I'm currently in the process of getting POTS diagnosed, but I also think I may have some of the commorbidities that come with POTS, so I'm looking into them, so I can advocate for myself, and avoid the medical gaslighting as much as possible.
What other conditions do you have that run along with POTS? If you are comfortable enough to share, ofc.
Gaze-Evoked Dizziness
Facebook definition:brought on my looking around too fast, or staring too hard in your peripheral vision
Saccadic Reading: where your eyes jump roughly from word to word rather than focusing on the spelling.
Chronic Migraine: A neurological disorder characterized by frequent migraine headaches, potentially causing severe head pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, dizziness, and visual disturbances. Hemiplegic migraine is a subtype that can also cause temporary weakness on one side of the body and, in some cases, speech difficulties.
Transient Neurological Sensations: 30 second waves of goosebumps, facial buzzing, and a "drugged, drunk, or high" feeling. Commonly before symptoms, could possibly be tied in with Pre-Episodic Aura.
Possible symmetric neurogenic puritis, causing intense, deep prickling, crawling, and heat mirrored on both sides of the body that travels as you scratch (both arms on back of elbow. )
Neuropathic POTS: A subtype associated with dysfunction of certain autonomic nerves that help regulate blood vessel constriction, potentially causing blood pooling in the extremities, dizziness, fatigue, and an excessive heart rate increase when standing.
Hyperadrenergic POTS: A subtype associated with increased sympathetic nervous system activity, potentially causing a racing heart, tremor, sweating, anxiety-like sensations, and sometimes a rise in blood pressure when standing.
Hypovolemic POTS: A subtype associated with reduced circulating blood volume, potentially contributing to dizziness, fatigue, weakness, and an excessive heart rate increase when upright.
Secondary POTS: POTS that develops in association with another condition or contributing factor, such as an underlying illness or disorder affecting autonomic function.
In addition to Orthostatic Tachycardia (POTS)
Rapid Orthostatic Recovery: where the elevated heart rate plummets back down to normal within 30 seconds of stopping movement.
Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension (nOH): A condition in which autonomic nervous system dysfunction prevents proper blood pressure regulation when standing, potentially causing dizziness, weakness, blurred vision, brain fog, and fainting.
Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (IST): A condition in which the heart's natural pacemaker produces an abnormally fast heart rate without an identifiable cause, potentially causing palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and exercise intolerance, even at rest.
Vasovagal Syncope: A condition in which the nervous system triggers a sudden drop in heart rate, blood pressure, or both, temporarily reducing blood flow to the brain and causing dizziness, nausea, sweating, tunnel vision, weakness, and fainting.
Orthostatic Hypertension: A condition in which blood pressure rises excessively upon standing, potentially causing dizziness, headaches, palpitations, and chest discomfort, although some people experience no symptoms.
Severe morning malaise: causing one to wake up feeling profoundly toxic, woozy, and "hungover on steroids" with a heavy thumping in my chest
Pre-Episode Aura: feeling a sudden drop "like a rollercoaster" in stomach, right before symptoms spike.
Air hunger: where you feel like you can't breathe, and need to take a huge, deep breath every 10-20 seconds. Most commonly causes extreme yawning.
Yawning attacks: that come with a "un-stretchable" whole body restlessness, adrenaline like shaking, a doom sensation, and moderate drowsiness
Excersise intolerance: the inability to work out like you should, causing severe muscle weakness and tremors during or immediately after exertion.
POTS — Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: An autonomic nervous system disorder characterized by an excessive increase in heart rate when moving into an upright position, causing symptoms such as a racing heart when standing, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, brain fog, exercise intolerance, shakiness, and sometimes nausea or faintness.
Vasovagal Syncope (VVS): A condition in which a reflex causes blood pressure and sometimes heart rate to drop, temporarily reducing blood flow to the brain and causing dizziness, nausea, sweating, tunnel vision, weakness, and fainting.
Chronic nausea: both stomach-mediated and motion-sickness-type nausea (malaise and brain fog?)
Makes me dizzy, hard of breath, and starts with a feeling in my neck, and an empty stomach/gag feeling. Intense nausea spikes my hr to around 120
Very common when about to have a bowel movement.
Functional Dyspepsia: A chronic digestive disorder involving abnormal stomach function or sensitivity without an identifiable structural cause, potentially causing upper abdominal pain, burning, bloating, nausea, belching, and uncomfortable fullness after eating small amounts.
GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease): A chronic condition in which stomach contents repeatedly flow back into the esophagus, potentially causing heartburn, acid reflux, a sour taste, difficulty swallowing, chronic coughing, hoarseness, and a lump-like sensation in the throat. Doesn't personally happen enough to be considered GERD as opposed to regular heartburn.
Alternating dysmotillity: rotates from nausea, bloating, some gurgling, and episodic delayed emptying.
Mild aerophagia accompanying nausea: burping every 10/20 seconds for the duration of my nausea. (Sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes a few hours, do note: burping changes in duration and frequency depending on severity of nausea at the moment.)
Extreme Gas/Bloating: unable to pas gas for 5 hours -5 days on the extreme sides, normal bloating will not be mentioned here but can and will be discussed in office.
IBS-C — Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation: A digestive disorder involving abdominal pain and altered bowel function, particularly constipation, causing symptoms such as hard stools, straining, bloating, abdominal cramps, incomplete bowel movements, and difficulty passing stool.
Rumination Syndrome: A digestive disorder in which recently eaten food repeatedly returns to the mouth, often without nausea or forceful vomiting, potentially causing effortless regurgitation after meals, rechewing or spitting out food, abdominal pressure, and sometimes nausea or weight changes.
MALS — Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome: A condition in which the median arcuate ligament compresses the celiac artery and nearby nerves, potentially causing upper abdominal pain after eating, nausea, vomiting, bloating, reduced appetite, and unintended weight loss. This is commonly with POTS, and I have gastrointestinal issues so it was put here.
Migrating itchy flushes: moves around the body, itches so intensely that I give myself hives sometimes. Sometimes hives present without cause. Not typical hives, appears to be individual inflamed pores?
Itches for days to a week (stomach had hives for 6 days, gone now)
Mast-Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS): A condition in which mast cells release excessive or inappropriate chemical mediators, potentially causing episodes of itching, flushing, hives, swelling, gastrointestinal problems, rapid heart rate, dizziness, and breathing difficulties.
Mast-Cell-Related Symptoms/Allergic Disorders: Conditions involving immune-system reactions that release substances such as histamine, potentially causing itching, sneezing, congestion, flushing, hives, swelling, wheezing, and gastrointestinal discomfort.
Melasma: A skin condition involving increased melanin production and uneven pigmentation, causing brown or gray-brown patches that commonly appear on the cheeks, forehead, upper lip, or chin. These patches are generally painless.
Dyshidrotic Eczema: An inflammatory skin condition characterized by small, intensely itchy blisters on the palms, sides of the fingers, or soles of the feet, potentially causing burning, redness, peeling, cracking, and dry skin.
Rosacea: A chronic inflammatory skin condition that primarily affects the face, causing persistent redness, flushing, visible small blood vessels, acne-like bumps, and skin sensitivity. Some people also experience burning or gritty, irritated eyes.
Adenomyosis: A condition in which tissue resembling the uterine lining grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, potentially causing severe menstrual cramps, heavy periods, pelvic pain, bloating, and painful intercourse.
Possible Endometriosis, Endosalpingiosis, or Tubal Endometriosis: Conditions involving endometrial-like tissue or tissue resembling the lining of the fallopian tubes in locations outside their usual anatomical position, potentially causing pelvic pain, painful periods, painful intercourse, pain with bowel movements, and possible fertility difficulties. Endosalpingiosis may also occur without noticeable symptoms.
Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (PCS): A condition involving impaired blood drainage or abnormal blood flow through the pelvic veins, potentially causing chronic pelvic aching or heaviness, pain after prolonged standing, pain during or after intercourse, and sometimes visible pelvic or vulvar varicose veins.
I feel this personally during my menstrual cycle, so I'm unsure of this or Endo.
Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI): A condition in which the ovaries lose normal function before age 40, potentially causing irregular or absent menstrual periods, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty conceiving, and sometimes sleep disturbances or mood changes.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): A mental health condition characterized by persistent, excessive worry and an overactive stress response, causing symptoms such as restlessness, muscle tension, racing thoughts, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances.
Anxiety Disorders: Mental health conditions involving excessive fear, worry, or nervous-system arousal, potentially causing racing heart, dizziness, muscle tension, nausea, restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.
Depression: A mental health condition affecting mood, motivation, and daily functioning, potentially causing persistent sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness.
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder): A neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulse control, and activity regulation, potentially causing distractibility, forgetfulness, disorganization, restlessness, impulsivity, and difficulty managing tasks.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A neurodevelopmental condition affecting social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior or interests, potentially causing sensory sensitivities, difficulty with changes in routine, social communication differences, repetitive behaviors, and differences in emotional regulation.
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder): A mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma, potentially causing intrusive memories, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance, emotional distress, sleep difficulties, and heightened physical stress responses.
OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder): A mental health condition involving intrusive, unwanted thoughts or fears and repetitive behaviors or mental rituals performed to reduce distress, potentially causing anxiety, repeated checking, contamination fears, reassurance-seeking, and difficulty tolerating uncertainty.
Other
- Behçet's Disease: A rare, chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect blood vessels and multiple body systems, potentially causing recurrent mouth ulcers, genital ulcers, eye inflammation, skin lesions, joint pain, headaches, and digestive problems. Symptoms can flare up and subside over time, and diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms and the exclusion of other conditions.
Small-Fiber Neuropathy (SFN): A condition in which small sensory and autonomic nerve fibers become damaged, potentially causing burning pain, tingling, numbness, temperature sensitivity, abnormal sweating, digestive problems, dizziness, and rapid heart rate.
Iron Deficiency/Iron-Deficiency Anemia: Iron deficiency occurs when the body lacks sufficient iron, while iron-deficiency anemia develops when iron deficiency reduces hemoglobin production, potentially causing fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headaches, palpitations, shortness of breath, and reduced exercise tolerance.
Vitamin Deficiencies: Conditions in which the body lacks adequate amounts of essential vitamins, potentially causing fatigue, weakness, neurological symptoms, muscle problems, impaired immune function, and other symptoms depending on the specific vitamin involved.