Struggling with the heat!

Hi Mealmaker,

Welcome! I can't relate to your problem with heat, as cold is my problem (all year long.) It has to get up to the high 90s or more before it bothers me. But after being on this forum a long time, I know that you're definitely not alone.

Swelling and aching joints sounds like arthritis to me, but then again, I'm sure someone will be along shortly who knows more about this. That's what's really great about being here - lots of support and information!

Debbie

Mealmaker - Can I please come visit? Lol . It's -24 tonight and I have been in bed under the heating blanket most of the day. My body does well under the heat. I guess I really never get too hot and when I get to go on vacation I just soak it up. Hopefully you will get some great info to help you.

Hi Mealmaker,
I guess you live in southen Australia I am in south east Queensland and the weather here is perfect. I love the heat the hotter the better so living here is great mild winters and great summers. In fact at present we are using a light doona at night
I have friends who even in this mild weather are suffering.

Kathy

Many many thanks to you all for taking the time to answer my question.

* Achey body and Chutz - I have had a test for RA before however the current Dr I'm seeing wants me to have another test so I am booking in to the Rheumatologist soon. Hopefully I will get some answers although I'm really over the medical testing merry go round!!

* Ak angel - you are more than welcome to come visit me in Australia anytime!!! :) I'm sorry that the cold affects you and hope you keep nice and warm! i would give anything to be buried under a doona with my electric blanket on (best thing ever invented)!

* Amy - I'm also sorry that you are suffering too. Summer will be there soon and you can thaw out :) It was 40c today which is 104 farenheit - way too hot. Does it ever get that hot where you are?


* Kathydownunder - SouthEAst Qld would be such a beautiful place to live. I live by the beach (Melb). I can see you've been watching the weather reports - this heat is just about killing me. Once it gets above 25 I'm cactus. When you said that you had friends suffering too, may I ask what it is they're suffering from? Is it fibro, arthritis, the heat? If you're ever in Melb, feel free to drop by, it would be nice to meet a fellow sufferer :)

* Almostmedfree - From what I know about Florida, it gets pretty warm and correct me if I'm wrong, also humid? We have high humidity here and it's not nice unlike other parts of Australia that have a dry heat (I can cope with dry heat better - humidity sucks all the air out of me). My suggestion before you move would be to have at least a 2 week holiday in Florida before you decide if you want to move there. Our airconditioner only covers part of the house and not the bedroom so I still have to deal with the heat and unless I hibernate (which I try to do), I do have to head outside sometimes so the heat will still affect me. Moving can be costly and it could put a strain on your relationship if you get to Florida and are constantly suffering. I would love to hear either way how you go - best of luck to you :)

I'm in the Tampa area so that's central Florida.  We aren't quite as warm as southern Florida but pretty close.  Our heat and humidity lasts about 3 1/2 -4 months out of the year.  It usually hits the end of June and lasts until the middle of September then things start to cool down and the weather is perfect.  We do have a cold front coming through for the next couple of days so the temperatures will be in the mid to upper 50's but will be back in the mid 70's by the weekend.

 

The summers are the worst time for me but I am either in air conditioning or in the pool.  If I'm in the pool, I don't notice the humidity at all and am perfectly comfortable.  So, the heat and humidity aren't really an issue.  It you are hot in Florida, it's your own fault!  LOL  Everything is air conditioned here and there is water all around you. 

 

There isn't anyplace that will be perfect for fibro but Florida sure is close to it.  I used to live in northern Ohio and that REALLY affected the fibro!

 

Sherrine 

Thanks, mealmaker. I'll let you know how it goes. We are planning on heading down to the Florida area he'd like to live in during the summer to see how I do. I think we're going to stay there for 4 weeks.

Sherrine, my b/f is thinking of the Venice area. Is that much hotter than Tampa?

  Mealmaker

   The cold bothers my arthritis but the heat bothers my Fibo.      If I had to choose, I'd choose the cold!  I just feel worse when I'm hot.

Thanks, Sherrine.

Interesting to hear GlassOlive and Mealmaker that you feel better with the cold. I wonder GlassOlive if you live in a climate where it gets down to 20 degree F during the day?

When I get very cold which I try not to be, I feel very rigid and my pain increases bigtime. Sometimes I even tremble. I was never like that before.

Just a very random thought, and maybe (probably) way off track, but is there any chance the heat (perspiration, change in diet, etc) is affecting your electrolytes and other blood levels? In my very amateurish brain, I can imagine how that *might* account for a little swelling and aching.

43C here this week, and everyone is wrecked. I'm over summer already.

Ivy, in Aus too.

Hi Mealmaker,

I've got the perfect solution; you move here to Ontario, Canada, and my husband and I will move there . He's not huge on the heat, but can handle it. I on the other hand basically need heat to live/function .

We've actually had a serious 'what if' conversation about moving to California or maybe Arizona (mother-in-law wants to move there too ). The Canadian winters, though mild in the last few years, takes a toll on my poor body with the mild to suddenly yucky conditions. This winter I've had few breaks from pain, but that's thanks in part to the C. Diff. I'm fighting/recuperating from.

I'm sure us Fibromites figure it out in the end. If not, December 2012 is supposed to be the end of days, so who cares LOL!!

I find that both, cold and hot, affect me. I can't stand it when it's too hot and humid, I try to stay in the air conditioning whenever I can. But then if it's too cold, I get very stiff, and start aching all over. I know that if I put my hand in ice cold water, it sends a shooting pain all the way up my arm. But i'd take the cold over the hot any day, like you said, it's easier to get warm!

Welcome Mystie!!!  I'm sorry you've been diagnosed with Fibro however I do hope the diagnosis provides some answers for you and helps you work on what you can do to manage this condition

Like you, I am extremely heat sensitive.  And I too pray for the cooler weather.  I think if I get diagnosed with RA, I will have to move to Tasmania where it's just that little bit cooler.

I wish you all the best

Cheers  Lou