Weather Or Not
Life with multiple sclerosis can be routine.
Or at least I try to make it so.
Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day. Taking meds at the same time. Eating pretty much the same thing.
Everything in routine clockwork to keep my MS from stirring.
Yes, call me the “Rainman” of chronic illness.
Ever hit a wasp’s nest with a stick? Wasps don’t like to be disturbed—and neither does MS!
Yet despite meticulous care (bordering on OCD!), some days I find myself lurch-dragging my dead legs more than others. More stiffness. More fatigue.
What the heck. What gives?
Then, I (and probably you do as well!) go through an MS checklist that rivals a pilot’s pre-flight…..
Meds? Check.
Stretching? Check.
Energy? Check.
Bladder & Bowel? Check.
And so on and so on.
Nothing. Nothing to signal what’s up with my funkdom. My mojo has no go-go.
My friend (also an MSer) claims it’s all in the weather.
He says when it’s about to rain (or is raining), his MS-related pain is worse.
“It’s all in the barometric pressure. When the barometer is bouncing up & down like a ping-pong ball, it messes with my MS,” he adds.
What? Temperature…Humidity…And now I gotta keep an eye on a barometer too? My God, I’m a stumbling Al Roker checking to see what’s the forecast in my neck of the woods!
I already know heat & humidity zap me like a department full of police tasers.
But millibars of barometric pressure?
Oh come on.
So I ask you.
How does the weather affect your MS?
Are you worse (like my friend) on rainy days?
How does the cold weather treat you? Do you suffer more pain or stiffness as the temperature dips?
Or is all this chatter the work of a bunch of hypochondriacs?
Me? I’m looking for your explanation. But give it quick as I’m trying to catch The Weather Channel’s “Local On The 8’s.”
6 Replies to “Weather Or Not”
Oh the blasted weather!
Heat & humidity are NOT my friends. I feel like a steaming pile of dung when it’s hot. My mind doesn’t work right, I’m nauseous & dizzy… bleh.
The cold causes me more pain & stiffness but at least I feel better. I don’t feel sick… well, at least for the really bad walking junk.
And on rainy days, once it’s falling… I feel so good. It seems like the humidity drops when the rain starts falling. The air doesn’t feel quite so oppressive…. I love a good rainy day!
Sherri,
THANK YOU. I thought my friend was full of it!
Love the visual imagery of your description of “a steaming pile of dung.”
My neighbor has five big dogs, so on a hot, summer day—I get a noseful. (And the size of my nose—THAT’S a lot!)
Your friend and I are on the same page! I don’t need Al Roker or the Weather Channel. I AM a human barometer. When it is raining, or gonna rain, I am so weak to the point I can’t function. It rains every day here in Florida during the summer, so I go days without being able to do anything productive. I have mentioned this problem to my healthcare providers, to no avail. I even googled MS and barometric pressure for help. It’s common, but there were no suggestions for relief.
I prayed I had arthritis thinking that could be managed better than MS. Don’t have arthritis. Got two opinions because I didn’t believe the first set of tests.
Ever since I was diagnosed with MS, I almost never have pain or stiffness. My major symptoms are weakness and fatigue. It feels like someone has pulled a plug, and drained all the energy out of my body!
Weather definitely affects me and my MS. I totally avoid the heat and humidity, but for me, the cold is much worse. I shiver, which makes my muscles act goofy; I seem to hunch up, which starts spasms; and getting in and out of heavy coats exhausts me. Recently, I noticed (but it was there all the time) that rainy weather (dropping barometer) sets off other symptoms. So, a resounding YES, weather does affect me — a lot!
Peace,
Muff
Margaret,
I wondered if my friend just had arthritis, but maybe he is onto something!
I usually have a mild flair up as the seasons change but most definately the day to day weather affects me. I can tell when a “weather front” is approaching. Using my body as a barometer seems to be more reliable that the short term weather forcast shown on the news! 🙂 Hot or cold…change doesn’t do me good!