Diagnosed with POTS after pregnancy- Referred to John's Hopkins
Hello! I'm a 23 year old female who has POTS but I'm having a very extreme flare up right now and have been referred over to John's Hopkins for more intensive treatment. I'm unable to get out of bed without my HR going from 60 to 100 and pressure spikes. However, they put me on propranolol twice daily and as needed if I feel my symptoms come up again and it does work to regulate my heart rate and the nausea I experience with episodes. I just feel off even taking the propranolol (can't bend down, can't move very much, still cant do anything alone) and the doctor told me my case seems severe as I've had repetitive episodes of syncope and sinus tachycardia. I can't walk by myself and need support in almost every aspect of my life. I have a 6 month old at home and can't take care of him. I'm currently in the hospital trying to get this all figured out, but has anyone here had a similar story or also been treated at John's Hopkins? As of right now it sounds like they're sending me home with a walker and a heart monitor until I can get an appointment with a POTS specialized electrophysiologist.
Are major flare ups like this normal? My POTS was manageable until after I gave birth, and since then I go through phases every few months where it's worse than others, but I've never had it this rough. How do you come to terms with chronic illness like this....?
I was having episodes of what they thought was SVT of HR around 120-170 but they're looking more like sinus tachycardia based off my 12 lead. Can POTS cause this? I'm newly diagnosed but have a severe case at this moment as I had some underlying cardiac issues in my pregnancy. Thank you for any insight, advice, or feedback!