green Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 Hello. I was wondering if anyone with a dysautonomia has recently moved to or from the Bay Area in California? If so, could you please share whether and how your symptoms have changed since the move?I am interested in how climate mediates dysautonomic symptoms. In my experience, sunny and cool weather is ideal. I think that this is because it is usually sunny when there is a high pressure air system overhead, and high air pressure is good for dysautonomia. I understand that California is sunny and dry, and the pacific ocean averages higher pressure in the winter than the inland United States. I wonder whether coastal california enjoys the best possible combination of sun, moderate temperature and high air pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flop Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 If I remember correctly Melissa Reid lives in the bay area.Flop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iheartcats Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 I'm moving in a couple weeks, partly because of climate, to the Bay Area.Chicago was too rough on me the last 18 months with POTS. The weather changes/variations, damp, freezing cold winters, hot muggy summers = horrible.I'll let you know - PM me so I can update you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia3 Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Somebody else from here mentioned they are MOVING to the Bay area...I would love to live in temperate climate but not HIGH above sea level. High altitudes no bueno for me. Got sick in Denver riding up a park mountain in '92. HORRIBLE mini case of High Altitude sickness.I think somebody with Cat in their name is moving to San Fran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 WOW! the altitude thing is really interesting. Your body regulates for altitude changes through the nitric oxide system; higher altitutes demand more nitric oxide from your body. Since there is some recent work talking about the role of nitric oxide in POTS this is of interest to me - particularly when a doctor I emailed yesterday specifically asked me how I went in Denver (ive never been there, but I spent time in Montana recently when i was over in the states which is pretty elevated and I felt great) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia3 Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Cat Lady!!We posted at the same time, lol. I hear you on Chicago's weather...I have the same thing in Ohio.It's the PITS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest elyag Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Hello. I was wondering if anyone with a dysautonomia has recently moved to or from the Bay Area in California? If so, could you please share whether and how your symptoms have changed since the move?I am interested in how climate mediates dysautonomic symptoms. In my experience, sunny and cool weather is ideal. I think that this is because it is usually sunny when there is a high pressure air system overhead, and high air pressure is good for dysautonomia. I understand that California is sunny and dry, and the pacific ocean averages higher pressure in the winter than the inland United States. I wonder whether coastal california enjoys the best possible combination of sun, moderate temperature and high air pressure.I think the Bay Area would be the perfect climate. It rarely gets too hot and they don't have the freezing cold winters. There can be dampness and fog, a marine layer but I'd take that any day over the huge temp extremes you see in other areas of the country.. I can't speak for northern Cal but I spent a lot of years living near the beach in Southern Cal. The closer you live to the ocean, the damper it is. Inland areas tend to be hotter and drier.My husband and I were all set to move back to Southern Cal but aren't going to be able to now due to financial reasons. I always feel better when I go back there. Even when it's foggy and damp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 locations seem to play a part in my illness as well. Most of the time I get POTS when im home, and it tends to improve dramatically on holiday, only to recur when i return home. Wish I could work out why. Ive thought about moving but that would require getting a new job and this could mean that my new employer isnt as leanient with sick leave as my current one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelissaCrystal Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 That's so funny, Cat Lady is also moving and just Pm'ed me this similar question!I moved from hot Sacramento to downtown San Francisco, while the sea level is pretty much the same, the humidity and overall temperature changed dramatically. Sac would get over 110 some summers, and I got heat stroke and had all sorts of problems just going from classroom to classroom while I was in high school. In SF, the temperature stays pretty mild. The hottest days are actually when there are a lot of clouds---it sort of incubates you! Very eerie. But there are hot days here and there where it gets in the high 90s, and a lot of places don't have air conditioning in the bay area! Fans are my best friend. It's actually really hot tonight, so we have all the windows open and fans running, and I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. But really, this happens only one week out of every year---sometimes more often, but nothing compared to Sac. Right now there is a record breaking heat wave that we're used to getting much later in the year. Maybe it'll start getting hotter here, I don't know.About the humidity....I'm not really sure what I like more. Preferably something that doesn't dehydrate me quicker. I haven't really had the time to analyze how I feel in each... Basically, I don't want to get sweaty, because that's when I start losing my precious water. I generally got dehydrated more in Sac, but I don't know if it was because the temp was generally higher or if it was because differences in humidity. I don't think the weather gets much better than bay area though. Downtown SF can get chilly because of the fog, but right now I've been really happy in North Oakland---though I miss the city for non-weather related reasons.If you're thinking of moving to the bay area, see Dr. Karen Friday at the Palo Alto Stanford University Cardiology Clinic. She's the only expert up here that I know of, and she'll introduce you to a web of POTS doctors who special in all sorts of things we need (gastros, EDS, physical therapy, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 I remember the fog near Palo alto - yet it was warm outside. Big Sur was amazing as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiedelite Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 I live in Portland, Oregon, which has a climate and altitude quite similar to SanFransisco. In my opinion, Portland is a great place to live with dysautonomia because of the relatively constant temperatures. Also, we are cloudy most days and I seem to be bothered quite a bit by sunshine (either the glare, or I just feel ill for hours afterward). It is quite damp here, and I had a lot of problems 2 winters ago with perniosis (frostbite) of my toes all winter. We have hardwoods, and last summer we insulated them and now I make sure to wear Smartwools or other warm footwear. No big frostbite problems this last winter!Our summers here are much the same as Melissa described. It's hard because most folks don't have A/C. My hubby and I have a dehumidifier/A/C unit that we'll use again this summer. My small fiber neuropathy still flares badly in the summer because of the warmer temps. Our house is old and tends to trap heat in the attic, too, which doesn't help when there are a string of hot days. But I visited my brother in Las Vegas where A/C abounds and had a really hard time adjusting from hot to cold all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green Posted April 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 This is great stuff everybody. I'll cross Ohio and Chicago off my list of possible places to move. Please let me know how things work out Cat Lady. Thank you to Melissa Reid for the detail about your QoL in Oakland.Thankful - I've heard that Portland gets a lot of rain. Rain/dampness seems to be a widespread symptom exacerbator for dysautonomics, it certainly bothers me. But it doesn't irritate you? Do you know much about what kind of dysautonomia you have? ramakentesh - I also felt great at a high altitude (I went to Keystone Colorado recently) I was able to ski hard-core all day, which is strange because I get weak legs from walking up the stairs here at sea level in Missouri. Strange eh?locations seem to play a part in my illness as well. Most of the time I get POTS when im home, and it tends to improve dramatically on holiday, only to recur when i return home. Wish I could work out why. Ive thought about moving but that would require getting a new job and this could mean that my new employer isnt as leanient with sick leave as my current one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 yeah the few times ive been up at altitude ive felt pretty good in general. Might just be coincidence but gives me something to think about - particularly since i eventually plan on moving to the blue mountains near sydney in australia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiedelite Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 It's hard to know because I've only lived in Portland since I got sick and have nowhere else to compare it to. I do get worse with weather changes. I'm not sure how I'd do elsewhere. I have POTS/OI from small-fiber neuropathy (presumably from having mono 3 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valliali Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 i live in sacramento, but find the california climate to be unbelievably better for the dysautonomia. i actually became sick with pots after i had just moved to california from the east coast. after about a year of living out here, i decided to move back home to maryland because my father has alzheimer's. after about two months of living in maryland, it became very very clear to me that i could not function in that climate. i thought that perhaps my body just needed to adjust, but it never did and i just became sicker and sicker. i went from functioning at a pretty good level considering everything going on here in california to completely bed-ridden in maryland. so, i said my apologies to my family, but realized that i really came first in this situation. the change was so drastic that i couldn't even just try to make it work. now i'm back in cali, and have come a long long way since those two months in maryland.it's amazing how much climate affects me. i think it has to do with a low pressure or humid environment. i want to go to veterinary school soon, but feel really set back by all the options i need to rule out based on climate alone. as if getting into veterinary school isn't competitive enough, i really only have a couple of options. but that is how drastically the climate affects me - out here, i can actually consider going on to school. on the east coast, there was no way i could even leave the bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Yeah ive found similar things as well. When I go visit a friend in the north of australia I tend to improve quite dramatically but when i return to the variable and often cold weather in melbourne i struggle. What a strange illness... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelissaCrystal Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Do you think high altitude puts more pressure on your veins, like compression wear, and that's why you guys felt better? I can't think in physics-terms right now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsdavidson8605 Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Interesting discussion. I live in Kansas (ha obviously from the name).. one of the worst areas to live for POTS. Last visit I had with dr. Grubb he said that San Diego would be ideal for POTS people. How different is that area from Sacramento? I know San Fransisco tends to not be quite as warm. My husband and I have serioiusly considered moving to CA but the economy is just not in our favor right now. So i'm waiting to stick it out here in good ol KS for another scortching summer! (already 85 and humid today ugh).. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 High altitudes increase nitric oxide levels in the veins and arteries which is a vasoconstrictive chemical. In theory I guess it would help overconstrictors but not overdilators. In other words it may help people who have the version of POTS labelled Low Flow by Dr Stewart, but not Normal Flow or High Flow POTS (stomach poolers or leg poolers) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valliali Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 i am interested in learning more about nitric oxide and its effects. would one expect nitric oxide to be a possible reason a person might be functioning pretty well in a dry climate and then bed ridden in a humid, low pressure climate? what is low flow pots?? where may i find more information about that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Im not really sure on that. nitric oxide does lots of things in our bodies and has long been suspected to play a role in CFS but less so in POTS until fairly recently. It is a vasodilator and it also plays a role in thermoregulation of the body. It increases in your body when its available to increase when you are at higher altitudes but it may for other reasons as well. Nitric Oxide is implicated in two forms of POTS.The research and there is lots of it is all available at this website:http://www.nymc.edu/fhp/centers/syncope/ci...ots_and_CFS.htmBasically Dr J Stewart catagorised POTS into three different groups depending on peripheral blood flow. These were High Flow, Normal Flow and Low Flow POTS.at the bottom of the link there is information on the three phenotypes of POTS as this research body accepts them and here is my interpretation of the information provided:High Flow being patients with blood pooling almost exclusively in the legs assumed to be caused by an autoimmune attack on the nerves of the legs reducing their ability to constrict veins under orthostatic stress.Normal Flow being patients that have normal flow lying down, but who experience excessive vasoconstriction of hands and feet on standing and blood pooling exclusively in the stomach - and the evidence may suggest that this is caused by an inflammatory response in the stomach region of these patients some how elevating nitric oxide levels in venous beds of these patients in their stomachs. These patients may be EDS III.Low Flow POTS - reduced blood flow around the entire body, generally reduced blood volume, and POTS symptoms are caused by this excessive vasoconstriction. They have found significant evidence that this excessive vasoconstriction is caused by elevated levels of Angiotensin II in patients which increases oxidisive stress and reduces the bioavailability of nitric oxide. Angiotensin II promotes sympoexcitation and norepinephrine release. Angiotensin II blockers are being investigated as a possible future treatment for this form of POTS. hope this helps!! Worth checking out as nitric oxide in my opinion has to play a role in POTS from my own experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 And some further info:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16262605the investigation of the use of a drug called losarten in correcting these local blood flow abnormalities in low flow POTS:http://www.curehunter.com/public/pubmed17993594.doA hot of the press article about angiotensin II and its role in POTS in general:http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/short/53/5/767And angiotensin II and nitric oxide in normal people:http://ajpheart.physiology.org/cgi/content...ract/295/1/H327And the weirdest one of all - for me anyway since my whole life I have weighed less than everyone else my size (so much so my gym teacher wanted me to box):http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=19560581trust me - this guy is one to something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iheartcats Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 I think the Midwest in general is hard on POTS. The economy isn't so great...but I cannot take another winter so I'm moving to the Bay. Things have to look up sometime, I say! This winter was so horrible on me. I thought my first summer with POTS was bad but then came the first FULL (and harsh winter). No fun. Whatsoever.I'll let you guys know...I'll be out there in a few weeks and can't wait. We are driving so I'm interested to see how I do at higher elevations. I hope it at least doesn't bother me!San Diego is fabulous, too. Lovely city and weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordila Posted April 24, 2009 Report Share Posted April 24, 2009 Does anyone else have trouble with Seattle? I moved here a year ago and have had a horrible time with the gloomy and overcast skies, constant rain, and stark changes in barometric pressure. I can't tell if it's just because this I recently increased my stress level (no longer bed-bound - whoot whoot) or if it's Seattle. My boyfriend and I are considering the Bay area as well. Any thoughts on the Emerald City? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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