It seems like there is an influx of people who are newly becoming diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).  It may not be a coincidence either.  In our post COVID world, we are just now beginning to understand how it has affected our population.  According to this study, up to 40% of people who had long covid may have triggered an autonomic dysfunction (also known as dysautonomia).  

Do you suspect that your POTS, a form of dysautonomia, was triggered by a covid infection?  It’s possible!  Read more about that here.

Newly Diagnosed with POTS

Regardless of the cause of your POTS, you’ve been newly diagnosed.  Receiving a diagnosis of POTS can have a couple different effects; relief as you were finally diagnosed and fear of what that looks like for your future.

It often takes up to six years or more to get a diagnosis of POTS.  Which means you’ve likely been experiencing the symptoms for many many years without a lot of knowledge of how to manage them.  

Symptoms of POTS

• Brain fog
• Rapid heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Fainting or feeling like you’ll faint
• Exhaustion/Fatigue
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Temperature deregulation
• Excessive or lack of sweating
• Chest pain
• Low blood pressure/high blood pressure
• Blurred vision

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to symptoms of POTS.  There are more, but these symptoms tend to be the most common amongst people with POTS.  If you’ve been newly diagnosed with POTS you may be wondering how you can manage these symptoms.  We have tips!

5 Tips For Managing Symptoms of POTS For the Newly Diagnosed

1. Salt.  ALL THE SALT.  It’s likely your doctor after your diagnosis said to you, “Take {x amount} of sodium a day.”  Which can be so very confusing because salt and sodium is not easy to convert (luckily we have a sodium/salt calculator).  The amount of salt you need can seem astronomical; the Cleveland Clinic recommends 3,000mg - 10,000mg of sodium daily.  How do you get that much sodium in a day?!  We recommend drinking NormaLyte.  Our PURE was made for people with POTS and has been clinically proven to manage symptoms.
2. Exercise.  We know.  It seems like the solution all doctors give for any and all ailments.  It can be frustrating especially when you have POTS because it can seem almost impossible to exercise when you’re struggling with debilitating fatigue.  We talk about some different exercises that can be easier on the person with dysautonomia here.  They are easy to manage while seated or laying down which can make a big difference when you’re not entirely sure you can manage standing for long periods of time.  Yoga is also great for POTS!
3. Compression garments.  These are not cute.  In fact, even the cute ones are not that cute.  They will make a world of difference, though.  By compressing and controlling so that you are not experiencing blood pooling in your legs. 
4. Monitor your symptoms.  Keep a little notebook and document your day.  This may help you make a connection between what you’re doing through the day and how you’re feeling overall.  Keep a log of the amount of sodium you’ve consumed because that will also tell you what the correlation is in how you feel.
5. Find a support team.  Maybe it’s a parent, a sibling, or a friend.  Maybe it’s the strangers in the facebook group you found.  Whoever it may be, ensure you’ve got a support system of people surrounding you.  Find someone empathetic, not sympathetic, who can offer a listening ear.

What are some tips that you wish someone had given after you were newly diagnosed with POTS?  Drop it in the comments below.