Struggling through the Teen Years with POTS

POTS is something I've lived with since I was a kid, around 12 or 13 years old. As time went on, my symptoms became worse and worse, until it was becoming increasingly difficult to function. I couldn't climb stairs anymore. I couldn't go to the gym. I couldn't run. I was nauseated every morning. I was so exhausted all of the time for no reason.

Every day I would suffer from a pulse of 120-140 just from standing up. My adrenaline would spike for no reason throughout the day. If I didn't eat or drink water on time, I would become incredibly dizzy, weak and shaky. I suffered many dizzy and fainting spells on a daily basis. My legs even began to painfully cramp up sometimes when I stood up, and I couldn't even take a step.

My parents were so concerned for me, but none of us had any idea what was happening. I was in and out of the doctors for 5 years, getting checked for every possible issue and time and time again the results were always normal, and I was continuously diagnosed with severe anxiety and panic disorder.

I dreaded going to college, where I suffered many POTS episodes. One time, I even needed to call my dad to come get me because I was too weak to even walk. He had to drag me to the car while my heart pounded and I fell in and out of consciousness.

It wasn't until a routine doctor's procedure went awry and resulted in my heart racing all the way at 189 beats per minute that they realized it was a physiological issue, and I finally received the POTS diagnosis. Who knew that increased fluids, electrolytes, and a little bit of beta blockers could do such wonders! While I still have the occasional unpredictable flareup, I understand what they are and how to deal with them!

I am now 20 years old and attending online university. I've reached out to others with POTS symptoms and spread the word to them, so that they could also get properly diagnosed. POTS is a real illness and needs to be widely recognized. Knowing that you're not alone makes a world of better.