GAD, fear of POTS

[anxiety.fear]

My story is very long but I will try to make it short. I took a medication for allergy some weeks ago and suddenly my heart started pump like crazy. My heart rate was 150-170, my blood pressure was high, I was afraid, severe brain fog, dizziness. I went to ER where I met toxicologist. He has said me that this medication could not be the cause for my experience, at least not in the dosage I had took it. He measures my blood pressure and pulse. They were high again. He sent me to cardiologist. The cardiologist made ECG and he took a look at it and said that except the high pulse everything is just fine. He gave me a medicine to decrease my pulse. I went home. I have not slept well, no matter I felt very tired. When I stood up my heart started to pump up very fast again. Again I felt very afraid, I had a shortness of breath, severe brain fog, dizziness which didn't disappear when lie down. From this day I feel awful. Constant anxiety, depression, brain fog, confusion. I had some panic attacks but now they disappeared. I have from time to time shortness of breath. Sometime my muscles (every time different muscle - of jaw, eyes and so on) feel like paralyzed. There was many other strange symptoms. But now I am afraid I have POTS. One day I decided to measure my pulse when standing and it was very high - 100, 110. I looked up in Internet and what I found - Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. I suddenly read the criteria and started to measure my pulse when lying and then when standing waiting 2-3 minutes. And results are almost below 30 pulse higher criteria and I don't have pulse higher than 120. But sometimes when I am very anxious my pulse when standing is aroud or a little higher than 30 (and sometime higher than 100 but less than 120). When I start measuring my pulse when stand up I become even more anxious. And now I am constantly thinking that I have POTS and that my symptoms - brain fog, sometimes confusion and dizziness are result of this disease which is without cure for many people. No matter that people affected are mostly women (80 %), no matter that men who get it are mostly teenagers after viral or bacterial infection. No matter, I am paralyzed of fear and I am afraid to go to cardiologist because there is a chance for me to be affected too. Does any of you have such generalized anxiety issues? Can a medication to unlock anxiety? Or can medication cause POTS? I hope you to help me with this devastating state I am now in.

[lcfrogs]

I'm no doctor, but to me it just sounds like really bad anxiety. I do not have POTS, and my heart rate is never lower than 100 because of my anxiety. When I'm really anxious it gets up to around 140. I also have very high blood pressure when I'm really anxious. My heart is always pounding; it's just something I've gotten used to. Anxiety can do crazy things to the body.

[anxiety.fear]

Thank you, lcfrogs.

This anxiety kills me. I feel so desperate, anxious and depressed that I have no interest in anything, I have no appetite. Even now I measured my pulse when was in bed (it was 78) and when stood up it was 107 first, then 101 on second measure. Yesterday I took a pill of beta blocker it slowed down the pulse and made it more regular, lying/stand up difference was about 14-17 beats but the anxiety remained and even shortness of breath appeared. It is awful. In the beginning I was fixed about my brain fog all the time, now I don't think about it very much and my mind is consumed by this POTS thought.

[lcfrogs]

Also, I know someone with POTS and they always have severely low blood pressure, not high blood pressure. Have you been experiencing any fainting?

[anxiety.fear]

Also, I know someone with POTS and they always have severely low blood pressure, not high blood pressure. Have you been experiencing any fainting?

No, never. A weeks ago I have experienced constant pressure in my head, I felt very foggy, I couldn't think very well but I have never left consciousness.

[lcfrogs]

Thank you, lcfrogs.

This anxiety kills me. I feel so desperate, anxious and depressed that I have no interest in anything, I have no appetite. Even now I measured my pulse when was in bed (it was 78) and when stood up it was 107 first, then 101 on second measure. Yesterday I took a pill of beta blocker it slowed down the pulse and made it more regular, lying/stand up difference was about 14-17 beats but the anxiety remained and even shortness of breath appeared. It is awful. In the beginning I was fixed about my brain fog all the time, now I don't think about it very much and my mind is consumed by this POTS thought.

I have recently been completely consumed by my anxiety as well. I also have no appetite, despite being very hungry all of the time. Every time I try to eat, I can't chew or swallow. I know from experience that adequate nutrition can ease the anxiety some, so I have bought nutritional supplements (Ensure) in attempt to nourish myself. There isn't very much in a bottle and for me, at least, drinking is easier than eating right now. I recently saw my doctor and my heart rate was immensely rapid. She took my blood pressure and I don't remember my diastolic number but my systolic was 140. When my anxiety is at its worse, I am constantly out of breath and find it very difficult to breathe. I have been trying to drink plenty of water as it can help with all of these physical symptoms. I've also been avoiding all caffeine as it makes it much worse. If you are really concerned that you have POTS, you can always get tested for it. Hope this helps.