Chronic Illness on Yik Yak | Update: I have POTS. She put me on a heart monitor for a week to track my palpitations. So thankful for the diagnosis just feels like great, where do I go from here? She put me on a beta blocker with a pill that will help me retain sodium.

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Chronic Illness 6d

Update: I have POTS. She put me on a heart monitor for a week to track my palpitations. So thankful for the diagnosis just feels like great, where do I go from here? She put me on a beta blocker with a pill that will help me retain sodium.

Chronic Illness 1w

Okay so I did a little at home tilt-table test and monitored my BPM laying down for 10 minutes and then stood up and within 30 seconds it went from 50 bpm to 110. I’m suspecting POTS. I have an appt with a heart doctor Monday, any tips/advice

Anonymous 6d

Welcome to the POTS club! Not the most fun news, I’m sure, but this is the advice I’d give myself when I was first diagnosed (got diagnosed in Oct 2023) Find your go to electrolyte (I tried several and have stayed with buoy electrolyte drops the longest). Having an electrolyte you can tolerate makes taking it easier :) Next, in addition to the symptom diary, I’d keep a general log of how you feel in different weather/other stimuli. This doesn’t need to be super comprehensive, just enough so you

Anonymous 6d

I’m on metoprolol (beta blocker), fludrocortisone (sodium/fluid retention), and an emergency fast release midodrine for sudden blood pressure drops. Just monitor your symptoms in a medical diary or log for med effective, I personally have a pulse/ox and a blood pressure cuff to better monitor things, drip drop >>> liquid iv, avoid carb heavy meals, caffeine can actually be beneficial if you don’t have tachycardia otherwise (it’s a vasoconstrictant), don’t be afraid to sit down whenever you need

Anonymous 5d

How did you monitor your BPM at home?

Anonymous 4d

make sure your ferritin is above 100 because iron deficiency can exacerbate pots symptoms!

Anonymous

#1 6d

Exercise is beneficial, but don’t work out on a bad day. Don’t be afraid to rest. Choose cardio that can be done sitting for safety (recumbent cycle workout machine, my beloved). Always be drinking water. Pickles are great emergency shots for sudden symptoms (electrolytes and tastier than salt shots lol). I’ve had POTS my whole life and diagnosed over 10 years ago. It’s annoying but manageable when you have a good supportive medical team helping you. That’s priority number 1

Anonymous

#1 6d

Compression socks to the knees are worthless. Get thigh high ones (discuss with your doctor for safety and always practice safe compression wear rules). I have mild compression gloves too bc when I walk for long periods of time blood pools in my hands and they swell badly.

Anonymous

#2 6d

Can understand it. While you can’t always predict/control how you’ll feel, this can help identify what are major triggers + can assist you in preparing for said triggers if they aren’t avoidable. Altogether I hope you can find a plan with your doctor that helps minimize your symptoms and allows you to live a happy lifestyle-although it may take time. Don’t feel guilty for prioritizing rest and recovery if your body needs it. It’s not being lazy. Wishing you the best with your POTS journey 💜

Anonymous

#2 6d

recommending Guava for a symptom tracker!

Anonymous

#1 6d

i use compression to the waist, and it’s been a lot better than thigh high for me!

Anonymous

#4 5d

Apple Watch!

Anonymous

OP 5d

Damn I don’t have one of those, best I can do is a carotid pulse for 60 seconds 😭

Anonymous

#4 5d

You can get like cheaper health tracking watches that will do exclusively bpm, but I have always wanted the Apple Watch so I got that lol!

Anonymous

#4 5d

i have a fitbit lol

Anonymous

#4 5d

For a while I was using a free app that used my phone camera + flash to monitor mine. I compared it with an actual pulse oximeter and it was accurate. It was called “instant heart rate: HR monitor”

Anonymous

#5 5d

Thank you, I’d much prefer to get an instantaneous hr as opposed to an average over 60 seconds. I appreciate all the assistance 🥰