Sunny days and achy joints

[ladyinpurple]

Does anyone else ache madly when the weather gets really hot?

I have rheumatoid arthritis and often ache when the weather is changeable and damp, and my joints swell and are stiff, but last year I remember being in agony with flare ups during the summer. I know it can often be humid when it's hot here, but it caught me on the hop to be honest as I was expecting to be so much better in the warmer weather. Even now, and it's mild, my hands and ankles are stiff and slightly swollen, even though I am moving around regularly. I feel 'not right' if that makes sense? I know there are often other contributing factors but warmth has always helped (I have a trusty hot water bottle for those achy days) but 'hot' seems different.

What's going on ahhhhhhh?

[NanaFifi]

Living in Scotland I don't get the chance to enjoy hot weather but when I'm abroad My RA and Lupus symptoms are always much better. I would say that I get tired more easily in the heat but I think that's often the case whether you've got RA or not?

[JudyW5]

I am afraid I am a bit of a sun worshipper and haven't noticed any increase in pain and inflammation - but I

[JudyW5]

(sorry it wouldn't let me have access to the keyboard unless I sent the reply half finished! ) What I was going to say was, I wondered if you had come across 'Cloudy with a chance of Pain

[JudyW5]

(sorry, same thing happened) Cloudy with a Chance of Pain' is an app collecting daily info from arthritis sufferers and linking it with their local weather by GPS to do research in partnership with Arthritis Research UK into the effect of weather on pain and fatigue. You might be interested to take part in that - sorry you will have to Google it as I don't have the link to hand. I hope the right sort of heat - possibly dry heat? - is available No abundance for you this summer. (In abundance).

[ladyinpurple]

Hi Judy

Yes I am using the Cloudy app already and it's fabulous, although they only seemed mildly interested in it at the hospital. I was doing the diary bit too but have lapsed on that in the last two weeks as I have had a lot going on. I found the printout of the report very interesting and it has helped me to see how my mood is definately related to the amount of discomfort I have. I have only noticed a slight connection with the weather to be honest, except for when we had a thunder storm recently. In the hours leading up to it, and the day before, I had real pain and felt quite unwell, yet an hour after the storm I felt better and after afew hours all the swelling had pretty much gone. It could have been coincidence but at the hospital the often talk about air pressure as well as damp, so maybe that's why. The air fairly crackled lol. I have fibromyalgia as well so maybe I react slightly different to people with only RA?

[Hidden]

Yes is my answer, I am much worst in the heat and humidity than in the cooler weather. I have osteoarthritis and everything hurts that much more I think it is the humidity I am much better in the cooler weather

[ladyinpurple in reply to Hidden]

Thank goodness I thought I was the only one lol

[dgleds in reply to Hidden]

Hi!

Im ok in little bits of sunny weather...like a walk to the store (20 minutes)...My daughter came to stay and we were going all over in the hot sun, and i was getting achy finger joints and elbows like never before.....Few years back they thought i had/have mild Lupus (and Im hypothyroid)....also my Gran had rhumetoid arthritis, so.......I took a stronger anti inflammatory (diclofenac) and it knocks it back prety good....(its an ugly pain)...like nails on chalk board feeling-noise etc...ps/Im in western canada, but its been very warm here lately, and im by the ocean too...

[Sue1955]

Me too this current spell of hot weather is killing my body aching legs, arms, general body I too have osteoarthritis , fibromyalgia and AF for good measure lol hey ho I have come to conclusion that not too hot and not too cold is best for me as extreme of either seems to play havoke with my pain levels. 😔