7 Things That Seemed Normal Until They Weren’t: POTS Edition

If you live with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), you’ve probably had those “Wait—this isn’t just me” moments. You shrug something off as being quirky... until you realize a lot of your “normal” is shared by others in the POTS world.

Here are some of the most common:

1. Standing Makes You Dizzy (And You Just Thought You Were Sickly)

Maybe you stood up too fast and got light-headed. Everyone misses a beat now and then—right? But when it happens every time, or worse, when your heart races, your vision blurs, or you feel like you might pass out—it becomes a clue.

2. Meals Leave You Drained (And Trips to the Bathroom Become a Fainting Risk)

You eat a normal meal, then feel wiped out. Maybe heavier than you expected. Or in the bathroom you find yourself sweating, dizzy, maybe even about to faint after you finish. It seemed random—now you realize digestion and elimination are massive stressors when you have POTS.

3. You’re Always Shifting, Leaning, Or Counting On Furniture

Your mom told you to fix your posture—but standing still drains you. You lean your upper body on counters, shuffle from one leg to the other, hang on to walls. It’s not laziness—it’s your body saying standing upright is five times harder than it should be.

4. Numb Legs When You Stand—You Drag A Leg, Wait It Out, Move On

You stand for a bit and your legs go numb or feel heavy. You think you’re just weird or “met a bad mattress” but really it’s circulation pulling a disappearing act.

5. Random Chores Trigger Deep Fatigue (Vacuuming? Hell No.)

You enjoy life—or you try. But vacuuming, lifting laundry, cleaning the litter box… tasks that involve awkward positions, squatting, lifting your arms overhead all feel so much harder. You used to make jokes about being lazy, but really your body doesn’t tolerate those moves well.

6. Summer? Patio Drinks? No Thanks.

When everyone else is thrilled about eating outside on the deck, you head for the darkest corner, indoors, with AC and shade. Heat? Humidity? Your body doesn’t cooperate. You always knew you were different. Now you see a pattern.

7. You Drink More Water Than Anyone Else—and Still Feel Dehydrated

You eye a half-gallon water bottle like a survival kit. Yet you still feel thirsty, lightheaded, shaky. Something’s off—your body isn’t just “not enough water,” it’s not absorbing or using it like you expected.

What You Can Do

It helps just to recognise these aren’t weird quirks—they’re signals. When you see them for what they are, you can start building habits that help:

• Take breaks often: Sit, lie down, or elevate legs.

• Plan tasks: Do chores in shorter bursts, avoid awkward positions when you can.

• Pay attention to meals & bathroom time: Eat smaller, more frequent meals; be ready with support (seat, fan, water) if a session drains you.

• Hydration awareness: Your body may need more than plain water to feel supported. Many people with POTS keep electrolyte-aware hydration in their toolkit. One option is NormaLyte designed for everyday hydration.

Those “just part of me” moments? They’re often far from small. Recognising them—that’s one of your best steps. You’re not imagining the patterns. You’re noticing what your body is doing. And once you know them, you’re stronger.