What you need for an on the go POTS emergency bag

With POTS, there is what feels like a million things that can trigger a symptom flare up at any time. These flare ups can range anywhere from more minor symptoms happening to being unable to sit up or do anything at a moments notice. For an case, an emergency kit with all the things necessary for managing POTS symptoms and flare-ups on the go is essential. Here are a few ideas of what to include in your emergency bag that you can customize to fit your own needs:

• Extra medications – Preferably in the original bottle, but if that is not possible, make sure that the dosages and what times they can be taken are clearly labeled in case someone else needs to get your medications for you or know what you take.
• Printed document outlining your medical history and information – In the case of a very sever flare up, you might not be able to think clearly enough to provide accurate information that a doctor or medic might need. Having emergency contacts and phone numbers of trusted people that live nearby is also very helpful to include in this document.
• Hydration packets – There are many brands like Vitassium, Liquid IV, Bouy, Pedialyte, etc. that sell on-the-go hydration packets so you can hydrate quicker than just drinking plain water.
• Salt capsules/tablets/shaker – There are a plethora of options for salt or sodium that can be taken on the go like Vitassium’s sodium capsules or fast chews, but you can also put individually packaged salt from restaurants in a bag or use flavored salts for increasing blood volume and blood pressure.
• Blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter – A quick and accurate ways to check where your heart rate and blood pressure are at through out the day.
• Instant hot or cold packs – Like I have mentioned previously in blogs, potsies have a hard time with temperature regulation and heat is a major trigger for symptoms. I like to use BeCool patches to keep my temperature down on the go, but also keep generic instant cool packs in my car.
• Collapsible or portable stool – There is not always going to be an available and close seating option so a portable stool can be very useful in a pinch. My boyfriend got me this stool for Christmas one year and it has been a life saver at times.
• Extra snacks – My doctors have recommended me to eat more salty snacks through out the day instead of a few larger meals, as eating bigger portions quickly can often trigger a flare up, so having some salty snacks constantly with me is a major help, especially when I am feeling weak and light headed.
• Ginger or peppermint chews – These can help with taming nausea if you don’t have a prescription to help with nausea. Peppermints are also useful if your symptoms cause you to throw up and you need something to make your breath smell better and cover the lingering taste.
• Sunglasses – Migraines and headaches are a common symptom of POTS and lights can often make that pain worse. Having sunglasses can help alleviate some of that pain from lights that are too bright either indoors or outside.
• Change of clothes – There are many things that can happen to your clothes during a flare up, whether that be having to lay down on a dirty ground or accidentally spilling or spitting up something on your clothes, and most people do not want to stay in soiled clothes. You could also just want to change into comfier clothes after experiencing negative symptoms. No matter the reason, it is helpful to have a change of clothes ready for whenever you may want or need to get out of the clothes you are in.

Emergency kits can include so many other things, but this is just a basic outline of some things I would think to include. What works for me may not work for everyone so you should tailor your kit to your specific needs and symptoms.

If there is any things that I missed in this list that you think are important to include in a POTS emergency kit, please comment on this post or contact me and I can add it to the list.