Treatment (part one): Medication Blues

Wouldn't it be great if there was a pill you could take that would fix all your problems!!

Medication can be one of the most frustrating parts of the POTs experience. The medication side of treatment is supposed to help lessen symptoms and it can be very frustrating trying to find one that actually helps you. I personally have tried Beta Blockers, Fludrocortosine, Midodrine and Effexor. Unfortunately, Beta Blockers were a nightmare for me. They are supposed to help with the quick heart rate but for me they made me lethargic with an extremely low blood pressure. Fludrocortisine or Florinef is supposed to decrease the amount of salt that is released in urine and therefore increase blood volume in the body. I am unsure how to feel about Fludrocortosine. I originally didn't think it was helping but after I came off of it, I fell into the worst three month period of my entire experience. I just started this medication back up again and we will see if it helps or hurts this time around. 

Midodrine is a vasopressor which works by constricting the blood vessels and helps with less blood pooling in the lower body. Midodrine is a tough one as well for me because the side effects are a bit overwhelming to not experience any major relief. When I take midodrine my head feels like I have brain freeze and I have constant chills. I would deal with the side effects if they significantly helped my POTs symptoms but, since they don't, Midodrine is not my favorite medication either. Lastly, I am trying Effexor. I have had anxiety my whole life and since my diagnosis I have anxiety with pretty much anything these days. Effexor is supposed to help with the anxiety but I have also seen a few places that there can be positive results for POTs patients as well. So far I have noticed a slight difference in my anxiety and I've had less panic attacks. I haven't noticed any relief of POTs symptoms since starting this drug. 

With that being said my medication experience has been less than ideal. Nothing I have been taking has been truly helping my symptoms and it can get very frustrating. I am staying positive though and I hope to find a medication that has helped me. These are just my personal experiences with medication and POTs. I welcome anyone to share their thoughts or experiences with medications in their POTs journey as well! 

*disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and these are just my impressions/experiences with medications on my personal journey. :)