For anyone that has POTS do you notice that any minor movement/fidgeting and your heart rate goes up? I can be sitting at my desk at have a heart rate of 80 and scoot over to the other side to grab something and move back and it's 95. I did not stand up, just literally scooted my chair. Just seems like a large jump doing a minor thing. It can also do this just moving my arms around the desk in a fast motion. Not sure if any of you monitor your heart rate like I do though.

Thanks in advance!

YEP! Talking, eating...anything will make it jump sometimes.

Being that you haven't even gotten up (so not positional as in POTS), then you may have some IST (Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia). It is common for those with POTS or any other autonomic dysfunction to have more than one form of the condition...and IST is another form of the same dysautonomia.

Wow! You sure know your stuff! I am so thankful for you already Would the treatment be any different? Or should I continue doing the same thing that I am doing for POTS? Nobody has brought up IST to me. You seem to know so much more than my electro doc....

Best thing you can do is to journal your symptoms and tell your doctor about them...even these odd little things that may seem weird or insignificant can help him to to better treat you. IST is usually treated in much the same way. But it needs to be documented, which is usually very easy if hooked up to EKG in the office and then asked to perform various actions like talking, moving, and even stepping up/down off the exam table step (this is how they Dx mine).

It all depends on how significant it is as for how they treat it. A minor adjust in meds or sometimes adding a different class of meds can help.

I'm sure your electro is well aware of IST, but hasn't heard you mention some of these odd times that you experience increased heart to look for IST. They can also use event recorders or holter monitor to document the errant heart rates.

Hi. I appear to be developing autonomic dysfunction as well but I have no idea what the treatment is. My general practitioner is the only medical person I see and she requested that my heart be monitored for 24 hours but the hospital turned it down. This is fairly standard in New Zealand. She's referring me again. Currently I have a fast heartbeat somewhere between 90 and 110 while sedentary. At times my whole body shakes with my heart beat. Before I got sick I had a really low heart rate. I don't know much about the condition but I just saw the discussion you guys are having and wondered if you could give me any advice/ideas. (:

Indigo,

I would be really hard to advise you without any testing. You really need, at the very least, a holter monitor which records your heart rate/rhythm for 24 hours. This is likely what your doctor was trying to order for you, but was denied.

Once details of your heart rate is seen, then appropriate decisions and treatment can take place.

In the US, many cardiologists have this holter monitor in their office (along with the equipment to read it when finished). If your Primary doctor cannot get the hospital to help, maybe she can look up a local cardiologist and ask them if they have this equipment and can help get you set up. Just a thought.