What Season Or Seasons Affect Your Dysautonomia The Worst?

[artluvr09]

I am not sure what affects me the most. I know when its raining or wintery I don't feel right I get super out of it and I just feel lethargic. Like its supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow and before a storm or rain or snow I feel really out of it. LIke this past couple of weeks I just feel so tired worn down and disoriented. does anyone have any ideas for what helps feeling disoriented? I feel like that non stop for most of my life. My anxiety is getting much much worse because I ended my school on august 23rd and it was a boarding school and I was used to the schedule and at home I don't have friends so I am inside like all day and when I do go out I get worse out of it and I cant go anywhere new or I get anxious and I can't deal with crowds. like the other day I was heading out to the dollar tree and it was packed th ere was a person down every isle and a kid was crying so I got more overwhelmed so I just ran out of there. I never got anxious in the car but now that suddenly is starting. idk. I just feel down I hate my anxiety so much and not feeling right like feeling disoriented makes it worse. I wish I had friends at home to hang out with that understood how I feel and stuff.

Also I was wondering does anyone elses hands turn different colors? for the longest time my nailbeds turn blue and coldl and my right hand always turns a bluish gray color up to my elbow. I have raynauds but my hand never used to turn colors on ly my nails.

Advice would be great.

Thanks!!

[KareBear]

Summer is worse for me (i dont handle heat) and I love these cooler months but I live in Texas so our weather swings aren't severe like yours and we dont get snow. It's still in the 70's here.

I used to work with a girl with Raynauds and her hands turned bluish when she was inside in air conditioning like at work but this is my only first hand experience with Raynauds. I dont know much about it except what I saw her deal with. I'm sorry you are going thru all this.

[imre]

Snow and rain bring about a change in barometric pressure your veins may not have the same pressure on them as they are used to. Summer heat might cause vasodilation. Cold weather can constrict veins but causes discomfort and possibly raises blood pressure.

Basically, POTS is best in warm but not too hot, not raining conditions.

[Becia]

I was diagnosed in the summer, and haven't done well with the heat, so right now is the first experience I have with cold weather and my pots. What I don't like is I already don't feel my extremities, the cold really makes this worse. I haven't felt my feet all day, but they are now swollen because of me having appointments and they've been down for a bit. The cold makes it hard for me to breathe too.

[Mydoggielovesme2]

Cold is my enemy! I feel so much worse during the winter. Many more flares from Nov-March. Barometric pressure especially Low pressures, gives me migraines, brain fog to the extreme, lower BPs, sluggishness ect ect.

[angelloz]

Even though I am heat sensitive the summer months are better for me. Not certain why as my blood vessels bulge but overall I feel much better.

[angelina]

Hi!

Sorry you are feeling so isolated right now. But glad you have reached out to the DINET community for some support. I would love it if it was 70 with no humidity, but today in Chicago it feels like 20 and rather windy. During the Fall and Winter my hands turn blue and I have pretty painful neuropathy. I carry those hand warmers with me wherever I go. It helps with the increased circulation and also numbs some of the neuropathy pain. In the Summer I have the opposite problem where my hands and feet swell and turn bright red. Compression socks help a bit as well as ice packs.

As for anxiety, especially when out in crowds, I use breathing techniques. I highly recommend "The Healing Power of the Breath" by Richard Brown, MD and Patricia L. Gerbarg, MD. The book discusses simple techniques and it includes a CD with breathing practices. My hearing has gotten very acute as my disease has progressed and many sounds drive me crazy, so I just put on my earphones and listen to whatever music relaxes me and I tune out the bad stuff while concentrating on my breathing. It has made the world of difference and I find I can calm myself down as well as slow my heart rate too.

I hope this helps!