Ana

@JennKay Technically yes. I stopped it because my husband and I want to try for a baby later in the year and the cardiologist said I had to stop it before that, however, I technically still need it. I have more heart palpitations without it.

I know this is an old post but I wanted to share. I had always felt dizzy when I stood up and my vision would darken but I would not ever pass out, this started in my teens. In 2020 I got COVID before I had any vaccines. I was fine until I wasn't. I had no symptoms at all for the first 4 days. Then I felt my heart racing and heart palpitations, which I had had palpitations before, but not the heart racing sensation. I communicated this to my NP and she said to monitor my HR. If I stood up and walked, just 5-6 steps, it would go from 80s (resting) all the way up to 130s-160s almost immediately. I could not go up the stairs without feeling faint so I was not allowed to go upstairs at all. Other than that, no symptoms. No cough, no sinus anything, no fever, no GI issues, nothing at all. At about the 2 week mark, I woke up one day feeling my chest tight. NP said to go to the ER just in case, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. HR kept being an issue and the palpitations. I was not allowed back to work since I couldn't stand for very long and my HR remained high for as long as I was standing. I went to see a cardiologist, she diagnosed me with POTS and told me that they had seen an increase in diagnoses of patients post-COVID. She said that in my case, it sounded like I already had POTS but a very mild form and COVID exacerbated my symptoms to where they became a problem. I wore a cardiac monitor for a week and we realized I had an arrythmia, the palpitations I was so used to feeling and my sudden bursts of anxiety were all the arrythmia, PACs. I started taking salt pills twice a day, electrolytes and compression socks, as well as flecainide for the arrythmia. I saw her again 6 months later and I had significantly improved so she said I could stop the salt pills and monitor symptoms. I stopped the compression socks because I hated them and noticed I was still doing fine. I kept the electrolytes for another year and since then I take them every so often, especially if I am having a flare or I can feel that it's gonna be a day. But since COVID my POTS is definitely worse than it was. Two months ago, I got COVID for the second time. I was worried about having a POTS flare, but to my surprise I didn't. I again had no symptoms except for being tired. My HR did increase a bit when standing but nothing like the first time around. So round two of covid seems like I won this time around.

For me personally, the effects during or around my period vary with each individual cycle. Some cycles I feel so very tired and my symptoms worsen noticeably, and then others I am perfectly fine. It also varies whether or not symptoms get exacerbated in the PMS stage or during the actual period week. It is very strange to never quite know how it will go. Kinda sucks to be honest, but I guess it is what it is?

@Pistol I have a heart arrythmia, PACs, that gives me palpitations and I used to take medication for that, Flecainide, but I stopped it a few months ago because my husband and I want to try to get pregnant later this year and my cardiologist told me I can't take it because it's not safe and she wanted to make sure I stopped it a few months we started trying to be extra safe. So I'm just riding out the heart palpitations and arrythmia when they happen. @Sushi Unfortunately it has been happening when I'm most active, which is at work, and I'm a teacher, so I can't really stop to take my blood pressure while in class. But that would make sense. It's just odd because it never used to happen like that. I would only get symptoms whenever my HR was higher and so far I have never struggled with BP being low. I help out in the library for one class period and I noticed it the most when I crouch to arange books and then I stand back up, then it hits me with the fogginess and lightheadedness and my HR is usually between 98-112.

I understand. Sometimes I wll drive and realized later that I have a foggy memory of getting to where I am. I know I drove myself, but it was almost as if I was on autopilot? That's the best way to describe it.

I have a milder form of POTS, so I can do stairs, but I feel myself get drained every time I do, and of course my heart rate does not like it at all. When I had my huge flair post COVID when I got diagnosed, I flat out could not go up the stairs. I had to only do two steps at a time and take a break. It was a very slow process.

Yes, anytime that I do a Valsalva, my symptoms worsen and I get very lightheaded, sometimes to the point of almost passing out.

Hey there! I'm new to the forum. I got diagnosed in 2020 after I had COVID-19 as it exacerbated all my symptoms. Lately I have been noticing that I will stand and walk and I will feel foggy and lightheaded but when I check my fitbit, it says my HR is not even over 100? It will be around 90-98, or barely over a 100, between 105-115 and yet I will be lightheaded and foggy? It has been quite humid lately but still, I'm kind of confused about having symptoms when my HR is so... normal? Does anyone else experience this? Usually I have had symptoms starting when I'm over 120-130, depending on the day, and definitely anytime I go over 140. But this is new and odd to me. Am I just weird or is does anyone else relate to that as well? Thanks in advance! Ana