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697167 tn?1259569969

Diagnosed with POTS 3yrs ago but not sure if it is?

I was diagnosed with POTS 3 yrs ago. 2 weeks after my son was born I had my first "fainting episode” according to my family I fell on to the floor with my eyes open but I was non responsive for about 2-3 min. I felt dizzy off and on after that but when I started working a job in the ER as a PCA I started having issues with it more frequently. My mother who was a trauma nurse manager there hooked me up to a monitor shortly after one of my episodes and my heart rate was 160bpm plus. I had only walked maybe about 5ft after sitting down when this occurred.  I was admitted and after tilt table tests was diagnosed with POTS. I have been living with this for 3 yrs now have 2 children who I can't run with and I am tired all the time. I can stand just fine for long periods of time though. My symptoms only onset with exertion (walking, running,ect...) or when I first stand up. When I lie down after feeling palpitations it takes anywhere from 5-30 min for me to stop feeling them. I feel like I have a hard time thinking a lot, what I mean by that is that I can put something down 5 min later forgot where I put it and it takes forever to remember exactly what I did with it and it feels like I am trying to recall something that happened 5 yrs ago not 5 min. While my muscles get tired after walking for long periods of time I don't think I am going to need to be put on permanent bed rest or in a wheel chair like a lot of POTS patients need to be. Beta blockers don't work to control my heart rate (Most of the time they just make my fainting worse) or Procoralan which is used to lower heart rate.  Several cardiologists say there is nothing structurally wrong with my heart. Based on what I have seen on the Dysautonomia forum with POTS patients I don't think it could be what I have. Also, my mother has MSA which is also an Autonomic problem, I thought it wasn't hereditary? If any one can help me to understand I would greatly appreciate it. I am getting a neurology referral it will be the first time I see a neurologist, no one has recommended I see one I just figured if a Cardiologist can't do anything for me maybe just maybe a neurologist can.  
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881165 tn?1265984588
I see you have diabetes type 1 listed as an interest on your page?  Do you have it?  If so, then diabetic neuropathy (aka peripheral neuropathy) is a definite possibility.  The neurologist should be familiar with it and be able to test you. http://www.medhelp.org/medical-information/show/74
http://www.medhelp.org/medical-information/show/1742/diabetic-neuropathy
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697167 tn?1259569969
No my sister has type 1 diabetes and my mother has MSA which is similar to Parkinson's disease. Seems all the women in my family have a little something going on with them... Autonomic and Autoimmune.  Even though after being diagnosed with MSA they are now calling my mother an enigma and don't know what it is that is wrong with her, she has excellerated Parkinson's symptoms but also effusions on her knees and edema on her body... I am just glad I have boys since my dad, brother, and  husband are all perfectly healthy people.
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