weather seasons......newly diagnosed- help please

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samdylgil

New member
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
5
Reason
Undiagnosed
Diagnosis
03/2014
Country
US
State
MI
Does anyone have problems when it is either hot or cold? I live in northern Michigan and it seems like the bitter cold is really causing allot of pain. I was just diagnosed a week ago and have allot of questions still. Did anyone know of any good books that can help educate me?
 
Extremes in weather... either cold or hot definitely affect pain levels with fibro. You could also add high humidity to that even when it doesn't come with very hot temperatures.

I don't really know of any books to recommend, but I'd say that to educate yourself about fibro, started with the forum here. Going back over past posts will most likely teach you a lot more than a book would. Books are written by an author who may or may not be experiencing fibro... most aren't... but here at the forum, everyone is either experiencing the same or knows of someone close who is... that makes the information a lot more valuable, at least in my opinion. :grin:
 
Thank you so much, I will definitely go back through posts on here.
 
I have noticed cold really affects my pain, specially the kind of cold that is dry and not humid. Fortunately this year the winter was quite mild a pleasant :) We had a really warm winter (if compared to last year), but when the winters threat to be really cold... I can actually feel it in my bones! Even if we are still a few weeks away! I still feel it!

I really agree with what mariposa said in her post, there is so much info in this forum :) I'm sure you can find the answers to most of your questions over here, just browse the old threads, but if you don't find anything then feel free to create your own thread here. We will do our best to help you out :)
 
I'm currently living in North Dakota, which hasn't had weather quite as brutal as northern Michigan has been getting, but it's still in the extreme category. The rest of my life I've lived in much milder places (South Idaho and Oregon coast.) It wasn't until coming to North Dakota that I found out how much weather affects my health, because ND gets extremely cold and extremely hot. I've found that cold causes more fibro pain than the heat does, and heat causes more of my arthritis pain from the swelling. The heat can actually help my muscles relax if I can tolerate the pain in my bones long enough. The bitter cold (below zero Fahrenheit for weeks at a time) combine with pressure systems moving through (snow or wind storms) makes me very sleepy and achy. When I know a day like that is coming, I cancel all plans for that day because I know I won't be feeling well.

I also can't recommend any books - I simply just learned how weather affects me by going through it.

My best suggestion is to keep a fireplace going, use a heat lamp when you're resting for short periods of time, cook with the oven more often, and use a full spectrum "sun" lamp as much as possible. Snuggies and blankets are nice, but I've found that a warm environment is way more relaxing on your muscles than staying warm with your own body heat. I think our muscles stay contracted and tense too long while trying to warm up under a blanket or extra clothes, whereas our muscles relax when we're getting warm from the environment.
 
I have problems with both if they are too extreme ;) Too hot weathers make me incredibly weak, give me migraines and I get a number of circulation problems, as well as swelling in my joints. Cold weathers usually mean achiness all over and insomnia.
 
Regarding weather, are you monitoring the inside of your house? I am referring to not only the temperature, but also the humidity. It might not be a bad idea, if you believe that weather is worsening your symptoms, to get one of those indoor weather centers for the wall. They not only have temperature, but they also record the pressure and humidity. Take a look, and notice. Not just the temperature, but the humidity. Perhaps it is the amount of 'wetness' in the air that is worsening the symptoms. Perhaps a drier atmosphere (dehumidifier), or damper one (humidifier) would actually make you feel better. As they saying goes, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity". also, not a bad idea to check for drafts in your home. It is quite possible that a slight draft is causing you problems. One more thing...if might not be the winter, but a bad furnace, or blocked furnace, and some fumes are seeping into the house. Blocked chimneys, ducts, can cause small amounts of gas and carbon monoxide to permeate the house, and that can affect your body aches. Might not be the winter, but a blocked air duct.
 
I have problems with both if they are too extreme ;) Too hot weathers make me incredibly weak, give me migraines and I get a number of circulation problems, as well as swelling in my joints. Cold weathers usually mean achiness all over and insomnia.

Same here! It seems that during the hot season I get a lot migraines! I thought it was only me, but after reading your post I'm not so sure. I mean, it could be a coincidence, but you never know! I just know I feel so weak during the hot season... I thought that was caused by my insulin issues. Do you take something for your migraines?
 
Yes cold weather and dampness really set my fibro off and cause me lots of pain and stiffness. I live in a rain forest so wintertime is wet and damp. I do think that getting out into sunshine can help somewhat. Maybe it is the Vitamin D that helps. I haven't read any books on fibro, but I am sure there are lots at the local library. If I find any good books I will post on here right away.
 
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