Heat intolerence - how sensitive are you?

[Sailorsong]

With all of the heat here lately I have been thinking about this a lot. For about 3 weeks we have had heat index highs over 100 with 4 days in a row over 110. Now is this was late July or August I would not be surprised but this is May and June. :( Needless to say I have been staying at home most of the time and only going out when needed.

Anyway up until I got this MS I loved hot weather, the hotter the better. 100 degrees and 85% humidity! No problem. loved it. Below 70 I would freeze. I always blamed that part of my on the fact I was born in Panama. LOL.

But since my heat intolerance started if it is warmer than 75 I am miserable. Aches and pains get worse, cognitive functions go to the dogs ( no offense meant to dog lovers ). In fact 60 degrees outside is now no problem. I'll be outside in a short sleeve shirt and jeans working in my yard. So year round I keep my home thermostat set to 70 during the day and 65 at night. I suspect my body temperature goes up while I sleep as I need to have my feet uncovered and the temp lower to keep from getting over heated.

So I'm curious as to if others heat tolerance has changed so dramatically and is their good temps are as low as mine are?

Mine would be 60-75 ( idea for cave living) LOL

Dennis

[drsdonthelp]

Thanks Dennis, I will check it out, I appreciate this so much!!

[Sailorsong]

Pam,

   I believe that in most states you can print the form in order to get a disability from the web site of what ever agency handles drivers licenses. You then fill out the part with your name etc and take it to your doctor to specify that you need the placard and signs it.

Once your doctor signs the form at least in TN you take it to your county clerk  office and they issue a placard/license plate.

Dennis

[kerrtelli]

Thanks.  I thought i needed a diagnosis for the sign.
Great info.  That's why I love the forum so much.
Kerri

[drsdonthelp]

That sounds wonderful!!!!!!!!! Thanks Dennis, I will have to mention this to my doc!!! :)
I hate when I have to walk far, over curbs, sloping sidewalks or roads, I stumble, trip, or look like I just can't get the feel of where I am going.
I am not blind, but ... I have optic nerve damage, double vision and I wear a prism in my glasses to help, (depends how tired I am if it works or not) The sun practically blinds me, my eyes want to close right up if its toooooo bright! LOL Not a pretty picture.
Pam

[Sailorsong]

Pam,

  You don't need to be driving to get a disability plate for a car,  You can get a disability tag to hang in a car you are a passenger in so that the driver can park in the disability parking spaces so that you can get around better.

Dennis

[drsdonthelp]

It's been very hot here this week, and all I want to do is go take a nap. I get very fatigued. Not sure if this heat is what's causing the twitching on the left side along with the left eye pain. I am not dx'd, still in limbo.

Dennis, I didn't know that a dr. can get a disability plate for your car. I am on disability. I am not driving right now due to eye problems, but when I am able to do short distant driving again, that would be nice to have. Thanks for that info.
Pam

[Sailorsong]

Kerri,

   You don't need to get your DX in order to get a disability sign for your car. All your doctor has to do is fill in a form saying you need the disability sign. I got my Disability plate for my car 3 years ago before any DX was made.

Dennis

[kerrtelli]

It is 98 degrees her in ct today and humid.  I feel the heat affect me the second I walk outside.  My brain fogged almost immediately.  I got in the car, ac cooled it off and my brain cleared a little.  My legs immediately stopped working.  I was almst dragging my feet until I got into the car and need my walker inside.  It's tough getting sick and not having control over any of it.

I guess this is my new normal until I get meds.  If the meds do anything,

Thanks for all the tips.  Especially Lulu with the energy bills.
As soon as i get diagnosed i am going to look for a disabled sign for my car and lower the bills.

Kerri

[essdipity]

Lu, the lack of sweating is a significant factor. Google some studies on autonomic system regulation and MS. Some PwMS perspire only on one side of the body, of all things.

The most important thing is for you to get that heat out.

ess

[SarahL2491]

ojibajo........my fan went out too and they wanted $$$, hubby went and bought the parts for $65 and the parts guy told him how to replace it.......Now I have 5 speeds again,,,,,,,,,yeah.

Lulu......thanks for the heads up on the reduced electric bill, did not know about that one!

I travel to the far North in the summer, can't handle the summer, sends me into total fatigue and breathing problems too along with cognitive disfunction......which drives my hubby, who would prefer Key West weather up a wall LOL

[Deb61]

My personal thermostat is also broken.  I can't handle extremes in heat or cold.  When I get to warm, I'm flushed, can't sweat, or get cooled off.  I stay that way for hours while everyone else I notice recoops.  I have a hard time seeing anything and walking.  

When I'm cold, I stay that way and have a heck of a time warming--then every muscle in my legs become spastic.  

What exactly causes our thermostats to break?  I wish I knew.  It's a real pain in the ars--especially when going on vacation.  I've ended up in an emergency room in a romote island off of Sicily once where no one spoke English because of a severe reaction to heat!  I finally spoke enough Italian in the little bit I know to tell them I had MS--got an IV and cold packs which cooled my internal temperature enough to get back on the boat headed to Sicily--where my father lives.  The boat was held just long enough for the nurse who was on the golf cart waiving at the boat captain.  Lesson learned.

Deb

[cainer]

i just cant- deal- with heat anymore- no way, it takes all my energy- and i love the outdoors- so i stay in- in the winter , you cant go out- now this!!  guess il be  one that doesnt go anywhere! urgg

[essdipity]

I never used to mind the summers much until 3 years ago, when my personal thermostat 'broke.'  I have a horrible time with plain ol' sweating, which makes me miserable. Have been walking my dog quite early to avoid the worst of it, but still, when I come in and read the paper, I'm a mess. Will leave out the ugly details.

Last year for the first time I had to run the AC 24/7 during the summer, and it cost me a mint, but I had no choice. And I hate having things all closed up like that. I'm at my most comfortable at about 65 degrees, but that gets way too expensive.

Now my AC is broken. Arrgh. I have a policy with a local outfit for furnace and AC, and supposedly that gives me priority service. Yeah, right. I had to wait from Monday till Saturday of last week for them to even show up, and when they did, I found out that a part had to be ordered, and it's still not fixed. Meanwhile it's HOT here.

As you can tell, I'm grouchy.

ess

[serenity402]

I too cannopt tolerste heat, myu body seems to do what it wants and even in the best of times when it is cool I feel hot so in the sumer mnonths I0feel terrible lile I'm gonna pass out, I get all fuzzy cxant concentrate etc, I wish I hd ac in my hom but unfort I cannot afford it so I leave my winddows open, whih is great in winter but in summer hell cause of the mozzies which literally carry me out if I expose any part of my body, so I sleep badly.
I am also thinking iof checking if they have any cooling vests available here ui south africa and ordering myself one

[Ojibajo]

I saw the tip on the fishing vest. I just wasn't sure if it would work with the pockets being on the outside. I was also worried about the bulk or that the thickness of the fishing vest would make me hotter. I obviously don't fish, since I have no idea what they are made out of. I spend quite a bit of time outside in the summer, so I will probably give it a try and see if it works.

[Lulu54]

@ojibajo - buy a fishing vest at a sporting goods store and stuff icepacks in the pockets as a low cost alternative to those fancy cooling items.  You can get some free through MS Foundation/MSAA websites.

everyone - see my note about living with summer and ms teleconference on tomorrow night.  Maybe they will have some new tips.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/MS-and-Summer-teleconference-Tuesday/show/1534158

[Ojibajo]

I'm not sure if I have heat intolerance or not. I definitely prefer summer over winter, but I went down to our local Festival of the Arts this past Saturday since my son had to dance and we spent some time down there so my son could do the kid's activities and I was MISERABLE! Of course it was 93, so I would think that most were not too comfortable. I also have hormone issues due to POSD so I am already prone to hot flashes and have had them since I was 26. (I'm 35 now.)

I have had the A/C in my house on almost non-stop since the temperatures went over 70. IIf the heat doesn't kill me, I'm sure my electric bill will. I always drive with my car AC on but my fan is going out so I need to get that fixed (More $$$$ that I don't have.) I wish fatigue wasn't such an issue and the economy didn't suck. I need 2 or 3 jobs just to pay for this stupid disease!

I do have a few neck wraps and I am going to invest in several more. I looked at the cooling vests and cooling packs but the only one that I could afford is one that you submerge in water and I don't want to walk around wet all the time. Also the description said it is better for those in low humidity climates. Michigan has very high humidity in the summer. Maybe I will just sew a terry cloth (unless I can think of a better material) or other vest and sew some pockets in it for ice packs.

[opie74]

The absolute worst thing is trying to get myself and youngins in the car and go places,.  With the outside temp around 100, the car is well over 120.  By the time that you get the car tollerable, you are at your destination and time to unload.  i added remote start to one of my cars, but the air is acting up and dwill not hardly cool off.  

I tell friends that if it is over 85, count me out.  honestly, if it is over 80, I will pay for any outside time later.

[Lulu54]

A note for eveyrone with a dx of MS - be sure to check with your local utility about medically necessary a/c and their reduced billing rate.  If you have questions , contact your NMSS chapter and ask them about any other assistance programs that might be around.  

[HVAC]

I have heat intolerance but little choice. Like everything else in my life with MS I so far just roll with it best I can. Our a/c is 80-85. I use cool water mostly. My breathing is the worst part.

Alex

[metalbender]

That is interesting Dennis...I've been reading that hot temps have a tendency to make ms symptoms worse...But for me, I can't take the cold!...I live in Spokane,WA and I haven't seen one day of 80 degrees this year..Today, lower 70's...I find 80's to be good for me...But 90's and higher are not good for me...No, the cold for me is far worse than the heat....

Michael

[Lulu54]

I'm with you for crawling into that cave - the temps would be perfect to me.  My car a/c temp is set on 68 to keep me comfortable.  

I didn't use to be bothered so much by the heat - that startred just a few years ago.  Funny, the one thing I don't seem to do much, even when overheated is sweat.  Sorry, for you in the south, that would be glisten because real ladies don't sweat! LOL

I think that hurts my ability to cool off and my temp seems to rise after I come inside from being out in the heat - I do get horribly flushed and red faced in the heat.

This year seems even worse - my symptoms are almost immediately triggered by the heat.  Perhaps we need to back up and find springtime?

I may have to break down and order  a cooling vest for myself.  
Lulu