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Has anyone found that raising the head of the bed has helped their POTS?

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Ive heard a couple of ME/CFS specialists suggest this lately.

Im confused thou as that treatment I thought is one astronaunts use rather then ME/CFS as they develop similar after being in no gravity for a while.. but the mechanism of their POTS I thought is different to ours (rather then being caused by low blood volume).

So Im wondering if anyone here has found raising the head end up bed has helped the OI? or POTS?

(I used to do the opposite and raise the leg end of my bed when my POTS were severe.. as I used to be affected by dizziness all the time to the point where I'd be hanging my head over the bed to try to relieve it a bit which did help).
 
Messages
15,786
Sometimes I feel crappy just using a pillow that isn't basically flat. I think raising the head of my bed would suck even more.

That solution also assumes that the problem is essentially deconditioning. Theoretically, we'd feel better if we gradually spent more time sitting up, standing, walking around, etc.

But those things make me feel much worse, even if I just do a little bit more. Whereas if I spend more time lying down for a few days, I feel better and my ability to stay upright lasts longer. If deconditioning were a significant part of the equation, I'd be getting worse from doing less, instead of improving.
 

Sparrow

Senior Member
Messages
691
Location
Canada
I agree that it seems like the mechanism might be too different. I recall reading advice from an ME/CFS doctor that suggested maybe raising the foot of the bed a bit instead, but I can't remember who it was. Seems like for us, the easier it is to get blood to our brains, the better.
 
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13,774
It could be that deconditioning is causing problems, but that most activity causes even more problems!

If there are ways of improving conditioning without leading on to other problems, then that's likely to be helpful imo. I expect that getting that balance right is likely to be different for all of us though.
 

Sallysblooms

P.O.T.S. now SO MUCH BETTER!
Messages
1,768
Location
Southern USA
Everyone is different. On my POTS forums some raise the bed some do not. I sleep on pillows. There is no rule, just what works for the person.

The astronaut thing is not our cause. There has been quite a lot going on with Dr. Levine's Grinch heart statement etc. The people on the forums got ABS to NOT air that awful name on the news story they had. Vicotory!
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
But those things make me feel much worse, even if I just do a little bit more. Whereas if I spend more time lying down for a few days, I feel better and my ability to stay upright lasts longer.

Same here.. the more I lay the better my ability to be upright then usually is.
Hence Im feeling quite uncomfortable with the advice I got given.


Seems its going to have to be a thing I trial to see if it helps or not. I think I'll leave that one for the time being thou till I have my sleep more sorted out.

I heard people do this for GERD. FYI

GG

Yeah raising the head end of the bed is a way GERD can be helped.. and at one stage I was able to do that and yeah it did help the GERD I had at the time.