National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

Back to List of Questions
My daughter was diagnosed basilar migraine several months ago. I feel she could also have POTS. Can the two conditions co-exist?
Yes. It is possible for a person to have both POTS and basilar migraine. A 2011 study by Khurana RK et al., found that two out of three people with POTS have orthostatic headache (especially those under age 30) and nearly all had migraines.[1] However, people with migraines may also have a higher risk for syncope (fainting spells) and orthostatic intolerance without clear signs of autonomic nervous system dysfunction.[2] We strongly recommend that you discuss your concerns regarding her diagnosis with a healthcare professional.
Last updated: 4/29/2015

We hope this information is helpful. We strongly recommend you discuss this information with your doctor. If you still have questions, please contact us.

Warm regards,
GARD Information Specialist

Please see our Disclaimer.

  1. Khurana RK and Eisenberg L. Orthostatic and non-orthostatic headache in postural tachycardia syndrome. Cephalalgia. March 2011; 31(4):409-15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20819844.
  2. Thijs RD, Kruit MC, van Buchem MA, Ferrari MD, Launer LJ, van Dijk JG. Syncope in migraine: the population-based CAMERA study. Neurology. 2006 Apr 11; 66(7):1034-7. Accessed 4/29/2015.