Hi all
please myself and mum i contemplating moving out of london because the cost of living is too expensive. We are struggling to pay the rent. So we are thinking of some where cheaper. I have a cousin in scotland and she suggested we try it out. Please i will like to know how lupus sufferers like us cope with the weather or how bad is the weather?
The weather up here does play a role. I've lived in Scotland all my life and have had lupus for 9 years now. It's probably easier here in summer as it's not as sunny as London would be but in the winter we do get lots of rain which will be bad if you have joint problems. But to be honest it's just like anything else you and your lupus will adapt. I hope that helps
Hiya. Yes I'm in Glasgow, which is west central Scotland. I was going to say exactly what PaulaMM has just said!
It depends on how the weather affects you. For me, I am very very photosensitive, and actually, not being facetious or anything, I reckon Glasgow is actually the best place in the world for me to live. I've looked into it and while it's difficult to get statistics on cloud cover, it certainly seemed to me that the west of Scotland, or a small island of New Zealand were very high in terms of cloud cover. It's easy to find stats on sunshine, and Dundee, which is north east Scotland, gets the most sunshine in Scotland, so I would never live in Dundee.
I definitely notice the difference in the ferocity of the sunshine when I'm down south. I go to London and Ipswich quite a lot with work, and I find the strength of the sunshine unbearable - it gives me a massive problem.
But then, as Paula has said, if you're more concerned about joint problems and the cold weather causes that to flare for you, then maybe the west of Scotland isn't going to be great for you, as it is very damp pretty much most of the year in general.
I think people down south have some sort of exaggerated perception of the weather up here - I think it's become a bit of a cliche. I really don't think it's dreadful or anything but maybe I'm just used to it. It's like the Billy Connolly saying - there's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes.
I do notice though that my colleagues in Ipswich look out the window of the office and are really surprised if it's raining. That really makes me laugh a lot! In Glasgow we look out the window and are surprised if it's sunny!
I totally agree with both above!! I live on the Ayrshire coast and apart from the East most of Scotland is pretty wet and damp a lot of the time but your body probably gets used to it though I get more flares now from extreme cold than the rain.
Like Lucy I am extremely photosensitive so I am much better with more cloud .
I have heard London is extremely expensive to live in but I don't know that Scotland is any cheaper than other parts of England away from the South East.
If you are thinking of coming up though I would check out the hospitals in the area, some parts of Scotland don't have much of a service in Rheumatology.
All the best, hope you manage to work something out. C x
Hi I live midway between Glasgow and Dundee it can be very cold and wet here like today it can also be very sunny and quite hot in the summer the weather can change from one to the other other quickly not the best for lupus and even with cloud cover you can have high up . When we go on holiday it can take time to adapt to local conditions g
depends on what part of scotland youre thinking of moving to
We are thinkiing of aberden how is it there
Hi that's an excellent post. I used to think about moving to Scotland a few years ago. Hope it works out for you, Lupus-wise 
Hi there. I come from London and moved up to Edinburgh in 1989. It was the best move I ever made. The pace of life and quality of life is very different up here and in my experience of both, much more suited to us lupies. Personally the climate suits me as there is much less sunshine, I find it easier to manage that side of things. The cold can bring pain, but honestly, you get cold in the winter in London as well. I would probably avoid the far north of Scotland as that can get far colder and would probably be less practical for hospital care. There are good Rheumatologists available in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. Good luck whatever you decide xx
I would agree with all previous posts, I live just outside Edinburgh and treatment is readily available, also in Scotland you do not pay for your prescriptions, a major bonus if you are on numerous medications or have frequent infections, secondary illnesses etc - good luck and welcome to Scotland if your move goes ahead xxx
Thank u so much for your response it is really helpful.
Im from North Csrolina but i think it depends on your own body. My doc told me to stay wrapped up in winter and summer b/c of flare ups but everyone reacts different, i do agree with others about getting use to your new environment. Hope everything goes well..
Hi. I would second what Sarah Heney has said in terms of there being a slower pace of life up here (I now live in a semi-rural community outside Glasgow), which is great. The air is also very fresh in the main and, as people have said, the sun is not as strong. Plus free prescriptions. Having also lived in Aberdeenshire I would, however, point out several potential considerations: there is one major hospital (Aberdeen Royal Infirmary), rather than there being several hospitals as here in Glasgow - so I guess you would need to be quite confident that the rheumatology team there could meet your needs/expectations; the east of Scotland is quite a lot drier than the west but in the winter Scotland, and even more so the more northerly parts, is a very dark place to be. And I do mean dark, particularly the mornings. Of course, that might not be an issue for you - although it is for me and I noticeably deteriorate for 3-4 months a year.
If you have Raynaud's get some hand warmers - they do work! I told some people in a forum where to get them and they deactivated my account. I think that was mean and spiteful. These people were in trouble and I was only trying to help...not promote a company. Anyway, I'm here. Florida has gotten cold but it only affects the Raynaud's. People all over the world have Lupus, and the worst is stress. You need to de-stress a bit. We are retired and have many family issues (all bad), and our income is a lot lower than anticipated, but we stopped emailing and calling the people that caused us stress, and I have been feeling better and my labs show it. The cold won't make Lupus worse - the stress and worry will! You will have a flare if you allow it. Make your move if it will make you happy...and you can always dress warmly for the cold. We're here for you.....chin up!!!
Thank.xx and hugs
mouth ulcer remedy suggestions, pls
