JenniferInOhio

I've officially had POTS for 2 years. I think I've had a mild form of POTS for several years prior....looking back sometimes I just felt "off" for no good reason and food or drink always made me feel better. At times, I noticed my heart would be racing, and I would sit down and it would go back to normal. Of course, none of these things interfered with my life so I really didn't think much of them at the time. Only now, can I think back to those times and think I probably had POTS and didn't know it. I was diagnosed after a laparoscopy - my heartrate went soaring, and I had really bad adrenline rushes after the surgery. I am guessing that the surgery/anesthesia brought out my POTS for the worse. I consider myself back to where I was before I knew I had POTS. Of course I have symptoms, but I had them before. Now I know that my mild symptoms like heart racing and an "off" feeling are due to POTS. Back then, I didn't think much of them. I am almost fully functional. I have to watch the heat and can't exercise like a mad-woman. I'm not on any meds and I do pretty much (except for when it is extremely hot) what I want.

The prep was very doable - I only had to drink 2 of the 4 liters thanks to Deb's (Morgan617) advice!! She gave me lots of great tips for the prep and it wasn't bad at all. Seriously. Two years ago when I had to do a prep, I was crying and everything. This time it was cake. Sedation went well. I was not awake during the procedure. No heart rate or blood pressure problems. No pain or cramping afterwards. No bleeding in the colon or stomach. Did a biopsy of my small intestine to see why my body is not absorbing iron (I'm assuming he was testing for Celiac). Will get the results in a few days. Thanks for all of the advice and well wishes!!

Good luck!! I weaned off last summer and don't really see much of a difference except for a higher resting heart rate. 70 compared to 50 when I was on the beta. Not much difference in the standing heart rate for me. Anyway, good luck!

Pushing myself too hard and possibly causing a heart attack, stroke or any kind of physical damage was one of my big fears at first. My cardio keeps saying I can do anything I want to - if I feel okay. Obviously, he says, if I have shortness of breath, chest pain and feel like I'm going to pass out, that I need to stop. He says even if my heart rate is high, as long as I don't feel symptoms, I can keep on going.

I voted no change. I've always been tall and thin...and pale.

Thanks! I just ate my last meal before the prep tomorrow afternoon. I had toast with a scrambled egg. It was soooo good. I'm already thinking about what I am going to eat Monday afternoon after the procedure. I've had a couple of pieces of toast, some chicken broth and propel all day. I start the prep tomorrow afternoon.

Oh no! Glad the 2nd surgery went okay and glad they caught it!

Thanks everyone!! I've been eating lightly today and boy am I hungry!!! I think I need a light snack!!

Thanks Nina.

Hmm... Well I do have bp issues sometimes. Not to the point of fainting or anything. Just dizzy and lightheaded every once in a while. Food/drink usually fixes that problem. SVT - I do have occasionally. It is going to be done in a hospital, just not the operating room. I just need to chill about it and trust God to keep me safe.

So, I just called my doctor's office and asked if there was going to be a nurse or anesthsiologist monitoring my sedation. They told me it would be my GI and a nurse. It will be done at a Cleveland Clinic affiliate hospital in the outpatient procedure area. When you had your colonoscopy or other procedure requiring conscious sedation, did you have a nurse monitoring you or were you in la-la land and didn't know who was there? Can you tell I'm starting to panic?

Thanks for posting. I always like to hear baby posts. Glad you are feeling pretty good.

Glad to hear that everything went well!!

Ick!! I'm hoping for just 2-3 liters to clean me out.

I don't know why no EP study. Before I was diagnosed with POTS, my cardio suggested an EP study...however he also MISdiagnosed me with Inappropriate sinus tachy. I knew I didn't have Inappropriate sinus tachy so I switched doctors. Once I was diagnosed with POTS, no one every mentioned the EP study again. I don't think I would have one if it was suggested. I'm a chicken.

Oh, yeah, I definitely have to take the nu-lightly/go-lightly...whatever it is...but I thought if I would go on a light diet a few days before, that maybe (crossing fingers and toes here) I wouldn't have to drink the 4 liters. 24 hours before I am supposed to be on a liquid diet.

Cardiac - I did occasionally get the SVTs with the beta blocker, but they diminished quite a bit. They definitely weren't gone completely. I was having them sometimes several times a day or maybe every few days before the beta blocker. With the beta blocker I would experience them maybe 3-4 times per month.

Hope you are able to catch it! FYI, when I was on a low dose beta blocker, the svt almost disappeared.

I did a google search, but couldn't find anything specific. I'm going to try to eat some light foods for 2-3 days before my colonoscopy. Does anyone know what these light foods might be besides fruits and vegetables?

I have no idea if the svt and POTS are related. I'm thinking they are separate. Like Flop said, I can tell the 2 apart for sure. Like Flop said, the SVT is a run of very fast regular palpitations with sudden onset and termination and it lasts for about 10 seconds for me, but mine is not associated with chest pain. The sinus tachy I am completely unaware of unless I count my pulse or unless I'm doing something laborous it is more obvious.

Is it safe? I'm scared. They will be using conscious sedation with my colonoscopy.

I get a run of 16 SVT's in a row every once in a while. I had an event monitor and a holter and it was caught. It just feels like my heart is absolutely racing for a few seconds and then it switches back to normal as quickly as it came on.

1. How'd they diagnose it (holter, event, EP study, loop, etc) and how long did it take them TO capture it? I had a holter and also an event monitor. 2. What were your symptoms? Runs of fast beats. 3. What have they done (ablation, meds,etc) to eliminate the SVT. Nothing. 4. WHAT TYPE of SVT did/or do you have (atrial tachy, mutifocal atrial tachy, atrial flutter, atrial fib, SA nodal reentry, AVNRT,etc) I have no idea.

Bananas, Tree nuts, Shellfish Penicillin, Codeine

I'm so sorry you can't find a doctor to help you I was also disappointed in my appt. at CC. I was in tears at my appt. when they told me I had POTS and then expected me to leave - without any information on treatment or at least some sort of patient counseling. The doctor actually asked me why I was crying. Again, I am sorry. I wish I had the name of a wonderful doctor to give you.