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Where to get comoression hose?


Jenn202

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I have seen many online but there seem to be tons to choose from. Which is the brand/type that works best for all of you?

Are they uncomfortable? Hot?

Can you get them without having to wear a full stocking?

Thanks!!

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I'm 5'7" and about 145 and I LOVE my Mediven Elegance size III thigh high 30-40 mmHg (w/top band--I think most or all come w/wide elastic at top). Couldn't live or walk without em. (I don't even like to be without them in the house...and take em off only to shower and sleep.) I don't like panty hose and can't have anything tight around my waist; some people, though, have abdominal blood pooling and need compression around the middle as well. I do OK w/thigh high.

I can't even tell most of the time if I'm hot or not--even in summer--because my legs (and the rest of me) feel sooooo much better when I'm wearing them. The comfort more than outweighs the discomfort.

The ameswalker.com site sells Mediven brand (along w/a gazillion other brands--their own brand doesn't fit me, I tried). Also, if you carry medical insurance, you should have an annual allowance for durable medical goods. If you get a prescription from your doctor for medical compression hose 30-40 mmHg, take it to a medical supply store and they will be able to fill it for you. They may have em in stock or they can order what you want.

good luck finding what works for you,

m

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Merrill - I am going to check these out! Do you have to be fitted for them? I hate anything around my waist either.... I hate hose of any type to begin with so I would imagine I could only deal with a thigh high at the most......

Are there different sizes, tyoes of compression that I need to know about?

I am so glad you get so much relief from them!

Thank you so much for sharing and for the tip about insurance :(

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tHEIR IS A SITE ABOUT THIS. i WOULD CAUTION HOWEVER, THAT MOST DOCTORS DONT THINK THE THE KNEE SOCK TYPE WORK WELL. tHATS WHAT I USED IN THE BEGINNING AND THERE IS NO COMPARISON TO THIGH HIGH AND WAIST HIGH. Check the web site and check their return policy. Most won't accept returns if plastivc package is opened. I got mine at the mayo medical supply store. To be honest the best ones are fromQVC they have different ones that are much better than the custom ones for me at leasr, and cheap enough to have a few pairs. You can check on the net at QVC.com

Good luck Miriam

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I got mine from brightlifedirect.com, which has a big selection, free shipping and no tax. Last year I paid for them on my own. I used brightlife's generic brand (I think it's called Allegra), thigh high, because it was a lot cheaper. It seemed to work well. I got new health insurance this year which actually covers 2 pairs of hose. So I switched to Jobst, which was prescribed by my dr. and is a lot more expensive (but free w/ insurance :blink: ). Jobst is much more comfortable than Allegra and is also machine washable, which is a big plus. Anyway, I think both brands have done the trick for me and hopefully any brand you try would work.

Bright Life's website has a tape measure you can print out to measure yourself. There is also a guide to which size you should buy for each brand, based upon your measurements. This is helpful even if you decide to buy from somewehre else! :P

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I also order Jobst from Ames Waker. I would just note that if you are very slender, thigh high may be a problem. At least it is for me because the tops are not tight enough around my thighs and I have tried several brands. I have a pair of 20-30 that I wear around the house because I can get in and out of them easily and keep my 30-40 for when I am going out--it takes me a long time to get in and out of them, even after years of practice!

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Thank you everyone : Miriam : I looked on QVC but did not see support hose...did you remember the name if them?

Also Is 20/30 the norm to wear??

It seems so confusing when I get on the sites LOL

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I buy mine from a retailer who sells only compression stuff. She was referred by my specialist. The knee high are 100$ and the waist high are 200$. I can only wear the sock because I have knee problems. I feel the difference in standing time with the waist high but I cannot wear them more than a couple of hours at a time so I save them for important occasions.

Ernie

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Jenn, in case you couldn't tell, yes--there are different levels of compression. (Even Walgreens and other drugstores carries light compression knee highs... but those won't do you enough good.) My doctor thought I wouldn't wear anything higher than knee highs so I began with those and moved up from there, so to speak. (He was wrong; I told him to insist on thigh high or higher for his pots patients. He doesn't see people like us very often!)

I noticed an improvement on 20-30 mmHg thigh high--but then I read medical articles by leading pots researchers (Grubb et al.) and they all said to wear 30-40 mmHg compression, so I switched--and I was very glad I did.

I occasionally put the 20-30 back on when I need to do laundry and all my 30-40 are dirty (I too put mine in the washer and hang to dry) ... but they don't work nearly as well (and I have to do a few stairs to get to the machines in the basement).

I don't find them all that difficult to put on most days; it does take a bit of effort, but it's worth it.

BTW, I said my height and weight in hopes that we might be of similar build and you would find Mediven workable for you. My thighs are a bit heavier than I would like and my legs are long (ish)--and I found that other brands were neither long enough for me nor big enough to be comfortable around the thigh. If the hose don't fit as they should, they're VERY tough to get on and they don't stay up.

Frankly, it's kind of trial and error--I did measure myself according to other companies' guidelines, and the hose STILL didn't fit. I'll wear only Mediven now because I know they're high quality and comfortable for me.

(By the way, Ames Walker does have a fairly generous return policy--they carry all the brands and they let you exchange if something doesn't fit; call and talk to someone--they're very helpful o the phone.)

Maybe you could tell us more about your height, weight, etc; someone out here may fit your profile and can send you off in the right direction.

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Thank you Merrill! Yes I just saw the Ames walker ones..they are one of the lowest price.....I wonder if I should go for the cheap ones to see how I do with them?

I am 5'5 about 107lbs....slender build....small bone structure.....I'm not sure if that helps but I do have trouble with sizes .....and I never wear hose of any kind so this is foreign territory!

Thank you so much for all your help :blink:

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I tried rubber gloves once that came free with my JOBES ... can't say they helped me, I always feel like I am all thumbs.

I think I bought my last few pairs at footsmart

http://www.footsmart.com/Product.aspx?ProductId=1292

They even sell a stocking doner

http://www.footsmart.com/Product.aspx?ProductId=1032

But I wouldn't recommend that either. A little baby powder or help from a friend.

I can only wear the thigh highs as well, because I can not have anything on my waste. I also recently cut the feet out of several compression hose because I really like to wiggle my toes and since I don't have any ankle swelling there is no problem in starting the compression just above my ankles.

Good luck finding something that works well for you.

EM

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Merrill, I just wanted to say that most insurance companies no longer cover durable goods unless it's through one of their managed care plans--so, for example, after I was hospitalized for pneumonia and asthma, my company placed me in their asthma management program. They paid for my peak flow meters, nebulizers, and other respiratory equipment.

Nina

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I have United Healthcare PPO, Nina, which is not managed care (nor am I part of any managed care program). My husband's plan, blue cross, is my secondary (backup) insurance; both insurances have durable goods coverage and they cover the costs of my hose (up to a certain dollar amount or number of pairs a year--I can't remember which all of a sudden!)

I realize that I'm lucky--even in having health insurance, let alone durable goods coverage. The reason I post about it is that people sometimes never know what they're covered for unless they call their plans and ask. (I didn't know I had this coverage, in fact, until after I had spent a couple hundred bucks on hose last year!)

I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, that's for sure! I just think it's worthwhile to tell people to call their insurance to ask--and if you have coverage, all you then need is a prescription from the doctor. It's worth a try, no?

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jen...too tired to type! but...do check old posts on hose as i know i have rambled on and on about them in the past!

i gotta at least get a word in here and tease merrill....b/c i much prefer juzo over medivan! and, the ameswalker...too much elephant legs!

the folks at ameswalker are soooo great and the woman i talked to last time walked me through my needs and the fabrics and colors and how they feel, etc, etc....

so, maybe if you call they will help you decide.

but, i do find it is worth it to shell out the bucks for the nicer pair.

i like the sheer juzos...

okay, gotta go!

emily

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Thank you Merrill and EMily! I ended up ordering a pair from Ames Walker.... I thought I would go with the less expensive for now until I can talk to my Dr and see if he can write out a prescription. Emily I am glad you like I Ames Walker. I will let you know how my first experience with wearing hose goes!! LOL

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