Compression shorts

[Pattie]

My POTS is somewhat manageable now and I am going to the beach in the fall. My electrophysiologist suggested I wear compression shorts and halter for walks on the beach - in the early morning and evening when it's cool. Has anyone used these for POTS? The ones I am seeing online are for biking, yoga, etc. They probably don't have much compression. I'd like some pointers on what to look for. Thanks

[RecipeForDisaster]

My friend swears by Spanx shaping underwear that are shaped like shorts. I have some, and they’re hard to get on, but they do work. I wear an abdominal binder and thigh high 30-40mmHg compression stockings most days.

[MikeO]

3 hours ago, Pattie said:

I wear compression shorts and halter for walks on the beach

not sure if Boy's are allowed to wear these?

[Sushi]

Shorts, yes—just make sure that they have enough compression. The halter though, doesn’t really make sense—you want to compress the lower abdomen.

[RecipeForDisaster]

4 hours ago, MikeO said:

not sure if Boy's are allowed to wear these?

Maybe wear a kilt (or, okay, regular shorts, like mountain bikers do) over the shorts? I am not sure about the halter, because it’s impractical enough for me! I don’t want to wear that much sunscreen unless I’m going in the water, in which case I will just wear a bathing suit.

 

I bet good money they make shaping underwear for men now. I am not googling that for you haha

[Water Lover]

There is indeed shaping underwear for men. Spanx Ultra Sculpt boxer briefs have a quite decent-feeling level of abdominal compression. (They aren’t cheap, but are vastly superior to the less expensive brands I’ve tried, largely because they don’t bunch up around the top.) For abdominal-only compression for men, it’s also worth trying compression undershirts; they seem to do less than the briefs (and obviously don’t offer any buttock/thigh compression), but some do offer enough abdominal compression that it feels to me like it makes a difference.

[MikeO]

9 hours ago, Water Lover said:

Spanx Ultra Sculpt boxer briefs

This caught my attention. Never even considered something like these. I have always been told the mainstream (teds and abdominal binder). Thanks for sharing i will give a pair a try.

10 hours ago, RecipeForDisaster said:

I bet good money they make shaping underwear for men now. I am not googling that for you haha

That's ok...i'm not going to post a pic of me wearing them either Lol.

[Pistol]

@Pattie I actually think that compression underwear could be superior to abdominal binders because they also cover the pelvic area as well as the buttock muscles. If you think of gravity - this area would serve as a "cup" to hold all the volume. So if we compress the entire lower trunk it should also prevent more of the pooling. 

[Water Lover]

2 hours ago, MikeO said:

This caught my attention. Never even considered something like these. I have always been told the mainstream (teds and abdominal binder). Thanks for sharing i will give a pair a try.

No problem! I’ll add the caveat that I am not a fainter and have POTS with symptoms that are on the mild end compared to many on here, so I don’t know how they will stand up to more serious conditions. But they are so much more comfortable than other options that if you can afford a pair I think it’s at least worth trying!

[RecipeForDisaster]

I do feel better in compression of any kind, even physically (locally where I’m wearing it - my legs feel better, etc.). The only downside is the difficulty getting them on and the added potential to overheat in summer.