intense sun, heat and tx

Looking for experience and/or advice from those who live in an area where blinding sun and searing heat can be dangerous to even the healthiest individual.   Life in the desert.   Life on the coast.   How do people react to severe sun and heat while on Interferon and Ribavirin?  What type of difficulties do folks face?     Your story,  information and suggestions welcome.

[Fl_Gator]

Stay out of the sun...

I had trouble with the heat while on tx...still do 6 months post tx but it seems to be getting better. Heat seems to cause more fatigue.

[charm27]

I couldnt be in the heat more more than a minute on tx. I just made it from the car to the house. Just made me weaker than I was.

Not a good thing at all.

Charm

[Isobella]

I stayed totally out of the sun since last July when I started tx.  It just made me uncomfortable. Everything felt hotter. I have become a huge fan of the beach in the evenings and early mornings.  I garden at dusk. Yard work....not since last year.

Early in tx, my sweat would irritate my skin and make me itch.  Pretty soon tho, I stopped sweating, so that problem didn't last too long. Heat intolerance was worse in the beginning, also.  I just adjusted my schedule. Now that I am almost done, it doesn't seen to be bothering me....I've even started sweating again.

In the past 2 weeks, I have sat in the sun for about 30 minutes at 10 am and have not had any problems.

But so far our highs have only been in the upper 80's low 90's.....ask me again in July, lol!!

[annieCinMD]

You all just talked me out of going to see my friend in Florida this summer! I used to live there and I know how hot it gets. I'm dreading having to take my kid to the pool this summer. Well, at least my central air is finally working right, and I blew all the dust out of my fans today. I use them when it's 20 degrees outside. Need a cool bedroom.

[susan400]

My experience w/it is slightly colored...., but all I can say from my personal experience is stay out of the sun....    If you absolutely can't control your urge to not stay our of the sun, I would say where a very strong sunscreen and keep your skin covered and stay well hydrated.  Rockerforlife will for sure be saying to only use natural sunscreens, but Canada sun is NOT Florida sun...., not even comparable, a totally different creature altogether.  Whenever you get closer to the equator the sun is more intense and you burn much faster.

Susan400

[newleaf09]

I don't have the interferon sensitivity to sun.  You may not either, but heat bothers everyone, especially those who are weak or old.  You'll need even more water and I'm sure perspiration is going to aggravate the rash.  If you have to be out in the heat, buy one of those big stupid-looking hats and work on the nerve to wear it.  Long, loose, light-colored cotton clothes will dry out quicker and keep the heat of the direct sun off your skin.  Think like a bedouin.

[PrettyPoisonNoMore]

I live in the very deep south and started treatment a couple of weeks before Katrina hit where I live.  I had no electricity for more than a week and it was late August and the temperatures were in the 90's.  It was misery.  I had more trouble with the heat later in treatment, but I still cut the grass, went to work, but the heat and high humidity certainly affected how I felt.  I think the humidity affected how I felt more than the heat because it made it harder breathing.  Sun can do bad things to skin when taking interferon, so it is important to cover up.  I wore fishing shirts with 45 SPF in the fabric.  It was light weight and cool.

[Rockerforlife]

Maybe i should design and patent some sort of reflective  protection suit against the suns rays

[annieCinMD]

Humidity definitely makes the heat harder on you. The coastal part of Florida where I used to live is actually more bearable than the Chesapeake Bay area is in a heat wave. At least you have a breeze. When we get a heatwave here, it just hangs over the bay and stagnates. It's darn miserable. But, I'm still staying away from Florida this summer! I've never been to Arizona where it's very dry, but I think I might like it.

[newleaf09]

On Arizona: I've lived in Colorado and the standing joke is "yeah but it's a DRY heat"; kind of like putting your head in an oven.  Dry cold is more bearable but hot is just hot.  You can't do anything to alleviate misery after you've stripped off all your clothes.