“It started when I was a teenager. I would actually pass out. My fatigue was so severe. I slept much more than my peers and couldn’t do as much as they did.”

These are recollections from 27-year-old Megan Mast, whose journey to her postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) diagnosis and treatment has been an arduous one.

What is POTS?

POTS, a condition involving circulation and the autonomic and sympathetic nervous systems, affects between 1 and 3 million Americans, most of whom are women between the ages of 13 and 50. Symptoms occur when standing up from a seated or reclined position.

“There are several different types of POTS, but, in general, a person who suffers from POTS has a nervous system that cannot balance blood vessel squeezing with heart rate response,” said Christie Palagonia, PT, who specializes in treating patients with POTS.

What are the symptoms?

While lightheadedness, fainting and rapid heartbeat upon standing are the primary symptoms of POTS, there are many secondary symptoms. Mast developed night sweats, headaches, vertigo and body temperature dysregulation. The variety of symptoms that can present make POTS difficult to diagnose, which Mast knows all too well. She saw many different specialists, but unfortunately none of them could provide her with relief.

Hope and Healing for Megan Mast

She was finally connected with a POTS specialist in Raleigh who began to treat her with medications,
compression garments and diet changes. He also prescribed physical therapy with the Pulmonary Rehab & Cardiopulmonary Therapy team at WakeMed Outpatient Rehab. Mast has been seeing physical therapists twice a week since July.

“We began working low and slow to determine my boundaries – how much activity I can tolerate without experiencing symptoms,” explained Mast. She now does a combination of outpatient therapy and at-home exercises, in addition to medications and lifestyle changes as prescribed by her physician.

What has Mast learned from her WakeMed POTS therapists?

“I am better in tune with my symptoms, and I understand the best way to exercise for me. For example, I now know I need a long cool down period whenever I exercise, and I know I have to be active for the rest of my life to keep symptoms at bay,” she explained.

Mast has learned a great deal from her therapists at WakeMed Outpatient Rehab, and she is so thankful for their help in improving her quality of life.

“I am incredibly thankful for my therapists,” said Mast. “They make me feel seen and validated. What I have learned from them, I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”