS. Now I'm just like Julie. I would love to lose 5-10 lbs, my arms and legs are skinny and all the weight is around my stomach. My weight gain is caused by beta blockers, salt and not being able to exercise like I used to.

I use Vicks Vapo Rub and saline nasal spray, because real nasal spray makes me tachy. I think Vicks is the greatest thing ever - it helps with my colds, headaches and nausea. I also put hot water in a bowl and breathe in the steam, with a towel over my head to keep in steam. Feel better

I was diagnosed with POTS early last year and was put on a beta blocker and florinef. These meds brought my BP and HR into the normal range, but I kept having symptoms. My doctors kept insisting that I was fine and my symptoms could not be related to POTS because my numbers were "normal". But after going through a million other tests and reading the forum, I figured out that my POTS symptoms are not always tied to my BP or HR. I definitely feel awful when my BP or HR are off, but sometimes I also feel awful when my numbers are fine. It's just another weird part of POTS, but not sure exactly why...

Good topic! Being home alone or doing anything outside the home by myself was a big struggle for me at first too. I am pretty much the same as everyone else. I always keep the things that I need near me. And the most important thing is the phone and cell phone. Whenever I'm feeling the least bit scared, I always call a friend or family member to talk to me. If I am really scared, they can talk me through my fears. Or sometimes, it just helps to have someone to talk to and distract you from whatever you're worried about, even if you are talking about something unrelated. I also have a Medic Alert bracelet in case I can't reach anyone during an emergency. I have gotten less scared about being by myself over time.

Melissa, Sorry you're having to go through this, but I think you're making the right decision. The most important thing right now is to take care of yourself. But from a fellow A type personality, I can certainly understand how hard it is to accept your limitations and make a decision like this. It sounds like your health has been improving over the past few months and hopefully it'll continue in that direction. I think you'll be able to continue your schooling at your own pace and your accomplishments will mean all the more to you because of all you've been through. I agree that you should do something for yourself this weekend - i dunno about you, but usually for me that involves chocolate! Hang in there and feel better, Rita

Yikes, the "A word" scares the heck out of me, especially given Morgan's prior ablation. She is in my thoughts. I really wish they could find a medicine to treat the tachycardia. I like the idea of calling the Mayo Clinic. Ernie, thanks for the update, keep us posted.

As much as I like the Springsteen song, Dancing Light should NOT be Dancing in the Dark. Hope you get some sleep and feel better soon! -Rita

Compression hose is a kind of pantyhose which keeps up your BP. They have been great for many of us. Here is the info on compression hose from the dinet website: Compression devices, such as abdominal binders and compression stockings, help to reduce the amount of pooling blood. Compression stockings should be at least 30-40 mm Hg and will work best if they are waist high (Grubb & Karas, 1999). Compression stockings should be fitted to achieve the greatest benefit. BrightLife Direct* carries affordable compression hosiery. As for the salt tabs, I thought I'd mention them, but I can't keep them down either! I have to drink soup broth instead.

Melissa, thanks for checking in. My appointment went well. My doctor thinks I have a mild form of IBS, and now that I think about it, I think he's right. He told me to switch from Prevacid to Pepcid, Tagamet or Zantac and also take fiber supplements. I was definitely NOT getting enough fiber before, and that may have been a big part of the problem. I'm also supposed to stop all dairy for a week and see what happens. Then I can eat dairy again, and if I feel worse then dairy could be part of the problem. So that's the plan for now. So far I do feel like I am getting better, so I'll just keep my fingers crossed. My stomach issues are minor compared to lots of folks here, but they still leave me feeling yucky a lot of the time! So I am really trying to get them under control... -Rita

I am one of those people with very low exercise tolerance. My POTS is pretty mild in general, but whenever I push myself too hard with exercise, I get really tachy, headaches, nausea and vomiting. And I can't tolerate exercising in an upright position or at a high HR. So I have gone ultra slow in increasing my exercise routine. I started off with walking, then moved to pilates, then to a peddle exerciser at home. Soon I will trying the recumbent bike at the gym. Taking baby steps has has really helped me to gradually feel a lot better over the past few months. We are all different in what we can do, but exercise helps all of us in the long run. I hope you find something that works for you!

Hi Melly, Have you tried salt tablets or compression hose?

Morgan, I know you're not exactly looking forward to this, but I'm glad that you're going. I hope that you have a productive visit and please keep us posted! I have my fingers crossed for you!! -Rita

Gatorade has about 50 calories a serving. I try not to have more than a couple of glasses in a day. Actually, Gatorade only has about 100mg of salt, which is very low if you compare it to a lot of other salty foods. I can't tolerate salt tablets and don't like over-salting my food. So Gatorade isn't enough for me and I get most of my salt through organic vegetable broth from Whole Foods. A cup or 2 of broth really does the trick...and the best part is that it has no calories! Smartwater and Fruitwater also have electrolytes and no calories. I think they work better than regular water, but they are not as good as Gatorade or soup for me. We're all different and if guzzling Gatorade worked for me I would do it. Because I'd rather have a few extra pounds than a few extra POTS symptoms any day!

I agree with Steph. My usual BP is 90/60 and doctors always told me that was excellent, until I got POTS, that is! From what I've read and what my drs have told me, the normal range is anywhere from 90/60 to 120/80. But it really depends on the person. If you just started a beta blocker, sometimes it takes a while to get used to and that could also be causing you to feel faint. Fluids, salt and compression hose should help. It sometimes takes a few days for the fluids and salt to start working. Another thought would be to start off the BB at a lower dose and work your way up. Feel better!

Thanks, Emily. My symptoms seem to be lasting for a few days after I have the dairy. I didn't have any dairy yesterday and I woke up this morning feeling nauseous. My stomach problems have been worse in the past and are mild compared to others here. But this current wave has been going on for about a month so I need to get it checked out. I broke down and made an appointment with my gastro for Friday. He will probably tell me I am fine, but I at least need to try to figure this out. I'll post an update then! Thanks again, Rita

Hey, Ernie. If you click on My Controls in the upper left hand corner, it will take you to a new screen with a menu on the left. There is an option to Edit Signature on the left hand menu under Personal Profile. I love reading what everyone has added to their signatures so far... -Rita