It's a bit hot! - How are you all coping?

[Sarah_PRDA]

It's rather hot in the UK at the moment, how is everyone coping with the heat? Do you find your PRD symptoms change when its hot? I hope you are managing to stay comfortable.

[SpaghettiBetty]

Oh my goodness, I feel like I’m melting! Yep I struggle to stay hydrated in the heat which then upsets the old bowels. I try to keep my fluids up and drink Dioralyte as, in the heat, I often loose excess salts etc.

My neuropathy seems to be worse in the heat, my feet are very tingly and hot and I get a lot of cramps in my legs at night. The fab tip from HarleyQuinn82 about putting flip flops in the freezer is an absolute winner!!

Hope everyone is doing ok x

[HarleyQuinn82 Community Pioneer in reply to SpaghettiBetty]

So glad it’s helped! 🙂

[Skellige Community Pioneer]

The heat and humidity does affect my PRD, and I have to be careful about hydrating. I can’t drink very sweet or fizzy drinks, and water does get boring. I do find fresh herbal tea makes a change, either mint or a mix of mint, thyme and rosemary (just a few leaves to flavour the water). Iced decaf coffee, black or with skimmed milk feels less dull.

Iced water on a strip of towel just wrapped round ankles or wrists for a while is also refreshing - just wring out, wrap and remove once the coolness has gone. Or pop them in the freezer for half an hour (the towels, not your wrists...)

[SpaghettiBetty in reply to Skellige]

Avoiding fizzy drinks is a good tip, they aren’t great for hydration. I tent to have one as an occasional treat but usually drink squash or fruit/herbal teas.

And with osteoporosis, cola is a big no-no...My dietician told me that for every glass of cola you drink, you’d need to drink 4 glasses of milk to replenish the calcium it leaches 😱

[jude-the-obscure Community Pioneer]

Yes the heat has been pretty hard to cope with. Home made ice-cream soda with soya ice-cream and low calorie lemonade have been a little treat. 2 cool showers yesterday and hourly drinks of water. Gut doesn't like the stress of it all! Still need 2 mugs of tea at breakfast and tea time even if its in the 30's! running cold water over my wrists and splashing it on my face are a help. Windows closed on the S/W side of the house and curtains drawn against the afternoon heat. Wish we had air conditioning and shutters as in warmer climes. An oscillating upright fan inherited from my father in law has made the bedroom more bearable. Rainfall last night has cooled things a little but the humidity is still high.

I have been getting leg cramps too Betty, wonder if its low sodium levels. may try the odd packet of crisps!

Plan to lose weight - put on a stone since Christmas after recovering from Graves disease - an auto immune condition of the thyroid. The weight shot on once we were in lock down and it is so hard to lose it again. I was on my own internal treadmill last winter and in left heart failure due to the very over active thyroid. At least the diagnosis and cure have not caused any further damage elsewhere!

PRD is the price we are paying for still being alive, I'm afraid.

Will be more bearable by Saturday apparently, nearer to the seasonal norm.

Winter will come soon enough I guess.

Good tips from Betty and Skellige 😊

[SpaghettiBetty in reply to jude-the-obscure]

It could well be low sodium as I have short bowel syndrome and I’ve been advised by my gastro & dietician to put plenty of salt on my food!

The homemade cream soda sounds lush. Hope you’re a bit cooler today. It’s more bearable here today x

[HarleyQuinn82 Community Pioneer]

My PRD doesn’t change too much with heat but neuropathy definitely worse 🥵

[SpaghettiBetty in reply to HarleyQuinn82]

I was really struggling with my feet, it’s like the heat was triggering the neuropathy burning and tingling sensations, they felt like they were on fire 🔥

[HarleyQuinn82 Community Pioneer in reply to SpaghettiBetty]

Definitely worse symptoms with the heat 😫