Compression Stockings & Other Tests

[SeattleRain]

HI Everyone,

My new cardiologist wanted me to order some compression stockings to see if they helped and today is day 2 and they definitely help with standing. In fact, my heart rate went from 80 - 110 while standing to a cool 70

My questions are:

Do you take them off when you sleep?

How long do they last before you have to buy another pair?

This has been validation for me that the problem is blood flow and when I stand up it pools in my legs (for whatever reason). That said, I have been reading up on DINET's "what causes pots" section. http://www.dinet.org...causes_pots.htm

My question is:

Has everyone here diagnosed with POTS, ruled out most of everything else that could be causing your symptoms? Mine did not come after a virus, so I feel it could be something else other than just a random quirk in my autonomic system. I also seem to vary slightly from other patients in that one of the most annoying symptoms is slow, throbbing, painful contractions upon standing that last about 10 - 20 seconds that aren't accompanied by much lightheadedness.

EDS, Adrenal Disorders, Cervical Stenosis, "the nutcracker phenomenon" and a couple others really interest me...

Thanks for the responses...

[issie]

You don't sleep in them. Glad they are helping you. Now, you can try an abdominal binder. I got a neoprene one from the sporting section in Ross. I put a tank top underneath --as it is a little hot and can cause a rash and then you can put a shirt over the top of it. You can barely tell it's there ---but, for me, it helps more then the stockings.

I think most of us are still trying to rule out things. With POTS, it seems there are so many complexities and so many things that are connected. We tend to get a piece of the puzzle every so often and then things will make more sense.

Be sure and do a search on the things that you're interested in and inform yourself about them. I always tell the newbies to read, read and then read some more. Science is changing and so is our understandings. Things are getting more defined.

[SeattleRain]

Thank you for the response. With the abdominal binder, do you wear that at the same as the compression stockings?

[issie]

Yes, I do. I notice that it keeps me from losing too much fluid. I can't explain why this is the case ---(but I don't pee as much when I wear it). It also keeps me from swelling in my abdomen with fluids. Let me know if it makes a difference for you. You can get one pretty cheap at Ross. The last one I bought was a Danskin and it was contoured and stays in place better. It was about $6.00.

Issie

[Leigh8]

No, I do not wear them when sleeping - I don't think it's necessary, and it says not to on the package. After time they lose elasticity, which you'll be able to feel, so you should replace them then. Hope this helps!

[peregrine]

I don't wear them sleeping unless it's a short nap and I have to get up afterwards quickly (like a nap at work, since my whole lab does it!). My current pairs that I bought in February are still going strong, although they've stretched a bit in the thigh area and two of the individual stockings have small runs in them. I wash them by hand in the shower and hang-dry them, which might help with the life; the opaque ones are generally much more durable than the "sheers" or similar. Durability is good since mine cost $85 per pair! The one thing I would recommend for durability is wearing socks between them and the floor/your shoes - that way they are less likely to get runs or be damaged. I wear toe socks with my toeless stockings and sandals so I can wear toed (Chacos) sandals but protect the stockings.

[imapumpkin]

Not nec for sleeping. My doctor also specifically said to hand wash them. The package says to machine wash, but my specialist says that machine wash will cause them to lose elasticity. I have three pair that I rotate so they will not get too much use.

As to your other inquiry--That's a tough question. It's would be next to impossible to rule out every possible cause of symptoms unless you basically did every medical test under the sun, so it might be wasted energy to be trying to diagnose yourself before ruling out the mostly likely causes. It's really difficult to pinpoint how POTS starts and you might have gotten it after a virus and just didn't realize it...I went years without realizing I had POTS until it flared up. POTS can manifest after a physical or emotional trauma. It can also be genetic, so you might try to work with a specialist to isolate the cause of your suspected POTS so as to treat the cause because POTS is a secondary condition, not the illness itself.

Good luck!