Editing Orthostatic intolerance (section)

==Management==
Most patients experience an improvement of their symptoms, but for some, OI can be gravely [[disabling]] and can be progressive in nature, particularly if it is caused by an underlying condition that is deteriorating.  The ways in which symptoms present themselves vary greatly from patient to patient; as a result, individualized treatment plans are necessary.<ref name="ndrf">{{cite web | title = National Dysautonomia Research Foundation  | publisher = National Dysautonomia Research Foundation (NDRF) | url = http://www.ndrf.org/orthostat.htm | access-date = 2007-08-21}}</ref>

OI is treated [[pharmacologically]] and non-pharmacologically. Treatment does not cure OI; rather, it controls symptoms.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Physicians who specialize in treating OI agree that the single most important treatment is drinking more than 2 liters (8 cups) of fluids each day.  A steady, large supply of water or other fluids reduces most, and for some patients all, of the major symptoms of this condition.  Typically, patients fare best when they drink a glass of water no less frequently than every two hours during the day, instead of drinking a large quantity of water at a single point in the day.<ref name = generalinfo/>

For most severe cases and some milder cases, a combination of [[medications]] is used. Individual responses to different medications vary widely, and a drug that dramatically improves one patient's symptoms may make another patient's symptoms much worse. Medications focus on three main issues:<ref name = generalinfo/>

''Medications that increase blood volume:''
* [[Fludrocortisone]] (Florinef)
* [[Erythropoietin]]
* [[Hormonal contraception]]

''Medications that inhibit acetylcholinesterase:''
* [[Pyridostigmine]]

''Medications that improve vasoconstriction:''
* [[Stimulants]]: (e.g., [[Ritalin]] or [[Dexedrine]])
* [[Midodrine]] (ProAmatine)
* [[Ephedrine]] and [[pseudoephedrine]] ([[Sudafed]])
* [[Theophylline]] (low-dose)
* [[Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors]] (SSRIs - [[Prozac]], [[Zoloft]], and [[Paxil]])

''[[Behavior change method|Behavioral changes]] that patients with OI can make are:''
* Avoiding triggers such as prolonged sitting, quiet standing, warm environments, or [[vasodilating medications]]
* Using postural maneuvers and [[Compression stockings|pressure garments]]
* Treating co-existing [[medical conditions]]
* Increasing [[fluid intake|fluid]] and [[Health effects of salt|salt intake]]
* [[Physical therapy]] and [[exercise]]<ref name = generalinfo/>