Tuesday, September 22, 2009

How Weather Can Affect Us....

Well, at least it affects me. It's been raining in N. Central Texas for almost two weeks straight, now, and I'm hurting. Hurting makes me cranky.
I don't know if it's so much the lupus that makes my muscles and joints ache as much as it is the fibromyalgia. At any rate, it's understood among lupus patients that a barometric pressure change can do a lot of damage to our bodies.
I knew one young woman several years ago who related the story that she was driving from N Central TX to Louisiana and encountered a severe drop in barometric pressure. So much of her body was crippled, she had to stop in a small town and go to the ER. They kept her for several days, which blew her schedule apart, but after receiving IV doses of prednisone, she was able to continue her trip.
Not all of us have this response, though. That's one of the things about this disease: No "one size fits all." I do better in the colder weather than in the heat. Even when I go outside in the summer heat wearing long sleeves, long pants and a broad-brimmed hat, I am completely depleted of any energy I might have had before stepping out the door.
In the colder weather, unless it's very damp, I do much better with my energy level. Some people cannot function in the colder climes, and part of it may be due to Reynaud's Disease, where the feet and hands turn red and chapped looking and tingle. This can occur even at the frozen foods section of the supermarket. It doesn't seem to bother me, though the lupus person right next to me is wearing gloves as she sorts through the frozen goods.
I think I've done enough typing for today. My hands ache and I'm making too many errors that even spell check might not catch.
Everybody, take care of yourselves, okay?

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8 comments:

  1. Hello my name is Amelia and I just got diagnosed with Lupus when I was reading this blog about the symptoms you get, I was thinking to myself, 'wow, she's describing the symptoms that I get!' I have a better time in mild cold weather, I do not get as much pain as Ido when it's too warm. When the berometeric pressure is high, I get so much pain. I am newly diagnosed so the treatments have yet to begin. I was referred to this blog by a good friend of mine.

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  2. hi, Marilyn--I don't have Lupus, but I do have Rheumatoid Arthritis which is a close cousin. Both are auto-immune diseases. Without the details, I was diagnosed in 1980 and was very sick for 15 years.I took tons of meds, including a lot of prednisone. All my joints were so crippled after those years, I had a lot of touble even standing. I had surgery on my feet twice--once just recently, and I've had dozens of cortisone shots in my hand and fingers joints to keep them half-way presentable and workable. I can identify with you on that--plus I'm probably your age or older.Glad to read your blog! Celia Yeary

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  3. Thank you Amelia. I hope you are in a lupus support group, either locally or on-line. I belong to a couple of online groups, and they are a big help. One of them is LUPIES@yahoo.com. They are a whole lot of help and have such great information in their Files section. I hope you have a good rheumatologist who can treat you right away. Thank your friend for me.

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  4. Celia: I looked at your profile, and we are sisters under the skin, as we are writers, too. My doctors thought for a long time that I had "just Rheumatoid Arthritis" since I was 50 years old at the time. I'm now 71, living with lupus, which is indeed a lot like RA, and I often have trouble with my hands and feet. Somehow, we manage, though. Keep in touch!

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  5. Hi
    i am a guest who saw this post. I have lupus for the past 22 years. Initially i was misdiagnosed as RA.I live in India with a normal temp between 90 to 110 for nearly 10 months in a year. the heat affects more . I am writing this post from UK where i have come for a visit of 1 week.I dont have that much fatigue. I think heat gives fatigue for lupus,and fibromyalgia.
    Take care. best wishes
    pras

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  6. Hello, I am a 42yr-old mother of two. I have been doing some research of my own about Lupus. I am suppose to see a new doctor this Friday to get his opinion. When I read the symptoms it's like a checklist of the symptoms I have been tracking for my doctor. I guess what I would like to know is "Are there any specialist that are making new strides in Lupus care or prevention of outbreaks?" I own a hair salon and this is my third outbreak in two years. One lasted 9wks, the second only 3 and this one has already been happening for 6wks with no end in sight. I do feel frustrated that many days my arms give out after a couple of hours and some days they never get started. I will be trying your food suggestions. Any advice is appreciated.

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  7. I am 31 year old mother of three. Six week after having me son who is 8mon now, my Dr told me that I had Lupus. I have been on prednisone as well. Some days I'm so frustrated because the pain makes it impossible for me to hold my baby. I'm legs, knees, arms, just my whole body hurts; especially in the cold. My mother takes care of me when I have flare up because my husband can care less if I'm sick or doing well.

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  8. I am concerned how weather in Nebraska will affect my health, I have lupus, sjogrens and neuropathy. I live in San Diego now but have been offered an amazing job that is hard to pass up.
    Shellie where do you live? There are great Dr's there.

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