HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Do you think where you live/ your weather affects fibro?

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 11/1/2009 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
 I was wondering where people are located and if some have more trouble than others with the weather. I have moved around a lot and have lived in  NY  for 5 yrs now. I have a real hard time with the fall and especially the winter, but who's to say that my fibro has just gotten worse over the years and it is not the weather? I did do a 3 month stint in Miami a couple of years ago and had  more energy being in the sun and less pain but I don't know if that was just because I didn't happen to have a flare at that time or if it was due to climate. Any opinions on this? Is there really anywhere better for fibro than others? I hope this makes sense. I am having a flare right now and am in pain and my mind refused to work for me smilewinkgrin   I am dreading the winter and am ready to run for the hills but of course who's to say the hills wouldn't be worse. Yikes! Opinions?.....

Ps.  I am so thilled to have found this board! Finally someone understands! Thanks so much!

Posted 11/1/2009 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Shar, and welcome to the family. It is very nice to have you have, just sorry for the reason. Yes, this is one place where everybody understands!! We have ppl here from all over the US and many other countries. Fibro snakes it tentacles all over the world. We all wonder if there is some 'Perfect' place to live, but every place has its drawbacks.

I've had FMS since I was a baby and yet I wasn't dx w/ this till '06, no one connected the dots to come up w/ an answer. I had to find my own answer and diagram it for my former dr.

I have lived in NJ my whole life, along the coast since I was 3. I love where I live - except when it gets cold, dank, rainy, miserable, you know, like it is today. turn   Actually, most of this yr has been rainy, cool, damp, ick!! We had summer for about 3 days this yr, just not consecutively. mad   I need more warmth, NOW.

I have been in a flare since mid-August, sick w/ the flu that morphed into bronchitis and refuses to leave me since the beginning of October. As mush as I love 'Jersey', if I could find that piece of Heaven right now, I would be on my way - right after I told all of you where it is - of course!

I heard that this winter is going to be rough, not what I wanted to hear. I do hope the weatherman is sooo wrong.

Hope you feel better soon!!

God bless.  Alice.

Posted 11/1/2009 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
Alice,
I know! We didn't get a summer at all this year which makes the dreaded winter seem so much worse. I guess I was just wondering if fibro was a good excuss to move to a tropical beach and spend my days lounging on the sand in the sun. Any excuss sounds good when you know that the white stuff is coming! hahaha Now how am I going to get my husbund to believe that it is necessary? hmmm..teehee
Posted 11/1/2009 8:20 PM (GMT 0)

Hi...I live in central NY...right smack dab in the snow belt and about 10 miles from Lake Ontario.  I grew up here but lived in VA for thirteen years then returned 6 years ago.  The heat and humidity in VA Beach was not kind to my fibro.  As a matter of fact, that was where I was dx'd.  The cold here is just as bad. So....I guess Hawaii with a nice 72 degree average?  Don't know.  I think extreme temperatures either way affect us.

Donna

Posted 11/1/2009 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
Well I'd like to comment on your stint in Miami.

They say that when we stay indoors, we lose our vitamin D and low levels of Vit D are associated with higher degrees of pain. Hence, if you were in the sun a good bit in Miami, perhaps your vit D level was higher than usual and that is why you were feeling better. Just a theory!

about the weather, right before it rains, I hurt like crazy and as soon as it starts to fall, I feel relief. This has proven to be the case over and over again. So, I know there is validity in this reasoning.

By the way, I live in Florida and stay indoors most of the time. I just had my vit D level checked and it was a little on the low side. I'm taking supplements now.

Have a Blessed day and welcome to the forum


Lindaloo
Posted 11/1/2009 10:45 PM (GMT 0)
I'm originally from the Midwest.   Migraines and sudden flares always started with a weather change.  I would wake up in the middle of the night so sick and I knew before looking outside that it was raining or foggy.  Now I live in a very hot dry climate in Ca.  We maybe had about an inch of rain this year.  Temps were 100 plus for a big part of this summer.  But every time it gets cloudy over the mountains by us or if their is a wind storm coming I get as sick as I would in the Midwest with rain/snow.  I know the barometric pressure plays a big part in how I feel.  Of course I am happy not to have to experience snow anymore.  But if the temp drops to 50 at night I'm freezing.  Guess my blood has gotten thinner. :-)

 

Posted 11/1/2009 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I am unaccustomed to the snow coming from the south and the northwest. My blood has yet to thicken and not sure if I want it to. Of course when I go down to Louisiana to visit, I can only go during the winter because the humidity wipes me out. And the constant rain of Washington/Oregon affected my SAD pretty badly. Sigh, Oh why does Hawaii have to be so unaffordable?
Posted 11/1/2009 11:21 PM (GMT 0)
I live in Australia and we have had the slip slop slap here for a long time that is slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat.

But they have now discovered that we are not getting enough sunlight. So now they are telling people that spending small amounts of time in the sun early morning and of late afternoon, getting the sun on your face hands and arms are where you get the best adsorbson on your body. They tell us that we are getting sick from the lack of sun light can make you very sick.. One Doctor told me I needed to take Vitamin D tablets, after I asked for a blood test first it was discovered my leves are great. 10 mins in the sun gives you 1,000 mil of vitamin D. So now that is how I get what my body needs.

Kathy

Fms, chronic fatigue, IBS, migraine

Posted 11/2/2009 4:07 AM (GMT 0)
It sounds like there is good and bad everywhere. Too much cold, too much humidity, not enough sun... on and on. I live in Michigan. There is a lot of cold and a lot of humidity too. I tend to agree that the barometric pressure has a lot to do with it. And yes, vitamin D3.

I am under florescent lights most of the day when working and I really believe that it is helping some. Unless it is just going to work that is helping. I am able to be around people where I wasn't before. So that is good. I am happy to be able to work now. It has been years that I have been cooped up because of fibromyalgia.

So yes, I agree that the weather conditions as to where we live does effect us a lot. Maybe we could get together and build a biodome where the weather would be perfect. What a thought!

Hugs to all,

Karen
Posted 11/2/2009 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
I live in southcentral Alaska and have been miserable for the better part of a year. Even in June when we get 21+ dry hours of straight pure sunlight it is not "right" for me. It gets very cold and dry, a lot of the time, humid of course when it snows or rains, but in general this climate makes me feel icky. I love heat and humidity, and am considering a move back to the East Coast somewhere humid, that gets a fair amount of warmth, like long summers. (I'm from new England.) I can tolerate a mostly-dry cool winter. But I believe I am sickest when I spend too much time indoors.

I agree about being outside. I feel terrible if I am inside day after day after day, which I am in the winter here because I dislike walkiing on ice and snow (mostly ice). When I was south Florida last year I felt great - spent a lot of time outside walking around. As a rule I don't ever like air conditioning.
Posted 11/3/2009 6:16 AM (GMT 0)
Medium-dry heat is the best thing ever for me. Humidity is hellish for me, and cold just makes me ache. If it is too arid, though, I get uncomfortable. But I would love to try out the southwest for awhile, probably along the Pacific because I'm used to living on the water. Not looking forward to moving to Minnesota for graduate school... if I even get in, that is.

Hooray for Jersey girls, Alice!

-Sandi
Posted 11/3/2009 8:38 PM (GMT 0)
The weather definately effects my joints. Whether it's the fibro or the arthritis I'm not sure. Right now it is hailing outside
and pretty good sized ones too. I live in central NY not too far from Vesta and if you don't like the weather just wait
10 minutes and it'll change. I don't mind the cold and don't wear a winter coat unless it's 20 or so. Usually I have on
a T-shirt, long sleeved shirt and a heavy hoodie. I love the summer as I'm an outdoor baby. Since I get out of work at
2 in the afternoon I have all day long to lounge or to mow the grass with my pushmower. The workout does me good
and I feel much better because of it. I find if I sit a lot I stiffen up.
Nana Monster
Posted 11/3/2009 10:57 PM (GMT 0)
I am presently living in Northwest Arkansas, but also lived in Georgia, Tennessee,
Michigan and Wisconsin. Don't know if there is a perfect place to live with fibro.

Besides my fibro, I have arthritis, lupus and scleroderma, so I also have skin and joint issues. Luckily, I am not also sun sensitive like many people who have lupus.

My body cannot handle cold, damp or rainy weather. In Arkansas the summers can get
into the high 90's- low 100's and my body loves the heat. I tolerate the Summer better
than any other season. In the Spring I have allergies that really get my body flaring.
The Fall and Winter are milder than Wisconsin but if the sun isn't shining and it is raining,
I am usually flaring. I also have Raynauds so my hands turn blue when it is cold, so
it isn't unusual for me to wear gloves when it gets below 55 degrees.

I guess our tolerance to weather is as individual as we are.

Robin
Posted 11/4/2009 12:38 AM (GMT 0)
I lived in Connecticut up until about 9 years ago. I now live in the Southwest. It is sooo much better here with the fibro. I have far more good days than bad. The weather is pretty consistent so I don't flare too often. Most people don't realize that I have a problem, I can pass for "healthy" most of the time. I still have a lot of problems with fibro-fog but my pain isn't too bad.

Whenever I go back to Connecticut, I end up in pain and miserable.
Posted 11/4/2009 9:28 AM (GMT 0)
I know the place everyone is looking for! Arizona/New Mexico area.
We have a group on Facebook that asked this exact question and more then 300 responses!
Here is what it came down to... wet is bad.. cold is bad.. humidity is bad.
The best place for this group was the Arizona/New Mexico area. They don't get cold.. hardly any rain and the humidity is pretty low compared to Florida because there is not much water in the area for it to be humid.
My grandmother moved there 5 years ago from Wisconsin for health reasons...and WOW what a difference it was for her. She always had to stay inside in the cold winter and humid months here in WI. Now she is out golfing almost everyday!
I have already told my hubby, when retirement comes we are selling the house and getting 2 trailers.. one here in WI for the summer months and one in AZ for the winter months!! As I am only 34.. it will be a while :(
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply