Hi Kay,

You're welcome.....I posted for you and for general information purposes. Ironically, I was diagnosed with POTS on Monday....my own Neuro (who did my skin punch biopsies) said I could not have it because my blood pressure dropped "only" 20 pts.,
from sitting to standing. At the (new) cardiologist's on Mon. it dropped 30 points. This doc. said the cut-off was 20 points!

I'll have a tilt table test in a week.

Best of luck with your surgery.

Sylvie

Some doctors use 20 points as the cut off, and others use 30 points...both are pretty acceptable numbers and should be 'considered' for a Dx. The tilt table is the gold standard test for POTS. The other in-office checks are just for initial 'preliminary' Dx. Many people can have a 20 point drop in BP in the office when just simply dehydrated. The tilt table will be the confirmation.

I'm glad they are now taking your BP drops seriously as POTS and tilt table is being done next week.

The ablation was really not that big of a deal for me. I was terrified of it and put it off for years. But after the third time ending up in the ER, I went ahead and had it done. So glad I did. My heart is so much better now. They did a radiofrequency catheter ablation.

Thank you all for your replies. I have decided to wait to have the ablation until after I see my Neuro. Ablation will be the second week of March.

Vonda

Good luck with the tests and the surgery!

As far as I know BP drop when standing is called neurally mediated hypotension (NMH).
POTS is increased heart rate when standing.

Actually, the heart naturally increases if the BP drops...it is called a compensatory reaction, or in other words it compensates for the low BP. When your BP drops, the body automatically knows it needs more blood to get to the brain, so the heart rate picks up and goes much faster. So many people with NMH or OH have tachycardia when they stand...simply because their BP drops too low and the heart must compensate for the drop. However, POTS is when this increase in heart rate occurs WITHOUT any drop in BP. Two separate conditions...one where heart rate increases all by itself when they stand, and the other where it increases because the BP drops when they stand.

There are several names for BP dropping when standing...NMH and orthostatic hypotension are the most commonly ones used.

Yes, thats why I think that SylvieM probably has NMH/OH, although her neurologist diagnosed POTS.