Temperature Sensitivity In Fibromyalgia

Published: // Updated: March 13, 2021

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Temperature sensitivity affects many women with fibromyalgia, myself included. You can be cold all the time or hot all the time or alternate between being hot or cold.

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For over twenty-five years I had hot flashes and night sweats. I can’t tell you how many times I was totally embarrassed because I could not stop sweating. My hair and clothes would be drenched regardless of the outside temperature. Now I am freezing all the time.

Research shows that people with fibromyalgia have an inability to adapt to changes in temperature along with a lower pain threshold to both hot and cold stimuli. Julie at Counting My Spoons wrote about a study that examined the temperature thresholds for heat and cold in women with fibromyalgia compared to healthy women.

What Causes Temperature Sensitivity

Body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a section of the brain responsible for hormone production. It is considered the link between the nervous system and the endocrine system.

The hypothalamus not only controls body temperature. It controls energy levels, the sleep cycle, muscular function, circulation, the gut and defense against infection.

Most fibromyalgia symptoms seem to be due to imbalances in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). These three glands work together to control hormone levels. Disruptions in the HPA axis seem to be at the core of fibromyalgia.

Thyroid hormones also play a role in regulating body temperature. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can cause a person to feel too hot, while an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can cause a person to feel too cold.

The thyroid gland is under the control of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland itself is regulated by the hypothalamus. Anything that disrupts the HPA axis will also suppress thyroid function.

Certain medications interfere with the regulation of body temperature. Some drugs make you sensitive to heat, increasing the risk of heat stroke and some can lower body temperature.

Heat Sensitivity

Some heat sensitive people feel all-over heat sensations that seem to come from within their own body. Along with hot flashes, some people have problems with excessive sweating. Others may only have problems in their hands and feet, including puffiness and aching. Warm or hot weather can be unbearable with heat sensitivity.

To avoid getting overheated:

  • Keep your environment cool.
  • Wear soft, lightweight clothing that fits loosely. Stick to light colors in warm weather because dark colors absorb heat.
  • Stay hydrated. Make sure you always have a cold drink (water is best) to sip on.
  • Take a cool bath or shower. Sometimes just soaking your feet in cool water can help cool your body down.
  • Use cooling products such as a cold pack or fan. Carry a small, hand-held, battery operated fan with you when you go out.

When the weather gets warm, heat sensitive people with fibromyalgia often experience symptom flare-ups. Research has found that people with fibromyalgia exposed to hot temperatures report increases in: pain, headaches, fatigue, anxiety and depression. They are also more likely to have heat rashes and heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Signs of heat stroke and immediate action to cool the overheated person while waiting for emergency treatment can be found on the Mayo Clinic website.

Cold Sensitivity

People who are cold sensitive often feel chilled to the bone and have a hard time warming up. The cold can be all over or just in your hands and feet. This symptom is usually worse during cold weather, but can occur at any time.

To prevent problems with cold:

  • Keep your environment warm.
  • Dress warmly, especially in cold weather. Keep your feet covered, wear socks and slippers.
  • Drink hot liquids and eat hot meals like soup and oatmeal.
  • Take warm baths or showers.
  • Keep a blanket handy or use a heating pad or similar microwave products.

An unusual sensitivity to cold in the hands and feet with color changes in the skin sometimes occur in people with fibromyalgia. This condition is called Raynaud’s syndrome, also known as Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Sensitive To Both, Heat and Cold

Some people fluctuate between being hot and being cold. One minute you can be sweating with hot flashes and freezing the next. This can be very challenging. You have to be prepared for either scenario.

  • Dress in layers or have extra layers available.
  • For night sweats, wear moisture wicking sleepwear or use temperature regulating sheets.

Fluctuations in temperature can make your fibromyalgia feel worse. It’s important to plan ahead. You may have to spend most of your time indoors where you can better control the conditions.

Conclusion

Temperature sensitivity is a common fibromyalgia symptom. Most women with fibromyalgia report being extremely sensitive to cold and/or heat. Essentially, temperature sensitivity may be due to hormonal imbalances in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Medications can also interfere with the regulation of body temperature.

For many years, I was hot all the time. The warm and hot weather was unbearable so I preferred cold weather. Now it seems as if the switch has been flipped and I am always cold. The hot flashes stopped when I stopped taking antidepressants and Lyrica. So either it was the medications or I made it through menopause. Now, if I could just get warm.

I’d like to hear from you. If you have fibromyalgia, are you sensitive to heat, cold or both? If so, do you have any tips that help? Please leave a comment below to share.

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263 thoughts on “Temperature Sensitivity In Fibromyalgia”

  1. I am absolutely miserable!! I am so alone and sad.. I think everyone thinks I’m crazy and then I think I am my chest up is hot and sweating and below my waist I’m freezing.. I’m going through menapause so that doesn’t help. There’s days where I cry all day and try to stop but can’t and in the meant time sweating.. I just got my gallbladder out too . If there’s someone out there that can help me please please write me back.

    Reply
    • Hi, Shelley. Menopause combined with fibro is challenging. I am so sorry you feel like you are alone. Have you heard of My Fibro Team? It is a social network and online support group for people with fibromyalgia. It is a place to ask questions and vent in a judgement-free place. You can find people based on location and age. I have developed some real friendships there with people who live near me. I wish you the best and please feel free to contact me anytime.

      Reply
  2. It’s only the very start of the winter season and I’m already freezing all the time.
    I’ve had to stay covered up even during the day.
    The temps haven’t been that bad low 70s. Day time and 40s and 50s at night.
    I’m very fearful what am I gonna feel like when the temp really starts to drop.
    I’m miserable already.

    Reply
    • Hi, Linda. All summer I have wished for cooler weather. The heat is hard for me. It has finally cooled off. It’s around 55 degrees today and I am freezing. Although I do find it easier to warm up than to cool down. Let’s just hope it doesn’t get bitter cold.

      Reply
  3. I live in New Zealand, and we are just coming into summer now. The heat is by far the worst for me. Luckily, I feel much more comfortable in the cold. It’s 28 celceius here today which I think is about 82 degrees for most of you. During hot days I can feel a range of different symptoms: either sweaty, flushed and nauseated OR shivery with goosebumbs, cold hands and feet but flushed face. I’m curious to hear if others feel really cold on a hot day? I make sure to check my temperature, to make sure my core body temp isn’t too high, and it isn’t. I just feel freezing cold but roasting hot flushed face! So weird! I think feeling cold during the heat has been more obvious since I became pregnant (I am 7 weeks). At the moment I hanaging out til the evening when it gets cooler. We are buying an air conditioning unit this week because I have had enough of the heat and don’t fancy suffering another few months in the heat whilst pregnant ?

    Reply
    • Congratulations! I haven’t felt hot and cold at the same time in the summer (unless I had the flu) but I have felt that way in the winter. It is not that uncommon, though. It probably has a lot to do with hormone imbalance. I wish you the best.

      Reply
  4. I have Fybromyalgia and sensitive to hot and cold weather. Hot weather makes me feel burning hot and cold weather chills me to the bone to the point if being miserable enough to never leave the house if I could. Pondering rehoming my animals so I don’t have to go outside to care for them. Puts alot of stress in marriage as he does not get how the weather bothers me

    Reply
  5. I just found your site. I have had firomyalgia for more than 35 years now . My biggest problem is getting hot and cold almost at the same time . I can be sweating and freezing at the same time . And this has caused me a lot of problem. It exasperates all my symptoms . But the worst one is that when I sweat then I get cold , and that causes me to have symptoms like asthma .
    And also when I have been some where with AC on in a low temp for 6to 8 hrs like in the airports or airplane or even at work , later I have become very sick .i have gotten Gi problem ,like very acute Gadtritis ,which has bed ridden me for 4 month .when I get like this I lose my appetite compeletly, I get very nauseas , I get very bad heart palpitation , and my abdomen gets hot , and pulsates .but I don’t get diarrhea ,nor I vomit . Also my depression gets worse .i have tried to find out if any one gets like this being exposed to cold temps , but never found anything on this .This really scares me . I also have very bad post nasal drip which get collected in my throut ,and causes wheezing , just like asthma .I think the cold penetrate to my abdomen & I get inflammation of stomach,& intestines & lungs . So I like to know any one with FMS has experience this kind of episode at all . The Gi problem or the asthma like symptoms . I thank you for your time and respond ,it would be great help knowing this . ?

    Reply
    • Hi, Malihe. I have the asthma symptoms and migraine but not the GI symptoms. When I do get nauseous it’s from the migraine. I wasn’t diagnosed with asthma until I was in my 40’s. Any extreme in temperature, hot or cold can set off my asthma and asthma is caused by allergies. My doctor said if the allergen is something you breathe in, your reaction will most likely affect your eyes, nose, and lungs. If the allergen is something you consume, you’re more likely to have symptoms in your mouth, stomach and intestines. And any allergen can affect your skin.

      Reply
  6. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and at a time that Social Security was new to the idea. My feet are usually cold during the winter so I have to keep socks on all the time. Living in the southwest, I know my body prefers the warmer temperatures of spring summer and fall. Early on I took water aerobics for another health problem. Getting in what felt like zero degree water was very hard. I cannot take cold water in a pool or ocean in summer. During the winter I feel stiff at times and have to wear extra clothes. I usually layer clothes. But at night I must sleep hot. I have a cool memory foam by Sleep Number on my bed and I sleep well. I still require sleep meds to sleep longer than 2-3 hours. I dont like my upper arms, chest, legs and feet to be cold. I know I have greater sensitivity to cold than heat. And during a flare and I hurt I have to have soft on my bed. I have gone through several featherbeds but now have that cool memory foam 2 inch on my bed. It makes the bed so soft and if I get cool I use extra blanket. This particular memory foam adjusts to your body temperature while you lie on it with sheet over it. And this is the best one I have found. It is not like the egg crate type foam. It is solid. It has helped me a lot. I used to hurt so bad but now do like my Dr. Has told me. If you have done too much or start hurting, take a step back!

    Reply
    • Hi, Linda. Just the thought of getting into cold water makes me cringe. I also dress in layers. Now that is cold (really cold) I wear insulated underwear and 2 to 3 pairs of socks all the time. A memory foam topper made all the difference for me, too. Couldn’t sleep without it. And I can’t sleep without help from amitriptyline. Your doctor is right. Pacing is very important. Lately, it feels like for every step forward, I take two steps back. It is frustrating because there are so many things I want to get done. Take Care!

      Reply
  7. I have had Fibromyalgia form at least 12 yrs now and one of my first symptoms I noticed, besides sensitivity to light and sound. Was how cold I would get in the winter. It wasn’t a normal ” oh it’s cold today ” It was a chill to my bones, and it took me forever to get warm again. That’s when I discovered heating pads. They are good for pain and they help warm you up!! But on the flip side I noticed abt 7,8 yrs ago that taking a shower or bath heats me up to boiling. So in the summer I turn the AC way down , in the winter I turn the heat way down or even off when I bathe. Something else I found out recently is that my son has Fibromyalgia also, he’s 30 now.
    My mother had it for way longer than me. So now they think it might be hereditary. Also I believe that males with this disorder also have trouble controlling their body temp. Because my son can’t ever seem to get warm enough.

    Reply
    • Hi, Kimberly. I was the first one in my family to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I believe that both my aunt and grandmother also had fibro. I am also worried that my sons may be diagnosed with it at some point. They both have difficulty sleeping and my younger son has neck pain and frequent headaches. I used to only have trouble cooling down in warm weather but now I can’t warm up when its cold either. Thank goodness for heating pads. 🙂

      Reply
  8. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia four years ago and after being sent a Medical Cooling Form to apply for help with summer cooling bills, I have just researched thermoregulation and fibromyalgia. Bingo! It is summer here in Australia and I live inland on the Murray river where the summer maximums range from 25 to 45 degrees Celsius (77 to 114 Fahrenheit) and the winter minimums range from -5 to 10 deg Celsius (23 to 53 Fahrenheit). I have a lot of trouble with excessive sweating, mainly in flushes and generally only during the day, What i was finding hard to explain was being hot outside, but not uncomfortable, then going inside to air conditioning and suddenly being flooded with perspiration from my scalp and face- sweat dripping off me- hair except for the crown, soaking wet, sweat running in my eyes, makeup literally running off! It is very embarrassing and not a good look for a hairdresser/beautician Thought it may have been hormones but I am post menopausal, aged 60 (last period five years ago) and I dont have other severe menopausal symptoms. I am so pleased to have found a cause for this and will talk to my rheumatoligist at my appointment next week. I have also recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and on further reading this may be connected with my fibromyalgia as well. Thats fibromyalgia, diabetes and hypothyroidism in four years. But I am lucky to get a disability pension due to depression and fibromyalgia so am better off than most as I dont have to work to support myself. Life is good!

    Reply
    • Hi, Joy. I just had my disability hearing a few weeks ago so I am still waiting for a verdict. I was only 45 years-old when I entered menopause. I continued having hot flashes and excessive sweating for at least 10 years after. I was so happy when it finally stopped. Now instead of hot flushes and sweating my skin stings and burns when I get overheated. But you’re right, life is good. Take care!

      Reply
  9. Frist let me say, God bless us all with this unfortunant MESS …… i have thi crap. i sweat excessively from my head only an freeze from my neck down so that make it JUST SOOOO WRONG. My pain is threw the roof i stay depressed i feel sooo sorry for any one who has to try to live with this . some times i have to change clothes 3 to 4 tines a day if i have to clean my house or cook alot for my family its horrible. an nothing helps. so God bless yall

    Reply

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