peregrine Posted August 12, 2012 Report Share Posted August 12, 2012 Tried my abdominal binder for about three weeks (a Spanx, definitely enough compression to notice quite a bit). No clear results POTS-wise, although it did have the following effects:(1) TMI - Increased gastric motility (for lack of a better term) - more poops more often (nearly every time!), diarrhea every time - which is somewhat good for me(2) urinary suppression - I went from peeing every 2 hours (I do 2-3L of water a day plus 6g of salt) to every 6 hours, but nothing indicating dehydration (urine still clearish)Sadly no effect on the spaciness, presyncope, etc - if anything slightly worse due to removing another area to sweat and cool. I might wear it in the winter to deal with point #1, but will skip for the rest of the summer.Anyone else have effect #2 above? I found it very weird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondcut Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I havnt sadly tried one but i do wear the leg stockings in winter.Can you tell me, on bad Potsie days the nausea and migraines are what kill me. The thought of having a binder around my mid drift is possibly the worth thing i can imagine, but once its on can anyone tell me if it does then begin to releave their nausea and bloating symptoms in some way. If someone can say yes it did then i should really consider buying one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peregrine Posted August 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I wear stockings too, and they help both winter and summer. Won't be abandoning them any time soon :^)I didn't find any issue with nausea with the binder, and I do have issues with nausea - maybe because it was consistent pressure rather than something more pointed. I don't really have bloating, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heathmcev Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Diamondcut, I'm in the same spot as you with bad nausea & bloating and not wanting anything to press on my stomach. I recently got one of the abdominal binders in a lingerie dept to try (I can't do full spanx - get too worn out pulling them up). Its like a tube top that starts below the bra line down to the hips. So far the compression seems to help, which is making me wonder if part of my nausea is from pooling. It may be worth playing around with just to experiment & see how you do. Before this week all I wanted to wear was loose things but when I do need to stand for some reason I think this could help.-dizzyde(null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMPotsie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I have to stand up quite a bit at work and wouldn't be able to do it without abdominal compression. It really helps my dizziness, though I didn't notice the GI side effects. I did notice the urinary ones, though, for sure! I think it's because the blood isn't pooling in that area and making it feel like you have to go to the bathroom even when you really don't need to that much. I have one that is medical and you can put icepacks in it if you want. I like it for when I have breaks bc it really cools my body. The only spanx thing that has worked for me is the full body-suit that goes from thighs to under the bra. The midriff one doesn't have enough compression for me, I don't think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMPotsie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 And yes, it does help me with the bloating and the nauseau. When I take it off, though, I get like a rush of blood there that's weird and causes passing nausea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Yes, helps my nausea and dizziness too. I don't notice that much help with the leg stockings - but, the abdominal binder - for sure. I went to Ross and got a neoprene exercise binder from the sporting section and I like it better then anything else I've tried.Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Can someone post a link that shows the types of abdominal binders you're all talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMPotsie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Naomi this is the one I use with ice packs: http://shop.nextrevolutionmedical.com/8-Abdominal-Binder-AB8.htmThe Veronique ones are cooler and a bit more lightweight than spanx if you're looking for a suit-type thing. They also have more compression: http://shop.nextrevolutionmedical.com/8-Abdominal-Binder-AB8.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peregrine Posted August 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 This was the Spanx item I wore:http://www.amazon.com/Spanx-Higher-Power-Brief-234S/dp/B003F5K2V4I wore it over a pair of panties so I could wear it a few days in a row. Pain to use the restroom in, though! I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with joint issues in their hands or wrists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kellysavedbygrace Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 I wear Spanx (the super duper ones) almost everyday- but not while lying down.Yes, they are a pain to get on and off. And yes, i have to sometimes alternate using my thumbs and fingers to get it on because it is a huge strain to put on and take off. Yes, I have increased gastric motility but onthe urinary side of things I can't hold it for more than a couple of months. @&!?:;$. I mean mins. I find if I don't wear them I am much more light headed, fatigued, symptomatic, etc. I don't regularly have the nausea- but when I do I take them off because you are right, it is too much pressure. So I think it totally depends. I suspect I pool a ton of blood in my splancnic bed so abdominal compression feels better to me than support stockings. They also make me look better and I feel less like an elderly lady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMPotsie Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Kelly you are so right. It's no small thing to feel like you look good. The stockings are also so hot and itchy, and no matter how high they go I swell up above them. I already have a pretty big chest; I don't need a second layer going on under my clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peregrine Posted August 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Glad to hear many folks have had positive experiences with them, even if I haven't! NMPotsie, your explanation about the peeing time makes a lot of sense - makes me think I may want to wear it flying and during road trips maybe? Does me not having much effect on POTS symptoms (minus the GI increase in motility) imply that I don't pool much in my abdomen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMPotsie Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 peregrine I have no basis for saying this other than my own experience with POTS, but I don't think it means anything at all related to your pooling because the pooling is what causes the urinary issues (or so my doctor said). I think this disorder is weird, and we all experience it differently, so just because it doesn't help your other symptoms doesn't mean you don't pool in your abdomen and it doesn't help you somewhat since it altered your urinary pattern. I find the binder much more useful than the stockings for relieving my symptoms even though I clearly pool in my feet (you can see it). I'm still dizzy with stockings, but I also swell up, so they just don't work as well for me.BTW, I feel like I have to pee almost every time I stand up for even a little bit, and the binder allows me to be comfortable going to the bathroom only every hour or so. If you're drinking a lot and only going every 6 hrs. I would check with the doc before I wore it because I wouldn't want to get a UTI. I have no idea if those things are connected, so I welcome anyone to correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought if you wait too long to go to the bathroom you can get UTIs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyagh Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 I don't know if Spanx would be enough compression. I have one and an abdominal binder and the spanx doesn't do it for me but the binder sure does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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