Getting SSDI for POTS

Disability for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

If you’ve been diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and find it impossible to maintain a steady job, you’re not alone—and you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). But getting SSDI for POTS can come with a lot of challenges.

POTS is still misunderstood by many medical professionals and often invisible on paper. So there’s a lot to keep in mind while navigating the system.

Here’s what you need to know about applying for SSDI with POTS and how to give your case the best possible chance.

What Is POTS, and Why Can It Be Disabling?

POTS is a form of dysautonomia, which means it affects your autonomic nervous system. That’s the part of your body that controls automatic functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. When you stand up, your heart rate spikes, and you may experience:

• Dizziness or fainting
• Extreme fatigue
• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
• Heart palpitations
• Shakiness
• Nausea or digestive issues

These symptoms can come and go, but for many people with POTS, they’re constant and severe.

Everyday tasks—like walking across a room, standing in line, or even showering—can trigger a flare. That makes it very difficult to do most jobs, especially those that require standing, moving around, or staying focused.

Does the SSA Recognize POTS as a Disability?

POTS is not listed by name in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Blue Book. But that doesn’t mean you can’t qualify. It does mean you’ll need to show your POTS symptoms are equal in severity to another listed condition, like:

• Cardiovascular disorders
• Neurological conditions
• Fatigue syndromes
• Cognitive impairments

Most importantly, you have to prove that your symptoms make it impossible to maintain full-time, consistent employment, and that your condition is expected to last at least 12 months or more.

What Medical Evidence Do You Need?

Because POTS can be invisible in day-to-day medical records, you’ll want thorough documentation.

The SSA will be looking for:

• Tilt table test results or other clinical diagnostics confirming POTS.
• Heart rate and blood pressure logs when changing positions.
• Treatment history, including medications, dietary changes, compression therapy, and exercise regimens.
• Doctor’s notes describing your symptoms and how they interfere with daily tasks.
• Statements from specialists (like a cardiologist or neurologist).
• Functional capacity evaluations, if available, that document what you physically and mentally can’t do on a regular basis.

If your POTS is part of another condition—like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), chronic fatigue syndrome, or autoimmune disease—you should include that in your application too.

Challenges to Getting SSDI for POTS

First, it’s important to note the SSA denies the majority of claims on the first try. That’s true across all conditions, so it’s something to be aware of and plan for early on.

But in addition, the SSA may deny SSDI claims for POTS at first because:

• SSA staff may not be familiar with the condition.
• Symptoms like “fatigue” or “brain fog” are hard to prove without strong documentation.
• The condition’s fluctuating nature makes it hard to measure in standard tests.
• Some doctors don’t provide the detailed records the SSA needs.

That’s why building your case carefully—and often appealing a denial—is so important.

How Our SSDI Lawyers Can Help

Applying for SSDI with POTS can feel like a full-time job in itself—and that’s where we come in. As an experienced SSDI lawyer, I can help you:

• Collect and organize the right medical evidence
• Work with your doctors to provide the specific language SSA needs to see
• File appeals and represent you if your claim is denied
• Explain how your condition limits your ability to work, even on good days

We know how to take an “invisible illness” and present it in a way that clearly shows the real, disabling impact it has on your life.

In my decades of practice, I’ve worked with many clients who live with misunderstood or chronic conditions like POTS. You shouldn’t have to fight and use your limited energy to convince the government that your symptoms are real—we’ll help do that for you.

What’s more, we don’t get paid anything unless and until we win your case. And even then, it’s only a small fraction of your past due benefits. You get to keep everything moving forward.

If you’ve been denied benefits or are thinking about applying, contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll help you take the next step toward getting the support you need and deserve.