Tilting Bed

[PattiL]

I know this has been posted numerous times, but I just thought I'd throw this suggestion out.

Chrissy just started tilting her bed this past week and there has been a noticeable improvement in her mornings. No more nausea!!!! Anyway, my suggestion is, instead of using boards to tilt her bed (which we had tried previously, but didn't seem too stable) we bought those bed risers that you can get to raise your entire bed so you can store things underneath. We got the type that stack, so it's adjustable up to 10" (I think). So far she is just raised up about 6" and that seems to be helping.

Just thought I'd mention what worked for us. (Although this is probably what most of you are using anyway!!! )

Patti

[maryfw]

where do you get those?

mary

[ajw4790]

Are you tilting the head of the bed up? I just wanted to make sure I understood. I figured that is what you were talking about.

[PattiL]

Hi,

We purchased ours at Target, but I know Linens n Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond also carry them. They come in a set of four and we placed two of them under the casters of just the front portion of her bed. Crossing our fingers, but still no morning nausea! Yea!!

Here's the link for the one at Target so you can see what they look like.

http://www.target.com/Plastic-Bed-Risers-S...sers&page=1

Patti

[ajw4790]

If I understand it sounds like she may be getting relief from acid reflux during the night time hours. For many this can be the worst time, and I think that propping up the head of the bed is probably not allowing as much reflux to come back up, and make her feel sick. Does she have history of those types of problems or is it more of a BP issue causing the nausea?

Anyways, I guess we take whatever works! Hope she continues to find relief!

[persephone]

Hi ladies. Thought I'd chime in. As you know, I'm heaps better than I once was. I'm sure a great part of this is attributable to the mechanical hospital bed I have at home and at university- I managed to get both on permanent loan through the NHS. I just press a button and I can raise the head, or foot, or whole bed. It makes life so much easier, not just in terms of POTS symptoms, but also EDS. I find if I lie with the foot of the bed up and til the whole bed when my coat-hanger pain is bad, it eases after an hour or so.

If you can get a hospital style mechanical bed, then do! It may seem odd, and not that aesthetcially pleasing, but it can make such a difference

Good luck!

[Bella127]

Hi Guys,

I'm using Chrissy's computer, but this is Patti.......

We saw Dr. Shields today (Neurologist at CCF). His explanation is that it basically helps fluid retention. It's distributed evenly throughout the body by keeping it out of the bladder. Chrissy does not have acid reflux. The nausea is POTS related-- she has delayed gastric emptying, which causes food to sit in the digestive track too long, which is what seems to have been causing her nausea.

Either way, we don't really care as long as it helps!!!

Patti

[Rachel]

Thanks for sharing Patti. This is one of the few things I've never tried in the way of treatment. It looks like an easy way to raise the bed, so whenever we actually get a bed with a frame I'll have to give it a try!

Does raising the bed in this way put too much stress on the legs at the foot of the bed? I'm just wondering if you have to have a really sturdy bed frame for this.

I hope the tilted bed continues to help your daughter.

Rachel