Clinician handoff
Pots
Designed for a 60-second scan in primary care. Use this to explain why this theory fits, what would weaken it, and which tests are most worth discussing.
Why this still fits
I have brain fog and racing heart that reliably worsen when I stand and improve when I lie down. My at-home heart rate monitoring shows a [X] bpm increase when standing. I'd like a Tilt Table Test to evaluate for POTS.
What would weaken it
- -Does your racing heart depend on your body POSITION (standing vs lying)?
- -Does lying down quickly and reliably improve your symptoms?
- -Do you have cold intolerance and weight changes?
- -When symptoms flare, do they reliably occur 1-3 hours after meals and improve when meal composition changes?
Key points to communicate
- •Most POTS patients are initially misdiagnosed with anxiety
- •My symptoms are position-dependent, not situation-dependent
- •First-line treatment is salt/fluid/compression - I'd like to start while awaiting testing
- •Please separate metabolic, sleep, autonomic, and medication overlap before narrowing to one cause.
Tests and measurements to discuss
Need the fuller context? Use the test explainers for the measurement itself, or jump back to the tests section on the Pots page to see how the tests fit the whole pattern.
Tilt Table Test
What this helps clarify: Gold standard for POTS and orthostatic intolerance
Range context
HR rise <30 bpm
How to use the result
Save the result with date and symptoms from the same week.
Standing catecholamines
Autoimmune panel (ganglionic AChR)
A1c + fasting glucose context review
What this helps clarify: This route is for the situation where HbA1c and fasting glucose do not fully explain a strong post-meal or fasting crash pattern.
Range context
Interpret with timing pattern
How to use the result
If the averages are normal but the crashes are repeatable, ask what test would better capture variability.
Autonomic Testing
Peer-reviewed references