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What natural supplements can be used to build blood volume in POTS?

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
Hi,
Does anyone know what natural supplements could be used to build/increase blood volume in POTS?
As far as pharmaceuticals, here is the list I have:
Fludrocortisone (Florinef)
Oral contraceptive pills
Clonidine
Vasopressin

But I am looking for natural herbs and supplements. Anyone knows?
Thanks so much.
 
Messages
80
Licorice root can work, but for a supplement/herb it can have pretty heavy side effects if not well tolerated or overdosed. I do sometimes take it as a tea in the mornings and it tends to reduce my OI quite a bit, but more than one cup makes my tummy ache-y. IIRC it works like a mild version of aldosterone. It may not be so great to combine it with pharmaceuticals (or if you already have high blood pressure, but I do not even know if that is ever possible in someone with POTS).

It is possible to take glycerol (e.g. via glycerol monostearate) with (a lot of) water to increase blood volume because it is pretty hygroscopic, but for me personally the effect does seem to be pretty transient. I have not experimented at length and paid a lot of attention to that, however. Some 'Pump'-powders for sports performance add Taurine of which I do not know how it works regarding blood volume but it has some properties that have to do with osmotic stuff.
 

echobravo

Keep searching, the answer is out there
Messages
137
Location
Norway
Not exactly supplements, but compression garments will reduce pooling of blood in feet (stomach?). Eat smaller meals (less carbs) might draw less blood to digestion?

Like @JaimeS said, drink water and add salt (my doctor said up to 10g pr day).

Recently, I am looking into the effect of stress and high cortisol on circulation and blood sugar levels - wake up 03 at night with heartbeat, dizzy standing up...
 

Groggy Doggy

Guest
Messages
1,130
Hi,
Does anyone know what natural supplements could be used to build/increase blood volume in POTS?
As far as pharmaceuticals, here is the list I have:
Fludrocortisone (Florinef)
Oral contraceptive pills
Clonidine
Vasopressin

But I am looking for natural herbs and supplements. Anyone knows?
Thanks so much.
Will your health insurance pay for weekly saline IVs (lactate ringers)?
 

kangaSue

Senior Member
Messages
1,851
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Hi,
Does anyone know what natural supplements could be used to build/increase blood volume in POTS?
As far as pharmaceuticals, here is the list I have:
Fludrocortisone (Florinef)
Oral contraceptive pills
Clonidine
Vasopressin

But I am looking for natural herbs and supplements. Anyone knows?
Thanks so much.
If there is a physical cause of POTS, no supplement is going to offer a cure, maybe just moderate symptoms. One such little known physical cause of POTS is left renal vein compression and in many cases, treating the compression (major surgical procedure) stops POTS too.
 

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
If there is a physical cause of POTS, no supplement is going to offer a cure, maybe just moderate symptoms. One such little known physical cause of POTS is left renal vein compression and in many cases, treating the compression (major surgical procedure) stops POTS too.
This is very interesting,
Is there any information or studies/papers on POTS and left renal vein compression that I can read upon?
 

kangaSue

Senior Member
Messages
1,851
Location
Brisbane, Australia
This is very interesting,
Is there any information or studies/papers on POTS and left renal vein compression that I can read upon?
There is very little in the way of research articles in the literature about how LRV causes POTS, only mention that there is a connection.

I have had some exchanges with a transplant surgeon in the US who is currently working on a paper about it and he is of the opinion that increased venous pressure in the adrenal gland causes a problem either with aldosterone or norepinephrine but also agrees with research findings that increased venous pressure in the kidney reduces the renin ouput to impact on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in a way that is not yet fully elucidated. The latter has only been studied in chronic kidney disease though.

There is no one symptom set. Hematuria is the most common finding but it's absent in about 20% of cases.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2878259/
[Takebayashi et al61 clinically differentiate NCS into 3 subtypes: idiopathic renal bleeding, massive orthostatic proteinuria (protein level >400 mg/dL), and severe orthostatic intolerance that markedly impairs activities of daily living.5 Severe orthostatic intolerance, as previously described by Stewart et al,66 is accompanied by LRV occlusion in 70% of cases. Idiopathic renal bleeding and massive orthostatic proteinuria are seen in 18% and 14% of patients, respectively,5 and are caused by lysis of red blood cells in the urine.67 Degrees of proteinuria vary depending on postural changes.43

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fatigue symptoms have been associated with NCS with high LRV-IVC pressure gradients.19,66,68 Fatigue symptoms correlated positively with high peak velocity (PV) ratios by DUS and improved in some patients after surgery, balloon angioplasty, or aspirin therapy.3,68,69/ ]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22573421
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16047645
 

Celandine

Senior Member
Messages
201
My daughter takes 1tsp powdered licorice root + around 1/8th tsp salt in around 250ml coconut or almond milk every morning. Dissolve the licorice powder and salt in a little boiling water first then add the cold milk. This has made a big difference and we notice a worsening of POTS symptoms when she isn't able to take her morning potion. A bit like an herbal fludrocortisone.

The other herbal she uses for POTS is a 22% aescin time release horsechestnut capsule made by Swanson's. Horsechestnut is a vasoconstrictor so this works like an herbal midodrine. Again, we really notice the difference when she runs out of this. Also, tried to buy just ordinary horse chestnut capsules but they didn't have the same effect.

Daughter was started on Ivabradine to lower her HR. It worked, but without adding the horse chestnut to the mix she actually felt worse. She needed the vasoconstriction.

Both of the above would be contraindicated if you have high blood pressure.