Weather Change Caught Me Out Just When I Thought I Was Getting Better

[E246]

We have gone from unprecedented hot weather for England in March - we were sunbathing in shorts - to snow today. During the previous week I honestly believed I was finally getting better. We even moved the office from my home to the workshops so we can all work together there.

Then the weather changed. The chest pain returned and although I have only had full time POTS for 18 months I can see a pattern of being suddenly much worse when the weather changes around November and feeling better in the summer.

I know others have had similar experiences - do we know why?

And are there any good spots around Europe?

[corina]

Emma, I'm sorry to hear you're doing worse. I'm in the Netherlands and always felt better in summer. We spent our summer holidays in the South of France, and Italy. Not that I could do much but being in the warmth felt better to me. Every 2 years we spend our summer holidays in the UK's South West where my dad and step mom live, I always hope for warm weather when there but we're not always that lucky!

[Birdlady]

I'm complete opposite of you. I do better in the winter and pretty much can't do anything in the summer because of the heat and humidity.

[bellgirl]

Both extremes can affect me I guess I should move to California!! The heat exhausts me, lethargy, (no energy), but the cold weather makes my extremities cold, and my heart hurts, too! So I need a happy medium

[tachyfor50years]

For me, I think it is not only the temperature but i think wind, humidity and pressure, all play a role in how I feel.

Emma, I am sorry to hear that, hope you feel better soon.

[klgpdx]

Me too! I live in Portland, OR, which is similar to the UK in terms of weather. I am often affected by low pressure systems. But I was feeling great for a few months until there was one horrible day for weather changes and I haven't bounced back since. Now I just want to move to San Diego, which has consistent, high, barometric pressure!

[Monstrosity]

Either extreme bugs me. Winter is the worst though. I think on top of the temp, the short days and long nights play a huge role.

[anna]

I find that I do not do well in the extremes as well, too cold or too hot and my body does not perform well! I always feel exhausted in the heat and find humid climates difficulty breathing and the very cold I find I need to expel fluid all the time! I find it very hard to retain fluid in the cold.

Barometer changes to low pressure seem to be a problem as well.

[ramakentesh]

I kno that either my pots or my ank spond flares before a storm. I think this might give a fairly obvious clue as to the etiology at least in my case.

[targs66]

I'm in England too (in the northwest) and typing this bundled in a fleece drinking a warm cuppa. The recent sudden weather changes have made me feel utterly awful. I'm a transplant from the States and I feel like such a wimp here b/c I am always wrapped up and shivering when my hardy local friends are happily running around in short sleeves and sandals.

I do think it's about the barometer rather than the temperature: I came here from NYC, which certainly gets colder in the winter than it does here, but I don't feel so bad in the cold as long as it's clear and bright. It's just these weeks of wind and drizzle in the 40s that seem to kill me! I have a friend who suffers from migraines and he has found that changing barometric pressures are the one most consistent factor that bring on his migraines. Maybe it's the same for us?