I've read that one aspect of Lyme, which may not affect everyone, is that it hijacks the endocrine system in some respects and drives down the body temp. The nasty little bugs like it cool, I guess. (I picture them hiding out in a cool, dark bar in the bad part of town, hoisting brews and chuckling over the mischief they make.)
My body temp has been in the 96s as long as I've had this, but occasionally when I feel good, I also feel my temp rise slightly, which is promising. If the bugs like it chilly inside, maybe that's one reason saunas and hot baths are helpful ... it kills the little beggars, at least the ones out running around and not encysted.
Lyme affects people differently, and no two people's cases are alike.
I do have heat tolerance, though it is much improved now compared to before treatment. I always felt a bit out of place having it, as so many others post about the therapeutic benefits of heat (hot bath, sauna), so it was my impression that only a minority or subset of Lyme patients have this.
Before treatment, a shower that got too hot for too long would literally knock me down to the point where I would have no choice but to go back to bed. Getting into a car on a hot day made my whole face "light up" with paresthesias. It is getting much better now.
Interesting what you say about a too-hot shower/bath knocking you down -- now that you say it, I remember feeling that way when I was early-on ill and really a toasted mess.
So indeed not only are different people different, but the same people at different times are different.
O Lyme.
So do any of you feel the cold this seems to be my problem I feel chilly very often, like in the morning even when its warm and if the temperature drops my hands are like ice, I have had raynauds for a good while...I dont feel bad in the heat but it does make the rashes worse.
I also have Raynaud's when I'm exposed to cold. I have never tolerated heat very well so I can't say if it's related to lyme or not.
Heat intolerance is usually a sign of a co-infection such as Babesia. I would sweat all the time until I was diagnosed and put on Mepron
Amy from NJ
I don't have a heat intoloerance, but I don't tolerate the cold very anymore at all, which is bad for where I live. I have more flareups in the cold months than during the hot months. I can't stand being cold! I won't even use the airconditioning unless the temp is over 100 outside. The chill of the AC just makes me worse.