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. Hello fellow fibromyalgia sufferers! First, let me say that I truly despise fibromyalgia and all of its lovely gifts each and everyday. That being said I have it so I have to deal with it the best I can.

    I was diagnosed finally In 2007, after 2 years of going to doctor after doctor and being told you are either exaggerating or lying or crazy etc. But now that I am through that part I have learned mindset and how you stay positive is a big help. And always bring new symptoms to your doctor so they too can keep up with this quirky painful illness.

    I do have intolerance to heat and by heat, that may be 68°F in my kitchen or living room that gets unbearable for me. I have learned that as long as I can sit with a fan directly on me when I get too warm then I can cope with it and the streams of sweat will stop running down my face, torso, and my head. I also keep a purse-sized spray with cold water in it to spritz myself as needed. Running icy cold water on your wrists is a great help as well. Also I avoid at all costs going out in the summer until around 7pm et in my area because it will be cooler at this time of the day and it is still light out so not too bad, I can still enjoy the day. Also staying hydrated with cold drinks helps…non alcohol but if you like to parttake that is great too!

    In the winter I wear only a fall jacket even on the days that are icy cold and windy. I bring my winter coat in case I need it, but that is rare.

    One more point to note, fibromyalgia heat intolerance and the drop dead fatigue is 100% more difficult to deal with than the hot flashes and fatigue of menopause!

    I hope the cooling tips help others who have fibromyalgia, but I’m sure they probably already do these things anyway! Take care my friends and just keep on being positive when possible!

    Sandra

    Reply
  2. Hello
    I have a horrible intolerance to heat. I have an old house that burns wood for heat. I don’t bother lighting a fire. I put heat tapes on pipes to prevent them freezing and use a small heater if needed. Oddly, my hands and feet are very sensitive to cold. I got an electric peeler to peel potatoes and apples(I refrigerate them). My fingers feel like they are on fire when I take something out of freezer. Oven mitts work.
    Summer I am useless. I do most of my gardening early morning or late. If anybody has figured out how to sop up all wetness and how to keep makeup from melting. I would appreciate ideas.

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  3. Hi Sandra, thank you for sharing information on heat-cold sensitivity. Yesterday, I spent a day at a Farmer’s market selling candles. It was hot and muggy but I tried to stay cool and hydrated. I got home, and quickly turned cold. I wrapped up and then opted to take a hot shower to warm my body. As soon as a I got out, I felt like the flu hit me. I was having chills so cold, I felt like I was sitting in snow. I grabbed a heating pad for my feet and wrapped up in a blanket. For the next 5 hours, I went from cold to hot sweats to clammy. I woke up feeling a lot better but my body still hurts. I have never had a flare up like this before and it was quite scary. Keep in mind, I believe my fibromyalgia started when I caught Covid 2 years ago.

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  4. Fibro warrior here with multiple other co-morbidities to boot. This has been going on since the nineties for me. The newest weird thing is feeling like an oven on the inside while my skin is freezing and I need to be wrapped in a shawl for my shivering skin. 🙄 So weird. Try explaining that to others when you want a fan/window/air conditioning but also are wrapped up to the chin in a blanket! Hahaha. Blech.

    Reply
  5. I have cold intolerance. It wasn’t so bad until this summer. If the temperatures are 70 to 75 degrees I will be wearing a very warm winter jacket. On occasion I have even put my winter boots on. People around me have been kind to me, thank God!
    I didnt realize that this is a symptom of fibromyalgia. Glad to find this out. I’m going to save this and show it to my doctor.
    My feet are what suffer the most and if they feel really cold, they tend to cramp up on me. I have taken a regular heating pad and folded it in half, put a rubber band around it and placed my foot inside. This is the only thing that relieves the cramps.
    In bed my feet continue to be cold. So I looked at heating pads on Amazon and found on designed for the feet. It is a large pad with a cover over it. 3 temperature settings. It keeps my feet nice and warm and when my feet get too hot I usually kick it away and my feet remain warm until I wake up. I used to have a hard time getting to sleep because of how cold my feet were but that’s solved now.
    I’ve also have to wear wool blend socks, a pair of cloth slippers with a fleece lining and and a pair of fleece lined mule slippers in order to keep my feet warm when I’m up moving around. I started have the cold feet issue in 1999. It was mild then and now it’s just horrible. I’m finding ways to cope. Maybe 2 pair of wool blend socks??

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  6. Yes, fibro sucks! I am 67 years old and was diagnosed with it in 1994. Now this year I’ve been to experience mini hot flashes. One moment I’m reading a book, and the next I’m yanking off clothes to cool off. I know what true hot flashes are. This ain’t it! I thought it was just age. Today my Physical Therapist said it could be related to fibro! What the hell?

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  7. I was diagnosed in 2001 with fibromyalgia. I had to stop working. All I seemed to do for months was sleep. Eventually I started feeling better. Now, however, my feet(toe joints) hurt so much sometimes that it is difficult to walk sometimes. Normally in the summer I was fine wearing a tee shirt and sweater. This past summer I would be so flipping cold at 70 to 75 degrees that I had to wear my winter coat. At first people kind of teased me until I would touch their arm with my freezing fingers. Eventually these friends realized that I really WAS cold. Now in winter, my apt is between 75 to 78 degrees. I am usually covered up with a fleece lined electric blanket. I dont always turn it on but it is so nice to have.
    The strange part of this is that in winter my toes sweat. They dont do this in the summer. Yesterday I changed my socks 5 times. If I had stayed up later I would have had to change them again.
    When I go to bed I have this large heating pad that is made to warm feet. If I dont use this at night and my feet get too cold I get unbelievably painful cramps in my feet and ankles.
    Eventually, I think I will end up in a wheelchair because the pain in my feet effects my balance. I’m not looking forward to this. But it is what it is. Sometimes I will soak my feet in really hot water with Epsom Salt added. This does help quite a bit. Maybe this will help others too. Epsom salt baths are really good for the body.

    Reply
  8. I have had heat intolerance and excessive sweating for years and I hate it. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I pray alot. I have dealt with this since birth it seems!! I do not believe that I have ever had a handle on any of the horrid symptoms and feel like I am in a constant flare. Sometimes it is just too much. So, I pray alot.

    Reply

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