Patients with severe CFS and orthostatic intolerance have 25% reduction in cerebral blood flow just during sitting, compared to 1.2% in health controls

[POTSius]

Patients with severe CFS and orthostatic intolerance have 25% reduction in cerebral blood flow just during sitting, compared to 1.2% in health controls

Here is the study
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/8/4/394

I thought this was interesting to share as there are often questions on these boards of whether just sitting can trigger orthostatic intolerance

Keep in mind the people studied here had severe CFS and the chair used in testing was a bit of a special chair but I still think it is interesting

[Pistol]

I have passed out when sitting many times. It appears that once stuff hits the fan sitting is not enough to turn the ship around - I have to actually lie down. Just sitting will not necessarily stop the pooling - you are still upright. Lying down with my feet elevated helps me though. 

[cmep37]

Yep this is one reason why I really struggle to travel any more than 30 minutes by car.  When I am sitting in the house I try to get up and move around at least every 15 minutes.  If I can't move I will start to feel more POTSy, and my brain fog gets noticeably worse.  I had to travel over an hour by car to see one consultant and by the time I got there I was pale and clammy, retching and had terrible tremors - of course he took that as evidence it was a mental health issue and that I had just made myself sick with nerves at the thought of seeing him!  Never mind the fact that I improved considerably when I lay down to get an ECG!  

[POTSius]

Very interesting, I do the same thing about making sure I get up, for me every 30 minutes or so

When I have to do a long drive, we drive to an exit and I still get up and move around a bit.

I think sitting intolerance can be even more frustrating as it is harder for other people to understand vs being fully upright

[cmep37]

3 hours ago, POTSius said:

I think sitting intolerance can be even more frustrating as it is harder for other people to understand vs being fully upright

I completely agree, even other people with POTS who aren't as badly affected don't always appreciate that sitting can cause problems so it's really nice to see evidence backing up my experience!  It's turned me into a toe-tapping fidget in the car which anyone driving me doesn't generally appreciate!

[Pistol]

6 hours ago, cmep37 said:

of course he took that as evidence it was a mental health issue and that I had just made myself sick with nerves at the thought of seeing him! 

Well - I would diagnose him with hyperinflated Ego, obviously all of your symptoms evolve around HIM! LOL! 🤢

 

30 minutes ago, cmep37 said:

It's turned me into a toe-tapping fidget in the car which anyone driving me doesn't generally appreciate!

When I have to sit for a long time I use the toe-tap/heel-down exercise: while sitting alternate your feet between tiptoe and heel-down, it really uses the calf muscles. This can also be done while standing at the kitchen counter ( for example ). 

[cmep37]

16 hours ago, Pistol said:

Well - I would diagnose him with hyperinflated Ego, obviously all of your symptoms evolve around HIM! LOL! 🤢

Your diagnosis skills are vastly superior to his - he spent longer talking about himself and his wonderful career than he did asking me questions!  He assured me that I had got ill because I couldn't cope with the pressure of my job (I used to be a litigation solicitor at a big London firm working 70 hours a week), and told me that I was deconditioned and lazy and that POTS was a psychosomatic illness that could be cured through standing against a wall for increasing amounts of time!  Any wonder I went home and cried!  I'd paid this guy nearly £200 (250 dollars) to insult me!  Thankfully just to shut me up he agreed to do a TTT which showed a dramatic case of POTS and after my results I found a better cardiologist through POTS UK!

[Pistol]

@cmep37 - that just makes me sooooo sick! I am sorry you had to spend money on this person. I too had my fair share of ignorant physicians before I found experienced docs, and they contributed a lot to my need to research my own illness. One doc even told me that it is impossible to feel hypertension since it is the silent killer 🤨, he said the only reason I have problems is because I take a beta blocker when not needed 😕 and ( to come back to this thread's subject ) it is impossible to pass out sitting down 🤣. 

[cmep37]

You have to wonder what medical school some of these guys attended.  I'd never wish what I have on my worst enemy but don't you wish that these ignorant doctors could spend just one day in our shoes!  I don't mind when a doctor doesn't know something and admits it but I can't bear it when they don't know and pretend they do!  I actually know of one GP in my area who used to deny that ME/CFS existed only to develop it himself.  Karma.....?!