Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms usually start – and get worse – when sitting or standing and improve when lying down. Common symptoms include:

• Overall sense of feeling unwell when upright
• Fast, pounding heartbeat
• Lightheadedness
• Feeling faint or fainting
• Difficulty being physically active
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Trouble thinking clearly (brain fog)

Many of these can be debilitating without treatment. Other symptoms may include feeling shaky or jittery, headaches, disrupted sleep, and abdominal pain. Symptoms can vary from day to day and are often worse in the mornings. Generally speaking, people with POTS often feel unwell much of the time when standing.