Heat Intolerance At 68 Degrees, Anybody Else?

[spinner]

Ive got several disorders, including anhidrosis (insufficient sweating in certain parts of my body) and adrenal failure alongside fibromyalgia and dysautonomic symptoms (palpitations, extreme weakness, low body temp, parasites, and sleep apnea.

In the past six months I cannot function at room temperature. Im planning to move north for at least the summer. But the natural gas heat in most offices, churches, and houses absolutely wrecks me. I walked into a mall the other day and felt like i was in a sauna.

My best operating temperature is about 60. I sleep with the window cracked or open. When i do work outs its outside even in howling cold with a parka on. Just about every building i go into is too hot, and my doctors nurses all are used to me showing up in shorts, and they open a window before i get there (whch is very thoughtful).

Anyone else "managing this"?

Medically they've ruled out scleradoma, and other things. The best theory is either endocrinology non diagnosed, or that my blood vessels are contracting near the surface of my skin. Im not sweating sufficiently unless im working out. My body just isnt breathing.

Not only is it a pain personally, but nobody wants to be in a 60 degree room. I spend as much time outside as possible. Swimming is my best friend, its the one place where i feel like a normal person. Must cool my inner temp.

BTW my body temp is usually in the 97 range. The doctor theorizes that its my internal organs that are warming up.

I see a lot of heat intolerance in chronic forums but hardly any at room temp. Im worried about the summer even up north. If i got a flat tire if it was 90, i couldnt change the tire.

Strangely thyroid checks out, whose chief function is to regulate body temp. This is either vascular or endocrinological. Anybody overcome this? Sure cramps your style.

[Katybug]

70 degrees outside is my cutoff for anything but sitting. Each year that passes that number seems to get lower...it started at 85 degrees the first year of my symptoms. Inside I am comfortable between 70-72 with no drafts. Outside I am usually OK with the cold but inside drafts seem to send my temp regulation issues in the other direction and I can't get warm.

[FarmerAmy]

Ugg! That sounds horrible! I have heat intolerance, but not that bad. Last summer I always had ice packs all over my body. I kept them on the back of my neck, on my stomach, and on my legs. They really helped a lot. I also took cool showers if I got too overheated. Even 5 minutes in a cool shower helped a lot.

You mentioned being worried about getting a flat tire, etc. I wonder if it would be a good idea for you to carry around some "instant ice". That way you could crack open an ice pack if you got into a desperate situation.

I got a cooling vest, which helped a lot. But sometimes I would just wet down my clothes. I know I looked ridiculous walking around in pants that were dripping wet, but it certainly helped to cool me down. Of course, this only works in an arid climate.

[Tachy Phlegming]

Yippee! I can tell anyone who might want to know that there is at least one other person in the world who dresses wet. Maybe one day it will be a fashion statement.

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Can you post where you can get a vest thats not too expensive? I may have to resort to that this summer.

Also, what discipline of medicine might solve heat issues? Ive been through cardiology and rheumatology.

I should note also that many people are finding help on the celiac diet and paleo diets.

[kalamazoo]

This was me a few years ago. But I would experience major swelling in my legs and hands. The doctors thought I had erythromelelgia.

[GypsySoulNicole]

I'm on the total opposite spectrum. I am cold all the time! I want to move South! I have never sweat, I just turn red and hot to touch, but freezing inside. My best days were the 106 degree days we had last summer. I have an electric mattress pad that I use all year long, daily! I call it being on my charging station! I wonder what makes some extreme hot and some extreme cold, well, that is if there are more like me out there.

[kalamazoo]

Do you have low blood oressure pots then ?

[spinner]

It must have to do with our various nervous systems reactions (automatic or sympathetic?) to our illness. For some circulation seems

to be impeded and constricted and for others not. I get cold feet too, freezing actually, but the rest of me feels overheated. We cant

explain these things, we just keep working to manage them.

I envy your situation, you can always get warm, but getting cool is not always even possible.

Just think of the number of buildings youre in during the week in which you have no control over how hot it is in there.

Imagine trying to work at one of them.

I'm on the total opposite spectrum. I am cold all the time! I want to move South! I have never sweat, I just turn red and hot to touch, but freezing inside. My best days were the 106 degree days we had last summer. I have an electric mattress pad that I use all year long, daily! I call it being on my charging station! I wonder what makes some extreme hot and some extreme cold, well, that is if there are more like me out there.

[spinner]

Do you have low blood oressure pots then ?

I have a very low heart rate (used to be an athlete?) and i have to stay hydrated to keep my blood volume high. I use sea salt.

MY Bp can fluctuate wildly.

This seems to be more in the autonomic nervous system reactive area. Or in the vascular reactions unde rthe skin. Or possibly

in the part of POTS related to sweating. (and cooling)

[kalamazoo]

I always havw cold feet. When my hands and feet are cold I feel best. When they are warm from being hot I feel miserable. They get tingly and ache really bad. I also get swelling In my knees If I take a hot shower. I have hyper pots.

[kalamazoo]

My doc told me ny veins and arteries vasodilate too nuch In heat which causes the swelling. My vasodilation is exasterbated from my pots so they over dilate and feel like they're about to exolode. It used to happen in my face and ears too. If I eat salt it gets worse.

[Birdlady]

Yes I have this, but probably not as quite bad as you do. However, it seems like I go through varying spells of increased heat intolerance where I can feel overheated even when it's 50 degrees. The best way to describe it for me is any rapid rise in temperature, even if it's completely "normal" for most people, is extremely uncomfortable for me.

Sadly, I haven't found anything to help heat intolerance. I think it's probably one of the most insidious symptoms. You don't realize until it's too late that you are overheated and then you cant' think clearly enough to get help. This is one of the big reason I don't like to go to the store alone. I always overheat in every store I am in.

Heat intolerance is also why I can't exercise. The moment my body gets hot, I am done.

I agree that I'd rather be cold than warm even for a moment. You can always put more clothes on or get a heating blanket, but you can't change the temps of stores, businesses etc. My feet are always cold too. If I'm not careful and I'm taking a beta blocker on a regularly basis, I will get chilblains.

[micheller]

I'm the opposite also. I'm always cold but I sweat more when I'm cold. I had the sweat test and failed. I was barely sweating at all but when I'm cold I sweat all over. I can handle being out in the cold but not if it's over about 72. I wouldn't say I'm sensitive to temp changes but I can't tolerate going from cold to hot at all. I usually have troubles with showers because of it. I end up sitting down before I pass out. I go through phases, one minute I can be freezing, shivering cold and then next overheating. It's very uncomfortable. I dress in layers so I can adjust accordingly.

[FarmerAmy]

I got my cooling vest from Aquality Water Systems. I got an evaporative cooling vest, but they also have phase-change vests. One note, you want a snug fit with your vest. You need the vest touching your body in order to conduct the heat away from you. My vest to too big and I'm always trying to wrap it tighter around myself. Otherwise it just feels wet and muggy.

[kalamazoo]

Farmer Amy, how well do those actually work? I've seen them with the ice packs in them.

[Kris4444]

I have this too but not to the extreme you are describing. My heat intolerance started this past summer. I have cold intolerance as well as cold urticaria (I break out in hives after cold exposure).

I have a major flushing disorder that gets worse with exercise or heat. I am extremely stubborn and refuse to give up the sport I love so this is a major life issue for me. I have been to Mayo for ANS testing and they put me on clonidine but I'm not getting great results. I am setting up an appointment with an immunologist soon. I am thinking possibly mast cell or if not then some type of allergy to exercise.

I refuse to let go of this part of my life. I have been riding horses forever and it truly defines who I am. It was my career and I've already let that go. I won't let this take what is left.

Maybe look into an immunologist to see how or if they might treat you. My endo did nothing for me even with my high NE levels. I do have 7 small nodules on my thyroid and take synthroid but it doesnt help with the intolerances.

Good luck!