Postural Hypotension? POTS? No energy?

McFrench

Hi MFP'ers,

So now that I have lost 60 pounds...I have developed postural/orthostatic hypotension and I have no energy!

I started feeling a lack of energy in October. Till then, I had great energy and always wanted to be outside, be moving, looked forward to killing my workouts...then all of a sudden, was feeling sluggish, low energy, light-headed, especially when standing up. My personal trainer said to increase my protein and calories. I did. Didn't see much of a difference. Saw my Dr in November. He said my ear looked a little irritated, could be viral, something was going around, could be orthostatic hypotension. Ran a ton of bloodwork, (thyropid fine, no anemia, no diabetes, etc) all normal. Nothing got better....

Things seemed to get worse in Jan/Feb. My blood pressure was 90/60, 98/52. Really not feeling my workouts. Have to do low impact options. I still work out 5 days a week...kickboxing, step, personal training, Treadmill, water aerobics...but I have no energy for it. The stairs exhaust me. Standing up from sitting I feel dizzy and lightheaded. A workout that includes up and down (burpees, bear crawl, get down/get up) leaves me dizzy and nauseous.

Went back to Dr last week. He said to dramatically increase salt for one week and he is referring me to a cardiologist for a tilt table test. He told me to read up on POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) I started testing my heart rate with my HRM after reading your heart rate should only change 10-15 BPM when sittng/laying to standing. Mine jumps 30-45 pretty consistently.

I haven't been able to lose any weight since this started, and I had lost 50-55 pounds the previous 10 months. Now I am gaining/losing the same 5. I drink plenty, eat plenty- MFP is set to 1 pound loss per week (and I eat most exercise calories). I hate the low energy, I don't even want to get off the couch.

Any ideas? Obviously I am working with my Dr, but just wondered if anyone has experienced something similar??

Thanks!!!

familyarmstead

Read your post and hope that in these 8 months you have not given up. I have had POTS since my early teen years and am now 31. It is such a frustrating thing to go through, made worse by others who don't understand because "You look healthy." (Sidebar, being told that is my biggest pet peeve.) Because of the many variables in each of us with POTS, the only advice I can give is what has worked for me.

To start with, salt is you new bff. For me, MIO Energy is my second best friend. Coffee in the morning but to much seems to drain me the rest of the day. I keep a bottle of water w/Mio with me. It gives me the boost I need throughout the day. Beware, to much and your heart probably end up racing making you feel 10x more exhausted. Stay away from Gatorade as it contains High Fructose Corn Syrup. If I'm feeling particularly terrible, I find chugging some pickle juice helps. Have no idea why, but it does.

The good news is that because of your higher bpm, once you get to forcing yourself up and working out, you will probably loose weight a little fast than others. It is much easier to hit a high bpm when yours naturally is. The down side is that this is also probably why you are so tired. Your heart is working almost 2-3x faster than other folks! A hour workout to you is about the same as 2 to them! Keep your chin up and decide to fight. Once you give your self a 'no excuses, just do it' rule and begin to workout you will begin to actually feel better, if only a little, because you are strengthening your cardio system.

My workout consists of throwing on music with a basic idea of what I want to work on. I stretch and then hit the steps. I do that till I feel dizzy, nauseated, or any of the other POTS symptoms. Might be in 5 mins or I might make it an entire half hour. When I stop I lay down, because it helps get everything back under control, but instead of giving up, I do leg lifts, hand weights or any of the many other exercises you can do while laying. Once I feel good enough to get back up I might do squats or some other low cardio work, or if I'm up to it, hit the steps again. I'm 31, 5'7" 130lbs and have 4 kids. It IS work. It IS worth it and you CAN do it. Fight for it.

theflyingdachshund

Hey! My name is Chelsea and I have been diagnosed with Neurally Mediated/ Neuro-Cardiogenic Hypotension, also known as Vasovagal Hypotension. I've been to a general physician, a cardiologist, and finally a neurologist to find out why I feel so terribly when I work out, get hot, stand for long periods of time, etc. Initially I thought I had to work through it- but when I hired a personal trainer and they said "stop"...Considering I didn't know that word was even in their vocabulary, I decided to seek medical attention. My blood pressure untreated is almost always less than 100/70, often 90/60, and when it gets warm, that drops even further (the lowest I've had where I was still able to use a monitor was 80/39. After an 'episode', I'm weak and exhausted for the rest of the day.

Currently, I'm being treated with an SSRI and Midodrine (a drug commonly used in hemodialysis patients) which causes your blood vessels to constrict, raising your blood pressure. Some people use Beta Blockers, some use stimulants, and others actually have a pacemaker. Compression devices such as stockings on your legs can also help. If you're also triggered by heat, I frequently use instant ice packs during the summer, pressed against my neck/jugular/aorta.

For a long time, I didn't work out. Being relatively controlled (usually over 90/60) has not only increased my exercise tolerance, but I feel better during the summer months. Even now I listen to my body- are the veins in my hands dilated, am I tripping, nauseated, or dizzy? Is my hearing/vision okay? Am I having trouble speaking? If I need to sit down, I sit down.

and for the record, whatever you do, don't donate blood! You'll be fine until you stand up (postural HoTN, orthostasis), get too warm (NMH, POTS, etc. But then you'll pass out, and that -for lack of a better description- really sucks.