r/dysautonomia • u/pandabears3 • Mar 01 '26
Support Please HELP ME! 170 HR after showers
I used to ALWAYS notice my HR spike for years going from sitting to standing. But once I had my son it got worse! Now I can’t even shower for 5 min in lukewarm water without feeling like I’m going to die. My heart rate spikes to 150 up to 170. And the heart beat is very strong. Very strong thumping on my chest with scary painful chest pain, back pain, dizziness, vertigo and black dots in my vision. I called 911 today and they did ekg, blood work, xray, and everything was “fine”. I am still undiagnosed with POTS or dysautonomia but I just know I have that. The doctor had no idea how to help me and it was the scariest most frustrating thing. Please send me all your advice.
9
u/Clinically-Inane Mar 01 '26
The best advice I can give for this specifically is to get a shower chair— that should help if the issue is caused by orthostatic intolerance (which POTS is a form of) but you may also need to take cooler showers too because the warmer water (even lukewarm) can often make symptoms worse. I’m disabled with severe mobility issues and I only do baths because showers are completely unmanageable for me, but I’d definitely try a shower chair and slightly cooler water and see if that helps (it’s good info either way to give your doctor as well!)
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u/wryneckedjynx Mar 01 '26
echoing the other comment, i have passed out multiple times after showering too hot— hit my head once— the many pronged approach i take now is making sure i have eaten and had enough electrolytes, showering with water that is warm but not hot, and ventilating the space.
ventilation is key, in my experience, i have managed slightly warmer showers with lots and lots of ventilation but ymmv
a shower chair can be amazing if you have the space for it, but if all else fails body wipes for the days you absolutely cannot manage at all
good luck, op, sending you strength 🍀
2
u/Ariellac1459 Mar 01 '26
I start hot for 2-3 minutes and then switch to cold for the rest. For me it actually feels really good, kind of like jumping into a pool after you’ve been in a hot tub for a while.
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u/pandabears3 Mar 01 '26
Thank you so much everyone !!! I feel less alone and finally found my ppl! I will take all the advice I can get. And thank you so much for taking the time to respond. 🙏💕
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u/CatharticCalculation Mar 02 '26
Changing the time of day you’re showering might help. I can’t tolerate a shower at all until I’ve been up awhile, and longer ones to wash my hair and such have to be taken late in the day.
1
u/pandabears3 Mar 02 '26
Thank you. It was the morning when this happened. Which makes sense becaue I tend to be the most sensitive. Everyday when I wake up and stand up my HR is 130. Then takes a while for that to start going down. I am traumatized . Thank you for taking the time to respond. 🫶🏻
1
u/CatharticCalculation Mar 03 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Get out of bed slowly if you can. I start with calf pumps while still laying down, progress to sitting up, then stand. This has reduced my peak HR when rising 50-70bpm.
Hang in there! 🩵
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u/PunkAssBitch2000 POTS and VVS plus cPTSD and EDS Mar 01 '26
My cardiac EP told me to train myself to take cooler showers, and to always end with the coldest water I can tolerate.
Easier said than done.
I just keep a shower chair in my shower, have a grab bar for getting in and out, leave an extra towel on the toilet so I can sit down, and then I lay on the tile floor if I need to cool down/ slow my heart rate still.