Dysautonomia is an umbrella term for conditions involving dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, circulation, sweating and body temperature.

POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, is a specific form of dysautonomia characterized by an abnormal increase in heart rate when moving into an upright position. Not everyone with dysautonomia has POTS, but POTS falls within the broader dysautonomia category.

Symptoms can vary considerably from person to person. Common concerns can include dizziness or lightheadedness when standing, a racing heart, fainting or near-fainting, fatigue, brain fog, exercise intolerance, digestive problems, temperature intolerance, sweating changes and sleep difficulties.

Because the autonomic nervous system affects so many functions, people can experience symptoms involving several different systems at the same time.

Digestive symptoms can occur in people with POTS and other forms of dysautonomia because the autonomic nervous system is involved in regulating digestion.

If you’re experiencing digestive symptoms along with dizziness, heart-rate changes, fatigue or other concerns, I like to look at the entire picture rather than assuming every symptom is unrelated.

Some people with POTS or dysautonomia also have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). These are separate conditions, and having one does not mean you necessarily have the others.

If you’re already navigating more than one diagnosis—or have symptoms that seem to overlap—I can help look at your nutrition, health history, previous testing and other pieces of your overall health picture.

No. Some of the people I work with already have a POTS or dysautonomia diagnosis, while others are still trying to understand a complicated group of symptoms.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before you see me. Bring your symptoms, questions, previous testing and anything you’ve already learned. We’ll start there.

No. I don’t diagnose POTS or dysautonomia. If you need a medical diagnosis or medical management, you’ll need to work with an appropriate licensed medical provider.

My role is to help you look more closely at nutrition, testing and other factors that may be relevant to how you’re feeling and create an individualized nutrition and wellness plan that can complement your medical care.

Yes. When appropriate, I can help arrange traditional bloodwork and specialized functional lab testing based on your symptoms, health history, previous results and the questions we’re trying to better understand.

I don’t believe in ordering tests simply because they’re available. I want testing to help answer a specific question and provide information we can reasonably use.

Normal bloodwork doesn’t mean that what you’re experiencing isn’t real. It means the testing you’ve had hasn’t necessarily explained all of your symptoms.

I like to review what has already been tested before deciding whether anything else deserves a closer look. Sometimes additional testing may be useful. Other times, looking differently at your history, symptoms, nutrition and existing results can help us decide what to focus on next.

Yes. You don’t need me to be the person who identifies what you’re dealing with in order for us to work together.

A diagnosis can be incredibly helpful, but sometimes it doesn’t answer every question about why you still feel the way you do. That’s where I like to dig deeper. I want to understand what else may be affecting how your body is functioning and what we can reasonably support through nutrition, testing and an individualized plan.

Yes. I see clients in person at Nutritionally Yours in Alpharetta, Georgia, and virtual appointments are also available.

During your initial consultation, we’ll discuss your symptoms, health history, previous testing, nutrition and what you’ve already tried so I can better understand the whole picture.