Heat intolerance: I live in a very hot and humid... - PMRGCAuk

PMRGCAuk

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Heat intolerance

winfong profile image
20 Replies

I live in a very hot and humid region of the US. It didn't used to bother me, but I've found in the last few years (i.e., since I was diagnosed with PMR/GCA/LVV,), I simply cannot tolerate it at all.

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced that too. I can't figure out if it's due to my PMR/GCA/LVV, steroids, or something else. Any thoughts?

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winfong profile image
winfong
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20 Replies
Chris_1236 profile image
Chris_1236

I live in NC where we had 42° C heat index the other day... I used to be fine with heat, but since being caught by PMR, it blisters me now. That's been true from before beginning on Pred, but after PMR fwiw.

fmkkm profile image
fmkkm in reply to Chris_1236

Me too, live in the Raleigh area and the heat is really getting to me this year. It’s hotter and I’m older too. I have to get out pretty early to walk and then have no stamina the rest of the day.

winfong profile image
winfong in reply to fmkkm

I'm in Charlotte. Not sure which one is worse

fmkkm profile image
fmkkm in reply to winfong

Probably about the same, it’s supposed to be 98 here tomorrow! I plan my days around walking, tomorrow may be 6 a.m..

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador

I found heat harder to tolerate after PMR appeared - and hot and humid flattens me. And that won't be humid as you mean it!

Elispeth profile image
Elispeth

Hi. I moved to Spain four years ago and definitely find the heat harder to tolerate. It literally saps my energy. When I visit the UK I seem to be able to manage my PMR better. I have more energy and am able to exercise more.

pmr_nikola profile image
pmr_nikola

It is combination of age and PMR impact. As we age, we tend to have hard time maintaining body temps ( keeping cool in hot weather). It takes lots of energy to do that. For the same reason, when we have PMR, we can not tolerate heat because it takes additional energy to cool of our body. On top, our blood circulation is restricted ( blood vassals wall inflammation), and that also contributes to not being able to tolerate heat.

Twopies profile image
Twopies

It flattens me, I mean it makes me ill. One time in Florida on the beach I thought I was gonna pass out, like I was having a stoke. The current heat wave is doing a job on me. All started with pred/pmr.

GCAinCarolina profile image
GCAinCarolina

I,too,live in the Raleigh,NC,area, and the heat/humidity have been effecting me worse than in the past. Feeling fatigue and weakness, which has to be from the prednisone, which I have been on since last October. To cope, I have been walking the dog earlier,9-10 a.m. I the afternoons, I like to sit outside in the shade and read for an hour or 2 or until the heat gets me.Struggling some days, but determined to push thru this - good luck to you!

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to GCAinCarolina

Fatigue and weakness can also be the illness - the pred does nothing for it, it is only managing the inflammation. The underlying autoimmune cause of the inflammation is still attacking the body tissues leaving you feeling a bit as if you have long term flu.

fmkkm profile image
fmkkm in reply to GCAinCarolina

PMRpro is right, the first year I had GCA I had debilitating fatigue. I remember being in a store and I couldn’t go on, I had to find a place to sit for a while. It gets better, don’t push yourself.FYI, I’m in Apex. Nice to see some NC people here, I thought I was all alone here!

winfong profile image
winfong in reply to fmkkm

Oh yeah, I know all about the fatigue - only too well. The heat intolerance is what's really getting me this year. Luckily, I'll be heading up to New England for the rest of the summer pretty soon

MaritimeMags profile image
MaritimeMags

I think, as we all get older, our tolerance of a very hot (and humid) climate may lessen, even without PMR. Temperatures today in the UK are in the 90’s and doing any sort of work has made me very tired. I did wonder how such heat would affect my inflammatory indicators and PMR.However, during the first two years of Covid, a friend of mine who had had PMR for five years, moved from the U.K. to the Caribbean and he reckons the sun and healthier diet of more fish, helped his PMR to disappear.Everyone is different and what one person regards as too much heat, may very well be acceptable to others.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to MaritimeMags

Someone on the forum recently said their PMR seemed worse in the Caribbean! I suspect humidity.

MaritimeMags profile image
MaritimeMags in reply to PMRpro

“Everyone is different”.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to MaritimeMags

I would have it engraved on my gravestone!

1951grumpa profile image
1951grumpa

I live in the Midwest part of US and have had PMR since 2011. I was an HVAC technician. I spent a lot of my time working outside. I could always take the heat and humidity over the extreme cold. I have found that I’ve aged I’m not as tolerant. Especially the cold. One thing when working in the heat I would try not to spend too much time in the air conditioning until after work. Especially during lunch. If I would be in the cooler air then go back out in the heat would drain me. That effect has gotten worse for me since I retired.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to 1951grumpa

We are told not to have aircon in the car set too far below the external temp - because of the shock when you get out. I also dislike shops that are too cold for the same reason. Not that that is too much of a problem in Europe!!!

USAGCA profile image
USAGCA

Wearing loose clothing helps.

winfong profile image
winfong

Spending the summer up in New England. Has made quite a difference. Will probably go back to North Carolina in October.

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