Cold Intolerance
Cold intolerance is a major issue for many people who have Fibromyalgia. Sleep deprivation and being constantly in the flight/fight mode due to stress does not allow the body to operate efficiently. And because of this our ability to regulate our body temperature simply goes awry.
According to the NHS when listing the symptoms of Fibromyalgia it states that “feeling too cold is because you're not able to regulate your body temperature properly.”
Raynaud’s Disease
Raynaud’s disease seems to go hand in hand (pardon the pun) with Fibromyalgia. With Raynaud's disease as a response to cold temperatures, anxiety or stress the small arteries that normally allow blood to flow to the skin narrow. This narrowing affects the blood circulation.
The extremities of fingers and toes are usually affected and can feel very cold, stiff, and painful and turn white or blue due to cold or stress. And as previously mentioned people with Fibromyalgia are under constant stress, so it is no surprise that many also suffer Raynaud's disease.
My experience of Cold Intolerance and Fibromyalgia
At my worst, my hands and feet were like ice blocks. No matter the temperature outside or indoors my hands and feet would be freezing. I even got very painful chilblains on my feet. I knew this was a sign of poor circulation and I knew I had to do something about it. I bought numerous items of clothing to keep me warm – long johns, thermal gloves and socks, hats, padded jackets etc.
I wore socks to bed. I also made myself some wheat bags to warm up in the microwave. I used big ones for my feet and pocket sized ones for my hands. I needed a blanket in the car and another one for lounging on the sofa. I used a heated blanket at night.
I found that I could not tolerate shopping in the freezer section of a supermarket – even in summer- it was just too cold to be near.
At the same time as the cold intolerance I would also have hot sweats – mainly when I drank tea, had sugar or alcohol – but sometimes for no good reason. I would have night sweats too which would disturb my sleep. I would strip off my clothing until I became cool. Then I would need to wrap up warmly again as I was freezing cold. Heat intolerance is just as bad as cold intolerance to people with Fibromyalgia and is just further proof that our ability to control our body temperature is out of whack.
I found that even in the summer months I could not retrieve food from my freezer, nor prepare cold vegetables for a meal. Even touching cold cutlery or glassware whist eating or drinking would chill me to the bone.
When there was a drop in temperature I would
feel it immediately. It seemed to make all my Fibromyalgia symptoms
worse – pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety etc.
Top Tips I found to help me with my Cold Intolerance:
- Keep your head, chest and back of the neck covered and warm when outdoors.
- Wash hands ONLY in warm water.
- Never eat cold foods other than in the height of summer.
- Never drink cold drinks other than in the height of summer.
- Never add ice to a drink.
- Drink herbal teas throughout the day that are warming such as ginger, cinnamon, peppermint or fennel.
- Add spice to foods such as ginger, cinnamon or chilli.
- Avoid or cut down on inflammatory foods that add stress to the body. These include foods containing grains, dairy, sugar and caffeine beverages.
- ALWAYS keep the soles of your feet and your kidneys warm. (I use Chinese herbal medicated heat patches that really heat up the area they are placed upon. They contain natural herbs and are more effective and cheaper than the Deep Heat patches you can buy.)
- Buy a heated foot massager. Buy a heated hand massager. (These machines not only heat up to improve circulation in the hands and feet but use targeted compression to apply pressure to the acupressure points. This helps the blood, oxygen, lymphatic system and Chi flow which in turn relieves pain and lessens fatigue.)
- The heated foot massager is perfect for those with Fibromyalgia and Plantar Fasciitis or any other form of foot pain.
- The heated hand massager is perfect for those with Fibromyalgia and Raynaud’s disease or for those who have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
- Practice daily healing Qigong (or Tai Chi or Yoga, if you prefer). This gets the blood and lymphatic system circulating and helps the Chi to flow with the added benefit of reducing anxiety and reducing stress.