yogini

I was born exactly on my due date. I think being born late or early is pretty common one way or another - and is also affected by whether you're the oldest child. I think it'd be hard to tell whether it made a difference in POTS. Tho I agree being very premature can make you vulnerable to all sorts of things.

If you have people in your life that can help with groceries, definitely ask. You may also want to get a shopping cart. They're pretty cheap and it's easier to push/drag than to carry all those bags!

I don't know anything about the hormones, but I think Yaz as and Yasmin are different -- maybe only in dose. Yaz came out sometime within the past few years. It was advertised as a new BCP from the makers of Yasmin....I only know this from the commercials!

I don't know anything about migraine meds, but it sounds awful. Is there a trigger that set them off again? Feel better soon!

Thanks everyone. I'm actually pretty good at eating - balanced meals and eating regularly - and I'm gaining weight, so definitely not undereating. I drink lots of fluids throughout the day, so should be well-hydrated too. Today I went for a swim about an hr after I'd eaten a turkey burger, and I only felt a little hungry. Maybe I have to make a more conscious effort to eat protein before exercising.

Apart from an increase in POTS symptoms, does anyone get super hungry after exercising? I get so hungry I can't see straight - could this be a blood sugar issue?

In addition to what others have said, many POTS patients are NOT hypovolemic and pooling can occur due to autonomic neuropathy. It's very frustratng -offensive, really- that he says yours is due to deconditioning. How is it that many people go from being athletes one day to having pooling the next? It doesn't sound like he understands the mechanics of dysautonomia at all. How did you find this dr? I still think that tachy doesn't cause fainting - if you faint while your heart is beatin fast, it's because there isn't enough oxygen to the brain. The heart may be beating fast to compensate for this. On the breathing front, through yoga and breathing exercises I have learned to slow my breaths down to 4-6 breaths/min. It is safe to do when done correctly. But when I don't focus on it, I know breathe a lot faster. I think I was breathing 25 breaths per min before and my breathing has slowed down a lot, even when I don't think about it.

I try to stay objective in reading posts, because we never know the full story. But you said you supported him, he took advantage of you and now that things are more equal b/c of your health, he is complaining about having to do things. He also went and signed a new lease and didn't take into consideration your needs. It doesn't sound like much of a partnership. If that's what you're looking for, you're probably in the wrong place. If you add in the cleanliness factor, maybe you just aren't that compatible. The good thing about him signing the lease is that your name isn't on it - which will make it easier to leave if that's what you decide to do.

Financial stress can make things harder on a relationship. How long were they married? If they were together for decades, it is going to take him a while to move on. Four years seems like a long time, but it may not be I agree with you. It's one thing to have pictures and honor her memory; it is another to not have pictures of you, hang onto the house and make you feel like she is still the focus of his life. It is hard to find someone caring and loving, so I really hope you find a way to work things out....in the meanwhile, don't feel obligated to hang out with her children if you don't want to...

If I remember correctly, you are doing better POTS-wise? I didn't fly for the first year of POTS, but after that, have flown quite a bit...to see my family, for work and for fun. I've done non-stop flights to Europe, California and Hawaii -- which was 13 hrs. I haven't found the long flights to be any tougher than the short ones -- if anything easier b/c I can sleep. Flying is tiring, but manageable. I think as long as you are well-rested, hydrated and prepared everything will go smoothly. Enjoy!!!

My understanding is that tachy never causes fainting - it is the lack of oygen to the brain that does. That is why many/most POTS patients never faint - while those with NCS are more likely to. I think docs that don't treat POTS all the time - no matter how smart and reputable they are - tend to get things confused sometimes. I've been to some of the "best" drs in NYC that didnt have a clue. Maybe this doc is confused, or maybe you have a different form of dysautonomia. POTS involves tachycardia, but dysautonomia could also mean dysregulation of BP. Not enough is known about the mechanisms of POTS at this point and I'm all for anything that helps...especially something as benign as slowing down breathing. I know it has helped me a lot - doing breathing exercises and using the Resperate breathing device. People in general breathe too fast, and breathing properly is beneficial to health in many ways. Just because something so simple helps, it doesn't mean you DON'T have an underlying medical condition.

Gosh - I hope it doesn't take a whole year. I can't take a whole year of this!!! Luckily I am on prescription acne meds, but I can't take the weight gain, dizziness, moodiness, etc!!

I started Paxil to keep up the BP, so I didn't have such a bad reaction to stopping the BCPs. I hope you get back to normal soon. LOL about the censorship!!

Yes - I lost weight through diet and exercise a couple of times. Since POTS limits my ability to exercise, I found that the diet part was the most important. I think the trick is not to go on a diet, but to change your eating habits in a way that works. Find things that you like that are low in calories and don't keep junk food around. And allow yourself to cheat once in a while and eat the the things you love. Otherwise you will go crazy! I didn't read through any of the replies, so sorry if this is redundant. You mentioned you recently went off birth control. I just posted about this the other day. I went off mine and have gained weight. Apparently this is a side effect, so may be part of your issue. That part may sort itself out when your hormones settle down. Good luck - keep us posted.

For me, getting POTS has changed the way I think about dating and relationships. Even though my health is much better now, I realize now that I need someone who is totally devoted and supportive of me. Who knows what else life has in store for me, and I want someone to be working with me, not against me. I see on the forum that some spouses are completely supportive, so there ARE people out there - some have even met after getting sick. My family is there for me completely, so I don't think I want anything less in a partner. Your boyfriend sounds like a great guy in many ways. I think you need to let him know that even though you really want to, you can't conribute 50-50. Is there any chance that he would be willing to move beyond this idea? That seems unworkable even when both people are healthy. I am thinking through all of the couples I know. There is always one person that seems to do more.

Pilates Complete for Everyone. It's great, because it has a bunch of different workouts of different lengths and levels, so you can slowly work your way up. You can also check ratings on amazon.com. I have tried the personal trainer/reformer route at the gym, but I couldn't have done that without starting out on the video.

Interesting...hope it helps!

Exercise works for a good number of us, but not everyone. We are all so different. I?ve worked my way up very doing the most exercise I could without interfering with my daily routine. This was a couple minutes at a time at first. Though I know it works for some people, IMHO cardiac exercise is not the best for POTS. I can "handle" cardio now, but I still dread it. And I definitely don?t think we can measure our fitness by the same scale as ?healthy? people. And Nina is right that conditioning is usually not even our issue. (So ignore that Dr. Phil - he's not an MD or even a dr of psychology. ) I always focus on keeping my HR as low as possible while moving around. Maybe you are pushng yourself hard or doing the wrong form of exercise...or maybe you just need a break to re-evaluate.

Thanks. I just googled it. It is not uncommon for people to gain 5-10 lbs!!! Also, it can cause hot flashes. I've been feeling hot, and just now made the connection. Hormones can be so scary. It could be worse - I am just glad I didn't collapse in the airport like I did last time I tried to stop. I'm still young enough to have kids, and I needed to get these pills out of my system at some point soon. Guess I will just grin and bear it!

Has anyone had a weird reaction to stopping birth control? I stopped mine (Ortho Tri Lo) in June. I did this 3 years ago and got extremely sick within a couple of weeks. This time, I was fine for the first month. But since then I've had a faster HR and more dizziness. Nothing else has changed, so I'm assuming this is the birth control. Is it possible to have a delayed reaction? I'm taking BBs again to help with my symptoms - not ideal, but they I am hoping it is just for a short time until my hormoes readjust. Also, I have GAINED 4 lbs. Shouldn't I be losing weght by stopping BCPs? HELP!!!

I think it's worth a try - I think antibiotics are mild on the body compared to some of the other POTS treatments out there. But my only question is, if you and your son both have POTS, could Lyme still be a cause?

Flop, I got high BP and had to adjust my meds to cut out florinef. Are you wearing compression stockings or doing anything else to boost up your BP? Does your BP drop after standing for a while or stay high? Hope your dr has some answers.

How did it go? Looking forward to a positive update!

Buying stuff online is a lifesaver, especially for those of us with POTS. Websites can get certified for reliability - they will display the certification logo (like Bizrate, Yahoo, or Better Business Bureau). Otherwise, I would stick to the well-known sites (amazon.com, buy.com, etc.) and those affiliated with stores like Nina said. Another good idea is to use a separate credit card for online purchases, so that if your info is lost, it doesn't affect your main credit card.

Before I opened this post or knew that you were on Paxil, I had a feeling your issue was related to Paxil or SSRIs. This is very common - you cna do a search on the forum and see other posts on this topic. It can happen even if you're not weaning or adjusting your dose.