Abdominal compression tips?

Aspen

Aspen

Senior Member
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145
Hi folks, I’m looking for any tips you have about using abdominal compression gear to help with POTS. I recently purchased an elastic abdominal support with velcro closure, and while I love the effects of abdominal compression in general I’m having lots of trouble with the gear itself. The fuzzy side of the velcro has significantly stretched, so the hook side of the velcro doesn’t have enough to grab onto and it scratches my skin or ruins my clothing. I also have trouble finding the proper compression, since it seems that the fabric stretches with each wear and I have to figure out the goldielocks position anew each time I wear it. Too loose and I get no support, too tight and my body stresses right out.

I’ve been looking online and can’t seem to find any other style that would eliminate the problems I’m experiencing. I’ve found some vanity ‘waist trainers’ that use hook and eye closures, which seem more reliable than the velcro, but since they’re not therapeutic tools I haven’t been inclined to buy one as an experiment yet. I feel cranky at the thought of buying something that’s geared to folks who want their waist to be thinner, when I’m literally fighting just to be able to sit up in bed, haha! :xpem::D

When I get it right, the abdominal compression helps reduce the ‘crash’ effect after I eat, and it’s also SOOOO much easier to put on than my full compression stockings - important since I don’t have the energy to don the stockings more than 1-2 times a week. I’ve even been able to enjoy a warm cup of tea without crashing, something I can’t do without the belt. Any tips are appreciated!
 
wabi-sabi

wabi-sabi

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small town midwest
Aspen

Aspen

Senior Member
Messages
145
wabi-sabi said:
I have had good luck with Spanx. Yes, I know it's ironic, but I use the waist cincher

https://www.spanx.com/shapewear/waist-cinchers/waist-cincher

or the higher power short

https://www.spanx.com/shapewear/mid-thighs/higher-power-short-1

It takes considerable energy to wrestle myself into them, but they do seem to help. I'm not sure how much compression there is, but it does help. Not a magic cure-all and will let me crash myself more if I'm not careful.
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Thanks @wabi-sabi , this is motivating me to try the hook-and-eye waist trainer I found.... I guess I just needed to vent about the irony, haha! I might try the shorts you linked here one day too. Nice to find little things that take the pressure off. .... I mean, put the pressure on....? :headslap::smug:

I’m listening very carefully to tips about not overdoing it with compression gear on - I’m trying to take a mathematical approach to my activity on days when I feel better, as recommended by Dr. Stein - only 10% more activity than I normally would. That means only 1 extra minute of activity for me (walking to and from my reclining wheelchair outside, since it doesn’t fit in my house). So far it’s kept the crashes at bay, as long as I can keep myself from doing something spontaneous from being so happy I’m up. Being outside with my dog tends to offer maximum temptation to start a forbidden game of fetch! :D
 
Aspen

Aspen

Senior Member
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145
Violeta said:
Is it recommended to sleep with abdominal compression?
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I’m not sure, but I was told by my doctor never to sleep with compression tights on, so I imagine it would be the same for abdominal compression too.
 
Learner1

Learner1

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6,311
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Pacific Northwest
Aspen said:
I’m not sure, but I was told by my doctor never to sleep with compression tights on, so I imagine it would be the same for abdominal compression too.
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I have lymphedema in my lower body due to my uterine cancer surgery. Many patients must wear compression tights all the time, and some have special pumps, which is basically like sleeping in a air mattress built into an overall shape that wraps around the legs, feet, and abdomen, and squeezes and relaxes all night long. Even though this can be effective for minimizing access lymphatic fluid in those areas, there can be long-term damage to organs and neuropathy in the areas that are being compressed.

I'm rather lucky that I only wear a compression sock when it starts to act up, and compression tights on airplanes, because I keep it well managed through exercise, keeping my weight lower, and wearing compression panties all the time. After 6 and 1/2 years of this, I have neuropathy in The front of my thighs, which occasionally causes pain zaps, due to the long time compression of my nerves.

I would look to other answers besides compression for pots, like taking a beta blocker or fluidicortisone, and Huperzine A or pyridostigma or neostigmine. huperzine A and metoprolol have been extremely helpful.
 
Violeta

Violeta

Senior Member
Messages
3,142
Learner1 said:
I have lymphedema in my lower body due to my uterine cancer surgery. Many patients must wear compression tights all the time, and some have special pumps, which is basically like sleeping in a air mattress built into an overall shape that wraps around the legs, feet, and abdomen, and squeezes and relaxes all night long. Even though this can be effective for minimizing access lymphatic fluid in those areas, there can be long-term damage to organs and neuropathy in the areas that are being compressed.

I'm rather lucky that I only wear a compression sock when it starts to act up, and compression tights on airplanes, because I keep it well managed through exercise, keeping my weight lower, and wearing compression panties all the time. After 6 and 1/2 years of this, I have neuropathy in The front of my thighs, which occasionally causes pain zaps, due to the long time compression of my nerves.

I would look to other answers besides compression for pots, like taking a beta blocker or fluidicortisone, and Huperzine A or pyridostigma or neostigmine. huperzine A and metoprolol have been extremely helpful.
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Do you take selenium? And if so, have you found it helpful? One of my sisters has the same thing for the same reason, but intermittently. I told her in an off hand way about selenium, but didn't follow up because I wasn't positive it would help her, and she's not a supplement type person.

It helps me when I have swollen leg issues, but not sure it helps with lymphedema due to uterine cancer surgery.

Here's a link to a study about it.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7281982/
 
Violeta

Violeta

Senior Member
Messages
3,142
I started wearing some semi-compressive yoga pants from Pact that I have and found amazing relief for a couple of my symptoms. They seem to provide enough compression. What a relief.
 
Learner1

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,311
Location
Pacific Northwest
Violeta said:
It helps me when I have swollen leg issues, but not sure it helps with lymphedema due to uterine cancer surgery.

Here's a link to a study about it.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7281982/
Click to expand...
Interesting, thanks for sharing that. Not sure it applies to me, but the theory of it creating oxidative stress and the selenium helping reduce oxidative stress makes sense. This is my level - too much selenium can mimic radiation poisoning, so best to supplement it when needed.
Screenshot_20210828-220717.png


Glad you found something that works for you!
 
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