Need the name of the hoses you can wear

[ernestine]

Hello Everyone haven't posted in a long time . I need to know our the hose work and where to get them. Do they work? I would really appreciate some infro on them

thank ern

[Jenn202]

Hi erestine - I just recently bought a pair for a trip a month ago... I never had a clue how mich they would help until I put them on! For me there is a huge difference when I have my support hose on.... I have so much more energy and I feel the blood going back up to where it should be!

I have 2 pair of Jobst hose ...these are very comfortable. I manage with the thigh highs although I know some people on this biard prefer the higher ones.

I also have 2 pair of Ames Walker...they are cheaper and are fine on, but the Jobst are still more comfortable.

Ameswalker.com has many different brands .

[Merrill]

I love my Mediven Elegance thigh high 30-40 mmHg. When I have a prescription I get them through a medical supply pharmacy like Walgreens Home Health ... otherwise I order this product through AmesWalker.com. Yes, they help! They surely enhance the quality of my life. You might use the search function to read past posts on the topic; there have been many!

[calypso]

I wear Mediven Elegance also. I got mine through brightlifedirect.com. I wear 20-30 mm Hg, though.

Amy

[Kitsakatsa]

Jobst in "high-fashion" (no kidding, right from the box) light beige 30-40. I get the maternity ones so that my ribs aren't mashed in from sitting all day at work. It's actually enough compression for me that they are effective without being uncomfortable. Too bad they don't make "Spanx" ones with sandle toes. The reinforced heels are really attractive too!

[Gena]

I'm just curious what type of hose might work and feel comfortable on someone who is 5'5 and 105 lbs. Does anyone fit this profile or close to it? If so, what type of hose works for you?

Thanks,

Gena

[ernestine]

Thanks for the help. but what ones should you get to wear around the house

and to do errons in. Do they help with pooling. I saw the price about 50$

Would like to be sure should I call the dr. thanks again I don't post a lot because of the brain fog I know I don't make sense. Ask Michelle when I first joined she

thought i was from anther county ern

[Jenn202]

Gena - I fit your "profile" exactly! I use the jobst thigh highs 20/30 compression. They stay up for me and work well. I bought the Ames Walker brand at first b/c they were much cheaper just to test them out and make sure they fit ok.

But I really like the Jobst hose...they are very comfortable and I have worn them in mnay situations for a long time and feel good the whole time.

[calypso]

Gena,

I am 5'5" and 110, and the Mediven Elegance work for me very well.

Amy

[Gena]

Amy and Jenn-

Thanks for the input. Amy, do you wear thigh highs as well like Jenn?

Also, I'm curious, like Ernestine asked, do you wear them around the house and when you're out and about? Or do you just wear them at night? My BP gets very low at night and that's when I'm most symptomatic, so I would probably just wear them to bed. Can you sleep comfortably in compression hose? I think the hose would really bother me at first, but hopefully I'll get used to it.

Thanks,

Gena

[Merrill]

Several doctors have told me not to sleep in compression hose, Gena. I can't remember exactly why; I'm still pretty foggy.

I wear the same kind all day every day, whether I'm just hanging out in the house or going out and doing stuff. I HATE the way my legs feel without them on; I can't tell how they feel when I'm sleeping--but I know the hose are missing when I get up in the night to go to the bathroom. Ugh.

[yogini]

Merrill, You're right. I've been told not to wear compression hose while sleeping because it can cause supine hypertension. Gena, I would check with your doctor whether it's OK for you to wear them at night. If you have super low BP at night, then high BP might not be a worry for you.

I will agree with the others that I've found Jobst to be the most comfortable of the brands I've tried. I think I have the opaque (microfiber) kind, and they're super soft and really easy to move around in. I also think they are more effective at keeping up my BP than the sheer ones that I've tried. The surgical stockings are also good at keeping up BP, but they are way too thick and uncomfortable. I am starting to get really warm even in the microfiber ones, though, so I probably have to switch to sheer for the summer!

-Rita

[Jenn202]

Gena - I wear mine in the house on days where I feel I need them....I have been wearing them everytime I go and about for the day..... I see such a diference when they are on, and if I find I'm going into a spell , they help tremendously.

I just dont know what to do once the weather is warmer and I need to wear capris or shorts... I get VERY hot in the summer so I cant imagine wearing the hose in heat..... Any suggestions?

[DancingLight]

hey all!

i will chip in that i love both the juzo brand and sigvaris brand. have tried ameswalker, jobst, medivan, futuro, etc. etc.

i wear 30-40 compression. gena, you will find i think that certain brands do fit each of us differently. so...it is trial and error. the best is to get professionally measured the first time if you can and then maybe you can see the hose an feel the fabrics at the store before spending the money...

as for wearing them at nihgt...i don't think that is supposed to be done either. except maybe teds, but there isn't much evidence that those help much.

anyway, i wear the sigvaris now b/c they compress all the way up, through the belly and everything.

i wear them all day every day, and once they come off, that's it for the day. i put them on before i even try to get out of bed. and at night, like merrill, it sure makes a difference when getting up to pee! i miss my hose.

like merrill, i do not feel 'safe' without my hose on.

as for what to do in the summer and the fashion issue. maybe i have completely lost my vanity! but, i wear the hose, usually one of the sheer lines, with shorts, skirts, capris, whatever i feel like. i wear sandals too. i don't care anymore!

honestly, you might get used to it...i like that my legs always look so darn fabulous and flawless in hose! never do otherwsie!

i used to only wear long skirts and dresses with the hose in the summer, but now i just don't worry about it and i find that people really don't care or even notice tehm that much. they are skin color anyway.

when i am up and out...which is not these days...i usually put the extra effort into makeup and just hope that people will notice my smile, not my hose! i know that's cheesy, but if people are gonna judge me by my compression hose...well, forget them!

okay, that's my two cents.

later alligators! gotta get a SNACK!

emily

p.s. i have started ordering from frances at ameswalker. she is awesome. i have called three times and each time she has spent at least 30 minutes on the phone with me helping me pick what is best for my needs. i have found this invaluable and more helpufl than any shop i went to or any web shopping.

[Merrill]

Jenn, I get really hot in summer too; mostly, I stay indoors! Or I'm out long enough to get into my air conditioned car and head to the nearest air conditioned friend's house/store/office etc! I mostly wear long pants with my compression hose--the lightest weight ones I can find that aren't too tight or thin that the lace band at the top of the thigh doesn't show through. It's a mighty difficult trick, and I sometimes fail.

When it's warm and I want to be sitting outside in the shade in my garden, I just wear shorts and I don't care what I look like ... I try not to care anyway, but it depends on where I'm going and how confident I feel that day. It's getting easier. Not a single person said anything weird to me last summer (like, "what have you got on your legs" or "why are you wearing those" or whatever). My friends empathize and know I must be hot. Who cares what strangers think? I have told salespeople trying to help me that I have to wear these things for medical reasons and the conversation ends there. They look sympathetic; sometimes they tell me their own stories about having surgeries and having to wear similar compression garments.

But I swear, I feel better than I do hot wearing the hose in summer. Sure I'm warmer in hose and long pants (and I can't tell you how much I long for pedicured toes and sandels) ... but I feel and do better and have more energy with hose, so I try not to care very much.

Oh--it also helps to keep the rest of your body cool--so stick to lightweight sleeveless cotton on top and try wearing a cooling neck wrap too; those things are amazing, and you may find it doesn't matter how hot your legs are when you're wearing that!

peace,

merrill

[Jenn202]

Thanks Merrill and Emily for the hot weather tips! Have you guys tried the toeless ones? I saw them online but wasnt sure if they worked as well.

I guess I will have to muddle through and wear them when needed this summer..... It really is such an amazing difference with them on.... I can enjoy so much more... I'm glad I found them

[Gena]

This thread has been a wealth of info on compression hose. I'm going to have to print out all of these posts and keep them on file.

I would almost swear that I've read previous posts on compression hose where people said they wear them at night. That's really the only time I would need them, b/c my BP drop so very low. During the day I'm functional and get a little symptomatic if I'm standing for long periods of time and the heat really aggrevates my symptoms too. I don't think I would have any problems with supine hypertension. It's all I can do just to stay at 90/55 during the day, and at night it just plummets. So I was really hoping the hose would help me out while I sleep.

This is all good info and thanks Emily for sharing you customer service rep's name. She's going to wonder why she's getting bombarded with calls!

Take care,

Gena

[ernestine]

Gens and jenn202 and the others thanks for the infor. I will start doing looking at the hoses. I think I will call Franics. Thanks Ya'll again ern

[DancingLight]

gena,

she is so great...you can request to speak to her...tell her that Emily referred you and i'm the one who needs the pantyhose that compress all the way up and i just ordered a pair of sigvaris last week...she will probably remember me. she's the biggest sweetie. big southern sweetie!

as for the toeless ones...i did try a pair, but only the more opaque styles come in toeless, not the sheers, so it sort of defeats the purpose.

although, some sheers are supposedly not as breathable as the more opaque fabrics. go figure.

i did not like the toeless b/c they cut off circulation to my toes!

gena, i would be interested to hear what your dr. would say about hose at night, it sounds like thye might be an option for you...you could always try different compressions to find out what works best.

emily