What Every POTS Syndrome Patient Needs for the Summer

Today is the first official day of summer! If you’re someone living with POTS syndrome (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) then you know what that means: HELL. For those of you not in the know, POTS is one of those illnesses that gets worse when it’s warm. This is my third summer with POTS and while I don’t have the condition itself under control, I know how to cope with it during these rougher months. So today I’m sharing what I think every POTS patient needs to survive the summer. Good luck!

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great!

What Every POTS Syndrome Patient Needs for the Summer

Portable fan – Buying a fan to keep in my bag with me has already been one of the best purchases I’ve ever made and it isn’t even June. The thing about POTS is, at least for me, that I don’t feel temperatures normally. So I feel warm at a much lower temperature than other people do. And, due to POTS, I react to warmth very poorly. I sweat excessively, get nauseous, and, if I haven’t been careful about consuming sodium, get dizzy. One thing to do to help cool myself down is to turn on my portable fan. I keep it in whatever bag I’m carrying that day, which is important for commuting. Even if my final destination has AC, it doesn’t help much if I’m having major POTS problems before I even get there. I have this mini handheld fan, which has a USB for recharging. It also folds in half for easy storage.

8 Essential Tips for Living with POTS

Big water bottle – We POTS patients need to drink way more water than non-POTS patients! The International Pain Organization says, “A patient with POTS should drink anywhere between two to four quarts of water, Gatorade, milk, Pedialyte, sports drinks or Propel per day” (x). Water is the healthiest option of those (although not passing out or throwing up is more important, so you do you). So I suggest that you get a large water bottle to carry with you so you can always have some water. Now, I, as someone with messed up joints, completely understand that sometimes carrying around a large water bottle full of water can be hard on your shoulder or back or whatever you’re using to carry it. But remember that you don’t always have to fill it to the brim! Just make sure that you always have water of some kind. If you’re not like me and you don’t already have a large collection of water bottles, here are some suggestions: Hydro Flask 24 oz Water Bottle Stainless Steel & Vacuum Insulated ($35), Nalgene Tritan 32oz Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle ($10), and Contigo Autospout Ashland Water Bottle, 24oz ($10).

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 1

Travel pill box/case – In the summer, it is especially important that we don’t miss our medications. So if you go away for a weekend – as you should! POTS doesn’t mean we should miss out on the summer – you shouldn’t leave yours behind! This AUVON iMedassist portable daily pill organizer (twice-a-day) weekly AM/PM pill box case with moisture-proof design is great because you can take the individual days outside of the overall case so you don’t have to lug your full pill organizer for a weekend. Alternatively, you can check out this Inovat portable pill box 4-compartment travel case, which is much smaller.

What Is POTS? A POTS Frequently Asked Questions Post

Salt pills – I’m not exaggerating when I say that these changed my life. I’m so mad at myself for not taking these last summer. The issue with POTS is that we have to consume so much more salt than people without dysautonomia; my cardiologist said I should eat 3-5 grams of sodium a day compared to the 1-3 of everyone else. And it is so hard to consume sodium consistently over the course of the day! That’s where these pills come in. I take 1 in the morning with my morning pills and 1 before my evening commute home. Within 15 minutes of taking one, I literally feel my body cool down by several degrees. My heart rate drops by ~20 bmp. It’s amazing. When it comes to buying them, carefully research what’s out there and the other ingredients in the pills. For example, when I search “salt pills” on Amazon, an option comes up that’s naproxen sodium. If you’re already taking naproxen, you want to be careful not to go over the recommended daily dose. I personally take these sodium chloride tablets.

An alternative – and one that definitely tastes better than straight-up salt pills in my experience – is Vitassium products. They don’t just have sodium: they also have potassium, which is an essential nutrient. (Especially if, like me, you can’t stand bananas and therefore often are low on potassium.) 

These products are made specifically for people with chronic illness, especially dysautonomia. They help you manage your symptoms so you can live your life with your illness impacting you as little as possible. And if you have a sensitive stomach, don’t worry – they were formulated with you in mind.

Vitassium products come as Capsules, FastChews, and DrinkMix, so you can figure out what works best for you and your lifestyle. Maybe you get a combination of products!

The capsules are tasteless, and each two-capsule serving contains 500 mg of sodium and 100 mg of potassium. They’re also vegan and gluten-free.

FastChews are chewable electrolyte tablets that come in Fruit Punch and Grape. Each serving of 2 chewable tablets contains 125 mg of sodium and 25 mg of potassium. They’re also vegan and gluten-free.

Their newest product, DrinkMix, comes in pink lemonade and fruit punch, and you can buy single-serving sticks or a tub. Each serving contains 500 mg of sodium and 100 mg of potassium. And, you guessed it, they’re vegan and gluten-free.

And want to get 25% off your Vitassium order? How about free shipping on orders over $50? Then join the free Vitassium Club if you live in the U.S. Additional savings options may be available for people in Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Europe – check out their website for details!

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 3

Compression gear – Compression gear is … magic. At least, it is for this POTS-and-inflammatory-illness patient. I first started using compression gear when I was recovering from my 2017 knee surgery. My physical therapist cut me a compression sock to wear and it majorly helped my knee pain. Coincidentally, that was the year I developed POTS and I didn’t realize it at the time, but that compression sock was slightly helping my POTS. Last year, I bought thigh-high compression socks to help with POTS and my ankle pain (also because I was/am still recovering from my big ankle surgery). These have been so amazingly helpful. Additionally, I have heard from other people that abdominal compression gear has helped a lot with their POTS. However, I haven’t tried that, and as such don’t have any personal recommendations of products.

POTS and Heat Intolerance

What do you think POTS syndrome patients need to have?

Like this post? Check out:

POTS exercise protocol diary, 30 Things about Living with POTS, Chronic Illness and Mental Health, Is Chronic Illness a Disability?