cold intolerance?

[shel67]

I know MS is effected by heat but can it be effected by cold as well? Also, is getting abnormally cold a symptom of MS?

[Kimba22]

Hi shel67,

"Some people with MS notice that symptoms, particularly spasticity, become worse in cold weather. It is generally recommended that people with MS who are sensitive to temperature try to avoid extremes of either hot or cold." http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Liv...re-Sensitivity

"It's less common than feeling the heat, but some people do find the cold is a problem. If you are affected in this way, you might notice sensory symptoms or mobility issues get worse when you're cold. Even some people usually more affected by the heat might notice that their muscles feel stiffer in the cold. Low temperatures might bring on spasms, or a feeling of tightness in the muscles. As with heat, these changes are usually temporary - if you can find a comfortable temperature, these effects should fade away.

There has not been a great deal of research into the effects of cold on MS symptoms, and we don't know for certain why it happens. But whatever the reasons behind it, for some people, keeping warm feels more vital than keeping cool." http://www.mssociety.org.uk/sites/de...eet-Feb-13.pdf

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...ermoregulation

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...ermoregulation

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...ermoregulation

I have read where the feeling of cold can be just another sensory symptom we can experience, as well.

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...highlight=cold

[SNOOPY]

Hi Shel

Am I both heat and cold intolerant.

With cold I have more pain, stiffness, mobility problems and more fatigue.
With heat I have more fatigue, mobility problems and weakness.

Also, is getting abnormally cold a symptom of MS?

Your question is very general.

I have a problem with being cold under conditions that would have, in the past, been very unusual, but has become normal. What I experience has not been able to be explained or diagnosed by a Dr. I have brought this up to my PCP, GYN and Neurologist. My Neurologist doesn't believe it's due to MS. I asked my gyn if it's due to being perimenopause and she said it is possible but, it would be very rare for it to be. My PCP, well, he's just useless

[rsinger]

cold intolerance

Cold definitely bothers me. If my feet or legs get cold I experience muscle soreness and stiffness. On the other hand I am able to walk my usual 3 mile walk in 90 degree humid weather with no problems at all. I guess there are others with sensitivity to cold as well.

[shel67]

Yeah, I don't find either triggers things but this having symptoms thing is new to me. Knowing now that I did have MS for the last 5 years, heat never triggered anything. Cold just gets me having a internal shivering that now I'm able to recognize as a vibration rather then chills and cold brings it on and I get cold very easily. I'm feeling cold right now and it's 90 degrees outside. Sitting in the AC makes me cold and I feel internal shivering.

[ladibabe]

The cold is just as bad as the heat

Thank you for your post. I stay in Michigan and we have extreme heat and cold here. But I have noticed that it does not take much for me when the temperature drops to get cold even when the weather is not that intolerable. I have to put a heating mat on my feet to keep feeling in them it gets so bad. When I can't warm up my entire body shivers uncontrollably. I have to have an extra blanket and heat mat with me at all times.

[jayfalk]

I know MS is effected by heat but can it be effected by cold as well? Also, is getting abnormally cold a symptom of MS?

I am very cold intolerant--I've told people that I have been cold since 1996. I wear sweaters and sweatshirts year round. When I say I am cold, I mean I am cold to the core. My neurologist tells me that my internal thermostat has been attacked and it is probably due to the MS. The worst part of this is that I can also be heat intolerant but am not aware of it until my symptoms worsen.

[loveshinesthru]

Ive not been diagnosed yet, but I have always been cold even when I weighed 300lbs, even when others are hot.

[jenmomof4]

Cold hurts heat drains

I have intolerance to both. Heat makes me feel "I judt don't feel good"way. Drained, dragging, and highly symptomatic. I've never ever enjoyed a late night or anytime Jacuzzi with my friends or hubby. I get in... and it's over. Even a hot bath hasn't been in my life since I was a child. I feel like I'm going to pass out... and completely out of "sorts". So I'm the friend who just puts her feet in , but sits on the concrete.

This Year this intolerance has increased GREATLY. I'm discouraged by the progression, because it's things like this I REALLY SEE or feel. Excessive yawning when overheated has recently come into play...its annoying ... along WITH all the other symptoms the heat triggers. Cold.. that USED to be worse than heat ( until this year's new onsets to it). The cold gets deep deep in my bones and HURTS. I shiver violently and can't warm myself... once I do.... I am NOW overheated. Fun times.

Ice cube handling...no. it hurts. The LAST time I made meatloaf was In 2015... when kneading the meat, eggs, and milk.... sent me to the ground In excruciating pain that shot from my hand... all the way up to my elbow... and it hurt for HOURS . I'll never forget that pain, I'd rather birth another child than mix cold meat, eggs, and milk with my hands. Oh that hurt. Ice cubes and frozen food similar effects. Resturaunts are absolute torturous misery... I'm that girl who asks them to TURN OFF the ac.... every time.. cause they're so darn COLD. Not to mention the noise level and havoc the dining areas causes on my sensory sensitivity (but that's for another post lol)
When I finally went to Dr. For all my NUMEROUS little oddities that started me on the MS journey...I remember now, but didn't think of then... my kids and hubby quit volunteering to go in the car with me...i had heater on in June. I was cold.
Now that the heat has stepped up it's intolerance level... I'm a not so fine mess. Lol.
I miss ME. This new me is so complicated.

I am very cold intolerant--I've told people that I have been cold since 1996. I wear sweaters and sweatshirts year round. When I say I am cold, I mean I am cold to the core. My neurologist tells me that my internal thermostat has been attacked and it is probably due to the MS. The worst part of this is that I can also be heat intolerant but am not aware of it until my symptoms worsen.

[KoKo]

Hi jenmomof4

I can really relate with most everything you posted about heat and cold intolerance.

The NMSS magazine Momentum, had a very interesting article describing how MS may be the culprit in cold intolerance. This is from the article:

Here’s what neurologists think is happening instead: MS is known to cause problems, in some individuals, with the autonomic nervous system—the part of the nervous system that controls key involuntary functions such as movements of the heart muscle and the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. It’s this system that helps the body adjust to changes in ambient temperature—making us sweat if it’s too hot, for example, or shiver if it’s too cold. It can make our blood vessels dilate or constrict, and our blood pressure rise or fall as needed to stay a comfortable 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (individual temperatures vary). “These natural compensation mechanisms may not work right in people with MS,” Dr. Bermel explains, “so they might not shiver to send extra blood flow to the limbs when they’re cold, as people without MS do.”

Full article:http://www.momentummagazineonline.co...-up-to-winter/

It's difficult for people without MS to understand that the warm/cool intolerance that we deal with is not about our comfort level, it's about our basic ability to function, and our mobility level that's affected with many of us.

Take Care

[jenmomof4]

NAIL ON THE HEAD.
The basic ability vs. Comfort...or how some in my life view as...CONSTANT COMPLAINING....likes to b!#$ , moan, and groan about every little thing. But thsts not it... thanks for nailing that for me.
Great article. Thank you

Hi
jenmomof4



It's difficult for people without MS to understand that the warm/cool intolerance that we deal with is not about our comfort level, it's about our basic ability to function, and our mobility level that's affected with many of us.

Take Care

[KoKo]

jenmomof4

Ice cube handling...no. it hurts. The LAST time I made meatloaf was In 2015... when kneading the meat, eggs, and milk.... sent me to the ground In excruciating pain that shot from my hand... all the way up to my elbow... and it hurt for HOURS . I'll never forget that pain, I'd rather birth another child than mix cold meat, eggs, and milk with my hands. Oh that hurt. Ice cubes and frozen food similar effects. Resturaunts are absolute torturous misery... I'm that girl who asks them to TURN OFF the ac.... every time.. cause they're so darn COLD.

Not sure if you read this paragraph, but it might explain the pain felt on the extremities too:

Compounding the problem is that many people with MS also have Raynaud’s phenomenon, a condition in which the small blood vessels in the extremities—the fingertips, toes, nose or ears—constrict when exposed to cold temperatures, causing them to feel painfully cold, along with sensations of pins and needles, numbness or throbbing.

Matt Allen G., who writes the blog Matt’s MS, remembers the moment, on a 32-degree day, that he first suspected he had secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon, meaning the syndrome was linked to his MS. “I started noticing very quickly that my fingers were becoming extremely cold, to the point that they hurt,” he says. “It felt as though I had held my hands in ice water till they were numb and then dunked them in hot water.”

Take Care

[Leenyi]

Yeah I used to hate hot summer days. The heat sapped all my strength. Now I hate the cold. I especially notice it at night when I'm trying to fall asleep. My feet feel so cold it's painful! I've found that a heated mattress pad or my memory foam mattress pad keep my feet and legs warm and cozy!

One cold problem I haven't fully solved is eating a Wendy's frosty. I've loved frosties since I lived near a Wendy's during college. I had no problems eating them then. Then about five years ago I tried eating one and my throat got so cold I couldn't finish it. It was just too painful! I thought I had throat cancer until I made the ms cold connection.

Luckily I've found that if I eat a warm french fry every couple of bites it keeps my throat from getting so painfully cold and I can finish my frosty!

MS is so weird!!