Is your CRPS affected by the weather?
 

PLEASE VOTE IF YOU LOOK AT THIS!!!! :)

I'm fascinated by this idea. For me the link is really clear, and a friend of mine who has CRPS too finds the same correlation between weather change and more pain. We often find our symptoms change at the same time.

I seem to find my symptoms better in settled mild weather, and generally worse in colder damper weather. If the weather is changing from say sunny to rain things feel worse - recently when we had some major changes in pressure with storms I noticed a lot more burning and pain.

When I looked on the web, I found that barometric pressure changes and symptom change have been mentioned in some conditions, including arthritis and CRPS, but I couldn't find much specific research.

Just interested in whether anyone else has noticed this?

Bram.

Bram,

I too find my symptoms better in settled, mild weather than unsettled colder weather. No question about it......

Bram,
I have much more discomfort with extremes in weather temperature. If I had to take one over the other I would opt for cold because heat really amps up the burning pain in my legs and pelvice. I have not noticed the correlation with barometric pressure but will take note from here on out.

I'm sort of hugely relieved that it's not just me!! Although of course it does add a whole dimension to our lives that we can't control :rolleyes:

I had a horrible night yesterday - it was very humid, and then we had a lot of rain. My feet, knee and then whole leg burnt up in a way they haven't for months. I checked the barometer twice yesterday and it was busy dropping down....

Bram.

Just like all, it seems to be the 'changes' that hurt, although:
Barometer rising, starts to help (i.e. a storm clearing) it's still a change,

Also, I can't stand the heat and humidity, any more than I used not be able to stand the cold (still can't)....

Give me 70 degrees any day, even the daytime / nite time differences cause me pain, and it's always at it's worse in the AM. I love waking up to a new day!

Love ya'll

Pete


asb

Absolutely
 

in the winter it makes my arm ache so badly. Since this is relatively new for me, I also discovered that ANY major change in temperature will make it flare. When the first heat wave of summer hit I had 2 major flares, but it seemed to calm down a little once my body got used to it.

Most Definately
 

The barometric pressure is an issue for me and because I live a mile above sea level even the slightest change can be felt. I started using this http://www.wunderground.com/history/...q_statename=NA Weather Underground to look at the pressure (you have to scroll way down to see it)at any given time of day to measure a correlation, and every single time there was a measureable difference in my symptoms and the drop in pressure. At the top you can chose to look at the history for any given day.

Granted the link I posted is for my area, but perhaps you can somehow use it for where you live. Not sure how I got to my particular location on that site because it was such a long tome ago that I made a permanent link on my PC. I would research it but I was just popping in for a minute. I have been feeling a little under the weather. No pun intended :wink: Having a bug on top of the CRPS is always SO MUCH FUN! :(

I have a small weather station that I got a few years before the CRPS, and for me it is fascinating to see this marker for my symptoms change.... I don't check it all the time, not even every day, but if I have a flare or just feel lousy, I can guarantee that the barometric pressure will be doing SOMETHING! It won't just be sitting there nicely at an even level for the past few days!

Bram.

My RSD hates cold and hot a lot and these are obviously associated with winter and summer in a temperate climate but I don't think it's the weather per se that causes the trouble.

I have stress worrying about the onset of winter but otherwise I don't think the weather affects me.

Yes, in my wife's case, profoundly.

My symptoms are worsened by cold weather if I get chilled, and definitely by anything other than a gentle wind blowing on my skin. No effect by low pressure systems that I've noticed.

(CRPS type II for 8 years from venipuncure nerve injury during blood donation. Neuropathy is in entire right half of body, but stable and manageable with meds, excercise, and biofeedback.)

Here in the UK the weather has changed completley today - its 10 degrees colder, raining and grey. The previous two days ive had a rough time with symptoms and sleep, and today before even getting out of bed everything on my left side is hurting. I'm up showered and dressed but regretting every move. Can't type much today my left hand is burning up and aching in every joint.

Hate this. Why should my life change just because the barometer goes up or down?????? :confused:

Hope you guys are doing ok, and thanks so much for all the responses.

Bram :grouphug:

Hoping for clear skies... quickly!
 

Hey Bram, so sorry you’re having a tough few days hon. You are such a great gal and I sure do hate that you too have this damn thing and that it’s rearing its ugly head. Good for you that you keep trying to go through the motions of preparing for the day, even if that means that you’re all cleaned up and ready for bed.

I truly feel your pain. We’ve had clouds roll in every day for a couple of weeks in the afternoons in the mile high city and it’s just insult to injury. :( For like three, pushing four weeks now things have been going steadily downhill for me and this past week has been shear hell. I almost waited too long again to take Percocet last night. Good grief I get tired of crying in pain at night (only makes my head hurt), then waiting/hoping for the drugs to kick in while every inch of me is screaming. I hate the way the drugs make me feel. Sick to my stomach, wired for sound… yuck. I’m waiting for the birds to start singing to let me know that the new day has officially begun… on zero sleep… awesome. Soon I will stumble around to get my daughter off to school. I am falling SO FAR BEHIND in every aspect of my life. I need to go in and see my doc, but even that is a struggle in every way right now.

Anyway, enough about my crap, it’s the same story over and over again. I wish I had something clever and cute to say that might make you at least smile. Perhaps that will come as the day progresses :wink: I really do hope that perhaps you can find a warm blanket, and a comfortable position, and can get a little bit of rest that includes sleep.

No need to respond, I just wanted to let you know that I care, and that I so get right where you’re at… right now. Feel better quick my friend. :hug:

Vrae, you are my official sunny spot in this gloomy day :) thanks so much. Any time you need a chat, moan, offload, cry, pity party, etc, you can count on me. I've always got some chocolate and a bottle of wine around somewhere...:winky:

I can't believe you've been going through such an awful patch for a month - I've had a few days of it and could cheerfully take to the whisky bottle! :winky: Hang on in there chick, I really hope things get a little better for you very very quickly.

The thing really getting to me over the last week or so is the worsening of my left hand and arm. Typing is starting to really hurt, my palm and fingertips are burning, my whole arm aches with pain and is getting so clumsy - and just typing this long is getting too much. Haven't played my cello for four days :( and can only play the piano for five minutes at a time. To be honest I'm quite scared about how much function and strength I've lost in that arm, and if my CRPS takes away my ability to play music - my salvation on so many bad days - I might just crack up for a while.

Hey ho. I'll have to find some padded gloves for my cello and piano, might help for a while at least! Take care of yourself today and I hope tomorrow is better. Have one of those smiles on me :D you know you want to...well done :p

This has taken ages. Ouch. If only i had a drug that acutally blinkin worked. Ive given up taking them, i hate the disappointment. Thanks again. You are a friend indeed :hug:

Bram.

I have lived in 3 very different climates with RSD. Florida, California, and Michigan. I moved from MI because of the cold and going frozen but pain higher. Florida I am on fire with severe swelling where my shoe size goes up 2sizes. I also get sores. In CA I still had pain but it was the better of the weather though we still got times of hot. I still may be moving back to MI since it is my hometown. CA is too expensive. FL no way for me. I have looked into NC but I am not sure.
Really I feel every place has its pros and cons. I joke and it is not funny I just need a bubble to live in that is climate control and I don't have to worry about getting knocked into.

Hi Daniella,

Crazy, isn't it? And if you try to explain it to anyone, they look at you like you are insane....oh the joys of being so rare and special...:rolleyes:

I've often thought there must be somewhere with a climate that really suits CRPS - but then everywhere has weather, and the more stable environments are those with extreme temperatures - either very cold or very hot. Neither any good for us!

Have a good day anyway :)

Bram.

Ugh
 

I know all to well what you are referring too. I have had RSD for over 10 years now. It took some time to figure out what it was exactly, that would put me horizontal suddenly. Barometric pressure changes, specifically drops.....Are the WORST!!! I can feel great today, then a drop in pressure and a bit of moisture, and I am HIT!!! For Me, I was in a bad car accident at work, and suffered spinal cord & Ulna nerve damage. So, I also deal with a great deal of arthritis as well, which is without question affected by weather.

You're so right Cops, I deal with arthritis along with the CRPS as well, and weather is such a big part. I feel like I've fallen down some kind of long slide into The Pit the last two days....omg the pain levels have just leapt up :confused: I hate this. I've been trying to keep my activity up like I was when I was feeling better - but I just can't. My body is protesting about everything.

Oh well - it's not like we're heading into 6 months of dark, cold and dismal weather or anything lol ;) Gotto love the UK climate. NOT.

Bram.

I know
 

Bram,
It not only makes ya mad, but is really confusing!! Even if you wanted to try and suck it up...You just can't. Your body will outsmart you Every Single Time!!
Ever notice the added bonus, when the weather is about to shift? Your body naturally decides to not allow you to sleep when you feel good, heading into a downward spiral. I mean, You can take all the sleeping pills you want on your ok days to keep a schedule...Still, when you get hit with breakthrough, you are gonna be sleeping for a couple of days!! Chronic Pain is a very Lonely, Dark Existence!!.....11 years now since I got hurt, and I still don't have this figured out....Not Even Close. I cannot imagine another 30-40 years of this BS :confused: I try not to complain to bad, as I have come a LONG way, and my tolerance is pretty remarkable, given the raw damage to my body. Blessings!!!

Bram, I don't really know if the weather affects my CRPS. This weekend has been more painful but I'm not sure if that is because of the weather. I worked crazy hours this week and held my friends' baby on Friday evening. Of course, I knew I would pay a price for holding the baby but I didn't want to refuse to hold him.

Before a rain storm my arm does burn quite a bit. I'm so very thankful to be in a warm climate so I won't have to experience cold until November or December.
I do know when cold water runs across my arm it might just as well be acid or something.

Know just what you mean..... Interestingly, just reading this made my arm burn. Talk about the brain overreacting to stimuli!!! :rolleyes:

Right now I'd give a LOT to be living in a warm climate :cool:

Bram.

Okay, so it was chilly and damp this morning when I was on my way into work. And my hand and arm were on fire all day. Of course, they usually burn but this was some next level ***** today.

Hmm...it would seem my CRPS is affected by the weather.

Hey Kim,

I'm so sorry you're having a bad time of it. The roller-coaster of CRPS symptoms is hard enough without watching the weather forecast with that sinking feeling because the rain clouds are coming...:rolleyes: We've got four days of rain forecast after a warmer day - I swear I can feel the clouds building up. Burn burn ouch ouch ;)

Hope you have a better day tomorrow :hug:

Bram.

I would imagine that those of you who are affected by weather can totally appreciate what I am dealing with in Colorado right now. My goodness it's been tough! I mean REALLY, REALLY TOUGH! Only three more days of it to go... joy! :(

Lol, I don't know what you mean Vrae :winky:

Hope you are doing ok today, it sucks here as well, we are going into the first big autumn storm....a week's lead up and then a week back down again I expect. Deep smiley joy ;)

Oh how I long for that brief warm summer we had!!!!

Bram.

VRAE, I can't begin to imagine what you're dealing with. I've see all the flooding aroung the Boulder area and that's not too far from you! All that humidity! Hope you have some A/C to help dry things out.

Cold hurts. Whether its ice, or just the winter coming on. It hurts. I can tell my husband when he needs to close all the windows on house or truck just by how I feel. Good thing I live in NM lol. Even if its clear at the time he does it. My knee is the best weather predictor I could ever have lol.:D

for me the cold makes it worse. My pain / discomfort tends to be more of a deep cold pain. the closest thing I can think of to describe it is "freezer burn". The cold damp air on my recent deep sea fishing trip made my pain worse and now that the weather is cooling off, my symptoms have worsened

I'm just the same....:rolleyes: I'm hating this cooler damp autumn weather, and I'm trying not to think about winter. Good for you, doing the fishing trip tho - better than sitting indoors!

Thanks for posting, and hope you have a decent day tomorrow.

Bram.

It's above zero degrees here in mn today .. The temp changes have me in a freezen burning battle with my foot and the blankets.. Feeling like I'm going nuts putting layers on and then ripping them off

Ditto Jenna, it's miserable isn't it? I ready don't know what to do for the best sometimes....:rolleyes:

Take care and hope its a bit better tomorrow.

Bram.

Hi Bram! YUP, I am much worse in the cold. I am better in the summer months, but sometimes the stormy weather can provoke it. I will pay more attention to the barometer and see if I find a correlation. Thanks for doing this! How did you set up the poll?

Cold weather sucks.

Thanks Lottie that would be great :)

To do a poll, you start a new thread as normal, then in the 'Additional Options' section at the bottom of the page, you can click in a box to include a poll, then you will go to a page where you can set the details of that. Keep it really simple though - generally folk are more likely to take part if it is a clear Y/N or similar than if there are loads of options. Depends on what you want to find out though!!! I wanted to ask much more detail, but in the end opted for a simple one, and I think I've had more people take part because of that, and the discussion in the posts tends to give more info anyway...

Have as good a day as you can :winky:

Bram.

Yes, weather effects my pain level
 

I have pain flares when the weather changes, especially when it is cold and damp. I have a lot of inflammation when the weather is wet and cold. :)

The jury is still out on whether I have CRPS but I have burning pain in my hands,like I put them in a wood stove. I'm a carpenter and unless it's really humid I used to be able to work outside without gloves on really cold days but since the burning pain, my hands are very sensitive to the cold air.

very much so..