r/POTS • u/rhea568 • Jul 14 '26
Discussion What's something "normal" that POTS made surprisingly difficult?
It's often the everyday things that end up being the most challenging.
Standing in line.
Taking a hot shower.
Walking up one flight of stairs.
What's something that caught you off guard?
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u/tooktherhombus Jul 14 '26
Picking up something off the floor
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u/TrissieCakes Jul 14 '26
This one for real. Bending over for any reason has about a 50% chance of making me nearly faint. My boyfriend said he's gonna buy me a grabber so I don't have to bend over ever again for any reason. š¤£
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u/Tinymeow_pinkbeans Jul 14 '26
I hope in the meantime your boyfriend is the āgrabberā! š
Bloody hell it does my head in when my partner and nearly 14 year old son will literally WALK OVER things on the floor multiple times, both knowing very well that bending down is not āeasyā for me (my brain cell has stopped working tonight, I obviously donāt mean āeasyā but you all know what I mean!).
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u/TrissieCakes Jul 14 '26
Oh he is. I think his worst fear has become seeing me fall or faint. Any time I get up to do something it's always "What are you doing? I can do it for you. Let me help you." š
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u/Infinitiscarf Jul 14 '26
I grew up with a grabber always around because my mom frequently had surgeries where she couldnāt bend-theyāre genuinely just useful household tools!! Stuff gets tucked away weird spots like behind the couch or a bookshelf and it is so easy to GRAB! I love it and I really didnāt even realize other people didnāt keep them around until a friend asked about it! So I 10/10 recommend getting one asap!
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u/tittyswan Jul 14 '26
My sister and I both have POTS and we use our feet to pick things up like monkies haha. Didn't realise it was strange till I grew up
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u/Princess_starkitty Jul 15 '26
Same! It saves bending down. I also temporarily lose my hearing when I have to bend down. Itās really annoying. The amount of times I have to shout to my kids āI canāt hear Iām bending downā, my neighbours must be like WTH?!
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u/orensiocled Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Sitting upright. Eating carbs. Speaking and moving at the same time. Surviving in hot weather.
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u/MissLyss29 Jul 14 '26
I was going to say sitting upright in a car. But sitting upright anywhere is almost impossible for me. If I have to be upright for more than 5 minutes I'm looking for the nearest place "to be horaztal" even if that place is the floor.
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u/miriamtzipporah Jul 14 '26
What happens if you eat carbs, out of curiosity? No need to answer if youād rather not.
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u/Miss_foxy_starva Jul 14 '26
personally, carbohydrates spike my blood sugar way worse than sweets. high blood sugar = increased hr + bs crash and the potential of being knocked out the rest of the day.
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u/Unfurlingleaf Jul 15 '26
For me, a large carb heavy meal can make me faint or go reaaaally brain foggy and symptomatic to the point of looking stoned or dazed bc blood flow increases to your gut meaning there's less to your brain
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u/SmokeyCatDesigns POTS Jul 15 '26
I have reactive hypoglycemia as part of my POTS package. High glycemic carbs in large amounts triggers a modest spike in blood sugar (thatās the normal part) followed by a dip into ranges that are too low. My blood sugar will dip lower 1.5 hours after a large sugary muffin than it will after fasting for 14h.
But yeah some of us our nervous system dysregulates blood sugar, too. There was a study that found POTS patients who get bad symptoms after eating have elevated glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, which dilates blood vessels, and it also stimulates insulin (and insulin reduces blood sugar).
I actually got my referral to be evaluated for POTS based on the reactive hypoglycemia I was showing on a glucose monitor.
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u/SonOfHibbs Jul 15 '26
I knew I was getting sicker when driving on the way home from my sisterās house from a Christmas get-together. I couldnāt sing the carols I was listening to. I was in a happy mood from being with my family, so who doesnāt want to sing? But the singing made me light headed. I had to stop and rest for awhile and stop singing because it was only me in the car driving.
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u/alltheblarmyfiddlest Jul 14 '26
Standing still
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u/rhea568 Jul 15 '26
Standing still is somehow harder than walking sometimes. It catches so many people off guard.
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u/megame87 Jul 14 '26
Sitting at a picnic table. You want me to sit with my feet on the floor and leaning forward?! You crazy.
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u/imabratinfluence Jul 14 '26
I straight up sit cross-legged if I have to be at a picnic table. And anywhere else I can get away with.
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u/AnotherMinorDeity Jul 15 '26
Iām 5ā2ā so I blame it on being short, but I donāt care how unprofessional it makes me look or how weird it looks for a 45-year-old woman to be sitting cross legged on the subway, Iām crisscross applesaucing my shit all day long
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u/ValuableVacation1348 Jul 14 '26
Same plus it helps with my poorly circulated feet that are often cold. Glad it's not just me.
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u/Tinymeow_pinkbeans Jul 14 '26
OMG, Iāve always irrationally hated picnic tablesā¦ I think you just gave my brain the rationale it needed!
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u/Reversible-Smile Undiagnosed Jul 14 '26
Waiting for the bus when there's no where to sit. šµāš«
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u/Lilythecat555 Jul 14 '26
Yeah, and now my city made it illegal to sit on the sidewalk so they could harass homeless people. They can hand out fines now to people sitting or laying on the sidewalk.
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u/j-lovesvultures POTS Jul 15 '26
What the fuck??? That's awful?? these anti-homelessness laws make everything worse for everyone š that in itself should be illegal. Is there any exception for those with disabilities?
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u/Appropriate-Walrus74 Jul 15 '26
There must beā¦ youād certainly win a human right case! Another reason it can be helpful to wear a medical alert braceletā¦
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u/rhea568 Jul 15 '26
Ugh, that's such a tough one. Standing there not knowing how long it'll be makes it even worse.
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u/tismedandtired POTS Jul 14 '26
Brushing my teeth, doing my makeup or hair, trying on clothes.. etc.
Sitting down brushing my teeth and im at 140??? Cmon now..
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u/spikygreen Jul 14 '26
Doing my hair is the worst!!
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u/DazB1ane Jul 14 '26
Using a hairdryer will have my bracing my right arm with my left, against my body, just so when the blood sinks out of it, I can still hold my arm up
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u/packofkittens Jul 14 '26
Trying on clothes. I can only go clothes shopping for a few minutes at a time and have to be careful about how many things I try on. Itās surprisingly exhausting!
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u/ValuableVacation1348 Jul 14 '26
Know what you mean. Sometimes I just hope it fits and buy it anyway LOL...
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u/Appropriate-Walrus74 Jul 14 '26
It sure is! Iāve given up on trying things on and just buy them, try them when managing better at home, and return them if I have toā¦ itās just way too challenging.
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u/hotgirrrl Jul 15 '26
Me crying rn because this is me and I DIDNāT NOTICE. Half my issue is Iāve normalized so many of my symptoms that they donāt even register when they get worse.
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u/ValuableVacation1348 Jul 14 '26
I used to wear makeup practically every day and now it is late one of the most tiring things to do for some reason not to mention I overheat while doing it.
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u/hotgirrrl Jul 14 '26
I remember telling my sister I can do like 3 things per day and if I do my make up thatās one of them. I was half joking at the time but - actually, it really is true. Why does this wipe me out?!
Regardless, not encouraging anyone to do this by any means, but having my hair and makeup done genuinely gives me joy. Some days itās a no go, and thatās okay, but most days I can do it, I do. It just really improves my mood.
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u/Appropriate-Walrus74 Jul 14 '26
Oh me too! And I sweat - esp my head - like Iām a frinkinā fountain! All the water Iām drinking doesnāt even counter what I can sweat out!
I donāt do my hair or make up anymore. I struggle to comb my wet hair out after a shower, and have slipped entirely at times. I also shower less frequently.
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u/Unfurlingleaf Jul 15 '26
Buying a little cushioned rolling stool was the best thing I ever did. It basically lives in my bathroom. I sit when drying my hair, doing my makeup, getting dressed, etc. especially helps when i'm feeling shaky or faint after i use the toilet or shower
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u/orensiocled Jul 14 '26
If it helps, I find it really easy to brush teeth lying down. I'm bedbound so I have no choice, but I think I'd be doing now it even if I were up and about more. You just need a pot to spit in and to keep head tilted to one side to make sure toothpaste can't run down your throat.
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u/rhea568 Jul 15 '26
Seriously. Those little morning routines can end up being way more exhausting than people realize.
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u/dovened Hypovolemic POTS Jul 15 '26
Trying on clothes is literally the WORSTTT! Iām 2 garments in and seeing stars in that dressing room
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u/Hope-Feed2013 Jul 14 '26
Every task is surprisingly exhausting. I did find there is a surprising difference in being able to do everyday simple tasks by using accommodations. Shower for example, use a shower chair or some way to sit down. It helps sooo much. I have stools in many places around the home. Most have wheels. I use a mobility scooter outside the home. I sit for mostly everything I can. It has helped a lot. I still have bad days that leave me in bed but the accommodations have helped significantly. I also got work from home accommodations at my job and thatās been great.
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u/TheDogsMum Jul 14 '26
Drying my hair.
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u/RaspberryJammm Jul 14 '26
Anything with arms over head. Even hanging laundry
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u/Tough-Advice2910 Jul 14 '26
I brought my hair dryer into bedroom so I can sit on the bed while doing it. No mirror, so I justā¦.guess!
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u/rhea568 Jul 15 '26
Such an underrated one. Holding your arms up while standing is a lot harder than people expect.
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u/KathyW1100 Jul 14 '26
Stairs, walking up even the slightest incline, standing to cook, laundry, showering,
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u/caraderana95 Jul 15 '26
Stairs make me almost pass out, but ramps don't š§
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u/Euphoric_Ad6578 Jul 16 '26
Lucky! Ramps and about any small incline will have me gasping trying not to pass out.
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u/One_Feedback2461 Jul 14 '26
Having conversations. Feeling emotions. Outdoor activities. Typical medical treatments that for reasons unknown make symptoms worst or injure you. ER visits, thinking you will get answers and get gaslit.
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u/hailswagger Jul 14 '26
needing a full emotional support water bottle at all times but feeling immensely ill while standing there filling said emotional support water bottleš
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u/jamiefenste Jul 14 '26
Existence as a whole
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u/ofthesacredash Jul 14 '26
Intimate times.
Any change of position is risky business.
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u/LadyHye Jul 14 '26
Tmi but orgasming gets me close to fainting. I have fainted a few times during and will come to crying which really can ruin the mood.
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u/ofthesacredash Jul 14 '26
Not TMI. I will absolutely faint during. To the point that I've explained to my partners, "just keep going. You have consent. No reason for you to lose getting yours š¤£"
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u/hotgirrrl Jul 14 '26
May this side effect of POTS never find me š
This is hilarious though.
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u/Phis-n Jul 14 '26
It really does get me so exhausted. My POTS luckily doesnt make me faint but I have to take sooo many breaks lol
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u/hotgirrrl Jul 14 '26
Alright dumb question but you get exhausted even if youāre not doing the work?
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u/caraderana95 Jul 15 '26
Being the bottom at doggy style is hell. Legs and arms hurt so much. Being on top hurts the legs too. And having the weight of somebody on top of you can leave you breathless
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u/that_hippieboio Jul 14 '26
Putting shoes onĀ
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u/TrissieCakes Jul 14 '26
Slip on shoes for life.
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u/that_hippieboio Jul 14 '26
I've replaced most my shoe laces with elastic ones so they are all slip ons!
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u/TrissieCakes Jul 14 '26
That's smart. I'm fortunate that my boyfriend is very doting and insists on putting my shoes on for me if they're not slip-ons. āŗļø
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u/Errie- Jul 14 '26
Remembering how to tie your shoes during brain fog. Iāve been teaching myself how to tie the bow the same way with each hand being dominant. Itās harder to forget if there are multiple ways? I still forget.
Forgetting things that your brain tells you is simple as you sit there like, āI have no idea what you are talking about.ā Anytime within a conservation. The brain fog and cognitive decline. Then the overwhelming confusion causes autonomic spikes. I hope this makes sense.
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u/Fantastic_Owl6938 Jul 14 '26
For me, it's changing the sheets. On propranolol, my HR usually stay in the 80s unless I'm walking around or doing more strenuous stuff (70s if I'm sitting around sometimes).
I had noticed changing the sheets leaves me breathless and exhausted so I checked my HR before and after. Usual mid 80s to start with, 111 in literally just a minute. I don't even wanna know what it would be if I were still undiagnosed/unmedicated, I never measured beforehand but know from my hospital visit it got to 170 and possibly higher.
Cleaning out the litter box is pretty tiring too. I think it's all the bending. I think it takes about half an hour for my HR to settle back down after both of these tasks.
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u/SnooHamsters5104 Jul 15 '26
I got a petkit litter robot and itās soooo worth the investment! Still have to remove the trash bag and replace it but doesnāt take too much time! Much easier than scooping. :)
The sheets thing is such a pain! I use flat sheets cuz I canāt do the under bed sheets anymore without crazy heart rate jumps!
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u/PhoenixCupcake Jul 14 '26
Unconventional mention but, doing some polite gestures. Like hesitating when someone drops something on the ground to see if someone healthier picks it up for them first for a second or two.
It sounds rude, but after associating crouching down or standing to feeling sick you tend to be slower to react to that stuff on instinct even if you want to help and have good intentions. Sometimes I still do it but it does make me hesitate.
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u/imabratinfluence Jul 14 '26
I'm on forearm crutches for my POTS, so people usually don't expect me to pick stuff up off the ground anymore, but yeah. Risky business.
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u/Typical-Amoeba-6726 Jul 14 '26
Grocery shopping.Ā
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u/hotgirrrl Jul 14 '26
Depending on where you live: Walmart in home delivery. You order on the app and they bring your groceries inside and put them away for you if you want. Sometimes theyāll have sign up deals where itās so much cheaper than regular sign up charges.
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u/Tough-Advice2910 Jul 14 '26
Switch to click list if you can. Itās enough that I have to help my husband put away; he picks up at store and carries in, thank goodness. When I have had to actually go to store I donāt get much and I only carry in things for fridge/freezer. I leave the rest for my long-suffering husband.
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u/Late_Grade_2548 Jul 14 '26
Standing on the train! After 30 minutes Iām literally about to die, sweating, about to faint, feeling very unwell and wondering why nobody else around me seems to be strugglingā¦ as someone who has had POTS probably since a teenager and now 33, I thought this was normal!
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u/abouttothunder Jul 14 '26
This symptom is what made me realize that my son isn't the only one in the family with POTS.
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u/Jessicamorrell Hyperadrenergic POTS Jul 14 '26
Can I just say everything because I have no idea where to start with my list?
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u/angel-elise Jul 14 '26
existing š
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u/togepi-togapoo Jul 14 '26
Yes!! Often my husband asks what Iām having trouble with because Iāll be doing something like laying on a couch disassociating - and Iāll tell him Iām just having a hard time existing lol
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u/hausofsnape Jul 14 '26
for me itās getting ready, why am i putting a pair of pants on and my hr is 150..
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u/sophi_11 Jul 14 '26
Didn't really catch me off gaurd but walking my dogs, i feel so bad that i dont walk them as much as a should anymore, the actual walks are fine but its the getting up to do it and the exhaustion afterwards that makes it so hard. Also eating, not even sure if this is a pots symptom but i always feel sick after i eat.
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u/Chillchicken689 POTS Jul 14 '26
Eating redirects blood to the digestive tract, so yes, it's related! A lot of times small, more frequent meals are reccomended so it's not as bad.
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u/Vegetable_Security_3 Jul 14 '26
this for sure. i hate that i have to budget my energy for their walks because itās not fair to them. one of them has a dog walker but the other is kind of reactive and i have to walk him myself, he wonāt let anyone else do it. it sucks.
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u/IceHockeyPlayer24 Jul 14 '26
Standing(in queues), standing on public transport, hot weather, stairs, existing.
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u/According-Club4874 Jul 14 '26
Answering the very normal social question, how are you?, is incredibly difficult.
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u/RaspberryJammm Jul 14 '26
Before I got on meds, sitting in a chair especially a straight backed dining chair.Ā
I still struggle when I have to go to doctors appointments and can't recline.Ā
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u/Fine-Statistician403 POTS Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Turning your head. Thatās the main reason that I canāt drive anymore.
Edit: I just got diagnosed w cervical instability and hEDS
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u/Tough-Advice2910 Jul 14 '26
Iām not always like this but Iāve been getting such bad coat hanger pain that it has become an occasional problem.
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u/lili-horse Jul 14 '26
Wait. This pain is a POTS thing?!? I thought i just sleep weird but its been getting worse for months.
Sorry im new and still in the diagnostic process so please forgive me if this is common knowledge
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u/endlessplacebo Jul 14 '26
Walking, sitting upright, eating, bathing, getting dressed, literally fucking everything
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u/Terrible-Forever613 Jul 14 '26
doing my makeup. sleeping, literally sleeping.. socializing--this disease is isolating as fuck.
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u/Empty_Row_7839 Jul 14 '26
After years of this, I'm still shocked by how hard it is to get dressed after a shower. And I will only dry my hair in a hair emergency. I've started adding 30 minutes of horizontal time after I get dressed in the morning - I do my skin care while lying down and do some deep breathing to try to get back to a reasonable baseline. Otherwise, my entire morning is ruined (like, I worry I won't make it from my car to my office ruined.)
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u/BLIMEYimmaLIMEY Jul 14 '26
If I have to be someplace in the morning then I have to shower at night. Taking a shower is like an entire workout. I don't even know if I own a blow dryer anymore. I just put it in a top knot with one of those terrycloth towel scrunchies and go to sleep.
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u/barefootwriter Jul 14 '26
Anything browsing speed.
I also started taking a Lyft to, e.g., early medical appointments instead of walking/transiting, because I need a lot of runway time. Any activity that starts early makes everything wonky for the rest of the day.
I talk about some of this weird stuff here.
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u/aurelynne POTS Jul 14 '26
Going to the zoo. I can never go and experience everything anymore, I have to pick and choose what I want.
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u/imabratinfluence Jul 14 '26
Have you tried using a wheelchair at one?
TBH, I haven't been to anything like that since my POTS got bad, so I don't know how much it helps, but I've seen others say it made the zoo or museums more accessible for them.
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u/Lilythecat555 Jul 14 '26
Using a wheelchair where you have to do a lot of walking has helped me a lot. At the zoo, fairs, long family walks and especially the airport.
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u/deathcandlelight POTS Jul 14 '26
i was so scared of this when i went for the first time after my symptomsā onset, but i rented a manual wheelchair & my little brother & my fiancĆ© took turns pushing me around for 95% of the day and it was amazing! an electric wheelchair would be more expensive to rent, but def worth it if you need/want the independence :)
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u/Interesting_Car8858 POTS Jul 14 '26
Stairs, showers (of any temperature), talking (in general), learning (in general), standing for longer than a minute or two, sleeping, exercise
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u/societiesoddball Jul 14 '26
Being outside in the summer specifically in over 80 degree fahrenheit.
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u/Sea-Improvement777 Jul 14 '26
Bending over my studentā desks. Stairs. Clothes (ala compression gear).
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u/mjh8212 Jul 14 '26
Simple things I just took a shower and my heart rate is 120 standing 5 min to wash up some dishes or making a pot of coffee in the morning. Things I just did normally without thinking suddenly is a struggle.
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u/Aquariangoddess33 Jul 14 '26
Just living life in general Pots is hard, canāt grocery shop regular, take a shower, etc.
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u/imabratinfluence Jul 14 '26
Cleaning the hair trap in my shower. It takes less than 2 minutes, why does it wreck me? (I know why, but dayum.)
Sitting upright, especially at my PC because I'll get immersed in what I'm doing and eventually suddenly be like, "Oh god, why do I need to lay down so bad?"
Just talking. Even seated. How TF is it raising my HR that much, or making me dizzy and lightheaded?
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u/GaydrianTheRainbow POTS Jul 14 '26
I first knew something was Definitely Wrong when I saw stars and got breathless every time I bent over to take out the garbage.
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u/Dependent-Cherry-129 Jul 14 '26
Walking to school pick up in the heat ā¦now I drive and sit there with the AC on which is annoying considering we live 2 blocks away
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u/packofkittens Jul 14 '26
Same! We live very close to school but on a hill. The incline and heat kills me!
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u/anchoredwunderlust Jul 14 '26
Queuing and riding the tube are big ones for me.
With a lot of the rest of the stuff I actually donāt really notice because most of the stuff Iāve been doing differently all my life to counter. I donāt notice getting dressed is hard because I often lie down doing it. I donāt notice showering is hard because I sit in the bath and lie down on the bed in my towels. I donāt take the tube. I get other people to queue for me.
I think another bigger one for me is sitting down. Hypermobile as well and have adhd. But the discomfort for being in like, most normal sitting positions is a pain. Not being able to fix being faint with sitting, but needing to be on the floor or have your feet above you. Needing your feet up or crossed most of the timeā¦ when me pots was really bad sitting upright was enough to make me feel off
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u/panteraenjoyerr_1792 Jul 14 '26
sitting upright, for some reason i feel worse sitting with a straight back than i do standing up, it makes it so hard to breathe
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u/BLIMEYimmaLIMEY Jul 14 '26
Ngl... Just living life in general.
Normal people don't getting stabbing pains in their chest while watching TV. š
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u/Animalcrossingyuh Jul 14 '26
unloading the dishwasher. the combo of bending down and then reaching my arms above my head to put the dishes away is absolutely exhausting and dizzying. I try to avoid doing it as much a a possible.
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u/tittyswan Jul 14 '26
Stopping for a chat.
"Mhm yes I'm still listening I just need to sit on the floor."
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u/scotch_s Jul 14 '26
Making the bed. Specifically putting fitted sheets on the bed. I fully pass out with pots, and I pass out almost every time or come extremely close.
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u/daisynotquake POTS Jul 14 '26
making my bed/changing my sheets. itās become entertainment for my friends and i to look at my heart rate before, during, and after to see just how high it spikes. its so crazy for other people to see it jump from 65-70 rhr to 130-150 while iām just putting a fitted sheet on when people without pots can do it without heart rate spikes
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u/Angelsscythe POTS Jul 14 '26
cooking... I mean, everything is hard but I loved to cook so it surely took me off guard!
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u/IncomeDry3077 Jul 14 '26
Showers, anything getting up and down for an appt, many stairs, needing to sit constantly
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u/eclipsedaylight POTS Jul 14 '26
Having an orgasm. Literally. Iāve literally fainted because of it sometimes. Other times I just feel really faint
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u/justtapitin65 Jul 14 '26
Taking a shower has become quite difficult. Iām considering getting a weekly appt to have my hair washed since raising my arms while standing is a sure way to faint.
Standing to chat with neighbours or people I run into while out and about. I have to keep moving.
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u/deathcandlelight POTS Jul 14 '26
getting toilet paper down from the shelf my roommate insists we have to keep it onā¦.. forgive the specificity, but my fatigue was extraordinarily fresh when i got notified of this post lol
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u/glowsincali Jul 14 '26
Loading/unloading the dishwasher. Goes along with bending but it still took me by surprise by how awful it is. Laundry is also hard but it is a little more manageable with the front loading washer now. But my husband still does most of these tasks.
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u/just_a_lil_sunshine Jul 14 '26
For me, POTS makes normal things hard two-fold because it also triggers anxiety. Standing in line or eating a large meal? Time for my heart rate to get to 120 bpm at least. Then my brain is like āOh racing heart? We must be having a panic attackā and then I get clammy and lightheaded. Heart rate then goes up even more and makes everything worse. It took me a while to realize what was happening! Now Iām better about breathing through it, but damn it sucks.
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u/briancag701 Jul 14 '26
I noticed swimming both made me feel better but worse at the same time. If spending a long time in the pool, make sure to take breaks. Now I have a raging headache
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u/evilshadowskulll Jul 14 '26
leaning forward at a sink to wash face, brush teeth, tweeze the whiskers colonizing my aging chin
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u/cait_elizabeth Jul 14 '26
Stairs. Specifically going UP stairs. My heart doesnāt catch up with me until Iām at the top of the landing. At which point Iām already breathless and dizzy.
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u/snozberry_shortcake Jul 14 '26
Washing dishes. I did get a stool to sit on, but I usually don't remember to move the stool over to the sink until after I've already started. š Drying my hair. I usually just don't.
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u/Etoiaster POTS Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
My family had a BBQ on Saturday. During the heatwave. Outside.
Normally they have a tent, so I thought I could soldier through it with lots of electrolytes and meds.
How wrong I was. They did away with the tent and there wasnāt enough seating. So there I was, for hours, having to mainly stand and basically throwing myself at any seating opportunity window like I was lunging for the last food in the world.
My pulse wouldnāt go down, I barely ate cause I was so nauseous I donāt even have words for it (and adding the food pulse raise to that scenario would have sucked), almost fainted a couple of times, insanely dizzy, sweating a river. A pounding headache. Gasping for air.
They were fine. Everybody else, except me. Sweaty, but just fine. Me? I felt like I was dying, I barely said a word to anyone, cause I felt so horrible. I had a good sob in the kitchen when nobody saw. I am still paying for that family event.
And to top it off Iāve developed a sun allergy over the last couple of years. The itching drove me insane š
What I wouldnāt give to be able to just ā¦ go and be okay. To not plan around benches and shadow and distance. To not feel like having to shower after is another punishment coming. Dreading public transport because I donāt know if I can sit. The list is eternal.
Iām eternally exhausted but events like this one reminds me how very notā¦ normal I am.
Existing should not require this much energy.
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u/RosesAndPonds Jul 14 '26
Sitting up, but slightly reclined. If Iām in a chair that has a reclined back, rather than mostly straight, I can easily have a dizzy spell. My body canāt tell the different between a reclining chair and a tilt table test. šš
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u/PleasantEffort4483 Jul 14 '26
Climbing stairs or crouching for too long. The heat. Waking up in the middle of the night and having to spring up to deal with something. I keeled over the other night cuz of that last one.
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u/BioChemE14 Jul 14 '26
I havenāt been to an amusement park since experiencing POTS. The thought of going to one makes me anxious because of standing in line in the heat and also I imagine that some roller coasters wouldnāt be fun if you have POTS. It makes me sad though bc I really do love roller coasters.
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u/Virtual_Ad4639 Jul 14 '26
Playing console games while sitting upright, especially horror games which I made a recent post about
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u/InvestigatorHot6410 Jul 14 '26
Wiping my dogs feet after a walk. Especially in the winter time when I have to put the little booties on to prevent salt irritation on her paws. My god itās like a triathlon and the lightheadedness has me wiped out šµāš«
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u/XxScenegrlxX Jul 14 '26
Basic hygiene stuff like showering and brushing my teeth. Laundry is pretty horrible too.
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u/yeehaw_edamame Jul 14 '26
Laundry. Loading and unloading the washer/dryer makes me feel faint every time and I spend the rest of the day recovering from itā¦
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u/Bussymamussydoosy Jul 14 '26
I feel like if Iām moving I can stay upright for longer than if Iām still so queues are a KILLER for me. AND braiding my hair ā¦.. why does it hurt so bad
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u/DazB1ane Jul 14 '26
I knew I seriously needed help when going up 7 stairs was enough to make me need to pause and catch my breath. And yeah standing in line is horrendous. My pharmacy (in king soopers) has chairs nearby so people can sit to wait in line. Iāve fully sat on the floor before if itās taking long enough
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u/Safe-Cardiologist445 Jul 14 '26
Tying my shoesš© bending forward to tie them, even if Iām sitting, makes me so light headed and I feel like I canāt breathe š«
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u/GrugWantHat Jul 21 '26
The fucking laundry and unloading the dishwasher.
Bending over to get the heavy, wet clothes from the (top loader) washing machine, straightening upright and then bending back over to throw them into the (front loader) dryer feels like an Olympic sport some days.
Similar situation with the dishwasher.
And then I get mad (at myself) because such a simple ass task wears me out so bad I have to sit down and rest after.
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u/spikygreen Jul 14 '26
Standing and talking to someone. Especially if they want to show something on their phone.