Can Eating Disorders Cause POTS?

You are going through exactly what I’m going through. I’ve had an eating disorder for over ten years, never properly fed my body or was ever properly hydrated, always starved myself. Did that for so long that my symptoms got extremely bad, now I can’t eat hardly anything without feeling sick or getting nauseous/vomiting. I am starting to think my eating disorders are what caused my POTS and other health issues, im 19 and my symptoms also started in high school my freshman year, got really bad for me these past couple years.

I have Ed’s and I’m wondering the same thing! It definitely feels like they overlap

Hi! I have a very similar story to yours. When my ED was at its worse is when I got diagnosed with POTs. I’ve gone through various forms of treatment for both and have heard medical professionals say that they’re definitely linked. I’ve also noticed when I’m eating better and more regularly, my POTS improves. Just know your not alone! ❤️

I think it could be possible

^^^ my friend also developed gastroparesis from anorexia, as your stomach doesn’t know how to properly digest after a long time of being denied stable nutrition. the worse her ed got, the worse her gastroparesis got. even in recovery, she is unable to eat normally due to her stomach not knowing how to function anymore. it sounds like your stomach is already being affected, and i truly hope you are able to get help with these symptoms before it becomes irreversible. i’m so sorry you’re going through all of this and i wish you the best in your life. there are so many good things to look forward to, and i hope recovery helps you see the joy in everyday life!!! ☺️ xoxo

I don’t have an ED (i do have POTS though) and a close friend of mine had anorexia and developed POTS afterwards! the lack of nutrition throws off the nervous system and causes a lot of dysfunction in normally automatic functions, such as digestion, hr regulation, etc. not eating can cause less salt intake into your body which helps raise your bp, so your bp is too low and causes dysautonomia symptoms. your stomach can struggle to relearn how to eat too and low blood sugar worsens these symptoms. i hope that helps you some! i know that once she was doing better in recovery her symptoms improved drastically and she was so much happier!!! :) im sending lots of good vibes your way, i hope recovery makes a huge difference in your symptoms <3

From what I’ve studied, there definitely seems to be a link. My POTS developed along with the progression of my eating disorder. From my understanding, eating disorders can cause a myriad of cardiac issues due to electrolyte imbalances and general malnutrition. Muscular atrophy due to weight loss can also make it harder for the legs and abdomen to pump blood back up to the heart.

The overlap of POTS and disordered eating has been studied if you are curious enough to look that far into it. It definitely has merit as a discussion to have with your doctors.