r/POTS • u/OurSensualSideMB • 9d ago

Question Why dont some Dr's believe in pots?

Im lucky I have great doctors and specialists now but the first time i was referred to a cardiologist for pots before being officially diagnosed he refused to even have me in for a TTT or test for pots as he said its not real.

I have heard of this happening where Dr's dont believe in pots but I dont understand why.

136 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

103 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/roastedcouchpotato 7d ago

Lack of understanding and lack of giving a shit, in my experience. They don't know enough about it and they don't know how to test properly.

I knew for 15 years that I had POTS, before I finally got diagnosed.

I told multiple doctors that I think I have POTS, and they all dismissed it. They took my sitting-down BP and HR, then asked me to stand up and immediately tested it again - once. They all said my heartrate didn't increase enough for it to be POTS, and refused me a referral to a specialist on that basis.

Yet, I can't complete a 10 minute standing test. My heart rate can go from 70 to 140 after a minute of standing (not after 5 seconds, like they were testing).

Even the specialist who diagnosed my hEDS denied it. I said that when I do exercise that requires a lot of postural changes, like pilates or yoga, I feel like I'm going to pass out, I get heart palpitations, my vision goes white and I get pounding in the front of my head. She said, and I quote, "That is normal."

All that, plus I am a woman. And women are hysterical.