is this just POTS or ME or something more serious?
TLDR: on Tuesday had really weird episode of not being able to breathe, collapsed but still conscious, and became uncontrollably emotional. EMT told me I have POTS just by looking at me. Went to hospital who referred me to advanced cardio clinic. Since then I can barely walk around without dizziness or weakness and I have heart pain on and off
quick note I have ME/CFS and I’m not sure if this is a big crash or something worse
so on tuesday I (22F) was making breakfast and started to feel breathless. I was breathing hard and stumbled over to the couch, but I still couldn’t catch my breath. I’m not even going to discuss the incompetence of my parents not calling 911 right away. I went to the stairs to get my sister but collapsed on the bottom step and called out for my sister, who came immediately and called the ambulance. When they came I was dizzy from not breathing properly, and I was still super weak. I could barely squeeze the EMT’s hand.
The funniest thing is, after fighting with doctors for months, the EMT looked at me and was like “you have something called POTS.” I laughed and was like “FINALLY.” Later the EMT told me he could literally see my pulse in my neck when he came and all the other reasons why I probably have POTS (HR spiked when I stood, female, small build).
After a couple questions from the EMTs I started getting…silly. Like I was fully aware I was silly I just couldn’t control it. I was giggling and aloof. They tried to help me get up but I was like “hahahaha wheeeee” and they were so worried I’d faint. The EMT asked my sister if I was normally like this and she said “nope.”
When we got outside I was cold so I suddenly burst out crying. I was so confused why I was so emotional. They were reassuring me and I was like “NO *sniff* I’M NOT *sobs* SAD??” It was really weird because I’ve had silly spells before but never that bad and never switching to crying.
In the ambulance I was silly but then chilled out to my normal-ish self. I was talking to the EMT and then suddenly it was like I couldn’t talk at all and I just stared into space. He asked me if I have a history of seizures. I was like no and I was completely aware of what was happening around me, I just couldn’t talk. That ENT was amazing btw he was so nice and awesome with me.
I got all the bloodwork done and a urine test and a chest xray and everything was normal. I was discharged and told to return if I had further concerns, but I was also referred to an advanced cardiology diagnostic clinic.
Since that hospital visit on Tuesday, I haven’t been able to walk around without suddenly getting dizzy or feel like I’m going to collapse. Multiple times a day my breathing stops for 5-10 seconds then I take a deep breath and it resumes normally. That only used to happen maybe once a day before. Yesterday I had another instance of not being able to talk for a couple minutes. The worst thing is the chest pain. It’s on and off, but I feel pain directly in my heart. I’ve had a stress test and echocardiogram with another cardiologist who dismissed all of my concerns (that was like a month ago so before this crash) but this is kinda concerning me. Especially when it feels like my heart is being stabbed. But sometimes the pain is on the right side of my chest, and sometimes there’s aching in my left shoulder. It’s mostly in my heart.
I’m on hold to get an appointment with the cardio clinic but just wanted to ask if anyone has any idea what the heck is wrong with me