How I Shower Lying Down with Severe ME and HyperPOTS

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A step-by-step routine for when standing isn’t an option

For most people, a shower is mindless. For me, it’s a project — one that takes about 45 minutes, a transport chair, my partner’s help, and a whole lot of planning.

Living with severe ME/CFS and HyperPOTS means standing in hot water can trigger dizziness, shaking, and the kind of crash that takes days to recover from. So about once a month, I shower lying down on the bathroom floor — and it’s genuinely one of the best parts of my month.

This is what works for my body. If you’re living with a similar condition, I hope it gives you a starting point — but please adapt everything to your own needs and energy levels.

A note for those with MCAS: If your mast cell activation syndrome isn’t well managed, exfoliating scrubs and new products can potentially trigger a reaction. Please test any new product on a small area first and wait to see how your body responds before using it more broadly.

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My Lying-Down Shower Routine

Before we start, my partner and I do a little prep: we turn off the A/C about an hour beforehand and sometimes bring a small space heater into the bathroom. Staying warm throughout the process is critical — chills can ruin the whole experience and waste precious energy. We also lay towels out on the bed for drying off afterward, so everything is ready before I use any energy.

When it’s time, my partner wheels me from the bed to the bathroom in a transport chair, then helps me get settled on the shower floor. Here’s how the shower itself works:

1. Set up a comfortable base.
We lay a full-body bath pillow on the shower floor so I can lie flat with head, neck, and back support. This makes a huge difference — without it, the hard floor would make the whole thing miserable.

2. Use a handheld shower head with an extra-long hose.
I hold the shower head myself and adjust the water as needed. Our 198-inch shower hose is a game-changer — anything shorter and I’d have to sit up to rinse my legs. The length means I can reach every part of my body without straining or changing position.

3. Hair wash.
This is the most time-consuming step. I have seborrheic dermatitis, so I need to use medicated shampoos that have to sit on my scalp for about ten minutes to be effective. Between the application, the wait time, and rinsing, my hair routine alone accounts for a big chunk of the 45 minutes. But skipping it isn’t an option — when you only shower once a month, your scalp needs the extra care.

4. Deep exfoliation.
Since I can only shower once a month, exfoliation is essential. We use a deep exfoliating mitt to gently remove the buildup of dead skin. Important: don’t use soap on the mitt — it actually makes it less effective. Just use it on wet skin. This step alone makes a noticeable difference in how clean I feel afterward.

5. Scrub and cleanse.
After exfoliating, I apply a nourishing body scrub and follow up with a silicone body scrubber for gentle, thorough cleansing. The silicone scrubber is easy to grip and soft enough for sensitive skin, which matters when your body is already under stress.

6. Dry off without getting up.
Getting up and toweling off would undo all the energy savings, so instead, my partner helps me back into the transport chair and wheels me to the bed, where we’ve already laid out towels. I slip into a cozy bathrobe and air dry. No standing, no rubbing, no extra exertion.

It’s definitely a process, and it took us a few tries to get the setup right. But it leaves me feeling refreshed, clean, and cared for — without triggering a full-on crash.

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Products That Make This Possible

Here are the tools I rely on, matched to each step of the routine:

For lying down comfortably:

• VOXOR Full Body Bath Pillow (60” x 16”) — This thick cushion supports my entire body on the shower floor, with a built-in headrest for neck and back support. Worth every penny.

For reaching everything from the floor:

• OFFO Ultra-Flex Shower Hose, 198 in (Matte Black) — The extra length is non-negotiable. A standard hose won’t reach past your waist when you’re lying down. In retrospect, the 198 inch hose is very long and we should have bought the 138 inch hose.

• SR SUN RISE 9-Settings High-Pressure Handheld Shower Head (Matte Black) — Nine spray settings, detachable with a wall mount bracket, and easy to hold with limited grip strength.

For exfoliating and cleansing:

• Dermasuri Deep Exfoliating Glove — Gets rid of weeks of dead skin buildup. Be gentle with it — a little pressure goes a long way. And remember: no soap on this mitt, just wet skin. Soap reduces its effectiveness.

• Olay Indulgent Mineral Scrub, Guava & Coconut (11 oz) — Nourishing with exfoliating pearls and a BHA formula, and it smells incredible. The scrub makes shower day feel like an actual treat.

• Sud Scrub Antimicrobial Silicone Body Scrubber (Pink) — Soft, eco-friendly, and gentle enough for sensitive skin. The handle makes it easy to grip even with low energy.

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Why This Works for Me

Showering lying down won’t work for everyone, and it took us a few tries to figure out the right setup. But for me, it minimizes dizziness, prevents overheating, and makes real hygiene possible even at my lowest.

I don’t do it daily — once a month is what my body allows. But on that day, I feel like myself again. There’s something about being truly clean that goes beyond physical comfort. It’s dignity. It’s a small thing that feels enormous when your world has gotten very small.

If you’re living with severe ME, POTS, or any condition that makes standing showers unsafe, I hope this gives you a starting point. You deserve to feel clean and cared for, even on your hardest days.