Too Much Heat??

[Ringer1319]

Okay, so I live in Central Texas... and I have had my fair share of dealing with the heat... and I did okay with it... doing my cooling techniques and being inside a lot.

However, last night my AC went out... so all day today I had no AC and it was hotter inside, than it was outside. So I really had no escape from the heat.

I came inside and took a cold shower... twice. Drank plenty of water and just tried to stay cool. I went outside to get some things from the garden & I got light headed and sick to my stomach...

Does this happen to others when they are in the heat too much? Now I'm just really fatigued... and don't want to eat anything.

[SNOOPY]

Heat intolerance happens to many people without MS and they can experience being lightheaded, feeling sick and fatigue.

Could this be your reaction towards heat and MS...yes. Heat can cause a person with MS to have a pseudo-exacerbation or even a true exacerbation.

Symptoms I deal with due to heat:

- Leg weakness as well as total body weakness.
- Extreme fatigue -- I will sleep most of a day or two depending on the extent of the heat exposure.
- I have had 4 or my 5 exacerbations, not a pseudo-exacerbation, due to heat.

[Ringer1319]

Yeah, on my reports the radiologists stopped counting at 20 lesions in my brain.

I really think that a lot of my MS sx have to do w/ the heat... I do a lot better in the winter... well Texas winter... I just don't know what I can do to not be in the heat... because I wouldn't be able to ever leave my house, ya know?

[CGMoonbeam]

MSAA has a free cooling vest with an application that you can print out on line. Get it verified by your neuro and they'll send you a cooling vest and some other cooling equipment. It comes with a lot of freezer packs. I live in Tucson with only swamp cooler, so nights can get pretty hot when it's humid. I sleep on a bed of freezer packs when it gets too hot. Put a bath towel down, lay out about six ice packs, lay down another towel, and lay on the bed with the ice under your torso. It's actually fairly comfortable and helps to cool down your core.

[Ringer1319]

I have the cooling vest, but with this heat it's like they don't last that long because of how hot it is. I have all the cooling products... but I don't want to have to wear it every time I walk out of the house... ya know?

[owlnona]

Heat is my biggest enemy!!. I moved last Fall from Memphis Tn. to D.C. Now Memphis is HOT & I hibernated from June untill late Sept,but I'm told it's nothing like DC heat. My family is w/ me & they know I'm a "bear" in Summer,but it still makes me mad I'll miss another Summer of fun. Now more than ever as our new house has a wonderful "In ground pool" on over an acre of land. Maybe I can sneak out I swim by Moonlite!
Who else battles heat & what do you do?
God Bless Nona Judy

[Ringer1319]

I did call my neuro's office yesterday, because if I was exposed to the heat for longer than 5 minutes.. I get a horrible migraine that makes me sick to my stomach.

My neuro ended up calling in me in some meds for it, I'm not sure what he said he was calling in, but I'm going to get it today. So hopefully it helps. Sometimes I just want to move away from Texas for the summer.

[Nicksan]

cooling vest

I've had PPMS since 2004 and this is the first year that the heat has really hit me. I don't go out much but the other day was so nice, I decided to go sit on the deck to get some rays.

Well after 10 minutes, I couldn't get out of the chair, couldn't raise my legs at all. My wife had to literally drag me into the cool house, where it took about a half hour before I could move.

My question is, is there a particular type/brand of cooling vest, I should consider? There are several ads in the back of the NMSS Momentum magazine. Not sure what is best.

Peace - Nick

[lusciousleaves]

I had that same problem last summer and would be sick to my stomach for 4 days from a 2 hour heat exposure. Kept me inside all summer. This year doesn't seem to be as extreme as far as the sensitivity is concerned.

One thing I found helpful, besides staying wet, is an ice pack on the back of the neck. The PTs mentioned putting it on the front of the neck where all of the vital vessels are for cooling purposes, but it works well for me on the back.

You can order them from PT suppliers online and get the type shaped for the c-spine area. Very nice way to cool down quickly. It also gives me a little boost of energy sometimes, wakes me up or something. Only ice until numb. Otherwise, you can freeze your skin.

[RingpOP]

I've had PPMS since 2004 and this is the first year that the heat has really hit me. I don't go out much but the other day was so nice, I decided to go sit on the deck to get some rays.

Well after 10 minutes, I couldn't get out of the chair, couldn't raise my legs at all. My wife had to literally drag me into the cool house, where it took about a half hour before I could move.

My question is, is there a particular type/brand of cooling vest, I should consider? There are several ads in the back of the NMSS Momentum magazine. Not sure what is best.

Peace - Nick

I qualified to get a free one from the MSAA:
http://www.msassociation.org/programs/cooling/

I got the lighter vest that goes easily under your clothes, it's not that bulky.
This is the actual manufacturer for the vest I received:
http://www.steelevest.com/

Also, the MSWorld Resource Center has information for assistive devices, including Cooling Products:
http://resourcecenter.msworld.org/re...ne-sources/#ms

Hope this helps!