(More) Q's about Heat Intolerance

[wonko]

Hi All,

I tacked some heat intoleracne Q's at the bottom of another recent post about suanas, but I was late to the party and don't think anyone saw them.  So here's a new thread for my Q's.

Can conditions other than nerve damage cause heat intolerance?  In particular, does anyone know if inflammation, whatever the cause, can also cause heat intolerance?

As some regulars may know, for about 1 year, my sx were mostly neurological in nature, but now I have extensive musculoskeletal involvement.  The only consensus among my doctors is that throughout, I've shown signs of inflammation (through blood work since Jan, and for the last month or so through puffy joints).  I'm just wondering if this systemic inflammation (of yet undetermined origin) could be repsonsible for my heat intolerance?

Q#2:  My heat intolerance also changed over time.  In Jan, I had no problem.  By March, I'd get more tingling and other heightened paresthesias from heat.  Now, heat just totally wipes me out, makes me feel flu-like, and intensifies a nauseous feeling that I've been having more and more.  I'm just wondering if others can relate to these sorts of changes.

As I've mentioned, my body is cranky and also repsonds badly to cooler temperatures.  But in different ways.  The cold makes my joint pain and stiffness worse, and also makes my legs get crampy.

All moaning aside, I've been trying to take good care of myself and am waiting to pursue my health concerns with a new doctor (since my PCP literally told me she's given up).  I still don't have answers, but I am fortunate that my answer does not seem to be MS.  But ya'll are so helpful and knowlegeable, I hope I can still get some advice (and support) here from time to time!

Thanks!
~W

[wonko]

yes, I've gotcha on the hyper and hypo prefixes, I was just relating what you said to my recent labs.  I think I am looking at the hypo end of things.  Lately I'm very sluggish and heavy feeling.  I'm being (or trying to be!) very careful about my calories until I learn more.

Thanks!

[Quixotic1]

I was referring to high thyroid function - Hyper - thyroidism, which also can be associated with antithyroid antibodies.  And often damage to the thyroid gland starts out by being too active and then it "burns out" or is further destroyed causing the thyroid to shut down.

When the thyroid is too active - you tend to be heat intolerant because the body's metabolism is accelerated and you generate more heat in the body.  The reflexes are brisk, the pulse rate is high and often the person has a fine tremor and is anxious.

Low thyroid - you tend to be cold intolerant, sluggish, delayed and low reflexes.  The person feels fatigued, slow in thought and depressed.

Quix

[wonko]

Hyperthyroidism, eh?  My most recent blood work showed elevated thyroid antibodies, which, in the <30 sec. phone call from the doc, I think has to do with hypothyroidism.  My vit D is low too, but I'm still waiting to get the full report and to get opinions about what it all may mean.  My thyroid stuff was all normal as recently as July, so I'm hoping it was a screwy result.

You did help a lot.  I never heard of heat intolerance before all of "this" and am interested to learn that yes, other conditions can cause this annoying sensitivity.

Thanks!

[Quixotic1]

Hi, there!  I don't know all the answers to your questions.  In terms of what other disorders can cause heat intolerance, certainly hyperthyroidism can.  And I would assume that many others can also.  I do think, overall, it is more common to be uncomfortable in the cold, which is why so many older people chose to live in the Sunbelt.

It would be interesting to see if people with autoimmune inflammatory disorders, like lupus feel better in the heat or cold.

Heat, in general, makes me feel weaker and very, very irritable.  It slows my thinking and makes me pretty intolerant of EVERYTHING.  I crave cool.  I keep the house at 67 degrees and literally freeze my poor family out.  I can handle it to about 71 if I'm not moving around.  My elderly parents kepp their house at 75 and I'm sick within a half an hour.  What a wet blanket!

But, I have heard plenty of our MSers talk about the problems with real cold - increasing spasms and spasticity, increasing pain and stiffness.

So, I don't know how much that helps your questions.

Quix

[Wobbly]

Hi there... can't answer that question, but can say when I get out of a shower and it was too hot...I feel sick, off balance more and my vision is worse... it lasts for a few hours then I feel back to how I'm normally feeling... which still could be ??  

I'm still waiting for results and getting Neg for things except Iron... which I'm taking supplements for now.. ?  I go for a VEP tomorrow.

Hope you are well otherwise...take care
wobbly
undx

[Fluffysmom]

I don't have the answers to your questions, wonko, but I can definitely sympathize.  I used to love walking long distances in hot weather, loved to sweat; now it makes me weak and sick.

You might remember that I'm undiagnosed and have multiple health issues.

Cold gives me heart palpitations, muscle cramps, aches, and what feels like tendons or ligaments tightening up.  I was at an evening soccer game, and my knees got really cold.  They really ached (see my history of several knee surgeries, arthritis), and when I got up to leave, I had shooting pains all around, like in the quadriceps and patellar tendons, and possibly where some of the nerves were damaged during surgery.  I could harldy walk; got lost in the crowd for a while before my friend noticed I was missing, and she's the one that need a knee replacement!

Oh, when I was going to my water aerobic class, I had to wear a rash-guard shirt to keep my shoulders warm, because they would ache terribly in the cold water.  My legs and especially my feet would cramp in class, too.  After reading Rena's other post about getting cramps in her calves and feet while riding the bike, I don't know if the cramps were from the cold, or the exercise; they usually happened towards the end of the hour of class.  Hmmm....

I tried the jacuzzi in San Diego, thinking it felt cooler because it was in a warmer climate.  It was, but before long, I was sitting on the edge, feeling weak and nauseous, and toddled over and got in the nice, cool pool.  I did a fair amount of walking there, but the temp. was in the low 70's, I moved fairly slowly, and took plenty of breaks.  Oh, and drank plenty of delicious water!

Rena, as for getting warm while exercising, I think I read something in another thread not too long ago about possibly wearing a cooling garment while exercising, so your core temperature doesn't go too high and cause problems.  I hope the person that brought that up, or some bright person with lots of knowlege on the subject comes along with more input.

Hugs,

Kathy

[Rena705]

Hey girl...after working out  yesterday I was exhausted and barely made it home.  Of course I hadn't slept much the night before but as the evening progressed I was have some really strange things going on including the feeling that the floor was moving in waves and the floor moving up and down under my feet like and elevator!  I had this sensation in Nov. 2007 but this is the first time since and I am wondering if it is due to getting over heated as well?  I forget that exercising raises your temp.(at least it sure makes me sweat) but I don't feel that I will lose weight unless i work that hard and get my heart rate up.  It is all very frustrating and confusing and I hope someone will come along and help us!

Hugs,
Rena