The cardiologist did a modified version of the tilt-table test today and said that he was able to catch my problem right then and there. I was hooked up to an EKG and blood pressure monitor in his office. He said I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and my main problem is that I’m not fully aware when it happens. For example, when he stood me up from a laying down position, my blood pressure plunged and my heart rate went up. I didn’t “feel” it, which is why I’m getting injured so often. He said that I need to pay better attention to what my body is telling me. Hmmm, I thought I was….

He gave me a list of things to try before he decides to give me medicine:

• Drink more fluids plus add fluids with electrolytes like Gatorade/propel/smartwater.


• Drink caffeine (which is opposite of what the other cardiologist said.. so I’m just going to leave that one alone..)


• Increase salt in my diet


• Lower-body resistance training to get the blood moving in my lower extremities


• Physical counter-pressure maneuvers (squeeze hands, tense muscles)


• Lay down for at least five minutes when I start to feel faint


• Smoke cigarettes. (I’m kidding!)

He’s scheduled an echo and I see him in two months. If the above stuff doesn’t work, then he might try something that makes me retain water and/or Ritalin (seriously.. isn’t that weird?) He said that I’m tired all the time because every time my body does this, it’s like getting an adrenaline rush and then my body has to recover.

While rooting around on the Internet I found an interesting article that pretty much follows everything the cardiologist told me, and explains quite a bit of stuff I've been experiencing.