Interesting Info.

I was doing some research this week on a topic I was curious about: POTS+ birth control pills.

I went off of the pill well over a year ago because it was making the symptoms of my as-yet-undiagnosed condition much worse. My chest hurt, my flutters were worse, etc. Recently, I've been debating going back on it for the regulatory benefits (I find that the addition of Midodrine to my system has really thrown off my cycle- something I have to ask my doctor about) as well as the obvious protection benefits.

So, out of curiosity, I took to the internet to see what the internet has to say about POTS and birth control pills.

What I found was a bit surprising to me. On a dysautomnia message board - the topic was POTS/birth control- I found out that quite a number of birth control pills contain diuretics. The benefit of this for a 'normal' woman is that it should help with the bloating that comes before/with your period. They can also help to lower your blood pressure.

For a POTS patient, having a diuretic is the exact OPPOSITE of what is needed. Diuretics aid your body in ridding itself of water; a POTS patient needs to retain water and salt to keep their blood pressure and blood volume up.

So, it would seem (though I'll ask just to be sure) that birth control pills/patches are out of the question. I'm not sure about other methods, but I would assume they would be safe as they're not introducing diuretics into the body. This also means that period-related aids that contain diuretics are not recommended; such as Midol or Pamprin. (I don't use them, but it's good to know and share I think.)

Very interesting.