outside temperature(extreme heat) & symptoms?

[dermarfx]

Hello all,
  I am still recovering from a discectomy ....
Does extreme heat make any of you guys symptoms worsen?
     I ask because, I drive 35 minutes to work,the whole time I am stressed by a vehicle that rides rough, and has no A/C.
I feel the neck stiffness, and headpain to increase to a non manageable situation for me.
  Once I get real hot (Mississippi temp is to a lil above 90 degrees) it seems like my head constantly hurts nonstop, to the point that I can't work that day...
  If any of you guys notice the same please help ease my mind.......Russell

[Ticonda]

Hello everybody, I’m 37 and I also have Chiari. Extreme cold and hot temperatures triggers painful headache for me. I jus found out that I was born with it at the age of 37. But I see what was causing the numbness in my arms and fingers. I can’t even drink anything ice cold. But thanks for all of my unanswered questions, you all have been so helpful to me. I’ve learned so much about CM (very painful) today and I want to thank you all...

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I am glad you are finding the forum helpful....and to get answers to any questions, do create a new thread as some members bypass these older threads....many times they just overlook the thread so not to be missed do post in new or create a new thread.

Weather is the worst for Chiari pain.....change of seasons is difficult as well.....I hope you find ways to get around some of the things that trigger your symptoms.

[*Stormy*]

bbisweary- that is what happens to me as well....I love being outside so I make sure I pop some pills, put on sunglasses and a hat. The kind of sunglasses that I find work best aren't the darkest ones but the driving ones that are designed to cut out the glare. Thankfully, I live in a lot of trees which block out a lot of the direct sun. One thing I had a REALLY hard time driving today b/c of the glare off the cars...it felt like a jab through my skull!! Not nice when you are trying to manouever through traffic!!

dermarfx- I would definately call your DR...being hot gets our blood pumping b/c we are trying to cool ourselves down so it is no wonder that it increases our symptoms.

Carolyn

[bbisweary]

I'm so sorry for all of your problems and complications to your problems, like not having A/C.  The rain and snow make my headaches, balance, and coordination worse. My problem with the heat so far is that my eyes have a hypersensitivity to sunlight which triggers opthamalic migraines.  I love the sun, so as the spoon poem goes, there's another spoon taken away!

[greeneyes247724]

Please be sure to let us know if your doctor comes up with anything.......I have yet to find a solution except to try to stay as cool as possible.  I remember being told about a helmet that was being tested that kept the brain cool....apparently there are only like 5 around.  It was tested on stroke patients I believe......but if you google "chiari cooling helmet" you can find some articles on it.  I sure wish it was available for us!!

Good luck with your car and the head pain!

[dermarfx]

thanks.........I will call the Doctor on Monday, he is off until then......

[selmaS]

Rus, when was ur last MRI to see if there is a change with ur Chiari?.....listen to ur wife and see if the dr has ne ideas...or if ur chiari issues have made ne changes.

Good luck and it was a good idea to have someone else work on the car....

"selma"

[dermarfx]

Today I had car trouble again...
90 degree temp outside......and guess what??????????
    I went home out of the heat, and will get someone else to help me with it.
  
The heat, is killing me.......it truly makes this head pain go off the charts.
   I wonder if I should call my Doctor, and report this to him in advance, I just can't think of what I can do to stay out of the heat..........

My wife tells me to call..............I just can't think of a thing my Doctor could do to help this pain...........

[*Stormy*]

Both extremes affect me too...the cold makes me well, very cold and causes my limbs to not want to work properly.. The hot (like after a shower or on a hot day) increases my fatigure 10 fold, plus my head throbs and my ears ring very loud plus my body just feels like it is buzzing.

I am wondering if the 35min car ride bothers you too...I know after sitting 10 mins in my car WITH my head against the back headrest, I start to feel the pain in my neck (which travels to my head) and down my legs. That is why I limit how long I am in a car but I realize you don't have much choice when going to work. The combination of the ride and the heat would be killer for me...I empathize with you, my A/C conked out last year and I told my DH there was no way I was putting up with another summer like that!
Carolyn

[rod44]

Hi Russell. Temperature during the summer months where I live rarely pass above 70 and is usually much lower, it dose get cold and I find this to be a problem in winter/spring. Rain and low atmospheric pressure can also cause problems for me.  

Ray

[greeneyes247724]

Hi Russell......I'm in Houston and the heat is the worst for my headaches!!!!  I DREAD the summer months!!!!  My aunt lives in Mississippi so I know the heat there is not much better....lol  So I can totally relate!  Even going out in the heat to run a few errands will trigger a huge migraine for me!!  I'm usually fine in the cold but the heat....bad news!!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed both of us will have a mild summer temp wise but we have already had a couple of days in the 90's here so it's not looking good....=(

Kristen

[selmaS]

Well u have a few diff things that were working against u...one the heat, two head upside down and three straining...all no no's for a chiarian b4 or after surgery!!!

So sorry u had to go thru all that.....my DH got me AAA for roadside assistance.....it is a huge help......not that I would have tried to fix a car....don't know how....lol....

Take care Russ
"selma"

[dermarfx]

Because of the extreme temps here, my car ran hot.....
left me stranded on the side of the road in the heat.
    
  Then later that evening Fixing the car, I was pulling on a wrench, straining
with my head hung upside down under the hood.
   None of which where worth the pain.........none

[selmaS]

Hi Rus,

may I ask what exactly were u doing?....if u had to strain while working on the car in that heat, I can see y u had a rough time.....

It is also good that u know when u r getting close to a flare...recognizing that is part of avoiding it from happening again.

Keep safe
"selma"

[shanmomof3]

I bet you didnt have a problem with heat today lol I'm freezing! HaHa only in mississippi! ;~P

[dermarfx]

I want to explain my situation,so that another CM, will find this post one day......

When in Hot weather I.E. 90 + temps,
if you are execizing,stretching...etc and you start to get hot enough so that you feel tingeling of the scalp, and the beginnings of causing a flare.
   I believe this is what happened to me.
I worked on my car, so that I could get of of the side of a major highway....
  This caused me advanced symptoms, that are just now lessening 3-4 days after.
Man o man, one more thing to add to the don't do list.....

[shanmomof3]

Hi Russ! Cold bothers me more but i did notice today that the heat was doing a number on me, especially since it was still 85 degrees at 5pm. I dont get out every day so i wont notice it as much as you do! Hope it gets better for you! Blessings ~ Shannon

[selmaS]

Hopefully that is what happens...the symptoms subside and do not increase.....hang in there...I know this chiari journey as well as ur disk issues have been one bumpy ride for u Russ.

"selma"

[dermarfx]

thanks Selma, I have been told by the NS that we should see how much of the symptoms reside, rather than increase...Russell

[selmaS]

HI Russ......many have over sensitivities to heat and cold......my issues have been the cold, but since just b4 my surgery it did begin to include heat.But the cold does affect me more.

Have u been to a chiari specialist yet?.....a bumpy car ride is also not a good thing....really can cause symptoms to flare.

I guess once the temps get higher I will be able to see how heat affects me this yr......

"selma"