Postular orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)?

I have POTS, are there anythings that I can do to lesson the symptoms?

I would imagine that you are aware of the following details. If you are not, I hope that this rather long discussion will give you some more insight and assistance towards understanding more about POTS. - Treating patients with POTS and neurally mediated hypotension is often very difficult. When you stand up your body should automatically constrict blood vessels to help maintain blood pressure in the face of increased orthostatic stress. In the standing position, gravity wants to pull your blood down to your feet. When you lie down, your body should automatically dilate blood vessels as gravity is no longer a force to fight against. With POTS this automatic regulatory system breaks down and blood begins to pool in places where it should be flowing rapidly. The heart is then stressed with the added work of trying to pull all that blood uphill without help from the much needed alpha adrenergic constriction process. Adding lots of extra salt to the diet can increase both blood volume and blood pressure by increasing fluid retention. One must increase fluid intake for salt to effectively expand blood volume. The use of a large, stainless steel chef's style salt shaker can be helpful. A high salt diet should only be tried under the recommendation and supervision of your doctor. Patients with POTS and/or neurally mediated hypotension should avoid garlic and nitrates in food, which lower blood pressure. Most patients also need to give up alcohol, coffee, tea, and adrenaline stimulating herbs like ginseng. Try to avoid eating heavy meals as overloading the stomach decreases orthostatic tolerance by drawing blood to the digestive tract and away from main arteries which feed the brain. Make sure you exercise every day when you are able. Try to keep your muscles alive, as they produce the natural vasoconstricting hormone norepinephrine. Good muscle tone, especially in the legs, helps limit abnormal blood vessel dilation and blood pooling. Severely affected patients may find any amount of exercise difficult, but one can slowly increase activity over time as you improve. Even just ten, two minute walks a day adds up to twenty minutes of walking, which can help maintain vital muscle mass and thus increase your orthostatic tolerance. During the day it is better to rest in a recliner chair rather than lying in bed, as constant bed rest decreases orthostatic tolerance dramatically. Astronauts often develop a temporary form of orthostatic tachycardia upon returning to earth due to the deconditioning effects of weightlessness, which are quite similar to prolonged bed rest. Exercises can be done even in bed by tensing and then relaxing muscles in the arms and legs. When muscle mass is lost it is difficult to regain, therefore it is very important to avoid becoming deconditioned through inactivity. Meditation may help some patients reduce stress, feel more rested and alert, and often has a mild analgesic effect, reducing the perception of bodily aches and pains. Meditation will not cure POTS or increase your comfortable standing time. Meditation is a possible alternative to the use of sleep aids and sedatives, which often increase vasodilation and reduce orthostatic tolerance. Pyridostigmine bromide (Mestinon) is a drug traditionally used to treat myasthenia gravis, but a few doctors are now using it to treat some forms of orthostatic intolerance and POTS. Pyridostigmine bromide enhances ganglionic transmission by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, an important neural transmitter that helps control muscles. Pyridostigmine bromide can potentially ameliorate orthostatic intolerance without worsening supine hypertension. The greatest effect of pyridostigmine bromide is on standing diastolic blood pressure, suggesting that the improvement is due to increased total peripheral resistance. It can be used alone or in combination with a low dose of a beta blocking drug, such as propranolol. WARNING - Recent conversations with doctors suggest that pyridostigmine bromide has very uneven results and that it is no miracle cure for POTS. Researcher have reported that it seems to test better in laboratories than in actual home use. It should be noted that pyridostigmine bromide was the anti-nerve gas drug given American troops during the first Gulf War. A number of military personnel publicly testified to Congress that pyridostigmine bromide caused them severe neurological damage. Beta blockers are used by many doctors to treat POTS and neurally mediated hypotension (NMH). I t has ben reported that more bad drug reactions to beta blockers than any other drugs used for the treatment of POTS and NMH, especially for those patients who have NMH secondary to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In these patients beta blockers can actually cause POTS. Some patients have found beta blockers to be helpful. Florinef is a common drug for the treatment of POTS and NMH. It is used to stimulate the body鈥檚 retention of salt and water and it also has a very small and indirect alpha agonist effect (vasoconstricting effect). The list of Florinef鈥檚 known potential side effects is hair raising, but at the small doses prescribed Florinef is not unusually dangerous. WARNING - Florinef makes you expel potassium so you must take potassium supplements to keep in balance. Midodrine is a useful drug for many patients and is probably the most effective alpha agonist currently available. Alpha agonists work by constricting blood vessels, thus reducing blood pooling in the lower part of the body. Sold in the United States as ProAmitine, Midodrine has the advantages of being long lasting and is most like the body鈥檚 own natural vasoconstricting hormones in effect. WARNING - Because you do not want your blood vessels constricted when you are supine, it is essential that alpha agonists should not be used before bedtime. Celexa (citalopram hydrobromide) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor similar to Paxil, Zoloft, and Prozac, but with the claim of fewer side effects and less potential for negative drug interactions. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been used for many years to treat neurally mediated hypotension and syncope (passing out). NOTE - The drugs used to treat POTS are not like antibiotics or anti-cancer agents. They do not "cure" anything. At best they can help your body cope with symptoms of a dysfunctional circulatory system, thus making you feel and function better. If the drugs do not make you feel and function better, then consult with your doctor about stopping taking the pills. Also be aware that most drugs have side effects that may present soon after treatment has begun or they may build up over a period of time.
As in all cases when more detailed medical information is required, you would be advised to seek the advice of your doctor.
I add a link with details of this subject

http://www.nymc.edu
fhp/centers/syncope/
POTS.htm

Hope this helps, (even if it is lengthy)
matador 89

You're very welcome. I trust it was of help.
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