Things That Help Me

These are just a few things that help me cope with having Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.  They may or may not be useful to you.  Please, do not implement any new drug, diet, or exercise regimens without first consulting your doctor!

OK, now that we got that out of the way, here are some things that are helping me!

1.  Yoga:  I try to do some relaxing yoga at least three mornings a week.  I find it calms me and helps to keep my muscles toned without raising my heart rate (of course my heart rate is raised but not like it would be if I were to attempt some cardio).

2.  Avoid carbohydrates:  I don't have a gluten allergy and I'm not a Celiac, but carbs tend to make me feel awful!  Within a half hour of eating them, I feel bloated and tachycardic.  This is unfortunate since I'm a self-proclaimed carb addict!  So, I allow myself to cheat but I only eat them occasionally and in small amounts.

3.  Eat small amounts, frequently:  My POTS brings with it some not so pleasant tummy troubles.  I battle nausea and constipation.  Some days I have to absolutely force-feed myself, but I find I do best if I eat small amounts, every two to three hours.

4.  Drink water and Gatorade and lots of it:  This one took me some time.  Before being diagnosed, I was not a water drinker.  I really do feel like it helps though.  Gatorade is a life saver!  I drink G2 as it has fewer calories.

5.  Only take warm showers, never hot or cold.  I hate this one, too because I love hot showers and baths.  The hot water causes blood to pool which is bad for someone who already has blood pooling issues!  Hot tubs also make me feel terrible!  :-(  I break the rules by sitting on the edge of the hot tub and letting my feet soak!

5.  Meditation/ Prayer:  When I'm having a bad episode, I pray my way through it.  It's essential for me to keep a clear mind to avoid having a panic attack on top of a POTS attack.  It can be very scary when your heart rates spikes and your blood pressure plummets!  Allowing yourself to go into panic mode will only make it worse!  Keep calm and carry on!  ;-)

6.  Learn your triggers and avoid them:  For me these include stairs, loud noise, large crowds in closed in places, extreme temperatures, overeating... I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them right now.

6.  Medications are very personalized for us POTSies.  What works for one patient might be a disaster for the next.  I've tried every beta blocker and calcium channel blocker out there to no avail.  One thing that has helped me is a Zantac and Zyrtec every morning.  These two little pills greatly reduced my flushing, adrenaline, shaking episodes.  This is something I decided to try on my own after some research.  I'm only taking the dose recommended on the package and I'm not taking any other medications (so there's no risk of drug interactions).  I plan on discussing this further with my doctor when I go to Mayo Clinic in April.

I hope some of these things might help you or at least give you something to discuss with your doctor!  I'm sure I'll be updating this page often as it seems my body is constantly changing and in response, so are my coping techniques!