I’m really suffering in this heat, but I’m not sure if I’m suffering more than ‘normal’ people or not!
The issue I’m having is major league brain fog. My MS thankfully doesn’t affect my body very much at all (only the residual effects of ON, but I have no other day to day issues), but I do get brain fog and find myself forgetting stuff more than I think I should.
I’m only 30, but my hubby agrees that my memory isn’t the best, but today, in this heat, I’m struggling with everything related to thinking! It’s so much worse than just my memory, not sure how I’m manging to string a sentence together tbh
I know my (non MS) colleagues are suffering too, but I’m not sure if my MS makes this worse for me? I’ve never liked the heat and would take a cold, crisp or snowy day over hot weather any time.
I am usually over on the PPMS site but I do pop over here a lot!
Yes, more than likely it is the heat affecting you and your MS. I have had MS for many years. The heat is unbearable for me. You will find this affects many of us, but not all of us. Just like all the other symptoms, some of us get them, some of us not.
It affects me both physically and mentally. My walking comes to an almost stop. As if I have turned off elecrically! Also I suffer from cognitive problems. The heat affects that too. Brain fog that shuts me down. Literally. I have to go and sleep. Sometimes for six hours. Til my brain has calmed down and feels it can cope. My memory is terrible etc. etc. Stess and heat makes it all far worse for me.
If you go on to the PPMS site you will see others who will give you help. It is not scary over there - just a different type of MS.!!
Hsving trouble typing this cos of the heat so apologies for typos etc.
So, please. Find ways to cope with it.
I have just bought a Chillow. Waiting for it to arrive. To keep the old bonce cool.
Take lots and frequent cold drinks. Run your wrists under cold water. Dress in cool and not tight clothes. There are lots of things to help.
I agree with Carole, it’s the humidity that’s a killer for me. It was hotter earlier in the week, but the humidity was much less, and I wasn’t too affected. Today though, the temperature’s dropped, but humidity has jumped. Not that being cooler won’t help - going through the chilled bit of the supermarket earlier was lovely.
When it comes to keeping cool, you can’t beat a cold shower. But if that’s too much effort, run a cold tap & hold your wrists under it for a few minutes, with your hands bent back. This exposes your veins, and cools your blood down. That then gets pumped round the rest of your body, cooling it down a bit.
And think twice before opening the window, as you’ll probably just be letting in hot air. Instead, open them in the evening, when the outside air is cooler. But where possible, keep the curtains closed for any south facing windows, to keep the sun out - letting direct sun in will heat up a room.
It’s funny how your made to feel like you must be lying when you say you don’t like the heat! Folk think they can force you too enjoy it! They don’t get how fatigued you feel, folk think fatigue is the same as feeling tired. It’s a bit like comparing nicking your finger with a kitchen knife too being run through with a sword.
And it’s not just fatigue that some of us MSers get during hot weather. As we’ve already said.
A couple of little tips, put a sheet in the washing machine on rinse and spin, wrap cold sheet round head shoulders and back, not pretty I know but it helps, also keep the sun out of your rooms (blinds or screens or curtains) no help if you’re not at home though I know.
I totally agree about other people. I gave given up trying to explain how heat affects me. People don’t listen and most of them really don’t care if I am honest. I just agree “lovely weather”. Love the analogy Dollydaydream about the sword. I will use that if I may ? I should rename myself Dracula. I go out now almost when the sun has gone to bed, maybe a tad before to water my plants. You never know what curve ball this disease will throw you eh? Keep cool, Anne
Like everyone else on this thread, I absolutely cannot STAND hot weather - or anything hot, come to that. I was recently completely felled by a hot and spicy curry - just eating a few mouthfuls made me so warm that I didn’t know where to turn or who I was; it was all I could do to keep seated without crumpling in a rather undignified heap onto the floor!
Try and follow the excellent advice given here; have a fan, lots of ice on standby, wear cool clothes, drink lots of cooling liquids - the list is endless, but I hope you find some combination of things that work for you and ease your brain fog.
Hi, Yes the humid weather is not good at all…hate it …like a wee bit of sun but not too much…have brain fog terrible cant remember things cognitive stuff…have no energy…feel depressed…cant wait for the fresher weather…cold is best for us…want to lie down more …
Morning all. So glad to see this thread in a ‘yes I know that how I feel is consistent with my MS but it’s just sooo irritating and I feel like having a moan’ sort of way!
Second summer since my dx and I now realise like others in here that it isn’t so much the heat as the humidity. My ideal day in summer is about 21 degrees, sunny, but lower humidity and a bit fresh! And I’m a bit more watchful now as I felt that last summer I deteriorated, although the neuro said there were ‘no significant changes’.
How lovely it would be to live in an air-conditioned house…!
Morning all. So glad to see this thread in a ‘yes I know that how I feel is consistent with my MS but it’s just sooo irritating and I feel like having a moan’ sort of way!
Second summer since my dx and I now realise like others in here that it isn’t so much the heat as the humidity. My ideal day in summer is about 21 degrees, sunny, but lower humidity and a bit fresh! And I’m a bit more watchful now as I felt that last summer I deteriorated, although the neuro said there were ‘no significant changes’.
How lovely it would be to live in an air-conditioned house…!
Its the humidity that gets me, i love the sun and temps up to about 21 are fine,but its when its humid i just cant function much at all. i have bought an air con unit best £250 i ever spent,wouldnt be ever without one now .also chillow pillows are great to cool you down at night too.
I am so lucky. My house is naturally cool in Summer. It takes a really hot day to heat it up. And even then, we can just close blinds and open windows. It’s expensive to double glaze, but there’s something to be said for having lots of windows and a decent through draft.
Without that, I’d be flopping about as I’m utterly floored by humidity.
The cat sleeps all day outside deep in the shade of plants and when he heats up, comes and lays down in the hall to cool down.
Sue - does that mean that the house is a bit cold in winter then? Do you have tiled floors or carpets? I’m thinking of houses in hot countries where tiles are the norm as a way of dealing with the heat. I’ve spoken to a couple of people who have houses like this abroad and they say that if they have a cold snap in winter their houses are really cold! Can’t win!
I’m finding it rather humid today in London where according to the BBC it’s 22 degrees with 69% humidity and sort of cloudy with bright spells. The humidity makes me feel wiped out and a bit nauseous. Have been busy preparing stuff for guests tomorrow evening and absolutely have to go and have a half hour lie down now I think! When we had a short spell of what seemed like autumn a couple of weeks ago I thought it was great although everyone else grumbled and wondered where summer was!
The only two reasons our house can be a bit nippy in winter is first because the doors are always open (wheelchair plus closed doors is a pain in the whatsit), and the other is that my OH doesn’t always put the heating on as much as I’d like. Oh also, the flippin’ spoilt moggy likes to have the back door open whenever possible and has a little trick of leaving his tail in the door way so it can’t be closed all the way. (Some call it clever, I call it spoilt rotten!)
I think we’re just lucky. We have a mixture of hard floors and carpet. Hard floor in the kitchen and bathroom, wood floor in the hall, proper carpet in the living room and super thin utilitarian (wheelchair friendly) carpet in the bedroom.
Oh and we need new double glazing so that doesn’t help with the heat retention in the winter, but it’s really not a cold house in winter. It’s just always been a fabulous house for keeping cool in the summer. Today for example, it got up to 27 degrees outside (so Mr weather obsessed tells me) but I’ve got a cardie on, long trews and socks. And I’ve had them all on pretty much all day. In fact right now I’m starting to feel a bit cold.
Back here again to comment that however it was back in June it seems to be much worse now! I’m jealous of Msers who aren’t affected by the heat!
The idea of emigrating to somewhere like Rejkavik (high of 14 today and cloudy) is sounding pretty attractive. Don’t speak Icelandic though but they do speak pretty good English…
Louise (feeling like a wet chamois leather today_ x
I’m the Lion who posted the original post (but forgot my user name/password combination so have set up another one :S), but I’m back and right there with you Lou about emigrating.
Unlike a lot of you, I don’t seem to be affected much by humidity, or rather it doesn’t make a lot of difference, it’s heat, wet or dry that floors me.
Also, does anyone else notice that the hot/brain foggy feeling makes them more emotional? It does me, so in addition to not being able to think straight, I want to cry over absolutely nothing, more than normal!
Thunder storms are predicted to be coming in tonight over from Northern Ireland way, so here’s hoping! (I just want it to cool down!!!).
Can i come with you? I hate the heat, and humidity, it drains me, my legs are fizzing, tingling for England, and I havent been out in it lol. I have changed clothing twice already, just moving is making me sweat or glow lol. x
