Could a nerve drug tame POTS? new trial tests pyridostigmine

NCT ID NCT00409435

Symptom relief Sponsor: Mayo Clinic Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This phase 2 trial tests whether pyridostigmine, a drug that affects nerve signals, can reduce symptoms of postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) like rapid heartbeat and dizziness. Fifty adults with POTS will take either pyridostigmine or a placebo for three days. The study aims to see if the drug improves symptom scores and stabilizes heart rate during tilt-table testing.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: pyridostigmine
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a short-term treatment to ease POTS symptoms like rapid heartbeat and dizziness.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 50 people and a 3-day treatment period, so results may not apply broadly or last long.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 50 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Start date

Oct 2006

Expected to finish

Feb 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

15 to 55 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of postural tachycardia syndrome using the following criteria: * Orthostatic heart rate increment greater than or equal to 30 beats per minute (bpm) within 5 minutes of head-up tilt. * Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance. These include weakness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, nausea, palpitations, and difficulty with concentration and thinking. Both criteria must be fulfilled. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or lactating women * Presence of failure of other organ systems or systemic illness that could affect autonomic function or the patient's ability to cooperate with the study * Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism * Clinically significant coronary artery disease * Medications that could interfere with autonomic testing * Previous treatment with pyridostigmine for POTS. Patients must not have taken pyridostigmine in the past month

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Postural tachycardia syndrome

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Could a nerve drug tame POTS? new trial tests pyridostigmine

What the study statuses mean