u/canyonatlas

I have keratoconus and have already had CXL done in both eyes. I previously had a really difficult experience with hybrid lenses. They became so tight that I actually had to go to eye urgent care to get them removed because I couldn’t get them out myself. My eyes ended up hemorrhaging because of it, and it honestly scared me quite a bit.

I’ve also already tried sclerals, but now a new doctor wants me to give hybrids another try. I’m feeling pretty reticent because of what happened before, and I’m trying to figure out whether my prior experience was just a bad fit or whether hybrids are commonly difficult for people with KC.

For those of you with keratoconus who wear hybrids, have they worked well for you long term? Did insertion and removal get easier with time? Has anyone else dealt with lenses feeling excessively tight? Also, are there any other lens options besides hybrids and sclerals that have worked well for you?

Also, just to mention, I’m not interested in CAIRS surgery recommendations right now. I’d mainly love to hear about lens experiences and non-surgical options from others with KC. 🙂

I honestly really need advice from people who understand both POTS and emotionally demanding careers.

I’m 31 and feel like developing POTS has completely changed the way I think about my future, career goals, grad school, stress tolerance, stamina, and honestly even my confidence in myself.

Before my health got worse, I originally planned to become a therapist. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology (it took me longer than expected because of health issues), and I even started an MSW program at one point. But between worsening keratoconus, burnout, mental health struggles, and now POTS symptoms on top of everything else, I feel like I’m constantly questioning what kind of career I can realistically sustain long term.

The difficult part is that I still feel really drawn toward psychology, counseling, mental health, healthcare, and meaningful one-on-one work. I genuinely love that type of work and feel like my strengths are in empathy, emotional insight, communication, and connecting deeply with people.

But now I constantly wonder things like:
Can I physically handle grad school anymore?
Can I sustain emotionally demanding work with POTS?
Am I limiting myself too much out of fear?
Or am I underestimating how draining these careers actually are with chronic illness?

I’ve especially been considering:
• counseling/therapy
• different areas of social work
• nursing → PMHNP eventually
• psychology-related support roles
• behavioral health/case management
• healthcare administration/program coordination
• honestly any psychology-related field that still feels meaningful but sustainable

What I really want to know is:
• Did POTS completely change your career plans too?
• Are any of you successfully working in therapy, healthcare, social work, counseling, nursing, etc. with POTS?
• What settings/specialties ended up surprisingly manageable vs completely exhausting?
• Did your ability to function improve once your POTS became more treated/stable?
• If you could go back knowing you had POTS, would you still choose the same field?
• What psychology/mental health careers have actually been sustainable long term with this condition?

I think one of the hardest parts of POTS is grieving the version of yourself you thought you were going to be while also trying not to give up on yourself completely.

Please be kind. I’m genuinely trying to figure out how to build a meaningful future without pushing myself into a life I physically or emotionally can’t sustain.

I’m looking for honest but kind advice from therapists/counselors because I’m trying to figure out whether this field is still realistic for me long term.

I’m 31 and trying to rebuild my life/career after a pretty difficult few years with both physical and mental health struggles. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, although it took me longer than normal to finish because of health issues along the way.

A few years ago I started an MSW program because becoming a therapist was originally the path I felt most drawn to. Unfortunately, during that time my keratoconus significantly worsened (a progressive eye condition that affected my vision/functioning a lot), and combined with anxiety/OCD and other mental health struggles, I ended up withdrawing from the program.

Honestly, it really damaged my confidence and made me question whether I’m capable of handling graduate school or this type of work at all.

At the same time, I still feel deeply drawn toward therapy, psychology, and meaningful one-on-one support work. I genuinely care about people and have often been told I’m empathetic, insightful, emotionally intelligent, and good at making people feel understood.

The complication is that I’m also trying to be realistic. I’ve recently been dealing with POTS symptoms on top of everything else, and I know being a therapist can be emotionally demanding. Part of me worries I’m not resilient enough for the field, while another part of me worries I’m underestimating myself because of fear and burnout.

For those of you already working as therapists/counselors:
• Do you think this career can realistically be sustainable for someone with anxiety/chronic health challenges if boundaries and pacing are good?
• Are there therapy settings that are more flexible or less emotionally draining than others?
• Does my story sound more like someone who should pivot away from the field, or someone who maybe stepped away during a hard season and could potentially return later once more stable?

Please be kind. I’m genuinely trying to figure out how to build a stable and meaningful future without pushing myself into something I can’t sustain.

I’m looking for honest but kind advice from social workers because I’m trying to figure out whether this field is still realistic for me long term.

I’m 31 and trying to rebuild my life/career after a pretty difficult few years with both physical and mental health struggles. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, although it took me longer than normal to finish because of health issues along the way.

A few years ago I started an MSW program because becoming a therapist/social worker was originally the path I felt most drawn to. Unfortunately, during that time my keratoconus significantly worsened (a progressive eye condition that affected my vision/functioning a lot), and combined with anxiety/OCD and other mental health struggles, I ended up withdrawing from the program.

Honestly, it really damaged my confidence and made me question whether I’m capable of handling this type of work or graduate school at all.

At the same time, I still feel deeply drawn toward mental health work, counseling, and meaningful one-on-one support roles. I genuinely care about people and have often been told I’m empathetic, insightful, emotionally intelligent, and good at making people feel understood.

The complication is that I’m also trying to be realistic. I’ve recently been dealing with POTS symptoms on top of everything else, and I know social work can be emotionally demanding and sometimes physically demanding too. Part of me worries I’m not resilient enough for the field, while another part of me worries I’m underestimating myself because of fear and burnout.

For those of you already in social work:
• Do you think this field can realistically be sustainable for someone with anxiety/chronic health challenges if boundaries and pacing are good?
• Are there areas of social work that are less intense or more flexible than others?
• Does my story sound more like someone who should pivot away from the field, or someone who maybe stepped away during a hard season and could potentially return later once more stable?

Please be kind. I’m genuinely trying to figure out how to build a stable and meaningful future without pushing myself into something I can’t sustain.

I’m feeling pretty stuck career-wise and would genuinely appreciate outside perspective from people who have changed paths due to health or mental health challenges. Please be kind because I’m honestly trying really hard to get my life back in order right now.

I’m 31 and trying to figure out what path actually makes sense for me long term and can realistically lead to a sustainable career. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, although it took me a bit longer than normal to finish because of health issues and mental health struggles along the way.

I originally planned to become a therapist. A few years ago I started an MSW program, but ended up withdrawing due to a combination of worsening keratoconus (a progressive eye condition that significantly affected my vision and functioning at the time) along with mental health challenges. It honestly shook my confidence a lot.

Since then, I’ve been trying to reassess what path actually fits me instead of just forcing myself into something that may not be sustainable.

The complication is that I still care deeply about mental health work and helping people. I’m very drawn to psychology, counseling, psychiatric care, and meaningful one-on-one work. I’ve considered paths like:
• Licensed therapist/counselor
• Social work
• Nursing → PMHNP eventually
• Other psychology-related careers

But I also struggle with anxiety/OCD and recently developed POTS symptoms, so I’m trying to be realistic about stress tolerance, school intensity, physical stamina, and emotional burnout.

At the same time, I don’t want to underestimate myself either. I’ve been told I’m empathetic, insightful, emotionally intelligent, and good at connecting with people. I just genuinely can’t tell anymore whether I’m someone who needs a lower-stress path or whether I’m capable of more than I think I am once stabilized.

If you were in my shoes, what career path would you seriously consider? Especially if your goal was balancing:
• meaningful work
• decent income/stability
• mental health sustainability
• flexibility if health fluctuates
• long-term growth potential

I’d especially love hearing from people in counseling, social work, nursing, healthcare, or people who rebuilt after health setbacks.

Ever since getting diagnosed with POTS, I’ve had to increase my electrolytes A LOT just to function normally day to day. I’ve been drinking Venture Pal electrolyte packets pretty consistently, and I only recently realized many electrolyte drinks contain citric acid and can actually be pretty rough on enamel over time.

Now I’m starting to notice more tooth sensitivity and I’m honestly getting anxious about enamel erosion/decay from constantly sipping electrolytes throughout the day 😭 I feel like nobody talks about the dental side of POTS treatment, but so many of us are basically told to live off electrolytes.

For those of you who’ve been managing POTS for a while, how do you protect your teeth while still staying hydrated? What toothpaste/mouthwash/products have actually helped? Has anyone’s dentist recommended specific routines or fluoride products? Do straws and rinsing with water afterward actually make a noticeable difference?

Would seriously love hearing what’s worked for real people because right now I feel like I’m trying to choose between functioning with POTS and protecting my teeth 🫠

I was able to get my hybrid lenses in, but I couldn’t get them back out on my own and the assistants at the eye doctor had to remove them for me 😅 Is it something that gets easier with practice?

I’d also love to hear people’s experiences with vision quality and comfort. Do hybrids give you good vision for keratoconus? Do your eyes get dry with them? Are you able to use lubricating drops while wearing them?

Any tips or encouragement would really help. Thanks so much

I was recently diagnosed with POTS and just got out of the ER, so I’m trying to ease into meds slowly. I’m taking ivabradine 2.5 mg twice daily right now (working up to 5 mg twice daily) and propranolol 10 mg as needed.

I was also prescribed Vyvanse 10 mg but haven’t started yet because I’m nervous it’ll make me jittery or worsen my heart symptoms.

Would love to hear personal experiences from anyone on a similar combo. Did Vyvanse help brain fog/fatigue, make POTS worse, or not affect it much? 😊

Hi! I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with experience on a similar combo. I was recently diagnosed with POTS and just got out of the ER, so I’m still in that phase of figuring everything out and trying not to overwhelm my system.

My cardiologist prescribed ivabradine 5 mg twice daily, but I’ve been easing into it by taking 2.5 mg twice daily to get used to it. I also have propranolol 10 mg that I take as needed every 6–8 hours if my heart rate gets too high.

I was also prescribed Vyvanse 10 mg for ADHD, but I haven’t started it yet. I’m feeling a little nervous to try it because my body has been pretty sensitive lately, and I’m worried it might make me feel jittery or worsen my heart symptoms.

I’m curious if anyone has taken Vyvanse (especially a low dose like 10 mg) with ivabradine and/or propranolol. Did it make your POTS symptoms better, worse, or no change? Did you feel more jittery, or did it actually help with fatigue and brain fog?

I’m not looking for medical advice, just personal experiences to get a sense of how people respond to this combination. Thank you so much 😊

Hey guys, I recently started ivabradine for POTS at 5 mg twice a day and I’m just trying to get a sense of what’s normal while adjusting. I’ve been noticing the light flashes/visual stuff, especially with lighting changes, and I’ve also felt more tired than usual. On top of that, I’ve had some chest discomfort or just being more aware of my heartbeat, and occasional palpitations even though my heart rate itself isn’t super high. My vitals have been okay overall, I just feel kind of off and more aware of everything going on in my body right now.

I’m mainly wondering how long this phase lasted for other people and if the visual side effects went away completely or just became less noticeable over time. Also, did anyone else have that chest or heartbeat awareness at the beginning? And one more thing I’ve been thinking about—has anyone tried going down to 2.5 mg for a bit and then increasing back to 5 mg once your body adjusted, and did that help?

Just trying not to overthink everything and would really appreciate hearing how it went for others. Thanks 🙏

I’ve heard that psilocybin can make your heart rate go up. Has anyone been able to do psilocybin while using POTS or is it too much of a risk factor? Just let me know. Thanks! 😊

Hey! I’m curious if anyone here with diagnosed POTS has taken psilocybin while on heart rate meds like ivabradine or atenolol. I’ve been having pretty active symptoms lately (tachycardia, feeling like I might pass out, even ended up in the ER recently), so I’m trying to be careful and not make anything worse.

I know psilocybin can affect heart rate, so I’m wondering how it felt for you—did it increase symptoms, feel manageable, or cause any issues?

Not looking for medical advice, just personal experiences. Appreciate anything you’re willing to share 🙏

Hey! I’m curious if anyone here with diagnosed POTS has taken psilocybin while on heart rate meds like ivabradine or atenolol. I’ve been having pretty active symptoms lately (tachycardia, feeling like I might pass out, even ended up in the ER recently), so I’m trying to be careful and not make anything worse.

I know psilocybin can affect heart rate, so I’m wondering how it felt for you—did it increase symptoms, feel manageable, or cause any issues?

Not looking for medical advice, just personal experiences. Appreciate anything you’re willing to share 🙏

Hi! I was recently diagnosed with POTS and have been dealing with some flare symptoms like tachycardia, weakness, and feeling lightheaded. It’s been a bit up and down lately and I did end up going to urgent care recently just to get things checked out, but I’m doing okay and trying to get everything more stable. Around the same time, I’ve also been tapering off fluvoxamine and have been on Rexulti, and I’ve noticed some tremors and shakiness, especially in one hand, so I’m trying to figure out what might be contributing.

I’m working with a psych NP to find a medication plan for OCD and anxiety that won’t make my POTS symptoms worse. I’m curious if anyone here has found meds that felt more “POTS-friendly,” especially in terms of not increasing heart rate, not causing jitteriness or tremors, and not worsening dizziness. I know everyone responds differently, but I’d really appreciate hearing what has or hasn’t worked for you. I’m planning to bring any insights back to my psych NP to talk through options, and I’m also open to any general tips for managing flare-ups alongside medications. Thank you 😊.