POTS
This page contains stories of STARS members with Postural Tacycardia Syndrome (POTS).
James and Matthews Story
My eldest son, James became ill overnight in October 2005, when he was 12 years. He woke up feeling ill and within a week was unable to stand feeling dizzy, with headaches and nausea. His blood pressure was 188/160 and James was in hospital for seven days, MRI, blood tests, ECG and EEG were normal and nothing could be found to cause his symptoms. On telephone advice from Great Ormond Street and on medication to control BP, he was referred to a kidney specialist.
Clare's Story
When you suffer from POTS or any other fainting disorder, the decision to try for a baby is not straight forward. I faint at least a few times a week, I am too ill to work, I had to give up my driving licence because of my fainting and I use a wheelchair outside the home because I can only walk a few yards. My husband, Simon, and I had a lot of questions and worries about how on earth I would be able to cope with looking after a baby when I can only just look after myself. We waited a few years in the hope that my health would improve but it didn't. Eventually I became so depressed at the prospect of a life without children that Simon and I decided to start trying anyway.
Anita's Story
My problems with pre-syncope spells began 13 years ago when I was 16. I had multiple dizzy spells when standing up the kind that most people have had at some point in their lives, maybe when standing up from a hot bath. Everything closes in and goes black and blurry. The GP put it down to hormones and being a teenager. The spells became more frequent and caused me to collapse to the floor, though I never lost consciousness. I was referred to a neurologist who also dismissed it as the result of being a young female.
Kirsty's Story
When my POTS started in 2005, I was on a school skiing trip in France. There were initial signs that may have suggested something wasn't right within me, but I thought it was just a reoccurrence of the glandular fever I had had the year before. I was very emotional and could hardly eat.
Kellie's Story
Life was pretty good for my daughter Kellie in 2005. She was happy at boarding school with plenty of friends, doing very well academically (on an academic scholarship) and enjoying her new love of rowing. Then, out of the blue, she started collapsing for no apparent reason. This was the beginning of a roller coaster ride into the unknown.