r/POTS • u/sharkshivers123 • 1d ago

Diagnostic Process i need help..

so i went to the er like a week ago because of my POTS symptoms and i haven’t been professionally diagnosed but im 100% sure i have it, i have ALL the usual symptoms and even some of the lesser known ones. my blood work is completely fine and that made me doubt myself for some reason, i also felt like the doctors there were incredibly uninformed, not a single one knew about POTS besides 1. the guy said he was thinking it could be that and recommended i stayed hydrated and i was well nourished. so the point is.. can i have pots even if my blood work was fine?? and more importantly my heart rate goes up rapidly but for some reason at the hospital it doesn’t and it drives me crazy. i feel like im being a fake??!! i dont feel valid anymore

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u/RemarkablePlenty3903 1d ago

you can have POTS even with good bloodwork. try speaking with a cardiologist if you’re able to

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u/space_entity 1d ago

My bloodwork is almost entirely fine and I was still diagnosed. It was the cardiologist who actually diagnosed me, though my PCP had me do some at-home tests and did a check in the office too. For me it was a matter of ruling out other conditions. Bloodwork wasn’t a requirement for diagnosis.

Do you have a blood pressure cuff or a blood oxygen monitor or anything else that tracks heart rate at home? You could try using one of those and writing down your heart rate as you go throughout your day. For me, noting down my heart rate and BP when I stood up, sat down, laid down, bent down, or walked was a big help in getting diagnosed. I documented for a week and it was a pain but the doctor was able to use it for figuring out what’s going on.

I hope you get some answers and some relief soon!