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Adrenal Insufficiency and POTS

S

Sam123

Messages
4
Differentiating Adrenal Insufficiency from POTS is tricky. Almost same symptoms. Can you please describe some hints that could help differentiating between them. I haven't been diagnosed yet. But I feel very tired even Im laying down and sometimes I feel the fainting episode when Im sitting or even laying down. There is almost always 25-30 beats difference between laying down and standing and rarely exceed 30. When I feel more relaxed, and happy the difference reduces to 20 beats (80 to 100).

Sometimes I feel like Adrenal rush, fear, and increased heart rate when Im sitting. Properanolol helps a lot in such case. Can I conclude from the last description that I dont have Adrenal Insufficiency because adrenaline causes these symptoms? Does Adrenal Insufficiency means also low adrenaline or it is only related to low cortisol?

I started to suspect that my symptoms are more related to anxiety.
 
J

JamBob

Senior Member
Messages
191
Not all patients with adrenal insufficiency experience the whole range of symptoms but some "extra" symptoms that might differentiate AI from POTS are that you might expect to feel severe muscle weakness (that doesn't improve), loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, psychiatric symptoms like depression (some people even get psychosis). There may be darkening of certain areas of your skin like your gums or the creases of your hands. Some people become very tanned (but not just from being in the sun - it's an unexplained suntan).
The symptoms would get worse over time.
 
K

kangaSue

Senior Member
Messages
1,859
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Something to check out that causes adrenal dysfunction that can result in POTS and/or other autonomic dysfunction leading to severe fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain is left renal vein compression (Nutcracker Syndrome).
The obstructed return of blood flow from the left kidney to the inferior vena cava causes an increased venous pressure that also refluxes into the left adrenal gland to impair it's function. Unexplained blood or protein in the urine can be an indication of this although this is absent in about 20% of cases.
 
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