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 feel STUCK I have fibromyalgia and an under active thyroid. I am in my 60’s
    Drs giving me 50 mg of levotheroxin
    For YEARS. I continue to say it’s not
    Working. My dr says it’s ok because she wants it on the lowest number acceptable
    I’m suffering from all thyroid symptoms
    What else can I do. So frustrated

    Reply
    • Hi, Kathy. It’s hard to know if it is your thyroid or the fibromyalgia because the symptoms are similar in both conditions. I understand your frustration. The only thing we can do is to take good care of ourselves by eating healthily and resting as much as we need.

      Reply
  2. I have FMS and often go from feeling extremely hot, especially in my face, to having chills. I also feel like my hands are freezing cold, but are actually warm to the touch. I have numbness and tingling in my toes as well.

    Reply
  3. Hello, I have read all your posts! I was diagnosed with Fibro 8 years ago but think I have had it a lot longer. I am way more sensitive to the cold, although I do hate the extreme heat too, but as I’m in the UK, the cold is more of a problem. My ideal weather outside is low 70s.

    When I am cold, I sweat more. I mean dripping sweat on my face, chest, under boobs, at night I have to wear a towel like a bib around me and sometimes around my legs. I have been monitoring it and the colder it is the more I sweat. Not to say I don’t sweat in the summer but I don’t notice it as much and have fewer clothes on. But was at my mum’s house once and it was very warm with the fire on, and I wasn’t sweating.

    I find it hard to fathom the idea of jumping in a bath or shower to keep warm. I get freezing after baths (feeling as I’m not dry properly) and that triggers more sweats. Same when I wash my hair. It sets off cold sweats and I have to lie with hot water bottle under my head. In fact I do that whenever I sweat which is a lot in the cold.

    It is actually secondary hyperhidrosis, this excessive sweating, and there is medication for it. The best one I have been prescribed is called Probanthine but you have to experiment with the dose. Too much and you will get a raging thirst and a very flushed face. Too little and it won’t work. I think my HH was triggered by the menopause which I’ve not passed through yet though most people my age have.

    I feel my thermostat is broken. Some people insist it’s really a thyroid problem but my thyroids panel have consistently come back normal, even though some of them are low within range. I wouldn’t want to self-medicate without medical supervision.

    Best wishes to you all

    Reply
    • Hi, Kate. Excessive sweating started in my 30’s. Menopause at age 45. I continued to have excessive sweating and hot flashes for another 10 years. So I think perimenopause and menopause was the main reasons for the sweating. I agree with you about taking a bath or shower when cold. I can’t unless I turn the heat up first. Showers used to trigger sweating for me, too. I wonder how many of us have thyroid problems even though tests come back normal. I don’t understand why insurance companies insist on using tests that are not reliable. Thanks for reading my blog and best wishes to you, too.

      Reply
  4. I also have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia for over 17 years and have always had hot flashes.However recently I have been moody and extra exhausted along with being extreamly cold.I have been so cold that I have to cocoon myself in bed With heating pads and heavy blankets. The cold is so bad that I am physically in pain I am also epileptic and the cold seems to trigger some kind of seizure That goes into convulsions.I live in Phoenix so I don’t quite understand why I’m being so affected by the cold when it’s over 70° outside.
    I’ve recently been diagnosed as perimenopausal so I’m not sure if hormones are also playing a part. I’ve lost so Much quality of life that I’m not even able to drive,play with my kids,or cook dinner. Has anyone else had this experience and if so is there anything that seemed to help. I could really use a friend.
    Desperate mom in Phoenix.

    Reply
    • Hi Nichole. I am so sorry you are struggling. Estrogen levels rise and fall during perimenopause. You can also experience menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep problems, mood swings, and vaginal dryness. Definitely hormonal and fibro makes it even worse. Being cold all the time can be a sign of hypothyroidism. It can also be a sign of poor circulation and low levels of vitamin B12 which are pretty common in fibro. I also did some research and found that some of the medications for epilepsy can cause being cold all the time. I hope you have a good doctor who can help you figure this out. It must be so hard to take care of kids on top of having chronic illnesses. Sending prayers your way.

      Reply
  5. Hi
    I have fibromyalgia and im on lyrica…this is soooo frustrating i feel like im losing my mind. I for sure thought i was going through it…hot cold hot cold…I have the headaches n every thing something is definitely wrong with my HPAA any suggestions???

    Reply
    • Hi, Latrice. The headaches and temperature sensitivity are both common with fibromyalgia. The best thing to do is try to improve your health in general. Maintain a healthy diet, manage your stress, and use the correct supplements. I have a lot of suggestions on the blog. The problem is that what works can be a little different for each of us. There are no easy answers. I wish there were.

      Reply

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