Jump to content

katyroq

Members
  • Posts

    58
  • Joined

Posts posted by katyroq

  1. Good question. I have been wondering about this too because I seem to have problems with both. Katybug I can relate to being ice cold and not being able to warm up. And then if i shower to get warm, i will suddenly cross the threshhold and become too warm, nauseous, etc. So maybe its more that the control in general is poor, whether needing to dilate or constrict?

  2. Thanks for the suggestions of autoimmune. I'll have to look into that. Actually there is a poll thread that just got bumped up on what caused people's POTS and it looks like ~50% don't know...so maybe I can't necessarily expect to find out.

    And Sylvie, I definitely agree that I can't blame POTS on stress. I think it's definitely an underlying issue that can become problematic with other stressors present.

  3. I am a newbie to POTS and have a mild case. The doctor who diagnosed me basically said make sure to take a walk every day, eat salt and drink some gatorade, and come back if anything gets worse. At first I was just very relieved to find out there was nothing too bad causing my near fainting episodes. But now it is starting to bother me that I don't know what caused my POTS and if it is even important.

    I think I have had symptoms for a few years but they did not start as a result of a virus or illness. Also I am 31, so like the doctor said many people grow out of it but I am a little old for that. Could the fact that I have had a very gradual onset and also very mild symptoms mean that my body is under a small amount of chronic stress that is adding up over time? If so I would think it is important to find the cause...?

    Also does anyone else feel like your body has adapted so as to not experience the symptoms strongly? For instance my HR can go from 55 lying down to 170 getting ready for the day and I would hardly notice. I equate being breathless in the morning with being tired, not having tachycardia! I am pretty in tune with my body and already drink 3+ liters of water per day, eat very little gluten or dairy, no caffeine, sleep 9-11 hours per night, etc.

    All of this to say...should I just be thankful that I am okay, deal with the occasional near fainting, and accept that this is just how my body is and I am already doing the things that are good for me? Could it even ever be considered "normal" to have huge hr swings?Or does the fact that I don't know the cause mean something? And how would I find that?

    Would be interested in hearing others thoughts.

  4. I just got a Basis Peak for continuous hr monitoring. I love it! It's a watch, so it's a bit bulkier than the Fitbit, but in my opinion it's pretty good looking. Also the hr monitor is extremely accurate. I saw a study where it is comparable to a chest strap. Another advantage for me over the other options is that the Peak is waterproof and can be worn in the shower and during POTS-friendly swimming. My most frequent near-syncope episodes happen in the shower, so I need to monitor my hr carefully then, and this works great for it. Various amounts of data can be seen on the watch screen, the app, or the web interface, and all data can also be exported. It's also a sleep tracker/analyzer. I did a lot of research before getting the Peak, and I've had it for about 2 weeks and love it.

  5. Thanks for the responses.

    bigtrouble - I can relate to the small amounts of stress triggering symptoms. My body seems to be over-reacting to even small stressors right now. As shathaway mentions, it probably is due to adrenaline. It seems like if adrenaline levels are high anytime we are upright, then maybe that small increase due to normal daily stressors is pushing me over the "edge"...quite inconvenient.

    Finding a "new normal" (hopefully temporary) sure isn't fun, especially when you're used to pushing yourself to the max. My normal mode is "mind over matter". If pain/illness/etc is not going to kill me or cause a bigger problem, I will push through it (I have chronic pain issues), so this year my new year's resolution is to take care of myself. I have read some of the posts on stress on the rest of the forum and it seems to be very individual how much stress our bodies can take. I suspect I've had POTS for a while, so I'm hoping that even though I need to push myself this semester, making it a priority to get enough rest, salt, exercise, etc. will help.

  6. Hi everyone,

    I was just diagnosed with POTS today. I am very thankful to know what is wrong, and I have a very mild case, but I am still rather overwhelmed. I will search through the forums before asking all my questions, but quickly if I can get any input I would appreciated it.

    Does stress make POTS worse? I am a PhD student, so my life is pretty stressful. I take classes, teach a class, and also have research projects (60+ hour work weeks). I had an extremely stressful semester last semester, including taking a huge exam, and during that time my symptoms became worse. They did not get better after I passed my exam or during the winter break, so I'm not sure how the correlation with stress works.

    Does anyone else work a stressful job and how do you deal with it having even mild POTS? Can stress cause my POTS to get more severe? Could "pushing through" the symptoms make things worse in the long run?

    I'd appreciate any input those of you with more experience may have. Thanks!

    Katy

×
×
  • Create New...