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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
A woman with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) shared the terrifying moment she fainted mid-workout on the StairMaster.
Karina Drury, who has over 1.4 million followers on TikTok, has become known for her honest content about her diagnosis with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a specific type of orthostatic intolerance. Her videos often show the scary moments when she unexpectedly faints in public and the necessary protocol she follows during the onset of the syndrome.
Whether at a coffee shop or the gym, Drury is often alone at the moment when she passes out due to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. However, in her viral TikTok video, which has racked up more than 13.8 million views since it was posted on August 19, she shared footage of the moment she passed out during her workout routine and how her husband was there to help her.
In the video, Drury is seen walking on the machine and carefully lifting his feet as he goes down each step. When he noticed his heart starting to beat faster, he grabbed the side rails to steady himself.
“When I feel it happening, I do an emergency stop. This stops everything abruptly instead of slowly stopping to cool down,” she explained, as she was seen slowly getting off the machine.
He then positioned himself on the floor with his back flat on the ground and his legs in a butterfly position, using the handrails to support himself as he lowered himself. Drury admitted that he uses a stair-descending machine with several bars to hold himself up in case he needs to descend quickly.
“My heart is beating really hard and my blood pressure is dropping really fast,” Drury said in the video. He prepared his body in a “safe” position to pass out, before laying his head on the floor and placing a hand on his chest.
“If, like me, you suffer from frequent fainting spells, you know the struggle and horrible feeling it feels like before you pass out,” Drury wrote.
Drury was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and experiences a change in her heart rate when she goes from sitting to standing or vice versa. According to the Cleveland Clinic, POTS occurs when the body produces a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute, the standard for adults.
“Normally, the body’s autonomic nervous system balances heart rate and blood pressure to keep blood flowing at a healthy rate, no matter what position your body is in,” the Cleveland Clinic states. “If you have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, your body can’t coordinate the balance between blood vessel constriction (squeezing) and heart rate response. This means your body can’t keep your blood pressure steady and stable.”
The condition can cause a number of symptoms, including frequent fainting spells or near-fainting spells. In Drury's case, the episodes can occur back-to-back, meaning that within minutes of regaining consciousness, she faints again.
In her viral TikTok video, she only passed out once and regained consciousness shortly after being unconscious. “I noticed that my legs were spread apart,” Drury said. “You feel very vulnerable when you wake up and realize that your legs were spread apart. If you’ve ever passed out, you know this feeling.”
Drury proceeded to sit down, once again leaning on the bars of the StairMaster machine. Her husband had come over to crouch behind her in case she suffered another episode. “He holds me up and makes me feel safe to pass out again,” Drury explained.
Although she only fainted once, she said it had helped tremendously that her husband held her while she felt dizzy and nauseous. “He was so sweet,” she added.
Drury's viewers were quick to praise her husband, with one woman writing: “He seems so gentle and sweet.”
“It's so valuable to have someone you can count on,” another person added, noting that they are almost always alone when experiencing fainting episodes.
Meanwhile, one woman confessed: “I have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and I passed out in the bathroom at work last week.”
While there are no treatments for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, doctors recommend maintaining a consistent exercise routine and a healthy diet, focusing on consuming more sodium and water.
