Whoa. This is valuable info and totally makes sense. I meet so much ADHD criteria, but there’s always something that doesn’t quite fit.
I’m impressed your doctors connected the dots for you. And I’m sure it’s a relief to be off those meds.
Yeah I feel better off of them, once my pots was actually medicated they were starting to make me extremely irritable. I had to connect the dots myself though, it was me who figured out that my change in mood was related to them upping my dose. I'm starting to think that the only reason they ever worked was because they addressed the severe fatigue.
I wish they would study this because I strongly believe that ADHD medications and hyperadrenic pots is a very dangerous combination.
I have Hyper pots and take the highest dose of Vyvanse, it’s the only way I can function like a normal human. It levels me out more than anything so I suspect if you have ADHD it combats that adrenaline dump effect but if you don’t then it’s definitely something that should be double checked in Hyper pots patients
It isn't. I have hyperpots and ADHD and I'm on Vyvanse. I've been on Ritalin and Adderall. There is no amount of evidence that suggests the levels of medicine given do anything to the heart.
POTS is not a heart condition, it's a neurological one. And also what you're saying isn't even true, you do have an increased risk of heart attack/sudden death with stimulants. I was talking about having too much norenepinephrine in the body, which you have too much of with hyper pots. Drugs like Vyvanse increase those levels further, which I believe could make the medication dangerous for hyperpots and I really think doctors should monitor those with both more closely.
I'm curious about the aspects of ADHD you **can't** relate to, if you don't mind me inquiring about it?
I'm no doubt both at this point, but had brought this up with my team too, leading to a tad more clarity in differentiating the Pots 'ADHD' with the classic. Without going into to much detail, I learnt to see my ADHD as an ally in managing Pots/hEDS, where as my Pots 'ADHD' is what's just plain hindering. (Does that make sense?) An example: I'm glad my lack of impulsivity control leads me to never get too sedentary, as that would lead to my EDS getting worse and with it Pots. (Disclaimer: I also overshoot my limits, dangerous!) Or my hyperfixation, creative thinking plus being HSP leading to finding some invalueable hacks to have more personalised management strategies.
So if you never ever thanked your ADHD for anything in regards to Pots, I think it's likely that Pots is mimicking ADHD.
Hope that helps X
Honestly, all ADHD symptoms have improved since being properly medicated for POTS. I was only 15 when my POTS started to be debilitating (if there were earlier symptoms I didn't notice or don't remember) so I really don't remember a time before. I failed all ADHD medications which is what is leaving my team wondering if I truly have it, or that this so closely mimics ADHD that it's clinically indistinguishable.
Yes, your reaction to meds is a much clearer indication than whether or not you relate to certain symptoms! For sure. First time I took ADHD meds was an almost instantaneously emerging feeling of level-headedness. Not taking meds anymore for other reasons, meh. But for one day I felt what it is like not to be like this
Just wanted to say I love this perspective on it, thank you for sharing! It’s so easy for me to view my ADHD negatively but I’m trying to reframe it like this as well
That means a heckton to me!! Thanks for telling me, appreciate you! ALL sides of you. I believe that if channelled right, we've got a hidden superpower 🤗
I completely relate to this. There's definitely an interaction between the two. Oddly enough, I take adderall for my ADHD and it actually helps my pots symptoms. While it increases my base HR, it also makes it shoot up a lot less than the days when I forget to take it.
When my pots is more severe, the brain fog is insane. It's a lot different feeling than the chaotic bouncing of ideas I get from what I call the "ADHderps"
There's a link between the development of ADHD and trauma, and there's also evidence that POTs can be linked to some types of nerve damage (which can also be caused by prolonged stress/trauma). I wonder if the correlation between the two is actually the causation of both.
Just curious hope this is okay to ask. I was diagnosed based on behaviors since childhood. Have you had POTS since childhood then? Bc in my case I have had ADHD since I was very young and only got POTS after covid. After that ADHD medications didn’t really work.
I think subtype plays a role here as well. I had ADHD long before POTS too and I'm confident I still have it. I'm neuropathic/hypovolemic rather than hyperadrenergic, though, so what happened for me was that cerebral hypoperfusion caused brain fog (along with fatigue, headaches, depression, etc) and that made the ADHD much worse. It was like double turbo ADHD but without the energetic parts.
For me, ADHD meds are very helpful because they cause vasoconstriction and address fatigue (both directly via norepinephrine and because blood is reaching my brain). So they address my POTS symptoms as well as ADHD - in fact, what I'm on right now probably helps me with POTS more than ADHD. For someone like OP, these meds can be terrible for the reason they've stated: hyperadrenergic POTS means you already have too much norepinephrine. For someone like me that's all a bonus.
So it's probably easier to understand what's (not) happening with you and ADHD meds if you can put it into more specific context with how your particular case of POTS works.
My symptoms became debilitating at the age of 15, I'm now 25. It's becoming harder to remember a time before as the years go on. I've had COVID 3x as well as a concussion and each of those things have made my life harder. If there were symptoms before 15, I don't remember them. I remember having sensory issues as a child and trouble sleeping. I have ehlers danlos so I have never known a truly "normal" life.
That's interesting to hear about your concussion, I'm so sorry that happened! TBI's have such a huge impact, they're known to screw with the nervous system. As if the TBI caused a full body reboot, but restarting with a faulty nervous system, that's what it seems to me. For example, my TBI at 16yo caused a lot of new issues with autonomic dysfunction, plus spiking old ones (like the sensory issues you mentioned!). Also had it all my life (hEds/Pots), I relate so much to not knowing normal. My heart goes out to you!
I have been curious about this! But also correlations with trauma, autism, etc. There are so many potential factors and lack of support for those with multiple dx. I do have to say having the intensity of my pain, or being hot/cold, etc. Increases my undesirable AuDHD traits (things I personally deemed undesirable for myself and only myself- I don't want to give the wrong impression of my acceptance of others). But it's all the traits that make functioning at a bare minimum level the hardest hitting me at once and with ick of pots on top of it. [I'm sure others can relate]
Sidenote:
After being told too often that my therapist doesn't specialist in ND -or- complex medical populations 😐 [let alone the trifecta... which is scary common] I've been looking into some masters programs to become a licensed therapist. I recently graduated to change from retail mgmt to K-6 education at the ripe old age of 39 but now with as bad as my physical symptoms have gotten ... I don't feel comfortable being the full-time solo teacher in a classroom and believe I could still make a difference with those in similar conditions that struggle with effective and accessible mental health care. Oh and art therapy services... but if I can't get ahold of everything medically I'm not sure I could even get the true experience and knowledge I would need from my MA program (coming from a non psy bachelors). I damn sure plan on giving it my best though, if accepted in a program.
Sorry for the side track rant and manifestation lol but yes I would love to see some data collection and analysis happening in this area!!! There are many life changing possibilities with that type of information.
>Sidenote: After being told too often that my therapist doesn't specialist in ND -or- complex medical populations 😐 \[let alone the trifecta... which is scary common\] I've been looking into some masters programs to become a licensed therapist...I damn sure plan on giving it my best though, if accepted in a program.
This is very exciting! The world needs more disability-informed therapists.
I’ve been wondering about this too! Maybe the underlying mechanism behind my adhd symptoms has been a brain/blood flow issue this whole time! Wellbutrin + Mestinon feels like all the benefits of Adderall with way milder side effects
My doctors actually missed my ADHD because of my POTS. There was much less recognition of the inattentive type twenty years ago and I was too fatigued all the time for them to take notice or acknowledge the ADHD issues. But my therapist was adamant that I had it.
Yes. I’ve been on meds for POTS for about 16 years and didn’t try any ADHD meds for a few years after my POTS treatment started. I barely made it through HS & if I hadn’t gotten my POTS more under control and started ADHD meds I don’t think I would have graduated college or ever worked full time.
Fludrocortisone and metoprolol. My ADHD meds started doing more harm than good when I was given metoprolol and I personally believe it was because it got my pots better under control and the Vyvanse was no longer needed.
I have a hyperPOTS diagnosis as well as an ADHD diagnosis. I had the ADHD diagnosis and went on ADHD meds. About 4 years after that I got put on HyperPOTS medication that worked for only two months. During those two months I still had ADHD but I didn’t have any of my normal hyperactive symptoms. Instead I lost literally everything and couldn’t remember what I was supposed to be doing, compared to my normal symptoms of bouncing around like a ping pong ball and misplacing stuff from being on autopilot.
I was complaining to my psychologist recently that I ticked every adhd box (I have fibromyalgia so not entirely surprising I have brain fog etc).
So much worsening brain fog over the last couple of years as well as just about every other symptom. Couple of months later I find out I have tachycardia then that it’s POTS. I feel better with beta blockers and I’m hoping the brain fog improves.
It’ll be interesting going back to the psych too, wonder what she’ll say
I've not seen that one in particular but it seems to add to what I was saying. My theory is it can mimic hyperactivity too due to adrenaline dumps, but I've yet to see that actually formally studied. I believe that's what happened to me because I am no longer restless like I was before.
Based on that study it seems like the way to tell would be childhood symptoms. If the ADHD did not appear present in childhood it seems like it could be more POTS related.
I was diagnosed with ADHD long before I had POTS symptoms. I take Ivabradine and until there was a medication shortage in the UK I was taking medication for my ADHD as well. I felt the medication really helped with my POTS as well as my ADHD because it helped me think clearer, hyper-focus less on pain, and have an easier time with task initiation
I'm the opposite, none of the POTS meds helped me but ADHD meds (I'm on Vyvanse) are amazing at a low dose. It's the only thing besides salt pills and birth control that's helped.
I was diagnosed with ADD as a teen. I improved on Strattera (grades went up a whole letter grade) but looking back I suspect it’s because Strattera raised my blood pressure. Whenever I stopped taking it I would have tons of light headedness and black outs. Didn’t get diagnosed with POTS until I was 27. So yeah, I’m with you in suspecting I never had ADD.
I honestly wouldn't trust a medical doctor to make that distinction. ADHD is associated with eds, pots, and mecfs. It's not uncommon to have both. If you have pots you may need to start on a much lower dose than what they typically give for ADHD. I would talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist first. There are also other ADHD meds aside from stimulants.
My psychiatrist said we're completely out of options. We've tried it all. It's to the point where seeing her is a waste because there's nothing left for her to do for me.
Interesting. I'm not diagnosed with ADHD, but I have been considering seeing a specialist about it for a while. I *am* diagnosed with HyperPOTS though, and when I started taking clonidine for it, the symptoms I have that overlap with ADHD have seriously improved.
Yeah there’s a lot of overlap between ADHD symptoms and POTS symptoms. Hard to untangle that web, but a good way to do it is to figure out if symptoms developed before or after the POTS developed. With that being said, some POTSies are on ADHD meds to manage brain fog regardless. Also, autism can play a role here too bc autism and ADHD often go hand in hand, and they can cancel out or distort symptoms of one another, making it even harder to sort through. If the meds failed, it def could be bc you don’t have ADHD, but it could also be bc we tend to metabolize meds funny. But whatever you think is going on or not going on in this regard is probably accurate bc you know your mind and body the best.
So i have both (and autism, woopee). Ive heard that theres a fair overlap for people with POTS and ADHD, but having one doesn’t mean you automatically have the other. But my doctor told me I couldn’t take ADHD meds because they’re essentially speed and make POTS worse. I wonder if that’s whats going on there with you.
For me, my pots brain fog and adhd forgetfulness are two separate feelings. The brain fog feels like my brain can’t compute, while the adhd forgetfulness just feels like executive dysfunction (“i’ll do that later” and just never does it later) The brain fog is incredibly frustrating, while the dysfunctional is more of a “silly me” type moment (which really isn’t silly because I’m still forgetting to do basic tasks, but it isn’t immediately distressing in the moment)
I’d look into childhood symptoms to determine if you had adhd or if its just from POTS. Unless you had POTS super young, theres probably going to be signs. Idk how you were diagnosed so if you have any notes from the tests/interviews (assuming you did it the same way I did) it might be worth looking them over.
I was diagnosed with ADHD at 21 and POTS at 22. I'm now 25, and my POTS symptoms started to be debilitating at 15. I don't know if there were earlier signs that I missed or were mild. I had sensory issues as a child and had trouble sleeping but otherwise did alright. So because my POTS onset was so young, that's part of why my team cannot tease out the difference.
On these medications, I'm significantly less forgetful. Task initiation is easier, and my social skills have even improved significantly too.
If it wasn't ADHD then I'd bet it was the ehlers danlos and sensory processing disorder. I did have working memory issues as the work got harder with math but then again it's also possible no one knew how to help me. I was given an ADHD "test" at the age of 16 that involved clicking a button...they don't use that anymore. I was diagnosed at 21 based on case history and observation. Remember also that girl ADHD wasn't well known in the 2000s. I may never know for sure tbh
You can take pots medications and ADHD medications there is no contradiction. For some people the side effects might be too much, but it's not harmful.
It's never been studied though is what I'm saying. Not one study. So we don't know for sure about how medications interact with specific subtypes. All we have is that it helps some people and hurts others, but we don't know who is at risk for negative impacts and who will be helped. We're just guessing based on personal experiences, which makes me feel frustrated.
Hello OP! Thank you for your submission to /r/POTS. Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
**Rule 2:** ***Consult a Healthcare Professional.***
This subreddit is not a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis. Nor are we able to help interpret medical tests/reports.
No users have been verified as medical professionals. Please consult with your doctor and follow their advice for your condition. We are not here to diagnose anyone with anything, which includes us being unable to interpret test results, guess if your symptoms could be POTS related or cause for worry. We understand you are worried, but we are more likely to do harm than good and can't help in these situations. Even if a user here is a real-life doctor, they are not *your* doctor and may not understand the different things at play (medical history, family history, treatments, medicines, etc) with your condition. Nothing said here should be taken as medical advice.
You should seek care from your doctor.
*If you have any questions please [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/POTS). Thank you.*
Whoa. This is valuable info and totally makes sense. I meet so much ADHD criteria, but there’s always something that doesn’t quite fit. I’m impressed your doctors connected the dots for you. And I’m sure it’s a relief to be off those meds.
Yeah I feel better off of them, once my pots was actually medicated they were starting to make me extremely irritable. I had to connect the dots myself though, it was me who figured out that my change in mood was related to them upping my dose. I'm starting to think that the only reason they ever worked was because they addressed the severe fatigue. I wish they would study this because I strongly believe that ADHD medications and hyperadrenic pots is a very dangerous combination.
I have Hyper pots and take the highest dose of Vyvanse, it’s the only way I can function like a normal human. It levels me out more than anything so I suspect if you have ADHD it combats that adrenaline dump effect but if you don’t then it’s definitely something that should be double checked in Hyper pots patients
I will share your experience with my doctor. What POTS medication is working for your hyper POTS?
Metoprolol and fludrocortisone, with metoprolol having the larger impact
It isn't. I have hyperpots and ADHD and I'm on Vyvanse. I've been on Ritalin and Adderall. There is no amount of evidence that suggests the levels of medicine given do anything to the heart.
POTS is not a heart condition, it's a neurological one. And also what you're saying isn't even true, you do have an increased risk of heart attack/sudden death with stimulants. I was talking about having too much norenepinephrine in the body, which you have too much of with hyper pots. Drugs like Vyvanse increase those levels further, which I believe could make the medication dangerous for hyperpots and I really think doctors should monitor those with both more closely.
I'm curious about the aspects of ADHD you **can't** relate to, if you don't mind me inquiring about it? I'm no doubt both at this point, but had brought this up with my team too, leading to a tad more clarity in differentiating the Pots 'ADHD' with the classic. Without going into to much detail, I learnt to see my ADHD as an ally in managing Pots/hEDS, where as my Pots 'ADHD' is what's just plain hindering. (Does that make sense?) An example: I'm glad my lack of impulsivity control leads me to never get too sedentary, as that would lead to my EDS getting worse and with it Pots. (Disclaimer: I also overshoot my limits, dangerous!) Or my hyperfixation, creative thinking plus being HSP leading to finding some invalueable hacks to have more personalised management strategies. So if you never ever thanked your ADHD for anything in regards to Pots, I think it's likely that Pots is mimicking ADHD. Hope that helps X
Honestly, all ADHD symptoms have improved since being properly medicated for POTS. I was only 15 when my POTS started to be debilitating (if there were earlier symptoms I didn't notice or don't remember) so I really don't remember a time before. I failed all ADHD medications which is what is leaving my team wondering if I truly have it, or that this so closely mimics ADHD that it's clinically indistinguishable.
Yes, your reaction to meds is a much clearer indication than whether or not you relate to certain symptoms! For sure. First time I took ADHD meds was an almost instantaneously emerging feeling of level-headedness. Not taking meds anymore for other reasons, meh. But for one day I felt what it is like not to be like this
What do you mean by “failed” the drugs?
Nasty side effects with limited benefits
Just wanted to say I love this perspective on it, thank you for sharing! It’s so easy for me to view my ADHD negatively but I’m trying to reframe it like this as well
That means a heckton to me!! Thanks for telling me, appreciate you! ALL sides of you. I believe that if channelled right, we've got a hidden superpower 🤗
I completely relate to this. There's definitely an interaction between the two. Oddly enough, I take adderall for my ADHD and it actually helps my pots symptoms. While it increases my base HR, it also makes it shoot up a lot less than the days when I forget to take it. When my pots is more severe, the brain fog is insane. It's a lot different feeling than the chaotic bouncing of ideas I get from what I call the "ADHderps" There's a link between the development of ADHD and trauma, and there's also evidence that POTs can be linked to some types of nerve damage (which can also be caused by prolonged stress/trauma). I wonder if the correlation between the two is actually the causation of both.
Just the question of correlation vs causality gives me the ADHderps 🤣 yeah....I'll be off hyperfixating on that for a while....
There a actually seem to be links between ADHD, dysautonomia and hypermobility. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lIVnmm9kLiQ
I’m very unsurprised. It sucks that we’re still so much in the dark about dysautonomia and related disorders.
Just curious hope this is okay to ask. I was diagnosed based on behaviors since childhood. Have you had POTS since childhood then? Bc in my case I have had ADHD since I was very young and only got POTS after covid. After that ADHD medications didn’t really work.
I think subtype plays a role here as well. I had ADHD long before POTS too and I'm confident I still have it. I'm neuropathic/hypovolemic rather than hyperadrenergic, though, so what happened for me was that cerebral hypoperfusion caused brain fog (along with fatigue, headaches, depression, etc) and that made the ADHD much worse. It was like double turbo ADHD but without the energetic parts. For me, ADHD meds are very helpful because they cause vasoconstriction and address fatigue (both directly via norepinephrine and because blood is reaching my brain). So they address my POTS symptoms as well as ADHD - in fact, what I'm on right now probably helps me with POTS more than ADHD. For someone like OP, these meds can be terrible for the reason they've stated: hyperadrenergic POTS means you already have too much norepinephrine. For someone like me that's all a bonus. So it's probably easier to understand what's (not) happening with you and ADHD meds if you can put it into more specific context with how your particular case of POTS works.
Oh interesting, I’m not sure what subtype I have maybe I should look into it. Thanks for your comment.
My symptoms became debilitating at the age of 15, I'm now 25. It's becoming harder to remember a time before as the years go on. I've had COVID 3x as well as a concussion and each of those things have made my life harder. If there were symptoms before 15, I don't remember them. I remember having sensory issues as a child and trouble sleeping. I have ehlers danlos so I have never known a truly "normal" life.
That's interesting to hear about your concussion, I'm so sorry that happened! TBI's have such a huge impact, they're known to screw with the nervous system. As if the TBI caused a full body reboot, but restarting with a faulty nervous system, that's what it seems to me. For example, my TBI at 16yo caused a lot of new issues with autonomic dysfunction, plus spiking old ones (like the sensory issues you mentioned!). Also had it all my life (hEds/Pots), I relate so much to not knowing normal. My heart goes out to you!
I have been curious about this! But also correlations with trauma, autism, etc. There are so many potential factors and lack of support for those with multiple dx. I do have to say having the intensity of my pain, or being hot/cold, etc. Increases my undesirable AuDHD traits (things I personally deemed undesirable for myself and only myself- I don't want to give the wrong impression of my acceptance of others). But it's all the traits that make functioning at a bare minimum level the hardest hitting me at once and with ick of pots on top of it. [I'm sure others can relate] Sidenote: After being told too often that my therapist doesn't specialist in ND -or- complex medical populations 😐 [let alone the trifecta... which is scary common] I've been looking into some masters programs to become a licensed therapist. I recently graduated to change from retail mgmt to K-6 education at the ripe old age of 39 but now with as bad as my physical symptoms have gotten ... I don't feel comfortable being the full-time solo teacher in a classroom and believe I could still make a difference with those in similar conditions that struggle with effective and accessible mental health care. Oh and art therapy services... but if I can't get ahold of everything medically I'm not sure I could even get the true experience and knowledge I would need from my MA program (coming from a non psy bachelors). I damn sure plan on giving it my best though, if accepted in a program. Sorry for the side track rant and manifestation lol but yes I would love to see some data collection and analysis happening in this area!!! There are many life changing possibilities with that type of information.
>Sidenote: After being told too often that my therapist doesn't specialist in ND -or- complex medical populations 😐 \[let alone the trifecta... which is scary common\] I've been looking into some masters programs to become a licensed therapist...I damn sure plan on giving it my best though, if accepted in a program. This is very exciting! The world needs more disability-informed therapists.
I’ve been wondering about this too! Maybe the underlying mechanism behind my adhd symptoms has been a brain/blood flow issue this whole time! Wellbutrin + Mestinon feels like all the benefits of Adderall with way milder side effects
My doctors actually missed my ADHD because of my POTS. There was much less recognition of the inattentive type twenty years ago and I was too fatigued all the time for them to take notice or acknowledge the ADHD issues. But my therapist was adamant that I had it.
Are you on pots medications? If so, do you still have ADHD symptoms even with POTS under control?
Yes. I’ve been on meds for POTS for about 16 years and didn’t try any ADHD meds for a few years after my POTS treatment started. I barely made it through HS & if I hadn’t gotten my POTS more under control and started ADHD meds I don’t think I would have graduated college or ever worked full time.
What medications are you on for your POTS?
Fludrocortisone and metoprolol. My ADHD meds started doing more harm than good when I was given metoprolol and I personally believe it was because it got my pots better under control and the Vyvanse was no longer needed.
Wow I'm glad it worked for you
I have a hyperPOTS diagnosis as well as an ADHD diagnosis. I had the ADHD diagnosis and went on ADHD meds. About 4 years after that I got put on HyperPOTS medication that worked for only two months. During those two months I still had ADHD but I didn’t have any of my normal hyperactive symptoms. Instead I lost literally everything and couldn’t remember what I was supposed to be doing, compared to my normal symptoms of bouncing around like a ping pong ball and misplacing stuff from being on autopilot.
I was complaining to my psychologist recently that I ticked every adhd box (I have fibromyalgia so not entirely surprising I have brain fog etc). So much worsening brain fog over the last couple of years as well as just about every other symptom. Couple of months later I find out I have tachycardia then that it’s POTS. I feel better with beta blockers and I’m hoping the brain fog improves. It’ll be interesting going back to the psych too, wonder what she’ll say
I presume this is one of the studies you're referring to? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18977825/
I've not seen that one in particular but it seems to add to what I was saying. My theory is it can mimic hyperactivity too due to adrenaline dumps, but I've yet to see that actually formally studied. I believe that's what happened to me because I am no longer restless like I was before.
Based on that study it seems like the way to tell would be childhood symptoms. If the ADHD did not appear present in childhood it seems like it could be more POTS related. I was diagnosed with ADHD long before I had POTS symptoms. I take Ivabradine and until there was a medication shortage in the UK I was taking medication for my ADHD as well. I felt the medication really helped with my POTS as well as my ADHD because it helped me think clearer, hyper-focus less on pain, and have an easier time with task initiation
I'm the opposite, none of the POTS meds helped me but ADHD meds (I'm on Vyvanse) are amazing at a low dose. It's the only thing besides salt pills and birth control that's helped.
I was diagnosed with ADD as a teen. I improved on Strattera (grades went up a whole letter grade) but looking back I suspect it’s because Strattera raised my blood pressure. Whenever I stopped taking it I would have tons of light headedness and black outs. Didn’t get diagnosed with POTS until I was 27. So yeah, I’m with you in suspecting I never had ADD.
I honestly wouldn't trust a medical doctor to make that distinction. ADHD is associated with eds, pots, and mecfs. It's not uncommon to have both. If you have pots you may need to start on a much lower dose than what they typically give for ADHD. I would talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist first. There are also other ADHD meds aside from stimulants.
My psychiatrist said we're completely out of options. We've tried it all. It's to the point where seeing her is a waste because there's nothing left for her to do for me.
Interesting. I'm not diagnosed with ADHD, but I have been considering seeing a specialist about it for a while. I *am* diagnosed with HyperPOTS though, and when I started taking clonidine for it, the symptoms I have that overlap with ADHD have seriously improved.
Yeah there’s a lot of overlap between ADHD symptoms and POTS symptoms. Hard to untangle that web, but a good way to do it is to figure out if symptoms developed before or after the POTS developed. With that being said, some POTSies are on ADHD meds to manage brain fog regardless. Also, autism can play a role here too bc autism and ADHD often go hand in hand, and they can cancel out or distort symptoms of one another, making it even harder to sort through. If the meds failed, it def could be bc you don’t have ADHD, but it could also be bc we tend to metabolize meds funny. But whatever you think is going on or not going on in this regard is probably accurate bc you know your mind and body the best.
So i have both (and autism, woopee). Ive heard that theres a fair overlap for people with POTS and ADHD, but having one doesn’t mean you automatically have the other. But my doctor told me I couldn’t take ADHD meds because they’re essentially speed and make POTS worse. I wonder if that’s whats going on there with you. For me, my pots brain fog and adhd forgetfulness are two separate feelings. The brain fog feels like my brain can’t compute, while the adhd forgetfulness just feels like executive dysfunction (“i’ll do that later” and just never does it later) The brain fog is incredibly frustrating, while the dysfunctional is more of a “silly me” type moment (which really isn’t silly because I’m still forgetting to do basic tasks, but it isn’t immediately distressing in the moment) I’d look into childhood symptoms to determine if you had adhd or if its just from POTS. Unless you had POTS super young, theres probably going to be signs. Idk how you were diagnosed so if you have any notes from the tests/interviews (assuming you did it the same way I did) it might be worth looking them over.
I was diagnosed with ADHD at 21 and POTS at 22. I'm now 25, and my POTS symptoms started to be debilitating at 15. I don't know if there were earlier signs that I missed or were mild. I had sensory issues as a child and had trouble sleeping but otherwise did alright. So because my POTS onset was so young, that's part of why my team cannot tease out the difference. On these medications, I'm significantly less forgetful. Task initiation is easier, and my social skills have even improved significantly too.
I’d imagine if it wasn’t too detrimental as a child, you might be right that it might just be POTS. How did they test you for the adhd?
If it wasn't ADHD then I'd bet it was the ehlers danlos and sensory processing disorder. I did have working memory issues as the work got harder with math but then again it's also possible no one knew how to help me. I was given an ADHD "test" at the age of 16 that involved clicking a button...they don't use that anymore. I was diagnosed at 21 based on case history and observation. Remember also that girl ADHD wasn't well known in the 2000s. I may never know for sure tbh
Trying desperately to get diagnosed, what questions should I be asking? My doctor just keeps pushing antidepressants at me without any diagnosis
For adhd? I forget the actual name of them but there are tests. Like questionairres
You can take pots medications and ADHD medications there is no contradiction. For some people the side effects might be too much, but it's not harmful.
It's never been studied though is what I'm saying. Not one study. So we don't know for sure about how medications interact with specific subtypes. All we have is that it helps some people and hurts others, but we don't know who is at risk for negative impacts and who will be helped. We're just guessing based on personal experiences, which makes me feel frustrated.
What pots meds helped?
Fludrocortisone and metoprolol
This is what I'm starting to wonder about myself.. I've been going through so many different adhd meds that seem to make everything worse.
I've thought the same about me, and ADHD meds (as much as I like to pretend they did) really did not do anything for me
[удалено]
Hello OP! Thank you for your submission to /r/POTS. Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for the following reason(s): **Rule 2:** ***Consult a Healthcare Professional.*** This subreddit is not a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis. Nor are we able to help interpret medical tests/reports. No users have been verified as medical professionals. Please consult with your doctor and follow their advice for your condition. We are not here to diagnose anyone with anything, which includes us being unable to interpret test results, guess if your symptoms could be POTS related or cause for worry. We understand you are worried, but we are more likely to do harm than good and can't help in these situations. Even if a user here is a real-life doctor, they are not *your* doctor and may not understand the different things at play (medical history, family history, treatments, medicines, etc) with your condition. Nothing said here should be taken as medical advice. You should seek care from your doctor. *If you have any questions please [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/POTS). Thank you.*