Does this sound like POTS?

[mummyofspot]

Hi 👋🏻

Wonder if anyone could help me? 6 months ago I had covid and since then I have been suffering with extreme anxiety feelings (like a physical sensation in my stomach) and fast heart rate. Had an SVT (210 bpm) for an hour in November and ended up in hospital and out on Bisoprolol 1.25mg.

Since then the anxiety feelings are still there (probably about 60% of the time) and resting heart rate has lowered but still can be high 70s / low 80s if I’m feeling really anxious. Drops to low 60s when sleeping.

I’ve had lots of tests done: echo, 2 week holter, EKGs and heart is structurally normal. I sometimes have an extra beat. Which is benign.

I think my cardiologist is at a loss with me because I just feel like something is making my heart beat faster all the time. She has suggested POTS as sometimes my heart rate increases a lot when I walk upstairs. But I don’t have any dizziness at all when standing. And my heart rate doesn’t always increase by 30 bpm when going from sitting to standing.

I can also manage to run 3 times a week (heart rate goes to 160 ish).

Can anyone with experience of POTS tell me if this sounds like it? I’ve read loads of articles and apart from the increased heart rate (which I have most of the time) I don’t really have any other symptoms.

I feel like anxiety could be the driving force here but struggling to get my head around anxiety causing heart rate to be faster for the majority of the time.

So sorry for long post. I’m really struggling at the moment to get my head around feeling like this. Up until 6 months ago I had absolutely no symptoms at all. I’m 46 and female.

Thank you if you got this far. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.