Spanx And Other Shapewear

[firewatcher]

OK, I've been wearing the post-surgical abdominal binder (did not have surgery, it's just the firmest..what Dr. Biaggioni suggested) for over a week now. It has helped far more than I thought it would. I have also been on a hunt for "shapewear" that I can wear under clothes instead this big belt. Several of you have suggested Spanx. How firm is the support through the abdomen? All the firm-support shapewear that I have found is not firm enough. I hate to move to a girdle, they look too stiff and really uncomfortable. Any brands in particular that are extra-firm across the poochy part (I don't pooch in the morning, so I must be pooling)?

Miraclesuit shapewear looks promising, but I have to order it, I can't just go try it on.

Anybody have suggestions?

[Mary P]

OK, I've been wearing the post-surgical abdominal binder for over a week now. It has helped far more than I thought it would. I have also been on a hunt for "shapewear" that I can wear under clothes instead this big belt. Several of you have suggested Spanx. How firm is the support through the abdomen? All the firm-support shapewear that I have found is not firm enough. I hate to move to a girdle, they look too stiff and really uncomfortable. Any brands in particular that are extra-firm across the poochy part (I don't pooch in the morning, so I must be pooling)?

Miraclesuit shapewear looks promising, but I have to order it, I can't just go try it on.

Anybody have suggestions?

Hi firewatcher,

I'm looking for the same kind of help/support. I haven't had surgery but I understand we need some sort of support around the tummy because of the Dysautonomia which causes blood pooling. I haven't been able to tolerate support panty hose because the actual panty part squeezes the life out of me. I become quite breathless and my heart starts to race. I haven't tried anything else because of this but probably need to do so. I now wear support hose to the top of the leg.

I'll be looking forward to whatever replies you get. Perhaps we need 'someone in the know' who can measure us properly and accurately.

Mary P

[maryfw]

If you are looking for firm, then try Dr Rey's shapewear and I know they sell it on HSN. It takes like 2 dress sizes off of you or you can size up and a less firm fit.

mary

[carinara]

My POTS Dr. recommended me the following product because he made some good experiences with it on other patients:

http://www.bort.de/deutsch/main/index.html

(there must also be an english version of this site).

I had to order mine at a special shop, where they meassured me in order to get the right size. This afternoon iam going to pick it up. I'am really looking forward to it because the compression stockings do already a lot for me. But there is still too much blood flowing in my lower body and i hope that this belt will help m with it.

all the best

carinara

[firewatcher]

My POTS Dr. recommended me the following product because he made some good experiences with it on other patients:

http://www.bort.de/deutsch/main/index.html

(there must also be an english version of this site).

I had to order mine at a special shop, where they meassured me in order to get the right size. This afternoon iam going to pick it up. I'am really looking forward to it because the compression stockings do already a lot for me. But there is still too much blood flowing in my lower body and i hope that this belt will help m with it.

all the best

carinara

Carina,

I have the abdominalstutze haut and wear it low on my abdomen and it helps wonderfully! I tried the compression stockings yesterday and will be getting more soon. I was hoping for something that fit under my clothing better like spanx. The belt definitely helps with the pooling. I guess I had too much of my old doctor in my head saying "well, what do you expect when you've.." had two BIG babies, not slept more than 5 hours a night for 6 years, had mono, etc... I have OK tone in my ab muscles in the morning, but by bedtime I look pregnant. I hope the belt works as well for you as it does for me!

Danke shoen!

P.S. don't think that I know much German, it's been a loooooooong time since high school and I don't see enough extended family to use it!

[pat57]

I doubt that spanx are firm enough. I wear them. The thing is that they are comfortable. The only suggestion I have for you is ask if spanks are returnable and get the Higher Power pants , something above the waist.

[Rachel]

I wear the Mid Thigh Shaper. It has worked out fairly well for me. I would guess that the compression is about 20mmMg.

I have tried 30-40 waist-high compression hose, but they were too tight for my tummy and I would get too nauseated. The shapers from Spanx have worked much better for me. If you need/can tolerate the higher compression, then Spanx might not be enough compression for you. If you are unable to have the high compression on your tummy, then these may be helpful. Just make sure to get the shaper, not the smoother. I ordered the smoothers the first time, and the compression was very minimal. I had to return them because they just didn't work. (You are able to return anything from Spanx if it doesn't work for you, even after trying it on).

Rachel

[MelissaCrystal]

Spanx are too thin for me, but there are three brands on Amazon.com that have good reviews and some of them are certified compression wear. They're Ardyss, Lipo in a Box, and Marena. There may be a couple others but those are the ones I was looking at that cover the areas I need compressed. They have good reviews, but I have not tried them myself---anyone have good results? I think they're worth looking at/trying.

[yogini]

I have a question about this, because I'd rather wear Spanx than compression hose. But isn't compression hose specially made with gradiated compression to squeeze the blood upward? I thought Spanx was just to suck in your body parts and make you look skinnier?

[firewatcher]

I have a question about this, because I'd rather wear Spanx than compression hose. But isn't compression hose specially made with gradiated compression to squeeze the blood upward? I thought Spanx was just to suck in your body parts and make you look skinnier?

It all depends on WHERE you pool. I tend to pool in my abdomen, my ankles don't swell. If you pool in your legs, you need hose. Just remember that where the compression stops is where you will end up pooling. If I stop with a girdle that does not go further down, I've just constricted my middle and will end up pooling in my thighs or lower. If I only wear the thigh-highs, I'll get a pot-belly by lunch. I feel like a balloon animal, I just need to keep my head big. Right now, my lower legs are OK at pumping back up, but it gets stuck at the midsection.

[roxie]

do you wear spanx over the compression stockings?

~bananas

[Heiferly]

Does anyone feel nauseated by the blood pooling in your abdomen? I don't know if it's my imagination, but I get the sense some days that when blood starts pooling too much in my abdomen that THAT is what is causing my nausea more than anything else. Maybe it's just coincidental with my other orthostatic intolerance symptoms from too much being upright that day and I'm just making that up, but some days it really seems that way to me and I wish there were a quick-release to get the blood out of my abdomen to stop the nausea. When I get that feeling, the promethazine (phenergan) doesn't even touch the nausea. Anyone else ever get that? Has anyone found wearing compression/shapewear over the abdomen to HELP with nausea rather than exacerbate it?

[pat57]

I do -Ihatebanans-

[Rachel]

Bananas,

I wear knee high compression socks/hose and sometimes the spanx (I wear ones that go from mid-thigh to my waist) as well. The majority of my pooling is in my calves, so I usually just wear the knee highs. But there are times when the addition of the spanx is very helpful. For example, if I have to travel in a car all day I need to keep my seat semi-reclined and my feet up on the dash. This enables me to physically make it through the trip, but it causes my blood to pool at the top of my legs and abdomen. By the end of a car trip this is very painful! The spanx made a big difference for me.

Heiferly,

Blood pooling in my abdomen has never made me nauseated that I know of. It just hurts. Too high of compression on my abdomen does make me nauseated, however. But everyone is different. You'll probably just have to try different levels of compression on your abdomen to see what works best for you. It can get expensive to have to keep buying/trying different types and strenghts of compression garments, but once you find something that works for you it is so worth it!

Rachel

[firewatcher]

Well, I have found something that works "well enough" for me. Maidenform makes a line called "Work it!" that has a firm thigh shaper. It goes almost to the knee and slightly above the natural waistline. It is firm enough to slow the pooling and comfortable enough to wear all day, every day! They have another that I'd love to wear, but can't get out of fast enough when I've "gotta go" frequently when my dDAVP quits. If you get the right size, I've found that the compression is actually greater than my 30-40 mm/hg compression hose, but just as comfortable. The price on these is good as well: $12-15 each at Wal-Mart. I wish they went a little lower toward the knee and were a little firmer across the tummy, but good enough for now! I have found that now that I wear them, when I take them off at night, I no longer look pregnant; so I MUST have been pooling, not just "fat." One big problem is that they are made for women with much more to hold in than I truly have, and they don't make a small size! Apparently anyone under a size 10 doesn't need "shaping."

[juliegee]

Jennifer/Firewatcher,

I have a dumb question. How do you know that your tummy pooching is blood pooling? My tummy is flat first thing too. It pooches big time throughout the day. I always attributed that to my slow motility. My food just sits there before it is digested. Pilates is helping. It's like nature's girdle :-)

Julie

[bizbiz]

I'd also like to know! I heard so much about comppression hose on the forum so I got myself an (expensive!) pair of knee highs that did nothing for me!! I guess that was pretty silly of me considering I dont have any signs of pooling in my calves...but I'm new to this so forgive me!!

I dont have the flattest stomach - heck, I just had a baby only 6 months ago - but my stomach is pretty flat in the mornings and quite 'round' at the end of the day. I always just thought its because I ate and my stomach is full??!!

So like Mack's Mom is asking, how can we tell if it's pooling?

[iheartcats]

Well, I have found something that works "well enough" for me. Maidenform makes a line called "Work it!" that has a firm thigh shaper. It goes almost to the knee and slightly above the natural waistline. It is firm enough to slow the pooling and comfortable enough to wear all day, every day! They have another that I'd love to wear, but can't get out of fast enough when I've "gotta go" frequently when my dDAVP quits. If you get the right size, I've found that the compression is actually greater than my 30-40 mm/hg compression hose, but just as comfortable. The price on these is good as well: $12-15 each at Wal-Mart. I wish they went a little lower toward the knee and were a little firmer across the tummy, but good enough for now! I have found that now that I wear them, when I take them off at night, I no longer look pregnant; so I MUST have been pooling, not just "fat." One big problem is that they are made for women with much more to hold in than I truly have, and they don't make a small size! Apparently anyone under a size 10 doesn't need "shaping."

I think I want to try these...compression hose are just too hard to get on. And I think my pooling isn't in my calves, it's higher. Would my calves me very red/show pooling?

LOL about the sizing. I know people who are size 8-10 who are thin, but not much muscle definition and hence need some shaping in form fitting dresses, etc. Must just be this line.

Are you tall, by chance? I'm tall and hoping they hit at the right spot.

[firewatcher]

Before I wore these, I would have to unbutton my pants by the end of the day and I would look pregnant and not be able to "suck it in." I could tense my abs, but the pooch was still there, but not in the morning! My BP numbers also got closer toward the end of the day. This happened even while before taking the dDAVP and losing 4-6 pounds each day. Since I began wearing them, I DON'T get the evening/afternoon pooch AND I can see where the shaper stopped on my thigh; below it is larger than where it squeezed, but my ankles have rarely if ever swelled (no ankle cuff marks.) The full length compression hose feel great, but are less compressive on my thighs and abdomen than the thigh shapers, so by the end of the day, I pooch more than if I had just worn the thigh shaper. I tried several styles, some were not tight enough through the thigh. The best one is an ultra-firm control shaper by maidenform (long leg, high waist) but I CAN NOT get it off fast enough when I have to go to the bathroom for my daily urine dump when the dDAVP quits. My BP is more stable now and I feel less brain fog and don't grey-out as much. Works for me, but until I wore them, I never knew I was pooling, I just thought that it was all stretched out from 9 pound babies and no ab strength.

BTW, I am 5'7 and quite muscular (according to my PCP) BMI 24% and a size 10/12. I wish these came down another 3-4 inches on the thigh, to just above my knee, but they don't.

http://shopping.aol.com/control-it-firm-co...pewear/52321367