DYSAUTONOMIA AND POTS?

[ohitspotsy]

I've been living with terrible symptoms of POTS for almost two years now. I've joined this to hopefully get some support and answers because I've come to a REALLY depressed point in my journey where I'm not even sure if going on is worth it anymore. I would honestly say that I have a "mild" form of it at the moment because I do not faint, thankfully. And I'm also not as ill as I have been at times. BUT I suffer from ongoing, never ending dizziness/lightheadedness/pre syncope. I'm just so scared that things are never going to improve and I can't go on like this. I live in Michigan, and have not seen ONE doctor who understands, or knows where I'm coming from. I'm on no medicines besides Ativan as needed ( which is EVERY DAY ) for panic attacks. My anxiety is really out of control because feeling dizzy and sick scares me into panic attacks all the time. So I guess I have a few questions here... Is there any hope of things getting better? I feel like I'm more likely to get worse. Is anyone on Zoloft? My doctor wants me to take it and get off Ativan which I also want to do but I'm afraid of the side effects... I don't want it to make my POTS worse... Or my anxiety worse which I heard it can do it the first couple weeks... I have little to no family / friend support and I'm honestly just down to last straws that I think I can handle... I've tried talking to the friends I do have but nothing and nobody can help... If I can never be independent and healthy again I don't know what I can do.

[Saintkim]

Have you tried a beta blocker, such as metoprolol tartrate?  Maybe you need a complete evaluation done at Mayo Clinic.  They do a fabulous job testing just about everything including the tilt table test and meeting with different doctors based on your symptoms.  You will walk away with a plan that you can give to your doctor.  Exercise is crucial as well.

[CHRISTYDRAKE]

Has your doctor thought about prescribing anything for your dizziness?  like fludrocortisone/florinef?  That took my son's dizziness away for the most part.
My son has been on Zoloft in the past, but it did not help.  He currently takes Doxepin which is helpful and Klonopin has really helped with nausea.