Electrolyte Solutions

  • One way many in our community maintain their oral hydration is through the use of electrolyte solutions and beverages. It is important to note that in pediatric patients, researchers discovered that body mass index may be a helpful tool providers can use to predict the therapeutic response individuals have, specifically when using oral rehydration solutions (ORS) (Li et al., 2016).

  • Oral rehydration salts, like those developed by NormaLyte, can provide you with an effective way to ensure you're getting the proper amount of sodium and water. In fact, a clinical study specific to pediatric patients with POTS, found they were a safe and effective alternative to IV hydration for individuals with orthostatic intolerance (Medow et al., 2019). A medical grade electrolyte ORS, NormaLyte offers 30% off purchases with their code DYSAUTO30, and have free samples available for you on their website. 

  • It is important to note that electrolyte solutions, oral rehydration solutions, and beverages may not be well-tolerated or recommended for everyone.

  • We feel that it is always important to talk to your medical team about ORS, electrolyte solutions, electrolyte beverages, if they are recommended for you, and what amount is best.

  • You can either make your own electrolyte solution/beverage at home or purchase one, but it can become expensive. Popular brands shared by members in our community included: LMNT, NormaLyte, Vitassium, Liquid IV, Nuun, Pedialyte, Re-lyte, and/or Drip Drop. Of those listed, Pedialyte and NormaLyte are the only two that are considered an ORS.

  • This certainly does not include all of the options and is based on poll answers from our online POTS community. A few of these are linked within our Helpful Items section.

Source:

Li, H., Wang, Y., Liu, P., Chen, Y., Feng, X., Tang, C., Du, J., & Jin, H. (2016). Body mass index (BMI) is associated with the therapeutic response to oral rehydration solution in children with postural tachycardia syndrome. Pediatric Cardiology, 37(7), 1313–1318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-016-1436-1

Medow, M. S., Guber, K., Chokshi, S., Terilli, C., Visintainer, P., & Stewart, J. M. (2019). The benefits of oral rehydration on orthostatic intolerance in children with postural tachycardia syndrome. The Journal of Pediatrics, 214, 96–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.07.041