Feeling better when it's rainy and/or at night?

[albertspa]

Hey guys!

For context: I've got hyperadrenergic POTS (though it hasn't been looked into whether I might also have any other subtypes via biomarkers yet). Ivabradine, Clonidine didn't work - currently on Bisoprolol and recently started Fludrocortisone in combination with sodium capsules, which seems to perform relatively well.

I've noticed that my symptoms are alleviated (such as swollen eyelids, blurry vision, brainfog, tight throat, coathanger pain, irritability, etc...) when it's either night-time or when it's rainy/stormy/cloudy outside. I couldn't find anything concrete in regard to weather in studies about POTS, nor is there much of a consensus online about how it affects patients, except that most typically experience relief during colder seasons.

Now I don't feel any better or worse during either cold or warm seasons, which leads me to think that it's less a matter of temperature and perhaps more due to the change in barometric pressure, air humidity, brightness, etc...?

I was wondering whether anyone else has had similar experiences or may offer more insight or speculation on why that could be?

Thanks!

[Sea otter]

[Sea otter]

@albertspa sorry about previous post, I figured out later that you are not asking why symptoms are worse but better. 

[albertspa]

@Sea otter Yeah thanks anyhow 😄. That's the odd thing though, I can't seem to find any reports (or even posts on this forum for that matter) about symptoms being alleviated in concurrence with rainy/cloudy/stormy weather.

Since I'm experiencing the same relief when I'm awake at night (and in that time the barometric pressure typically remains relatively stable), my thinking is that it might involve some other parameter, such as an increase in air humidity or the decrease in light exposure? 🤔

[Sea otter]

@albertspa who knows. Autonomic nervous system is complicated. 😊 

[Delta]

Hi, @albertspa,

Before I was diagnosed and prescribed meds (a beta-blocker) five years ago, I noticed that my symptoms were much better, if not completely gone, at night.  Next morning, get up, same old song and dance.  What I figured out, and there has been some discussion about this on this forum, is that a lot of POTS symptoms come from inadequate blood flow. When I was up during the day and moving about as best I could, it was helping to get the blood flowing; I was basically exercising as I (tried to) go about my daily life.  So by the end of the day, I felt much better. But then, while I'm sleeping at night, there's not much physical activity going on and I would wake up with the worst brain fog and other symptoms. And the cycle would start all over again. Feel worst in the morning; much better at night.  I haven't noticed much difference in symptoms vs. the weather, at least not consistently, other than heat makes things worse.  Something I did notice is that since I started walking for 45 minutes daily - it's the same route; a little over two miles - my tolerance to heat seems to have improved (!!) BTW, I do believe that I have the "hyper" variety of POTS based on my symptoms, although the doc (neuro) who diagnosed me didn't say that; he just said, "You have POTS".  Also, another thing I think helps me is that we have an adjustable bed and, with my doc's OK, I elevate the foot of my side of the bed just a few inches.  I think that, along with the meds, has helped with the brain fog.  Good luck - I think you will find a lot of good information and helpful people on here, as I did!

[Pistol]

@albertspa I dont have any explanations but I too have HPOTS and I also feel better during rainy days and when summer turns into fall. I always contributed it to barometric pressure. 

[albertspa]

@Delta Hm interesting, however in my case, since I'm mostly in bed (ever since the current wave hit), exercise or going about the day shouldn't be a contributing factor to feeling better at night. It seems, that as soon as it gets dark outside, my symptoms are somewhat alleviated, especially during the night (even when sitting or standing), so it's gotta be some environmental change, since every other factor, at least in terms of my performance, remains the same.

My doctor also asked me to incline my bed by 20 cm, and, even though it's tough for me to determine whether that's been helping, or whether it's the fludrocortisone and sodium pills which I started simultaneously (or the combination of it all, for that matter), the symptoms do seem to have gotten somewhat better!

Thanks for your answer! It's always helpful to draw some parallels to other experiences, and yes - I'm really glad I found this forum, it's such great support and so informative!

@Pistol It's so odd to me that people seem to typically report the contrary though. They don't seem to tolerate rain at all.

I started journaling my symptoms throughout the day about a month ago and did an excel table recently, listing down every journal entry with the corresponding weather data, which I pulled from my local weather station. Interestingly whenever I felt better, the temperature and the air pressure remained relatively stable (slight drop on average), but the relative humidity increased compared to the last journal entry (and/or the previous hour).

Dunno what that could possibly mean in relation to the symptoms though. The only theory I can come up with is, since high humidity reduces the rate of evaporation of sweat from the skin, that may perhaps help conserve fluids and maintain blood volume. 🤷‍♂️

[MaineDoug]

I also feel much better on dark rainy days and in Winter. Luckily I live in Maine and Winter lasts 8 months! 😂

[Sarah Tee]

@albertspa, the only comment on this that I’ve found in the literature is that sympathetic tone is higher in the morning. (I don’t really know what that means!)

I feel better at night, but my story is a bit more complicated.

When I first got sick, I would feel faint and weak for about an hour after breakfast, then be completely fine for the rest of the day. Then, as the years ticked by, that hour extended to two hours, three hours, five hours, eight hours, sixteen hours … I would be waiting all day to feel better, then madly cooking, cleaning, exercising and trying to have some time for hobbies and a life between 10pm and 1am.

I used to call it “Jekyll & Hyde syndrome” because for one part of the day I would be weak, faint, exhausted and irritable, but in the space of 15 minutes I would turn back into my old self and be strong and healthy.

Finally, about two years ago, “it“ advanced to take up the whole of my waking hours.

Very occasionally I still have an evening when I feel better around 10pm.

 

Weather makes no difference to me, except that I struggle in the heat, but it can be heat from the summer or from an overheated room or hot shower.

 

Probably silly thought: Can you move somewhere very cloudy and rainy that has long nights? (Downside: will have long days in summer.) 

[MaineDoug]

Nights are my best times! Mornings are the worst! 
 

I used to get up at 4:00 AM and get to work by 4:30. Now it’s hard to drag my weary self out of bed by 10:00. Then I feel lousy until noon. I feel okay from 10-2 then start to feel rough again. I feel the best from 10 PM to 2 AM. 
 

Not the easiest schedule to get things done! 😂