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Be certain to take them with food...and lots of it. I used to take salt tablets, but they were not improving my symptoms. I didn't have any trouble with the tablets, except the first time I took them and did not eat enough of a meal when I took it. Also, start out slowly-- I started with one a day and then slowly added more.

Deucykub, My pediatricians growing up told me the same thing-- that I had "tall skinny girl syndrome" and to eat more salty junk food. My POTS doctors now say that these pediatricians, who we thought were nuts, were basically spot on just without the technical name!

My ANA is normal.

Dear Laura, I have also experienced the same thoughts and feelings. I am in graduate school and know the stares and confused look people respond with. I try not to take it personally and accept that they cannot understand what I am going through, especially considering I look normal. I also get comments from my parents, similar to yours, and it just reinforces that others cannot understand what we are going through. Instead I live for an audience of One, knowing that God understands what I am experiencing. It is so difficult for me to people do the things I cannot do anymore. However, I try to remember to share in other's joy. If I can't do the things I love, I'd at least like someone to be able to do them. I live with the hope that I can get better at any moment. The doctors don't know if I will have this for the rest of my life, 25 years, or get over it quickly. And I chose to take the more positive look that this could end at any moment, that 10 years from now I may be cycling up a hill with my bedridden POTS years far behind me. My prayers are with you as you go to Stanford. I hope it will be fruitful, providing you answers and a sense of hope.

They did not work for me at all. But I think that is because blood pooling is not my problem, hypovolemia is.

I was told that because atheletes don't take salt tablets as much as they used to that many stores have stopped selling them as the demand has gone down. Another option is that you can always get your doctor to write a prescription for them for you.

JJH, No I am not sure why, and I don't think the researchers are quite sure why either. But the most important thing to remember is that POTS is a symptom (like fever) and everyone has a different cause. Thus, you will find people over 50, or those who have it for longer than 5 years, etc because we all have a different root cause.

JJH, I only have POTS (and syncope but it's basically part of the pots). My symptoms have gotten worse over time, but within the realm of POTS-- they have not progressed to other conditions/diagnoses. Every time I get sick my symtpoms get worse and never get better. My doc thinks that the POTS will go away with time, or will at least improve. Studies show that most people within 5 years see some improvement. Further, typically with just a POTS diagnosis, they do not see people over 50 with it.

I have not seen Dr Fish, but I have been to the Autonomic Dysfunction Center at Vanderbilt. It is top-notch and the leader in POTS research.