Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I can only speak to my own experience and hope that gives you some insight into what POTS is and how it can affect you or the people around you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are under 22, I wouldn\u2019t go anywhere but Children\u2019s Hospital if there is one close by. I cannot speak highly enough of them, particularly the Boston branch. The departments work together to create a plan and get you all of the help you need. It\u2019s unlike anything I\u2019ve seen since getting too old to go there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are older than 22 you need to look elsewhere. If you are close to a Mayo clinic then I would consider that. Dr. Grubb of the Mayo clinic has been the number 1 POTS doctor for more than a decade, he\u2019s supposed to be amazing. More than once, my mom considered flying us out there for an appointment with him. Now there is so much more info on POTS that I wouldn’t\u2019 think you would need to fly anywhere unless you\u2019re in a medical dead zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Find a really good primary care doctor who knows about POTS. They will be your lifeline to the medical world. They are amazing if they know what they\u2019re doing and can be terrible if they don’t, so pick very wisely. Don\u2019t worry about offending anyone if you need to switch and don\u2019t discount Nurse Practitioners, I picked my doctor because my NP knew about POTS and was willing to listen and work with me. I only met my doctor once before being able to switch my PC over to my NP. It\u2019s been a wonderful change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A cardiologist studies the heart and its functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You will most likely see a cardiologist. This will probably be your first stop to either getting diagnosed or once you are diagnosed. They will run an EKG, which is not scary at all and takes longer to put the stickers \/ leads on then to run the test but they\u2019re just checking to see if your heart is functioning properly. They will check your heart rate and blood pressure, probably laying down, standing, laying down again then sitting. Then they will come up with a plan to help you and your symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cardiology is great for managing your heart rate and blood pressure, I would say after a while the appointments seem redundant when nothing is changing but you can always change the frequency. As a preteen \/ teenager I saw my cardiologist every 3 months, in my later teen years \/ early adulthood I switched to every 6 months and now I\u2019m at once a year unless I need something. You are in control of the frequency of your appointments, once you get a better handle on the POTS you can change the frequency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Immunologist \/ Allergist looks at your immune system and how it reacts to the world around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Allergy and immunology tend to go hand in hand. I saw an allergist \/ immunologist when I was little for allergy testing which is very common with kids. When I was diagnosed with POTS I was recommended to go to an immunologist due to my weak immune system. You might or might not benefit from seeing an immunologist \/ allergist depending on your symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A neurologist studies the brain and nervous system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are different subsets of POTS (you can read about that here) and one of them is more neurological than the others. I believe I have the neurological one but have never been told that by anyone. If you are experiencing any neurological symptoms you should see a neurologist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Neurologist symptoms that should bring you to a neurologist are: migraines, dizziness, random eye movement, tingling under the skin, nerve pain, neuroply or feeling numb in places. Neurologists are great at helping with pain management and also dealing with the random POTS things that pop up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n GI or gastroenterology is the study of the stomach and digestive track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know some people who have POTS and do not have stomach issues. I personally struggle with a lot of stomach issues (read more here) and GI has helped me remarkably. There is a lot of trial and error with GI just like with any other doctor. I have to say seeing a GI when I was 16 changed my life, it allowed me to actually eat and gain weight which in turn made me feel better and allowed me to get active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rheumatologists study musculoskeletal disease which tends to come in tandem with autoimmune diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I personally have yet to see a rheumatologist but I have an upcoming appointment. The goal of seeing a rheumatologist is to see if there are any other autoimmune problems that are affecting your POTS. Rheumatologists can help discover why you are having joint pain, muscle pain and possibly inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ., Brooke C. \u201cWhen To See An Allergist – Treat and Prevent Allergies | ACAAI Patient.\u201d American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology<\/em>, https:\/\/acaai.org\/do-you-need-an-allergist\/when-to-see-an-allergist\/<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFind a Doctor.\u201d Blue Cross Blue Shield<\/em>, https:\/\/www.bcbs.com\/find-a-doctor<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFind a provider.\u201d Mass General Brigham Health Plan<\/em>, https:\/\/massgeneralbrighamhealthplan.org\/find-provider<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Garrow, Sydney. \u201cWhat Is a Primary Care Physician or Doctor?\u201d eHealth<\/em>, 30 September 2022, https:\/\/www.ehealthinsurance.com\/resources\/individual-and-family\/primary-care-doctor-important<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPostural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).\u201d Johns Hopkins Medicine<\/em>, https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/conditions-and-diseases\/postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRheumatologist: What They Do and Conditions They Treat.\u201d Cleveland Clinic<\/em>, 30 January 2022, https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/22335-rheumatologist<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sachdev, Poonam. \u201cWhat Is an Immunologist? What They Do, When to See One, and What to Expect.\u201d WebMD<\/em>, 13 December 2022, https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/a-to-z-guides\/what-is-an-immunologist<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat Is a Cardiologist – Cardiology – Highland Hospital – University of Rochester Medical Center.\u201d URMC<\/em>, https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/highland\/departments-centers\/cardiology\/cardiologists\/what-is-a-cardiologist.aspx<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is a Gastroenterologist? When to See One & What They Treat.\u201d Cleveland Clinic<\/em>, 14 September 2022, https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/24198-gastroenterologist<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat Is a Neurologist? What They Do & When to See One.\u201d Cleveland Clinic<\/em>, 11 January 2022, https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/22277-neurologist<\/a>. Accessed 20 June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich doctors should you see?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Primary Care<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cardiology<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Immunology \/ Allergy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Neurology<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
G.I.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Rheumatologist <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Further Reading<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Who is your doctor if you’d be willing to share and do you recommend them?<\/h4>\n\n\n\t
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