Does anyone else finds cold environment to be a life saver?

[MonkeyMan]

I cannot tolerate summer heat in my city Chennai and I have to spend the daytimes in my airconditioned bedroom. I also get an immediate boost in energy when I take bath. I think it involves both cooling of body and removal of salt deposit from sweat on my skin. I get energy boost during winter when I take a hot bath as it is always above 90% humidity in my city throughout the year.

@raghav I react the same way. Heat and (especially) humidity really aggravate my ME/CFS symptoms. Although now I'm starting to realize that it may be the low barometric pressure that is the biggest part of the problem. I feel much more energetic on dry, crisp, cool days, when the humidity is low and barometric pressure is high. I think this is probably connected to the poor blood flow ("sticky blood") that many of us patients have - the higher atmospheric pressure on cool, dry days helps to counteract that. The fact that there is more oxygen and less water in the air, thereby increasing the oxygen in our blood, is probably helping too.

This also correlates to how I (and many people, even if they don't have ME/CFS) feel throughout the day. Each day around 10 am, barometric pressure is at its highest, and I feel more energetic. Conversely, it is at its lowest around 4pm, which is when I feel most sluggish.

Similarly, I feel better if I have a fan blowing on me. Not sure if this is because of all the oxygen the fan is sending my way, the air pressure that the fan creates, or both.

And I would argue the same phenomenon occurs when we take baths or showers - they cause a dramatic (although temporary) increase in blood flow (and therefore oxygen delivery), and we feel better.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Although now I'm starting to realize that it may be the low barometric pressure that is the biggest part of the problem.

the higher atmospheric pressure on cool, dry days helps to counteract that. The fact that there is more oxygen and less water in the air, thereby increasing the oxygen in our blood, is probably helping too.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here.

Although the body can adjust the oxygen-carrying properties of the blood to adjust to changes in atmospheric pressure, it takes a couple days for this to occur. So sudden drops in atmospheric pressure (or more specifically sudden drops in the partial pressure of oxygen) can reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood temporarily, albeit slightly.

This is most clearly seen in the case of neuropathic pain. For some reason, sudden drops in blood oxygen, even small ones, increase neuropathic pain. This is why, stereotypically, old ladies can claim "rain is coming, I can feel it in my bones!" What happens is that the low-pressure atmospheric front that typically comes before a rainstorm increases the neuropathic pain.

 

[Booble]

I have a strange relationship to heat and cold. I get too cold in cold environments. I moved (for unrelated reasons) years ago to a tropical climate. It's hot and humid which I like, but definitely makes me more sluggish. If I go into AC I feel better, but then too cold! I think that's why I like evenings. The temperature and humidity seem to get right to the right level for me.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

This also correlates to how I (and many people, even if they don't have ME/CFS) feel throughout the day. Each day around 10 am, barometric pressure is at its highest, and I feel more energetic. Conversely, it is at its lowest around 4pm, which is when I feel most sluggish.

This is really, really nteresting, and new information to me. Than you for this !!!

Similarly, I feel better if I have a fan blowing on me. Not sure if this is because of all the oxygen the fan is sending my way, the air pressure that the fan creates, or both.

I've always preferred to have moving air around me, long before ME, but it seems to be even more essential now, if that's possible ....

 

[raghav]

Maybe the hypothalamus is confused and sluggish, because of which it is not able to regulate body vitals.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Maybe the hypothalamus is confused and sluggish,

Well, it's just going to have to join the rest of my organ systems, who dont seem to know up from down either.

Bummer.

 

[gregh286]

Maybe the hypothalamus is confused and sluggish, because of which it is not able to regulate body vitals.

Exactly.
It can't sustain a normal body temperature....
Normal HR or BP.......energy equilibrium........hormone balance.......blood sugar contol etc....immune balance. Thats just the first few.

We actually have nearly every autonomic disorder going.
Totally f$%ked up ANS.

..

 

[MonkeyMan]

This is really, really nteresting, and new information to me. Than you for this !!!

You bet! Another fact: air pressure outdoors is usually higher than indoors. So if you feel better outside (like I do), this could be why.

 

[raghav]

Hypothalamus is the physical link between the nervous system and the endocrine system. Unfortunately Endocrinologists dont know anything about this. When my thyroid, testosterone and adrenal fatigue all set in around the same time within a matter of few months I asked the endo and he said we do only HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) These idiots dont know anything other than HRT.

Prusty in one of his presentations said usually the latest research first has to be validated and then replicated and then studied and then treatments tried out and then it reaches medical textbooks. He says this time lag is usually 25 years approx. Now that we have internet we get to know the latest research immediately and hence the specialist doctors look like fools fumbling in front of us, which is also the truth in ME/CFS.