ME and Heat, Temperature sensitivity

[PaulaJE]

Is it normal for some one with ME to be sensitive to heat and the temperature. When the weather gets warm I experience symptoms of a flare-up, along with increased joint pain and muscle weakness, fatigued and I get an allergy reaction like rash on my legs. Is this something over ME sufferers get

[Alibobs]

Hiya - yes!! It sounds like I am experiencing the same pain and fatigue as you are. I just hope the weather cools cos it feels like my body cannot take any more... it also happens with very cold weather but not to the extent that the heat affects me. My m.e occupational therapist says it's to do with the hypothalamus gland in the brain.

[PaulaJE in reply to Alibobs]

Thanks for your reply like you I also get it in cold weather but never like this

[Patdoyle]

Yes I get terrible hot flushes and muscle weakness and joint pain. Suffering badly at the moment. In cold weather my extremities go freezing cold. Very strange!

[ukmsmi4]

Hi PaulaJE

Yes very much so. It is common symptom with ME to feel as though your body's thermostat has broken making it impossible to regulate your body temperature. Also you can have one part of your body, perhaps your face that is burning but your hands and/or feet can be like ice.

And yes, it is also common for weather to affect your pain, fatigue or any other symptoms. And not always in the way you might expect. I actually tend to get more pain in the hot weather than I do in the cold. Also when the weather fluctuates between different things. And the heat really really drains me.

Don't worry , you are far from alone if you suffer these things with ME.

Gentle hugs, Margaret.xxx

[Flatbattery]

Hi - I also suffer badly when the weather is warm. Today is hot and clammy which is the worst type of weather for me. The stifling heat totally drains all my energy both physically and mentally. The rash on your legs might be a heat rash which I sometimes get on my arms. Try bathing it with cool water. I also get some relief from sitting in front of a fan.

I keep a diary and started writing down the weather to see if there was any link with my symptoms and there definitely is one. I feel at my worst on hot, clammy days or cold damp days and at my best on sunny days with a refreshing breeze. Spring and autumn are the times of years I seem to have the most energy.

Listen to your body, don't push yourself too hard and try to keep cool!

[PaulaJE in reply to Flatbattery]

Thanks for your reply that is a really useful idea to keep a diary

[LillyLyle]

I have been lucky. I only rarely get pain with my ME-CFS.

But after sitting out in the sun a couple of times this summer (which I thought would be good for me), I got aches and cramps so bad I had to resort to taking paracetamol in order to be able to sleep. I also experienced increased fatigue for a few days afterwards.

Going to stay in the shade from now on!

[Patdoyle]

Yes the heat really affects me. I get terrible waves of heat coming over me like hot flushes. Don't like the sun anymore.