Heat Make Symptoms Better?

[Suthrngal]

I have extreme muscle tightness (and tachycardia and other typical pots symptoms) and I think my muscles feel much worse/tighter when I get cold. I just had a mini breakdown due to not getting any answers (from God). It's been a while since I've had any break thru and doctors are no help. I left the doctors office (very cold) and did my yelling at God thing and as I heated up due to the sun....my sudden onset tremor (constant since April) and tight muscles felt less tight. Could this all be related to the POTS? Circulation etc???/. Weird but always hopeful.

[Racer]

I always see people with pots saying to avoid heat, that heat makes things worse. For me, I can't handle the cold whatsoever, I am most comfortable around 80 degrees. I experience uncontrollable shivering and go numb when I get cold. I bust out thermal wear when the temp goes below 70. Around here, most are still in t-shirts and shorts at that temp, and I am layering

[Psalm 23]

Suthrngal,

I also find that my pain issues are much worse when I feel cold. I have a narrow range of temperature comfort 80-84 degrees though so what I perceive as cold or overheated is a fine line. I always bring a jacket or sweater with me where ever I go especially a doctors office. I find once I get chilled it takes a long time to reheat and realize a reduction in my pain level. My pots symptoms however are much more problematic when I am overheated versus cold though. Dressing in layers is very helpful. I'm sorry you are not getting any answers and are in such distress.

Racer,

Wow. You sound a lot like me regarding your temperature tolerance level.

[Katybug]

I can swing from hot to cold in an instant. Shivering will make your muscles ache for sure. My only question would be this...does it feel better every time you get really warm or could your "yelling at God" which would have probably been a major way to use up your adrenaline have been what made you feel better? If your tremoring has anything to do with excess adrenaline, burning up the adrenaline could reduce the tremoring and heat you up at the same time. Just food for thought...

[Suthrngal]

Great thoughts. Thanks for sharing y'all.

[Becia]

I vary with dealing with temperatures. Cold one minute, burning up the next, so I layer too, and always have a hoodie around. There are times I can handle one or the other better though, like when my meds are in my system and working.

[Joann]

I have never been good at handling cold and always loved the hot weather. Since POTS has come along, i still cannot handle cold, and still enjoy the heat. The only thing I noticed is that the high humidity bothers me a little bit more, but whether this is from POTS or getting older, I am not sure.

I have been known to wear sweats and a hoodie when everyone else is complaining about how hot they are.

Not sure if this matters, but I have high bp and not bp.( you would think that would make me hotter?)

[rubytuesday]

I cannot tolerate heat and high humidity as my blood vessels dilate and if I stand, the blood pressure drops because the blood and fluids that pool in my feet and legs (more with dilated vessels) doesn't return rapidly enough (which means blood not getting to the brain). Also the heat makes it harder for me to breathe and I cannot sleep if the room is too warm.

On the other hand, cold is not my friend, pain-wise (having arthritis and fibromyalgia). However, I seem to breathe better in cold air. If my feet get cold, it seems I cannot warm the body up until the feet get warm.

Swings to either extreme bother me. And in cold weather (here in the Midwest) if I'm wearing a heavy coat and standing, the same thing happens to me as it does in the heat. The vessels dilate and I feel weighed down by the coat and the legs get weak, shakey as the blood doesn't return to the heart fast enough (from the legs and feet) and it triggers the syncope.

Since I have had the cardiac pacemaker put in (senses when blood volume returning to the heart is inadequate then kicks the heart rate in to speed things up), I still have my limitations. I still cannot tolerate being out in hot humid days and I still cannot stand very long when wearing a winter coat.

Sometimes out of the blue, I will get a sudden surge of warmth sensation and go into a drenching sweat, looking as if I'd just stepped out of the shower--even the hair is dripping and the nose running like a faucet. I'd never encountered this before my dysautonomia. Then as it subsides, I chill so badly that the teeth chatter. Then I cannot get into a warm shower quickly enough to warm me up, wash all the sweat from my head--which seems to cool me down first. (I must use a shower seat if taking a warm shower as that is cautionary). It's quite uncomfortable and quite embarrassing.

My migraines are triggered by the swings and the extremes, too.

[Cala]

Everyone likes to joke and say that I am not from this planet. I am originally from mercury. Heat is my friend.

I'm most comfortable around 80 to 85 degrees F "but" since I don't sweat unless I'm already overheated, I have to be careful in temperatures over 90F so I don't give myself a fever.