Power Over POTS: A Family Guide to Managing Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

by Scheldon Kress M.D.

While POTS is among one of the most common medical disorders affecting adolescents and young adults, both health care professionals and patients generally know very little about this strange condition. The majority of POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) patients suffer with mysterious and frightening symptoms while searching for a diagnosis for many years. Without a proper diagnosis, there is no possibility of treatment. Otherwise healthy appearing adolescents, primarily females, frequently report racing hearts, headaches, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, “brain fog,” visual and abdominal disturbances when upright. Such symptoms play havoc on one’s lifestyle by curtailing one’s daily activities.

Most frequently the onset of POTS symptoms coincides with the puberty growth spurt of adolescence. Adolescence is an important period of developmental change. Puberty is associated with maturing of many biological systems including sexual, brain and nervous systems. POTS can be compared to an adolescent with a newly acquired skyscraper body (tall structure) that has grown quickly – but, the building’s electrical wiring system (autonomic functions) has not yet matured fully and is malfunctioning. Rapid growth spurts test the ability of an immature autonomic (automatic bodily functions) system to cope with a rapidly enlarging physical structure. The autonomic processes, by necessity, must keep making adjustments to keep up with the latest skyscraper-like growth. What worked well last year must adjust further for today’s taller body. Peak incidence of POTS occurs in the 10-30 year age group.

During the past 15 years, many medical centers have studied POTS patients and have determined the mechanisms responsible for this bizarre condition. The body’s difficulty adjusting to the upright position has been proven to be due to gravitational shifting of blood to the lower body while upright which results in decreased heart outflow.

If you or a loved one has POTS, this book is for you. Every page is packed with facts you need to know. Not only is it enlightening, it will help you take back your life and achieve POWER over POTS.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2017

Reviews

[Chanda Scobee · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Power over POTS" by Scheldon Kress is an informative and thorough resource for those looking to understand and manage Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). The book does an excellent job of breaking down the symptoms, medical aspects, and various management strategies for POTS, offering valuable insight for both patients and families. I found it particularly helpful in terms of explaining and understanding the condition from a medical standpoint, making it accessible for readers who may not be familiar with the complexities of autonomic disorders.

However, I did feel that the book could have benefited from a broader perspective, particularly when it comes to addressing the psychological and emotional challenges that accompany living with a chronic illness like POTS. In my experience, simply understanding the physical aspects of the condition isn't enough to effectively manage it long-term. In fact, solely addressing and focusing on symptoms actually led me into a temporary health decline. It was through other resources that I learned the “missing pieces” I needed to turn my health around and begin gaining the quality of my health again.

Additionally, while the book does touch on lifestyle modifications and coping strategies, I believe that a more comprehensive approach that includes therapy, mindfulness practices, and other forms of emotional and psychological support would have made it even more valuable to readers navigating the full spectrum of challenges that POTS presents. I believe there is a significant need for an emphasis on mental health, intentional mindset shifts, therapies, and nervous system regulation, as these factors play a critical role in managing chronic illness.

Overall, "Power over POTS" is a useful resource for those looking to understand the condition and take proactive steps toward management. Still, it would have been even more impactful if it integrated a more holistic approach to chronic illness care. I recommend this in combination with other books I’ve recently read as well, such as “Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness” and “The Secret Language of the Body.”

[Lizzie Scurrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have POTS and this was extremly helpful in helping me learn more about the condition

[Jamieof3 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow! Basically if you work out POTS will go away! Ummm ya not really. This book, all it goes back to is POTS is from de-conditioning. Some of the most active people are struck down by POTS. This book is not a good resource!

[Savannah Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think this was particularly groundbreaking or exclusive information but it was helpful and I did learn a few things.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

2017 pub date, so some info isn't current. The basic descriptions of the mechanisms at play are helpful, as is the section on common comorbidities. It's also mostly geared at adolescents, which may or may not be useful to the reader. Definitely loses points for using "Grinch syndrome."

I would not recommend this. Not sure if it's intentional, but the emphasis on lifestyle mods as curative rather than supportive sort of gives the vibe that if you don't 100% recover you just didn't try hard enough, regardless of comorbidities. Yuck.

I appreciate the apparently sincere effort to address the lack of books on so common a condition, but I don't recommend this one. There are better resources available online.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There wasn't really anything new or groundbreaking in this book and I found that it could be quite repetitive if you read the whole thing. Not a bad choice if you are looking for something you can just flick to a certain chapter in.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful!

There is so much helpful information here for those new to POTS! I've learned a lot about why my body works this way and how I can fix it. I don't have to live in the horizontal world forever.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent read for someone new to a POTS diagnosis. It does have some old data and misconceptions around the age in which people can develop POTS and the idea that most people will grow out of it. The chapters have lots of repetitive information.

[Steph Guzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

needs an editor. learned some valuable things but some info needs fact-checking because it is blatantly incorrect 🤨

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful for what I needed to learn.

[Rachel Hogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only aimed at kids like their the only ones that get it. I liked the research. Saying eat fast food to get salt in is a bad idea.

[Stephanie Moore]

This book would be useful if you are just starting to learn about POTS. It is very repetitive and at this point is somewhat outdated.