Sound Bites with Dr. Adam Rinde
One Thing with Dr. Adam Rinde
Episode 123. The Hidden Causes of POTS No one talks about with Dr. Dianna Driscoll
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Episode 123. The Hidden Causes of POTS No one talks about with Dr. Dianna Driscoll

“There is always a reason for illness. You may not have all your answers today, but that doesn’t mean answers don’t exist. Never give up.” – Dr. Diana Driscoll

In this episode, Dr. Diana Driscoll — optometrist, researcher, patient, and founder of POTS Care — takes us inside her groundbreaking journey to uncover the hidden mechanisms of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

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After years of worsening illness and dismissal by the medical system, Dr. Driscoll combined her medical expertise with relentless patient-driven research. What emerged is now known as the Driscoll Theory, a framework that explores:

  • What drives POTS: high intracranial pressure, vagus nerve dysfunction, neurotransmitter disruption, and systemic vascular irregularities.

  • How to intervene: restoring vagus nerve function, reducing inflammation, supporting acetylcholine activity, and managing oxidative stress.

  • Practical tools: supplements like ParaSym Plus and NAC Max, targeted use of histamine blockers, and non-invasive approaches to improving quality of life.

  • Emotional resilience: how she navigated years of invalidation, supported her sick child, and created POTS Rebels, a community for patients seeking hope and science-backed solutions.

This conversation is both deeply personal and highly practical, offering clarity for patients, practitioners, and caregivers searching for answers.

  • 00:00 – 02:00 | Intro & sponsor message (Healthgevity) Healthgevity our sponsor : ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ Enter: ONETHING for a 10% discount

  • 02:00 – 03:00 | Adam introduces Dr. Driscoll & her personal journey with POTS

  • 03:00 – 08:00 | The turning point: realizing medicine had no answers → “I’m on my own”

  • 08:00 – 13:00 | Discovering high intracranial pressure and what eye patterns reveal

  • 14:00 – 18:00 | The emotional toll & why she built the POTS Rebels community

  • 19:00 – 24:00 | The what: inflammation as the hidden driver of POTS

  • 25:00 – 33:00 | The how: vagus nerve, acetylcholine, nicotine patch experiment, and ParaSym Plus

  • 34:00 – 38:00 | Genetic predisposition, hypermobility, and EDS connections

  • 38:00 – 41:00 | Identifying intracranial pressure symptoms (coat hanger pattern, nausea, insomnia)

  • 41:00 – 44:00 | Framework for healing: vagus support, histamine blockers, antioxidants

  • 45:00 – 48:00 | Take-home: “Never give up. Illness always has a reason.”

  • 49:00 | Closing thoughts & listener call-to-action

Healthgevity our sponsor : ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ Enter: ONETHING for a 10% discount

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