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Hot and cold effects on symptoms
I have noticed that if I get chilled enough to where I begin to shiver that my left side, which is my tremor side, hyper reacts—more like tremors on steroids. I’ve also noticed that I get overheated more easily in temps of 80 degrees and at 100 degrees it’s as if I’m not taking my meds with increased tremors, leg cramps at bedtime and increase urination issues. When it’s hot I take my electrolytes and drink plenty of water but it doesn’t change how I respond to the heat. Has anyone else experienced the same? If so, have you found anything that helps?
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12 Replies
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Yes, once I get chilled, I also experience hyper tremors and it’s difficult to recover until my body reaches its comfort zone temperature. Sometimes just having a car vent a/c, a cool breeze, fan or even drinking a cold beverage can set it off. Cold t emp regulation has been an issue for me too. Hot temps don’t bother me. I often google it and can’t find any info on this issue. Remedy for me, dress in layers.
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The same things happens to me. It’s like my whole core “vibrates” and my tremor goes full on after I have shivered for a few minutes. Getting overheated exacerbates my tremor and cognitive function.
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I have noticed when I go into the jacuzzi at my gym, my tremors are quite amplified! In fact, this is where I first noticed I had a tremor – long before I suspected I had Parkinson’s. (Probably 2 or 3 years before I was diagnosed.) Now that I have had the diagnosis since 2016, I find that I have a very narrow temperature range where I am comfortable. I can not endure hot or cold like I used to be able to.
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Recently, I forgot to take my meds because my schedule was off, and I went to the jacuzzi in my complex. Tremors were very amplified and it was a challenge walking home. I am so grateful that that is not my norm in every day life and yet it is a somber reminder of times to come, and also a reminder to focus on today and live each moment.
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Thank you to everyone on this post. Although I don’t live in an area where I get hot temperatures, I am very susceptible to getting cold easily. ( Even though my house is toasty warm.) When I get chills, my tremors are also worse and I feel agitated in my torso. I am very careful to take my levo/carb on time. If it is delayed, then the chills set in big time.
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I too am very affected by temperature changes or any delay in taking my Sinemet, even the wearing off period before the next dose, with shivers and shakes. I live in southern Spain where the temperatures can fluctuate hugely. I have air conditioning units in the most used rooms, with which I can rapidly raise or lower the temperature, a fan heater in the bathroom, and layers of sweaters to adjust as needed.
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I don’t think he’s ever gotten that chilled, but we recently had the experience of my husband getting quite overheated. That caused pretty much a physical and mental shutdown. Once he cooled down, he was back to his baseline.
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I think my internal thermostat is broken. I have little tolerance for cold and when I get chilled it is very hard to warm back up. Sometimes just curling up in an electric blanket is the only solution I can find. My sweet husband got me a heated vest but I have a hard time keeping batteries charged to heat it up. When I am cold, dystonia takes over and I can hardly move. I hurt all over.
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Cold weather and hot weather are both cause “stress”. People with PD are very sensitive to stress and the PD symptoms are amplified.
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Everyone’s answers have helped me confirm that hyper-susceptibility to the heat and cold is one of my Parkinson’s symptoms.
When I start getting chilled, I can feel my right hand (dominant and tremor hand) start to tremor before my inner core starts to vibrate. If I don’t do something to stop it then, it just spreads all over until I can hardly move because I’m shaking so badly. I also experience uncontrollable tremors in my right hand in an extremely stressful situation, as well. So much so, I felt it necessary to explain to the officer why I was shaking so badly when I got stopped for speeding; I didn’t want him to think that I was guilty of some heinous crime!
When I have gotten overly hot, I just basically feel like my body is shutting down. I can’t do anything and feel like a limp dishrag.
I am unsure how I will react this summer since it will be the first year that I have been on the Neupro patch. I have heard that when you get too warm, more medication can be released. It will be an interesting summer.
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I concur with the other respondents. Parkinson’s has caused me to react much more dramatically to various stressors, and I am much more intolerant of extremes in temperature. Fortunately I live in a reasonably moderate climate (Toronto, Canada) where it’s fairly easy to dress for comfort at both ends of the scale.
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When it’s cold, my tremors go into overdrive, and in the heat, it’s like my meds don’t even exist! I’ve tried hydrating and electrolytes too, but no luck.
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