POTS is a kind of "sinus tachycardia"???

[vli]

I never knew this; according to wikipedia it is. This pubmed link describes how hhv6 can cause sinus tach; so in ppl with hhv6, does that mean AV treatment can help POTS?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22687802

 

[adreno]

Maybe it can help some types of POTS. Herpes virus can also make autoantibodies against the autonomic receptors, which can be a cause for POTS. It might also help to increase cholinergic transmission:

Milder forms of dysautonomia, such as postural tachycardia syndrome, are associated with ganglionic AChR [autoantibodies] in 10–15% of cases. Since ganglionic synaptic transmission is a common pathway for all autonomic traffic, enhancement of autonomic function through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase is a potential specific therapeutic strategy for autonomic disorders.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2637993/

 

[Sparrow]

Yes, POTS would be a type of sinus tachycardia by definition.

"Sinus" = an open area/cavity (in the heart)
"Tachycardia" = a heart rate faster than the normal range (usually around 100bpm, I think)

And since POTS is "Postural" tachycardia, it's brought on by changes in body position. My heart certainly goes way over 100 every time I stand up.

It's possible that the virus may be at least part of what brings on the POTS. Unfortunately, lots of other things can contribute to an elevated heart rate too, so I think it would be hard to say for sure how much of a factor it is. Does anyone know if people with just POTS (i.e. not ME) improve on antivirals? It doesn't seem to be one of the standard treatment approaches.

 

[MishMash]

I never knew this; according to wikipedia it is. This pubmed link describes how hhv6 can cause sinus tach; so in ppl with hhv6, does that mean AV treatment can help POTS?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22687802

This patient was recovering from leukemia and a bone marrow transplant. He was a classic case of where "viral reactivation" is pathogenic.

 

[heapsreal]

sinus tachy means that the rate is coming/regulated from the sinus node in the right atrium at a rate above 100, this is all normal and where it is suppose to come from. Its not an abnormal arrthymia just a heart rate above 100. I suppose with pots its coming on at inapropriate times and or trying to compensate for a rapidly dropping blood pressure, usually one has an adrenergic response, an adrenal burst which makes the sinus node fire off quicker and speeds the heart rate up. Also after the adrenaline rush, blood pressure can spike higher, this is where some are finding clonidine helps.
What causes the BP to drop??? common in EDS, stretchy blood vessels.