wet heat versus dry heat

Since I've been on this forum, I have seen many references to wet heat heating pads, and bed buddies. Wet heat makes me hurt more. Really. I only use a dry heating pad. A warm soak in the tub gives me a migraine. A wet heating pad, or a bed buddy makes me ache.
I am curious; am I the oddball out? Is there anyone else that can't use wet heat?
Vickie

Honestly for me, I can't use a heating pad at all. A lot of the time I get that "burning sensation" in the place I happen to be hurting, and that muscle feels like its really hot (even though it isn't hot to the touch) so having heat on a muscle that already feels hot makes it worse. A hot bath seems to help me, but I can't stay in too long, or I get migraines as well.

While winter time is bad for my pain, summer time is worse. I get the worst pain in July and August.

So you aren't the only one. I usually just try to keep my house at a steady 70 degrees, in winter and summer. As long as I use lots of pillows on the couch and stay laying down (or at least with my feet propped up on the couch) I'm ok most of the time.

I find either form of heat helps me. I keep my little heater beside me on the couch all morning and will til it gets hot out. Heat relaxes my muscles and cold makes them contract and hurt.

 

My body is not a big fan of humidity in the summer either.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Moist heat works better for me.  I don't use a regular heating pad because it feels like it's burning me...even when I cover the cover with a towel!  But, what works for one with fibro won't necessarily work for another.  You need to try things and see what works for you.

 

Sherrine

As far a pain relief, I get the most out of moist heat, like a really good jacuzzi with a ton of jets hitting my whole back and neck and then get in a good massage chair and let it work over the relaxed muscles. Or ten minutes in a steam sauna and doing a little stretching after things are loosening up will get rid of most of the pain for most of the day. Problem with that is that I have developed a heat intolerance and if I do either of these things I have to have a way to bring my core temperature down right afterward or I am walking around like I am drunk. The steam sauna also sucks all the energy out of me and I am sitting there like a limp dish rag all day if I do it in the morning, which of course is when I am the stiffist and need it the most.

But for pain relief, only moist to hot moist seems to help me. Funny thing though is that when summer comes on, I cannot tolerate anything over about 80 degrees and the hotter its getting outside, the farther I am turning that air conditioner down. Which seems to have more to do with heat disorientation from some unknown cause. Maybe its all the drugs I swallowed for this for so many years has completely messed up my bodies thermostat.

i can't use a heating pad or a bed buddy, since as soon as they touch me, i scream from pain, since they're hot. im very sensitive, and they don't help at all, and they only make the pain worse.

-Aliza