Effects of cold water - for Girlie (and others ;)

Hi Girlie,

I remember reading a thread recently wherein one poster mentioned feeling much better after taking a dip in a cold water lake and you were wondering why.....as was I :)

Well, I was reading the detox section of the Tired of Lyme site and, lo and behold, our answer is listed under the 35th detox suggestion:

www.tiredoflyme.com/detox-methods.html

"Shower (cold)

Jumping into a cold shower forces the muscles to contract, which in turn moves toxins along to be processed. It also opens the arteries allowing a fresh supply of blood to infiltrate the organs

Once jumping into a cold shower, it takes about a minute for the body to adjust and become comfortable. 3 minutes in the shower will suffice

Warning: Make sure the environment you'll endure after a cold shower allows the body temperature to rise."

I've taken 2 cold-water showers recently when herxing and am thrilled to report that it really helped me feel better - yay :)

That's interesting. I usually take a fairly warm shower and finish with a cool rinse and feel better the rest of the day.

I'm with traveler. I cannot tolerate cold at all! But I am happy if it helps you.

Wow...it's funny because I was apprehensive about going for the swim in the cold lake...because I have low tolerance for the cold weather ...so I thought I would be miserable after...but I felt great. After the first one, I thought...perhaps it was a coincidence and I would have had a good day anyway.

We've gone to the lake three times (maybe 4???) this summer and each time I have felt good for several hours after....

Thanks, CD for posting - and validating it.

Well, hubby wants to go to the lake for a swim this afternoon...and I'm feeling quite sore today, so I will see if I feel good again after...hope so.
It is really hard for me to get in and dunk though.. my husband is in swimming around...and I'm only up to my knees...lol....but once I'm in...it feels so good...and the gentle exercise is great.

I've gone swimming at tha lake the past two days and it feels really good in the cold water.

And the effects last for a few hours.

This is interesting. I love a hot bath. I am so relaxed in the heat I fall asleep! I am tense in the cold. My muscles do tense up but my joints ache. I hate air conditioning. I love getting into a hot car after work. I wonder why some can tolerate cold and some hot??

Purple Tulip said...
This is interesting. I love a hot bath. I am so relaxed in the heat I fall asleep! I am tense in the cold. My muscles do tense up but my joints ache. I hate air conditioning. I love getting into a hot car after work. I wonder why some can tolerate cold and some hot??

This was always me too, Purple Tulip!

I have been finding cool water very refreshing lately. I have a lot of nerve pain and heat intolerance. I thought that the cold water would aggravate my pain, but it did not at all. I used to love Summer prior to my heat intolerance. Now, I'm really looking forward to Fall.

@sunfun, I have been looking into heat intolerance. A number of things can cause it, including, among other causes, thyroid issues, Babesia and mold toxicity. I also think histamine issues can cause it based on what I have seen and I'm pretty sure that I have histamine problems. The heat aggravates my pain and then I get very nauseated. I don't recall having anything like this last Summer prior to starting treatment even though I had Lyme and Co then. Sorry. I don't mean to go on a tangent. Maybe a cold bath would help you if you can't tolerate sun exposure.

Thanks Trav. What did the heat do to you? Did it aggravate your pain or make you nauseated?

My doc says that the bugs can definitely cause it. I hope to find the right treatment for it because it is brutal. I can get cold / chills too and walk around wrapped in blankets, but it is nothing compared to the heat intolerance. I feel like moving somewhere where it is cold because I can add layers at least.

Sorry for going off topic here. Maybe it is time for a swim. :)

I can deal with hot showers (especially in the winter) but I don't why I have low tolerance for humidity. If the sun is beating down on me for a while, I pay for it later. I noticed the weakness it causes last summer but I think I've become even more intolerant this summer. Such a bummer because I've wanted to go to the beach, summer festivals and other events outdoors but nope, not happening. I attribute it to Lyme. My Hashimotos is quite mild and I'm not on medication for it.