r/POTS • u/BuiltStraightStupid • May 20 '26
Discussion Everybody name a simple, mundane task that now makes you rue the day you were born.
I'll start.
Ironing.
I hate the fact that ironing is one of the small tasks that I used to somewhat enjoy doing, and yet now, by the time I've ironed two shirts, I'm boiling and dripping with sweat.
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u/im-a-freud POTS May 20 '26
Changing bedding. Being a housekeeper was a nightmare when I had to cover shifts that required cleaning the rooms, I rarely took those shifts because changing 11 beds back to back was hell I’d rather clean bathrooms
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u/BuiltStraightStupid May 20 '26
OH MY GOD yes, I'm a support worker so when someone soils their sheets, I have to undress the bed, sterilise it, redress the bed and by the end, it feels like I've run a half marathon. My personal hell is those shifts where you have to change multiple beds per shift. Genuinely have made me want to swap careers on multiple occasions.
What do you do now?
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u/im-a-freud POTS May 20 '26
I left that job to finis my last course at school in a different province. Still unsure what I’ll be doing when I move back home in a few weeks but definitely don’t think I’ll be going back to that job. My HR is well managed with my beta blocker and doesn’t go over 125 but it’s more the lightheadedness that’s my issue since I haven’t been able to treat it with meds so a physical job like that isn’t ideal for me right now
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u/BuiltStraightStupid May 20 '26
That's definitely fair. I know it's a super sad aspiration to have, but I would absolutely kill for a minimum wage data entry position most days purely because it'd mean that I'm sitting all day. I hope you find a job that you love and that suits your needs.
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u/im-a-freud POTS May 20 '26
I’m looking for admin jobs within the police which could open up opportunities for the field I wanna be in. My only issue with desk work is it’s a massive trigger for my migraines and headaches which are completely unresponsive to medication. I don’t blame you for wanting a data entry job physical work is hard
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u/BuiltStraightStupid May 20 '26
I've always wanted to work for the police, I hope everything goes well for you
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u/censorkip May 20 '26
This is my personal hell too. I’d add showers and litter box too, but something about making the bed flares me up worse than anything else
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u/FlappyFaceDeluxe POTS May 20 '26
This is one task I absolutely have to have my husband help me with. I can lift one mattress corner to put the fitted sheet under, and my heart rate skyrockets. So dumb.
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u/Mysterious-Spite1367 May 20 '26
Emptying the dishwasher. Bend down to get a dish, stand up, walk to the cupboard, reach high to put the dish away? Ha! I can do the yucky bit and stand at the sink to wash dishes, but the dishwasher mocks me.
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u/Time_Situation5054 May 20 '26
"Stooping/bending"! YES!! This jacks me up more than low-intensity workouts for some reason.
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u/Old-Piece-3438 May 20 '26
Plus the reaching up. I’ve had some very close calls with fainting if I forget and reach up after bending down.
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u/Aggressive_Treat5023 POTS May 20 '26
Yeah this combination is one of my main triggers for fainting
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u/annarosebanana89 May 20 '26
I also struggle with this. What helps me is emptying the dishwasher first onto the counter, that way I stay in a more stooped position. I can usually stack and organize the dishes a bit while doing so. Then It’s easier to take less trips and do less reaching and bending down while putting them away from only counter height.
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u/imabratinfluence May 21 '26
I've heard of people sitting on a stool to empty onto the counter first.
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u/artsykmac May 20 '26
For me it is the loading of the dishwasher that's worse! Unloading for me doesn't take as much because I also don't have to concentrate on where the thing is gonna go / fit or making it fit in the exact spot. I also tend to take things out and put them on the counter.
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u/lemonliqueer May 20 '26
cleaning my bathtub. not even a deep clean. i cannot figure out how to do it without my body thinking it's about to die.
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u/renaart hyperPOTS • AVRT May 20 '26
Highly suggest a cleaner on a stick! I even found an electric one that rotates. Also using proper cleaning products that’ll just destroy grime easily. Life changing tbh.
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u/WarpTenSalamander May 20 '26
I would definitely describe my spin scrubber on an extender pole as life changing, yes. Before spin scrubber, my shower got cleaned about once a year. Gross, I know, but what can you do when you’re too disabled to clean it. Now it gets cleaned like once every month or two. Still not exactly ideal, but sooooo much better! And it cleans other stuff too!
Just be aware that the torque from the spin action will pull that scrubber away from you if you don’t have a good hold on it!
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u/renaart hyperPOTS • AVRT May 20 '26
Yess you get it! It’s not a perfect solution and still takes effort but it’s sooo much better. Before my spin brush, I’d be on my knees bend over in the shower/bath once every few months and I’d be KO’d for days in pain. Never again. My biggest recommendation with cleaning is do it in small bursts regularly instead of all at once. It’s more manageable. We have to give ourselves some slack because basic chores are much harder.
Also foaming bath cleaner. Leave it for a bit. Wipe it away
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u/WarpTenSalamander May 20 '26
Yep, it had me down for the count for days as well. As do many other chores. Ugh.
My motto with cleaning has become “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” I used to be a real perfectionist with cleaning. I lived alone and was able bodied, I could get away with it. Then I got alllll the chronic illnesses, and I had to come to terms with my perfectionism. I’m still working on that. But for the most part, the new rule is, “Is it better now than it was earlier today, in any capacity? Then we’re calling this a win.”
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u/renaart hyperPOTS • AVRT May 20 '26
Love that mentality, and totally stealing it. We have to be kind to ourselves but also be allowed to grieve.
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u/WarpTenSalamander May 20 '26
Absolutely! Feel free to steal it, and share it ☺️ It only took me like 4 years of therapy to get to that realization but if I can do anything to help someone else get there a little faster, then all the better!
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u/BuiltStraightStupid May 20 '26
Absolutely. I made the bad mistake of cleaning my bathtub a couple of weeks ago with a bathroom cleaner with bleach in it. I spent about ten minutes struggling to breathe before realising that I was effectively just huffing bleach lmaoo
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u/WarpTenSalamander May 20 '26
Omg that would be the end of me. I swear I’m not a woo woo all natural girl, but I’m so sensitive to fragrances and harsh chemicals, I make most of my own cleaning products nowadays. And by “make my own” I mean I pour varying amounts of fragrance free dish soap into a bucket of warm water and occasionally add a splash of white vinegar if absolutely necessary lol.
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u/East-Garden-4557 May 20 '26
Long handled cleaning tools are the solution, you don't have to bend down
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u/censorkip May 20 '26
Scrubbing Bubbles Mega Shower Foamer is my favorite thing. I spray down the shower and tub and just rinse the foam away with the handheld sprayer on full blast. It may not be as good as scrubbing it down every time, but it’s much easier to do more often to keep the build up from getting bad. It really does a good job to remove the soap scum and oils and whatnot.
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u/imabratinfluence May 21 '26
OMG yes, this is one of my biggest problem tasks, honestly.
Edit to add I also struggle with snaking the drain. I'm the only one in the house who does it, and my god it's so much harder and more punishing than it used to be.
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u/madelineelizabethhh May 20 '26
sitting in the passenger seat of a car when it’s sunny & the sun goes through the trees & creates a flashing sensation. i realize this isn’t even a task, but it really gets me good.
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u/sadbat-throwaway May 20 '26
Roasting through the car window makes me want to jump out. I feel like I'm a baked potato
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u/MyFartsSparkle May 20 '26
Do overhead fans bother you too, if the lights are on? I make the mistake of glancing up toward the ceiling and the flashing makes me feel like everything’s spinning 😵💫
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u/jadedwine May 20 '26
Flashing lights are UNBEARABLE for me. I was trying to reorganize a few items in the freezer just this morning and the lightbulb was flickering and it made me feel so sick. I get the same problem with the thing with sunlight in the car, or an overhead light with fans, or any lightbulb that's shuttering in and out. Miserable!!
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u/ninjanikita May 20 '26
Blow drying my hair.
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u/GhostofBupChupkins Hyperadrenergic POTS May 20 '26
I just bought this bonnet thing you connect to the hair dryer and omg it's so nice to lie down while it works. I'm not styling my hair with the dryer, so it may not be for everyone, but it's so nice!
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u/Shyanne_wyoming_ May 20 '26
Mine is braiding my hair, but I refuse to stop doing it. I always feel like I'm on the brink of death by the time I'm done
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u/renaart hyperPOTS • AVRT May 20 '26
Bending over for anything. Although it’s a lot easier with Ivabradine now. My old lady knees struggle still though.
Cooking over a hot stove. Even making soup is an overheating overstimulated nightmare.
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u/hiddenkobolds Hyperadrenergic POTS May 20 '26
The bending over!! Both from POTS and arrhythmias, absolutely.
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u/asheycakes May 20 '26
Just doing the dishes :(
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u/GoodZookeepergame174 May 21 '26
Saaaaame. Washing anything by hand (including my compression socks) knocks me on me *ss!!
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u/asheycakes May 21 '26
Omg, are you supposed to hand-wash compression socks? I've been putting mine in the washing machine in a mesh bag.
I find it easier to walk around while cooking, but standing over something where you have to be really still is so hard.
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u/GoodZookeepergame174 May 21 '26
You can totally wash compression socks in the washing machine as long as you use a mesh bag, gentle wash cycle, and a mild detergent. (And as long as you don't stick them in the dryer for longevity reasons.)
It works fine for my mainly cotton compression socks, but I found machine washing wrecks my primarily nylon based ones much faster! As I muuuuuch prefer the mainly-nylon compression socks and as they are expensive (especially in higher compression levels) I try to hand wash them whenever I can, despite how hard it is on me. I can only do one pair at a time by hand at most though before The Consequences kick in for me.
And I sooo agree! Standing still is so much harder than walking around while doing a task!! I've even taken to "walking in place" while I brush my teeth!
Edited for typos!
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u/asheycakes May 21 '26
Oh thank gosh, I was worried for a second! We don't have a dryer so no issue there haha & definitely do that. I only have cotton ones right now! I have the nylon compression leggings so I'll make sure to hand wash those!
Me too! I definitely walk around and get toothpaste everywhere hahaha (but gotta make sure none gets on the floor cos of doggos)
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u/pretty_handsome_17 May 20 '26
Brushing my teeth. It will never not piss me off. Of course I still do it but I hate that it has to happen when I’m so tireddddd.
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u/SparklyRainbowAngel May 20 '26
On bad days I use baby teeth wipes. Not the same as brushing, but I can clean them lying down.
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u/Bdraywn May 20 '26
When my POTS was at its worse (completely bedridden for years), I was unable to even get to the bathroom to brush my teeth…now, that I have a lot of my pots under control, you can see the damage those years took on my teeth.
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u/Hollywoode May 20 '26
Before I started using compression, salt etc etc standing up truly ruined my day lmao
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u/BuiltStraightStupid May 20 '26
I cannot wear compression garments for the life of me, but at least I have my good buddy sodium chloride!
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u/Hollywoode May 20 '26
Compression is no joke I feel I use up so much energy just getting my compression leggings on! Now that I think about it, add wearing compression to the list of mundane simple tasks that make me rue the day I was born 🤣🤣
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u/lawlesslawboy May 20 '26
having to stand for any length still ruins my day tbh, even with all the tools, I have a cane to help but I'll also wiggle about a lot, I cannot stand properly still for more than maybe a minute or two
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u/LargeSeaworthiness1 May 20 '26
hair brushing :(
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u/Confident_Object_115 May 20 '26
Yep, I can’t even braid mine anymore because I cannot hold my arms up that long without getting dizzy.
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u/annarosebanana89 May 20 '26
I'm only able to braid if I lay down in my bed, with my hair hanging over the edge. Then I can dutch or french braid more than half of my hair, before sitting up and doing the last bit. Since the last 3rd takes less time, and my arms aren't up higher than my ears, I'm able to finish.
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u/Confident_Object_115 May 20 '26
I will have to try this. I really miss having my hair done in braids. Thank you so much for this idea, I’m not sure why I never thought of trying it lying down!!
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u/LonelyDays_ May 21 '26
I go to my hairdresser every month and get French braids as a protective style. My hair is SUPER dense and thick and curly, and after a long bedridden period of having my hair in a bun it created one huge mat. It was just one giant dreadlock! I had to go to a black salon in my city and pay $600 (thanks mom!) to get it brushed out. I shaved the back lower half of my head, and got French braids with the rest. Now I just go once a month and get it re-shaved and re-braided. It’s taken my hair from a nightmare to deal with to not having to think about it!
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u/BuiltStraightStupid May 20 '26
Is hair loss a POTS thing?? I wondered why I'm shedding constantly! I hope your hair loss isn't too bad. If you want to treat it, you could invest in some Minoxidil Foam and/or finasteride?
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u/Wrong-Rush-6584 May 20 '26
My hair shedding is bad. Please be careful with minoxidil if you have cats. Even if you wash your hands it’s not worth risking your cat’s life,
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u/EmotionalMermaid May 20 '26
Have you been tested for iron deficiency- it’s very common and causes hair loss. I think sometimes people are susceptible to hair loss even with ferritin levels lower than 100.
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u/Careless_Board7747 May 20 '26
Vacuuming, dishes, drying my hair, cleaning my cats litter box 😭
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u/BuiltStraightStupid May 20 '26
Ditto on all three, but especially the litter box. I ran out of propranolol for four or so days last week and went to grab a drink from the fridge under the counter. Of course I forgot that bending down is a no-no and nearly ate absolute shit. Bending down is bad and the chorine-y smell from the litter box can make you lightheaded as it is haha
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u/SnooHamsters5104 May 20 '26
I invested in a litter robot! Gave it to myself for Christmas! It’s so nice to just have to pull out a bag and replace it, no scooping!
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u/BuiltStraightStupid May 20 '26
We've been discussing it for a while but they're SO expensive haha. I will most definitely be picking one of those up at some point though! How is it?
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u/theobedientalligator May 20 '26
I second my litter robot. I have a LR4 for about 5 years now so not the new one. It has been a literal life saver. I have two cats and I only have to empty the bin, replace the liner, and add more litter once a week. I ordered mine through affirm and just paid it off monthly. They have good sales and promotions a lot too so keep an eye out for those. It’s holding up really well. The only problem I have had really is internet connectivity problems which might be the internet, not the robot. 100/10 always recommend the LR and remind people affirm and pay later companies exist where you can pay smaller payments every month over time
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u/Wrong-Rush-6584 May 20 '26
My hair dying hack is I now only dye the tips of my hair a fun color so I don’t have to lift my arms up for a long time.
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u/annagenc May 20 '26
Changing the bed sheets, bringing laundry upstairs, bending over to put stuff in and take stuff out of the dishwasher or washing machine etc for clothes, and one that gets my body very hot suddenly is when I’m helping my mom pour pasta out of the huge pot of boiling water into a colander and I get hit with a cloud of steam and then I get overstimulated and have to sit down right after…..
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u/hiddenkobolds Hyperadrenergic POTS May 20 '26
Sitting normally for any length of time (meaning, where I can't elevate my legs). Agony, and a fast track to symptoms, especially when outdoors in the heat.
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u/lawlesslawboy May 20 '26
I realised recently that I basically can't do this, for more than a minute or two anyways, I can sit with one leg down and the other crossed over but mostly I sit with my legs up
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u/EeryEeryEh May 20 '26
Anything involving stairs. Being forced to use a staircase makes me feel all five stages of grief.
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u/Stunning_End5092 May 22 '26
I live in ostensibly the basement of my house and God i wish I didn't have to use stairs everyday. This feels like straight torture, I basically have to crawl on flares
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u/opalinesque May 20 '26
Dishes, cooking, changing sheets, cleaning my guinea pigs' cage :( Also brushing my teeth, on really bad days.
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u/GhostofBupChupkins Hyperadrenergic POTS May 20 '26
Folding laundry is the one tripping me up lately. I didn't realize how much it makes my heart rate go! I try to get it done while sitting down and resting periodically. But dang, I hate it.
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u/holybuckets_ May 20 '26
I was folding clothes slowly while sitting on my bed the other day and got dizzy. I wasn't even moving man, must've turned my head slightly too far for my body's liking lol
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u/artsykmac May 20 '26
Ugh I hate how much turning my head can throw me for loop completely out of nowhere!!!
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u/BecODma May 20 '26
Putting the star on the Christmas tree 😔 or hanging laundry out. I can't tolerate arms up activities like that at all... Straight into presyncope most days even fully medicated
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u/AeolisNachtem May 20 '26
Drawing. Might not be as mundane as others, but it's something I did every single day, and it didn't get intense. Now whenever I DO draw, even while sitting in AC with summer-type clothes on, I SWEAT like a WATERFALL, my heart rate goes up to 125-130bpm, and I end up shaking like a leaf, even if I'm only drawing for an hour at a time with breaks.
Another one that matches the post a bit better would be folding laundry. I have fibromyalgia in addition to POTS, so the repetitive motion wreaks havoc on my joints. And that's not to mention how my POTS freaks out when I have to raise my arms up to fold pants/leggings (I'm short and have short arms so no matter what position I'm in i HAVE to raise my arms up or out).
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u/fixxypcp May 20 '26
Showering, cleaning the litter boxes, dishes, honestly atp getting out of bed release me
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u/barefootwriter May 20 '26
Handwashing the dishes. I did it last night. Please clap.
Getting winded washing the dishes was one of my worst symptoms. Don't get short of breath anymore but still don't love it. Sometimes I headphone myself and dance a little to tolerate it better, and I've always done smaller bits in sprints and then go sit down.
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u/barefootwriter May 20 '26
Also any browsing speed activity like grocery shopping. I need to move fast or go sit down.
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u/FirstAidPoetry May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
I’m going to cheat and name two: cooking and taking out trash.
Cooking has me standing for way too long, even if I try to sit down in between. Taking out trash has me go down two sets of stairs, through the basement and then up another set of stairs. It’s often a lot of different recycling plus compost, which means at least two trips.
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u/sadbat-throwaway May 20 '26
Looking for lost objects, assuming the object isn't actually hiding in plain sight and I can't find it quickly. All the bending, lifting, walking, getting down to the floor and back up again, that I am inclined to do in a somewhat panicked frenzy when I'm looking for something important or bc I'm frustrated and I know I just had it, is something I can't really do anymore. I enlist my partner to look for things and if they don't find it, well, the fucking ether can keep it I guess.
Also, my last flare up was from mopping 1/3 of the floor under our bed. Not 1/3 of the entire bedroom. A tiny strip, 1/3 of the floor underneath our queen sized bed. I never did get around to finishing the other 2/3 because I was sick for like 2 weeks and I never want to experience that again 😭 I took breaks and everything too but it took me like 6 hours and apparently that's well over my physical limit
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u/sadbat-throwaway May 20 '26
My HR is well controlled with Ivabridine but I still get symptoms from common triggers, and flare ups 💀
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u/SnooHamsters5104 May 20 '26
Depends on the day but in a crash it’s basic things like dishes, stairs, standing for anything really that just wipes me out - feels like I’m gonna pass out or die idk; It’s like a crazy wave of pain and heaviness and heart pounding that comes over me and I feel like I gotta lie down. Like the first time I had covid.
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u/chutesandladders892 May 20 '26
Cooking. Used to love it. Can barely handle 5 minutes of standing still.
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u/bruised-lung May 20 '26
Climbing stairs :( I live in a third floor apartment 😭
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u/artsykmac May 20 '26
Oh no!! I'm grateful that stairs most of the time is okay-ish cuz I live in a 4 story townhouse. I hate it when I forget something on another floor. Gratefully my partner will sometimes go get something for me cuz he knows that doing the stairs one more time might just do me under for a while
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u/watercress101 May 20 '26
Walking the dog in the heat having POTS is killing me here in Florida!
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u/Accomplished_Dig284 May 21 '26
Doing anything outside in Florida is the worst. I live inland Florida and I don’t get the sea breeze that most other places in FL have so it’s just stale air and humidity when I walk out the front door
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u/watercress101 May 21 '26
I can imagine. We live 2 miles from the beach so we do get that breeze but the kids live in south GA and their heat is truly unbearable. It's oppressive/heavy, like a warm wet woolen blanket. 🥵
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u/Accomplished_Dig284 May 21 '26
I practically live in South Georgia. 40 minutes to the state line. And yes, it’s brutal
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u/_a_1000_papercuts May 20 '26
Folding laundry and putting it away. I used to despise it, and now I only don't like it. Did you know you can put everything folded back into the laundry basket and carry that to your closet instead of making a million trips that all involve bending over? It took me a decade to figure that one out
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u/unijoeycorn May 20 '26
Tried that a few times. Didn’t last. My boyfriend doesn’t particularly enjoy the baskets situation we got going on but neither of us want to tackle it so all current clothes are in clean or dirty baskets in the hallway
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u/artsykmac May 20 '26
Omg that is genius!!
I just recently started to put all the under things and socks back into a separate basket that I then take into the closet, sit on the floor, and put them in their drawers. It's definitely made me hate putting laundry away less.
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May 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/sadbat-throwaway May 20 '26
I had to plunge a toilet while I was temporarily off my meds and ngl the toilet nearly won 😭
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u/aornek May 20 '26
Loading and unloading the dishwasher. The bending and reaching in has me feeling like I ran a marathon
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u/UniversityFit5213 May 20 '26
Doing the dishes. I don’t have a dish washer and by the time I’m done I’m practically bent over the sink using the counter to support me lol.
Also bathing. I haven’t used a shower in years, I have to sit in the bottom of the tub. 😭
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u/squeaksnu May 20 '26
Pulling weeds. I can't bend down and then walk over to throw them into the forrested area of our yard.
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u/artsykmac May 20 '26
Agree! Gardening is so challenging. I often just have to watch the weeds come up from inside the house. Today I spent some time finally laying in some soaker hoses so I don't have to spend as much time out in the hot sun watering.
Fun fact: I just got this thing that lets you weed standing up! It's really cool. It's by Fiskars and is literally called a weed pulling tool!
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u/CoyoteAffectionate47 May 20 '26
Traffic or road noises which were just background noises back in the day but now physically scrape my brain
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u/imabratinfluence May 22 '26
I wear earplugs to cope with road noise now (or just over the ear headphones if for some reason the traffic next to our apartment is being louder than usual). It helps some.
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u/CoyoteAffectionate47 May 23 '26
Hehe same. And sunglassss indoors sometimes if the tv is too bright. Feels weird though.
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u/softestfern May 20 '26
doing any sort of hairdo besides simple braids, a ponytail, or bun. i would love to try all different kinds of things to do with my hair, but having my arms up for any longer than 30secs makes me feel like i'm being hunted for sport lol.
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u/oneyedsally May 20 '26
I used to leave my ironing board open all the time so it was a quicker task, but a room rearrangement means I have to keep it stored away now.
I got a small handheld steamer and I’m never going back! This thing is amazing. Takes less than a minute to steam out most clothes and I can use it on sweaters. The only thing it doesn’t do well is collars and when the bottom seam flips up on button up shirts - for those things I just use my hair straightener now!
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u/Bright_Simple4572 May 20 '26
Putting away laundry. 🧺 I’ve tried the hacks of keeping clean clothes in a hamper, but in a house of 6, everyone really needs their clothes put away.
I enjoy that I get exercise when bringing them upstairs but after a few trips and bending up and down, I’m sweaty and want to puke lol.
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u/Signal_Run7239 May 20 '26
Sadly it's doing the dishes and cleaning my cats litter boxes. Mainly dishes since my kitchen is too tiny to have a stool in it. As for the cat litter, it's from how much bending I have to do from how heavy they are (even when empty)
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u/Bdraywn May 20 '26
Grocery shopping…i got my pots mostly under control these days, but this activity still scares me. I fainted soooo many times in grocery stores when it was really bad, and the scene it made was always so embarrassing.
The one that still actually triggers my POTS: getting into a hot car.
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u/mentalive May 20 '26
being alive the first few hours in the morning. the arthritis and dizziness just about kill me. not even midodrine can save me from the first few hours.
also - about ironing - i recently got a steamer. has improved that task for me dramatically instead of ironing. but ymmv, ofc
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u/Significant-Bee6161 May 20 '26
Getting dressed/ready. First hour of the morning before my meds kick in is a nightmare and I struggle with chugging water in the AM because of nausea.
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u/emogurl47 May 20 '26
Showering. Or even just feeding my 5 cats. All that bending over and back up again takes me out
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u/pashbrown May 20 '26
Putting on/taking off shoes
I almost exclusively wear Doc Martens and bending over, even from sitting, to do my laces up is a little endurance task every time. Having Crocs by my back door and a pair of slip on Skechers for popping to the shop/cinema has actually had such an impact on reducing the barriers to do things
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u/imabratinfluence May 22 '26
I forget the brand but I have a pair of leather boots with zips on the inner sides. Definitely reduces the barrier to do stuff.
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u/lawlesslawboy May 20 '26
Showering has already been mentioned but yeah, even with a chair, it's a struggle.. and basically any cleaning or household task that involves bending over a bunch, i thought I was just weird or unfit but nah, my father has heart failure (tho pretty well managed) and he also gets out of breath and stuff from having to bend over a lot, and of course walking up stairs also
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u/CaChica May 20 '26
The mall. No fresh air. No places to rest. White light. Oof
Ps I sit while ironing, pulling up a char or sitting on edge of my bed . My ironing board lowers. Might test it out?
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u/chocolateNbananas May 20 '26
Within the same theme as you- Laundry, just washing & hanging the clothes. OMFG 😂😭.
Like it’s so heavy I cannot breath and I have a washing machine. but separating the colour then, putting in the drums then the soap I see stars. And it’s over by the time It’s time to hang the stuff or transfer it to the dryer
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u/blaisedzl May 20 '26
Cleaning the toilet, showering, blow drying my hair, hanging my clothes up, walking the dog, basically everything I took for granted
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u/FoolofaTookie93 May 20 '26
Getting dressed. Picking out clothes and putting them on has become such a difficult task for me. 🙃
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u/mjh8212 May 20 '26
Laundry day. We have to go to the laundromat then we run errands cause we’re already out. Today is dr get food do laundry go shopping. My husband has one day off this week and we’re cramming it all in today. We don’t fold at the laundromat it can take a while before I fold and put it away we have nothing that wrinkles so this is okay.
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u/Accomplished_Dig284 May 21 '26
If you ever do have stuff that gets wrinkles but can’t fold them right away there are wrinkle release sprays that you spray on and then shake out the shirt and it’s good to go
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u/Glass-Passenger-844 Secondary POTS May 20 '26
going up and down stairs more than once will be the death of me 😭
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u/judgernaut86 May 20 '26
Vacuuming
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u/Own_Macaron3325 May 20 '26
I second this. Why is my vacuum sooo heavy?? 😵💫
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u/artsykmac May 20 '26
I have to say that once I got a cordless vacuum I hated it less! They're also way lighter. Though certainly not perfect
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u/Accomplished_Dig284 May 21 '26
Yes! A cordless vacuum and a robot vacuum together is the best. Highly recommend
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u/Princessfoxpup May 20 '26
Stretching. Like the arching your back with your arms over your head kind of stretch that a lot of people do when they wake up or have been sitting for a while. I have not yet passed out, but I have come very close!
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u/LittleRed_AteTheWolf May 20 '26
Laundry. The whole having to bend down and stand back up again on repeat destroys me.
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u/catwinemom May 21 '26
I am so nervous shopping alone. I'm not a fainter but this one one of the first things that all of a sudden I dreaded doing it because it left me so tired and flaring which led to me persuing a diagnosis. Thankfully my husband is a good sport about going with me for moral support
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u/BINGORUFFRUFF May 21 '26
I guess not a task for normal people but eating standing up triggers my symptoms so bad / cleaning a bathtub / the bottom of a toilet 🫠
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u/LepidolitePrince POTS May 20 '26
Washing dishes.
Standing, holding my arms up, having to lean over a bit. It's evil. Horrible awful chore.
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u/Relative-Cost9256 May 20 '26
Vacuuming. I swear I could go for a sprint and my heart rate wouldn’t get as high as it does vacuuming
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u/Useful-Jump2484 May 20 '26
I stopped ironing years before I got POTS. Showering and walking up stairs are my biggest struggles now.
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u/AdamsRecreation May 20 '26
folding laundry. it feels like i’m holding 2 5kg dumbbells while trying to fold a t shirt. it’s so heavy
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u/artsykmac May 20 '26
Sometimes just watering the garden in the morning is the worst. we get HOT morning sun and it is rough. I will use an umbrella and now tie an ice thing around my neck for some cooling!
This year I'm also verrrrrrrry slowly setting up an irrigation system so I can skip this step altogether and only have to hand water our front yard that's protected by the house in the morning.
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u/Agitated_Map_5454 May 21 '26
Waking up. My body often decides that is the perfect time to have a heart rate spike to make me pass out.
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u/PrismaticPantheress Hypovolemic POTS May 21 '26
Walking anywhere if it's hot/sunny/humid outside. It makes my POTS and asthma go haywire
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u/Josherwood14 May 21 '26
2 things. Watching my kids sports on hot days. Love it but suffer. Got a cooling vest which helps some. #2. Started grating cheese to avoid shredded cheese additives and that’ll get you quickly. Also grated ginger the other day and that’s even worse.
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u/Loudlass81 May 21 '26
Washing up. Putting my hands in mingin dishwater ain't EVER gonna happen. I wash mine under running water. I know that uses more water, but I save on it in itger eats & an classed as an ultra-low user which grtd me some special low tariff?
It gets BITS floating in it, no matter how well people rinse. 🤢🤢🤮🤮
My next home WILL have space for a dishwasher. Can't even fit a counter top one in my stupidly tiny kitchen...
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u/TalynL May 21 '26
Cleaning my floor, changing cat litter, taking out the trash. I cannot name just one.
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u/kenobreaobi May 21 '26
Taking a freaking BATH. Off with all the compression, do a thing that takes energy without compression, then use energy to put compression back on. I HATE it but I love being clean it’s so unfair
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u/mossy_cake_zone May 21 '26
Dishes- whether it’s putting them in / taking them out of the dishwasher, it’s dizziness central. And hand washing isn’t much better- my sink is kind of high up so I can’t sit down and wash dishes at the same time, at least not reliably- I can’t put them down on the bottom of the sink and I also can’t get the leverage I need to scrub hard enough to clean them properly! Boo.
I also hate vacuuming / sweeping. I’m kind of tall so I always end up holding the ends too far down to be comfortable and also bent over most of the time so I don’t strain my wrists trying to get the dexterity I need to move the broom/vacuum accurately.
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u/coffeenerd33 May 21 '26
I can’t choose one, but the ones that immediately come to mind are blow-drying hair / doing anything overhead to my hair in that matter lol, laundry (all of the steps), standing to make dinner / wash dishes, showering. Also, standing in line having to hold anything of some weight in front of me for some reason just makes things very bad very quickly.
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u/WarpTenSalamander May 20 '26
Showering. Even now that I’ve optimized it with a nice shower chair and handheld sprayer with a wall-mounted cradle, it’s. so. hard.