Zero Tolerance for Heat

[leela]

Over the years, this symptom has gotten worse and worse. After reading a bit of Cheney's writing about vasoconstriction and low blood volume, I understood a bit better
why I went from someone who *loved* the heat (at least in a drier climate) to someone who becomes completely incapacitated and debilitated when the temperature starts rising.

Lately it's been in the nineties where I live, and my upstairs dwelling has no climate control. It has been getting up to 86 indoors, at which point I am splayed out like a corpse with three fans aimed at me and ice packs rotating strategic locations on my person.

Does anyone else get this, have more info, answers, or strategies? Thank heaven the heat is less today. I feel vaguely human again.

 

[Carrigon]

Heat lowers blood pressure and can trigger POTS symptoms. I don't feel good in the heat anymore. Really, all you can do is stay by an air conditioner or the fans and try to stay cool.

 

[Dreambirdie]

I'm sorry you are being toasted by the recent very warm weather.

I do pretty well in heat, as long as I'm not getting too much direct sun exposure and am not exerting myself, so I can't offer a lot of advice.

Getting a good dose of electrolytes, like emergen-C lite and coconut water, is always helpful for me if I get overheated. Other than that, maybe sleeping outside in the backyard would work. I used to do that years ago when my house got too hot inside.

 

[MEG]

Leela,

Many of us absolutely cannot tolerate heat! The same thing with MS patients. MS patients often wear "cooling vests", but they can be expensive. If you have the money, you might find one very helpful. When I worked with athletes, (auto racing) we always used cool vests on the drivers, plus hydration, and more hydration.

Plenty of water, plus electrolytes. I like Emergen-C, half electrolyte mix and half water. So, that would mean 1 cup water added to 1 cup Emergen-C drink. Avoid things like full strength Gatorade,(mix with half water) and Red Bull is a NOOOOOOO!!!! Avoid big meals and heated foods if you are feeling really hot...light meals, cooling foods.

Can you get an air conditioner...maybe save up for one if you need to? For me, the heat tolerance has never gotten better.

Dreambirdie, I do LOVE the idea of sleeping outdoors!!!! I have a deck that is 27 feet off the ground, and I used to put a single mattress out to sleep on....divine! Then my black bear visited me on the deck one night....indoors now!!!!

 

[caledonia]

This is a symptom of adrenal fatigue. Prior to treatment, anything over 80 degrees and I started to feel sick. At outdoor summer events I've come close to fainting several times and actually did faint one time and had to go to the ER.

Now I actually enjoy summer and sweat like I'm supposed to, but I still need to be careful. I use a cool neck scarf (one of those scarfs with the water crystals inside). They are very cheap, you can get them online. You soak it in water until it puffs up, then you tie it around your neck. It stays cool and wet for hours. This works better for me than a cooling vest and is cheaper, easier to carry and looks more normal if you have to be in public.

Is there any way you can get an air conditioner? In my area, they give out fans for the elderly and poor. Not sure about air conditioners, but I wouldn't be surprised. It sounds like you would qualify for something like this.

 

[Nielk]

I have zero tolerance for anything right now.

 

[caledonia]

I forgot to add - call 211 to see about the air conditioner. 211 will connect you with social services and it's now in most areas of the US.

 

[Sushi]

Lately it's been in the nineties where I live, and my upstairs dwelling has no climate control. It has been getting up to 86 indoors, at which point I am splayed out like a corpse with three fans aimed at me and ice packs rotating strategic locations on my person.

Does anyone else get this, have more info, answers, or strategies? Thank heaven the heat is less today. I feel vaguely human again.

I've been using a cooling vest for outdoors for several years and find it very helpful. But they don't stay cold long enough for indoor use. When I lived in Florida I sometime wore a wet bathing suit inside to help with keeping cool.

Best,
Sushi

 

[Persimmon]

Does anyone else have more difficulty with some forms of heat than with others?

I used to love open fires, but now they give me nasty headaches (unless I stay on the far side of the room). Some other forms of heating are similarly problematic. I'm also more vulnerable than I used to be to prolonged exposure to direct sunlight on clear, hot days.

I haven't been able to work out the logic of these experiences. It seems that both (i) radiant heat of any kind and (ii) "generous" artificial heating (for me, an over-heated room) cause me problems... but I don't understand why these heat scenarios are worse than other heat scenarios. Any explanation would be welcome.

 

[MEG]

Did not know about 211....good info to store in my foggy brain

Sushi...I want to live in ABQ

 

[Sushi]

Sushi...I want to live in ABQ

Ha! Albuquerque is a huge relief after Florida. Dry heat in the daytime and cools down into the 60's at night. I am high up near a mountain and only get direct sun in the early morning. Haven't had to turn on the AC yet!

AND, no hurricanes!

Sushi

 

[TinyT]

People with autonomic dysfunction have trouble regulating their body temperature. So POTS and OI are forms of dysautonomia and any aspects of your autonomic nervous system (temp regulation, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, sweating) can be thrown out of whack.

I know some people find cooling vests, use of ice packs and air con helpful.

Make sure you stay really hydrated and try electrolyte drinks/rehydration mix (with salt ++++, only if your BP is not hypertensive).

I feel the cold really easily and get cold extremities. BUT since my POTS has been getting worse and worse I find I have really poor temp regulation. I get hot & overheated easily when I try to use heaters, heat packs etc to warm up. It also takes me ages to warm up or cool down. I also get hot flushes when my POTS is aggrevated (probably side effect of excess noradrenaline?)

 

[taniaaust1]

Im just okay with it now but i used to be very heat sensitive (I passed out in my house on a few occassions due to heat.. scary as I got to the point where I was thinking it was going to kill me).

I used to sleep in bathtub to keep cool or cover myself in bed with wet towels during the night. Wearing ones clothes wet too can help.

 

[Smygen]

I drink alot of water, to stay cool.

I've been getting reactions from heat for as long as i can remember. But the weird thing is that i could sit in a sauna that was to hot, that everyone else left. I could sweat like a pig, while my feet were ice cold

So i could take that heat (then, not now i guess). But as soon as i got heat from the sun, or direct sunlight, i got overheated.

I have had golden staffylicocks all the time. They go for my vit-d, and have drained me from that. So i guess the reason why i got really bad in direct sunlight, was that the staffs got food then. Always gave me a "sunrash", after being in the sun.

They should be gone now, after some weeks on antibiotics.
The test i got results back from yesterday showed no staffs left. So i took off the bandages and went out in the sun for a few minutes. (Have had a severe rash on both of my arms, for about half a year, after being 15 min in the sun. It's almost gone now)
A few hours after that, my almost gone rash, exploded

So got some antivirals (Veltrax, i think) to try. My doc have been monitoring thas closely, and was not happy about going off on holiday now. She wanted a more close follow up than she could give.
But i'm happy about having a doc that cares. We will figuere this out. Not like my other doc, that just asks :"How do we feel today", and looks towards the clock

 

[Tristen]

Yes, I have major heat intolerance. It's one of those symptoms, like PEM, that has become progressively worse over the years. My activity tolerance boundary greatly decreases in heat. I think it's a core body temp issue, because anything from sunshine, to a hot shower can do it if I stay hot too long. I think it's a common symptom of me/cfs. MS has been ruled out.