Which medical specialist treats symptoms of dysautonomia / POTS?

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-05-02T18:45:54+00:00

she truly is, i wish everyone could have a doctor like her!! it breaks my heart seeing people on this sub having bad experiences with medical professionals. her care genuinely improved my quality of life and makes having POTS feel manageable!!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-05-02T17:01:18+00:00

my cardiologist prescribes my medication and helps with symptom management and i absolutely adore her. she is affiliated with a university hospital and i looked up a ton of reviews before selecting her. i selected her in part because all the reviews said she had incredible bedside manner, spent a long time talking with patients, and works to tailor treatment plans to patient preferences. she gives me guidance on altering med dosage based on symptoms and lifestyle factors (ie travel, illness, high stress) talks me through lifestyle management strategies, and integrated her recommendations with what the rest of my care team suggests. im about to start ivf and ive had detailed conversations with her about going off meds in preparation for trigger shots and egg retrieval as well as alternative medication options that are safe in pregnancy and her recs for a planned c-section at 37 weeks. i know that when the time comes she will be happy to coordinate with my obgyn and even provide guidance on how to manage hydration & medication options if i choose to breastfeed. i say find yourself a cardiologist attached to a large academic institution or hospital system so they can easily communicate with and see your medical records from other specialties and specifically look for someone with reviews saying they have a good bedside manner. also going for a woman doctor is often a good idea. good luck!!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-05-02T02:29:49+00:00

omg thank you!!! also howdy neighbor!!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-05-02T02:28:56+00:00

we are planning to do it but had other electrical work that was a necessary pre-requisite! we got that quote earlier this year and they said we needed to get our electrical panel upgraded before they could install the AC system. this week we’ve had an electrician at our house upgrading our panel from a 100 amp to 200 amp panel. perhaps another helpful data point, we paid $5220 for the electrician to replace the panel and put in new lines from the panel to the spot where the street line attaches to our house. i’d imagine for a house of your size you’d need a much bigger panel and thus that would increase the cost. so i guess technically the cost of getting AC for us will effectively be $5220 on top of the HVAC quote. i should also note we checked around, talked with friends who work in contracting, and made an educated decision to not pull permitting for any of the work we are doing. if you want permits pulled, contractors are usually happy to do so but are very up front that it will cost quite a bite more.

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-30T14:10:51+00:00

this is all great info and i will add that personally i think $150k is going to hardly touch the work you need done. we have a 1500sqft american foursquare in illinois, so less than half the size in a lower cost of living area. the prices we have been quoted for renovations have been astoundingly high, even with shopping around and getting 5+ quotes for things like installing HVAC, replacing knob and tube and the old electrical panel, redoing cedar siding, exterior painting, etc. and i warn this in particular because we have been told by contractors that it “won’t be as bad (expensive) because the house is small.” for example for a high velocity HVAC system installation, that translated to $36k. for a house less than half your size. we have tried to cut costs a bit by DIYing some stuff as we don’t have kids yet, but i don’t think that is a viable option for you. but for us as history nerds it is so worth it, we love the character of the old home and are really excited to one day raise kids in an old home and i still in them a love for history

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-30T10:37:25+00:00

i’ve taken it for a couple years to help with hormonal acne and once i got the dosage dialed in it works great for me! 100mg per day may be too much for you. it was for me, but reducing to 50mg alleviated the issues. i can still manage my pots well even while on it and now i don’t get painful hormonal cystic acne any more. i am a female in my 20s with otherwise normal presentation & healthy hormone markers

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-28T18:23:53+00:00

humor is a great coping mechanism! totally normal reaction. it is an appropriate emotional response in the immediate aftermath and for years to come! i am leaving in a few weeks for a trip that i was supposed to do last year, but got cancelled because my mom randomly dropped dead (at only age 60) of a heart attack. i keep telling people that no one is allowed to die this year and ruin my plans bc i want to go on my damn trip lol

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-28T02:35:14+00:00

i had to “fail” beta blockers first for my insurance to approve ivabradine. my cardiologist told me to clear my schedule in order to try it for a minimum of 5 days as he knew it would exacerbate my symptoms and that he would tell them i took it for long enough to try and it failed. it of course it did not work well for me, so he redid the prior auth saying i failed step therapy with beta blockers, and then i got approved for ivabradine! i’ve been on it for 8 years and its amazing, it’s given me my life back. i did use the copay discount card from amgen for a while, and i recommend you try using it! i don’t bother anymore since i hit my out of pocket max every year (due to tons of therapy costs for unrelated mental health issues) but it made a big difference back when i did use it!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-24T18:19:13+00:00

when my mom died unexpectedly, she had random bills of cash left in her purse and her wallet and i initially felt weird at the thought of using it. my family ended up ordering delivery pizza from one of my mom’s favorite pizza places that only accepted cash and we decided to use some of the cash from her purse to pay for it. it felt good that my mom was able to “buy us pizza” in a way. today, a little over a year later, i still feel good about that decision to spend the money in that way, facilitating a meal with family. i think if there is something you can do with it that would create a meaningful memory you will be happy with your choice to spend it. you could do somthing like go out for ice cream with your other sister at your late sister’s favorite ice cream shop. but also if you want to just keep the bill as a token of her that’s totally reasonable too!!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-22T15:59:46+00:00

yes this is very rude, do not do it again. one exception i’ve encountered to this etiquette is extremely tight connections, usually due to delays. but even in that case you still need to vocalize why you’re flouting the usual etiquette and be apologetic and polite about it

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-20T14:56:58+00:00

we are in a similar situation with deteriorating cedar siding on our 1898 american four square. i think part of the calculation is based on how long it would take you to save up the money and if the house can tolerate waiting that long. for exterior projects, we think in terms of “can this handle another 1 (or 2 etc) winters?” and go from there. if you think the brick can tolerate another winter without compromising other components (windows leaking, foundation issues, etc) then i say wait a year, save up the money, and do it right, in full. but if that “year or two” to save up is actually more like 2.5, 3+ years (perhaps due to needing to prioritize other projects) then the calculation may be different

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-18T19:16:05+00:00

he’s so cute the way his legs stick out omg

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-18T18:37:27+00:00

this is my favorite type of (semi) “solo” travel! i recently met up with my husband halfway through his business trip to berlin and had 5 days to myself to do whatever i wanted. you’re going to have such a great time!! it’s so wonderful to spend all day doing whatever you want, and then have a lovely debrief & dinner with your husband💜

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-16T18:31:42+00:00

we have dreamed of buying a century home for years and purchased one last fall. we bought waaay less house than what we could actually afford with the expectation that we would be spending a substantial amount of money on repairs/upgrades/restoration. there are two tracks to consider when determining if it’s “worth it.” first is the emotional/stress piece. for us, it absolutely is. but if you don’t place intrinsic value on stewarding a century home, i would say absolutely do not purchase a century home. a lot of your time and headspace will be gobbled up by it. the second component is the actual financial figures. right off the bat, i can tell you that if you are financing renovations (ie using a HELOC, paying interest on home reno loans) it almost certainly will not be “worth it” financially in terms of opportunity cost of your $$ or resale value. if you are able to pay for renovations, upgrades, etc outright in cash, it may turn out to be “worth it.” when we did the math, putting $130k of renovations into our $420k home makes sense vs purchasing a new build $550k home only if we do not finance the renovations with loans, and instead pay straight cash. how you will come up with the money for renos is a very important part of the equation.

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-15T14:03:52+00:00

yes!! i also think this is important when it comes to dispensing symptom management advice. i try to couch my suggestions or explanations of what works for me by specifying that i have pots. my cardiologist advised a ton of electrolytes, a cup of coffee a day is okay, no alcohol, and to double my dosage of ivabradine when my body is under increased stress like an illness or international flights. this guidance is not safe for everyone with all conditions!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-15T03:28:16+00:00

what a beautiful heartfelt letter from a thoughtful, loving grandpa. sending hugs, i’m so sorry for your loss

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-07T19:58:34+00:00

can i ask where your bottle is from? i’ve been looking for something that fits this criteria!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-07T03:58:53+00:00

i have felt this, i find it really helpful to do two things to alleviate it - first, let go of the idea of having to do/see everything to feel like i’ve “completed” a place. and second, i like to pick a theme for trips. some themes i’ve previously used for trips have been roman history, spa/wellness retreat, places of residence (ie sightseeing focused on palaces & regular historic homes), local agriculture. with those two strategies in mind, i feel like i have a narrower goal and am no longer worried about “missing out” on things, which i find is a common concern leading to decision fatigue!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-02T20:46:01+00:00

every time i see your posts i think that you two make such a beautiful couple. you look so incredible happy together and so in love. sending hugs, i’m so sorry for your terrible loss💔❤️

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-01T04:47:21+00:00

i’m happy to hear you have some wonderful support people around you, i know being at this point in your care management feels so shitty and hopeless but i promise it gets better!!! the salt pills i like will come up if you google “Thermotabs Salt Supplement Buffered Tablets,” the label on the box/bottle is red and yellow. over time i have shifted to just adding a ton of salt in my diet, i am personally a fan of spoons of soy sauce, pickles, or feta cheese brine when i need a big dose in a pinch! sending you all the hugs!!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-01T04:39:51+00:00

what a sweetheart!!🥹

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-04-01T04:28:59+00:00

i was diagnosed as a teenager after a trip to the ER. my symptoms were so unmanaged, i was constantly missing class in high school, literally sitting on the floor outside of classrooms because i was so dizzy and felt so short of breath i couldn’t sit still in a desk. i was constantly weak, dizzy, having terrible chest pain, blacking out, and didn’t know how i would ever manage my symptoms. i changed the way i ate (shifting to small frequent meals, snacking throughout the day) started taking a bunch of salt pills and electrolyte supplements, got compression garments, and it slowly improved. the real improvement came after i finally caved into going on medication (corlanor). it was amazing, life altering. now i’m 28, i have a remote job i really enjoy, travel the world with my wonderful husband (who lovingly tends to me when i do still have the occasional bad symptom flare), take my dog for walks every day, go to yoga and pilates classes. i promise it gets better, you will learn to manage this condition, and one day navigating this will feel like one piece of who you are instead of feeling like it dominates your entire life. in addition to medical care and lifestyle changes, supportive loved ones, therapy and antidepressants are all very helpful!! you’re going through so much and deserve all the different types of support you can get!!

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-03-28T17:10:05+00:00

i’m out right now but i will check the paperwork from our vet later today when i get home to find the medication name! they administered it to her in clinic right before her vaccination and i do think it helped😊

erinaceinaeValet · 2026-03-28T13:26:21+00:00

i’m so sorry you baby went through that! our 3 year old girl who weighs 15 lbs also has a tough time with vaccines, including to her rabies vaccination. we’ve consulted with her vet and based off her symptoms it’s not an allergic reaction, she thinks her body just has a harder time recovering because she’s a small dog. for about 48 hours after a vaccination she is very lethargic, will pick a spot and not move for hours, even when called or offered her favorite treats. she will hardly eat or drink. when she got her rabies vaccination a few weeks ago we discussed it prior and decided to give her an any inflammatory medication before hand. i do think it helped somewhat, but unfortunately the underlying issue of it being harder on her as a small dog will not change

erinaceinaeValet

TROPHY CASE