#orthostatic hypertension

[neuroticboyfriend]

shoutout to POTSies with orthostatic hypertension. we don't get as much attention as our hypotensive peers, and it's harder to know how to take care of and advocate for ourselves because of that.

remember to listen to your body. rest. hydrate. eat. stretch. stay within your limits and dont push it. you don't need to put yourself under more stress. you deal with enough.

[forbidden-salt]

New Art/ Sticker

Down Bad Tachy at the Gym

By Forbidden Salt by Holly

Hey everyone! Here’s a piece I just finished titled "Down Bad Tachy at the Gym." Inspired by Taylor Swift's "Down Bad," this artwork humorously yet poignantly depicts the struggle of managing POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) while trying to stay active. For those of us with POTS, even the gym can be a battleground.

I hope this piece resonates with anyone who’s faced similar challenges and can find some solidarity and humor in the shared experience. As always, my goal is to spread awareness and understanding through my art.

You can find more of my work on my Etsy shop, Forbidden Salt. I'm continuously adding new pieces, so stay tuned!

🔗 Link to Etsy shop

[solarianvoidthearoace]

Knocking back those electrolyte/ salt tablets with thrice the recommended dosage because I skimped and didn’t take them daily like I said I would

(Also I sweated on my walk through 9°C (48°F) weather)

[alrightiiaphrodite]

ended up in the ER yesterday after having high BP, dizziness and nausea. finally had someone (other than my PCP) listen to me and the doc did a bunch of tests and orthostatic levels. my BP goes way up upon standing which causes dizzy spells, nausea, etc. finally will be going back to cardiology as well as being sent to an EDS specialist. i'm ready to have answers for the disabilities that are taking over my life

[agendergenderqueermasculenbyguy]

I plan to make electrolyte popsicles (again)

Yay orthostatic dysregulation

[problem-project]

Sometimes, I still feel so able bodied.

Like the aches and pains are quiet for just a moment long enough for me to remember what freedom I used to have. It's almost like if I yearn for it hard enough, I can have the old me back. The me that could still achieve all my dreams. The me that had no idea what was coming and how much it would all cost me.

Somedays, I still feel the urge to live the way I could before. Carefree and boundless. God, I can almost taste it.

[titfor-tat]

I’m sorry I’m thinking about the second mukbang video again like Dan what do you mean you passed out cause you got up too quickly seeing Phil’s hair and more importantly Phil what do you mean you just thought he was twerking in reaction to you hair how is that more logical than him fainting

[aelianated-star]

Nothing like almost passing out while peeing to humble you

[jovialcloudqueenisnotonfire]

both high and low blood pressure run in my family, which means that it averaged out so that i have a normal but somewhat volatile blood pressure (i get dizzy when i stand up)

[neuroticboyfriend]

"while POTS can be life-changing, it is not life threatening" i am going to beat you over the head with a bat. does hypertensive POTS mean nothing to you.

[forbidden-salt]

✨ New Art / Sticker Alert! ✨

😵‍💫 That Presyncope Haze - Forbidden Salt by Holly 😵‍💫

Hey everyone! I'm excited to share my latest piece, "That Presyncope Haze." This artwork captures the surreal and often disorienting experience of presyncope, a common symptom of POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). Inspired by Taylor Swift's "Lavender Haze," I wanted to convey the feeling of being enveloped in a dreamy, purple fog, yet finding beauty and strength in the midst of it.

Through swirling purples and hazy textures, I hope to evoke the same sense of ethereal beauty and complexity that "Lavender Haze" brings to mind. As someone living with chronic illnesses, creating art is my way of expressing and coping with these experiences. I hope this piece resonates with others who navigate similar challenges and brings a sense of understanding and solidarity.

You can find more of my work on my Etsy shop, Forbidden Salt. I’m expanding my collection, so stay tuned for more stickers, prints, and even some crystallized books and trinkets!

Thank you for all your support and for joining me on this artistic journey. Let's continue to spread awareness and positivity together!

🔗 Link to Etsy shop

[solarianvoidthearoace]

If you have POTS/ orthostatic intolerance and like baking, you can tweak the salt dosage in your pastries to your taste and needs

But watch out! (because you might be baking for other people who aren’t salt-deficient and that can get awkward)

[problem-project]

My parents saw me go from happy and excited to dead serious about needing to sit down today for the first time ever. They've never seen me have a pots attack or anything where I actually almost pass out, but I walked into the kitchen and I was excitedly telling them about a package I got in the mail when suddenly my vision started to go dark and my body felt really heavy so I just stopped talking and I began staring ahead trying to see if it would go away on its own. It didn't, so I said, "I need to sit really bad," because that's all my brain could think lol and they helped me pull out a chair so I could sit. By then, my hearing had started to go quiet, too, so I knew it was getting bad. After sitting for a while, I started to go back to normal, but my poor mom looked so scared! I tried to brush it off since I'm so used to this by now, but I still feel bad for worrying her. 🥺

[mage8]

Phil: So I almost died

Dan: That story's too long, let me tell you all about my ORTHOSTATIC HYPERTENSION

I LOVE THESE UNWELL BITCHES

😭

[pancakeke]

possible eating disorder talk under the cut but idk if this counts. but i need advice on needing to lose weight for medical reasons without losing my shit

my doctor keeps telling me that I need to lose weight to deal with my CSF issue (idiopathic intracranial hypertension), and there is literally no other permanent treatment for this except surgery to install a shunt in my spinal cord. and I'd rather not create the potential for more complications with my fucking brain.

but it's impossible for me to diet without becoming obsessive and trying to restrict food plus exercise in a way that drives my net calories for each day down as close to zero as possible.

I don't know what my problem is but after a week or two of eating healthier and getting past sugar cravings dieting becomes a numbers game to me and i drive myself insane trying to maximize efficiency.

like I lost over 80 lbs in six months the first time I did this. another time i lost a little over 50 lbs in a few months. there were also handful of other dieting attempts that didn't last very long because they hit my mental health too hard too fast and I had to bail for my sanity.

I have not communicated this to my doctor yet but frankly most of the shit I say gets ignored so I'm hesitant to start crying in the office trying to explain this only to be brushed off. also I'm not so sure he's going to take me seriously now that I'm clinically obese.

this dude (optho-neurologist) keeps telling me to go to my primary care doctor and get ozempic but like i am not taking another medication unless i have absolutely need it to function.

but i am serious that there are no other real options for dealing with IIH other than putting a permanent lumbar puncture in my spine. and I really do not want to do that. but if I don't do either of these things, I risk permanent damage to my optic nerves.

there's a medication I can take that reduces CSF pressure but the side effects are such a hit to my quality of life and mental health that I am afraid to go back on them again. It gives me constant stomach pain, nausea, and acid reflux and it makes my larger joints (hips, shoulders, knees, elbows) hurt so bad that my quality of sleep tanks hard. plus the pain makes it difficult to crawl around doing DIY projects. and it's a diuretic so it makes me piss constantly and get dehydrated super easily, which really fucks with what I suspect may be undiagnosed POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).

I explained the joint pain stuff to my doctor twice and both times he told me that it's not a known side effect even though it's noted on sites about the drug (Mayo Clinic). I refuse to take that shit anymore.

anyway. idk. how do I tell my doctor that i can't diet without going insane. and how do I diet without going insane.