Introduction
Shakiness. Intolerance of exercise or a prolonged worsening of general symptoms after increased activity. A pale face and purple discoloration of the hands and feet if the limbs are lower than the level of the heart.
How does POTS affect the stomach?
In addition to the cardiovascular symptoms, patients with POTS experience significant gastrointestinal symptoms namely nausea, bloating, diarrhea or even severe constipation. Furthermore, large meals or high carbohydrate meals exacerbates the feelings of palpitations, weakness, and fatigue in these patients.
What can mimic POTS syndrome?
A pheochromocytoma can mimic POTS (or vice versa) because of the paroxysms of hyperadrenergic symptoms including palpitation, although pheochromocytoma patients are more likely to have these symptoms while supine than POTS patients. Plasma or urinary metanephrines22 can screen for pheochromocytoma.
How long is life expectancy with POTS?
POTS is not life-threatening, and there is not evidence of reduced life expectancy.
What is POTS often misdiagnosed as?
There is little knowledge of PoTS within the medical community and it is often misdiagnosed as anxiety, panic attacks, vaso-vagal syncope, chronic fatigue syndrome, or inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Consequently, diagnosis of PoTS is commonly delayed by several years.
What do POTS flares feel like?
Typical symptoms of PoTS include: dizziness or lightheadedness. fainting. problems with thinking, memory and concentration this combination of symptoms is often called “brain fog”
What causes POTS flare ups?
POTS flare ups can be caused by many things, including stress, illness, certain medications, and changes in weather or altitude. People with POTS often don’t know what triggers their flare-ups, but there are some things that can be done to prevent or lessen the symptoms.
What organs affect POTS?
The whole of the autonomic system function may be affected with complications including bladder and bowel control, renal and sexual function. Some of the effects may be worse in the early phase after injury and a new balance achieved a few months after the injury.
Does POTS show up in blood work?
“The trouble with diagnosing POTS is that it’s currently principally a clinical diagnosis. It’s based on history, the absence of other illness as well as the finding of an increase in heart rate when standing. There is no blood test right now to aid in the diagnosis.
Can POTS turn into MS?
The diagnosis of MS was based on clinical history, neurological examination and supported by cerebrospinal fluid analysis and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain in each case. Two patients with POTS, who were followed at our clinic, developed multiple sclerosis after being diagnosed with POTS.
Conclusion
MRI scans are therefore often preferred when diagnosing POTS and have the advantage of higher resolution imaging for brain structure, and sometimes IV contrast is given to allow evaluation of the blood vessel supply also.
