Does your Fibromyalgia flare with seasonal or weather changes? | Support Fibromyalgia Live

Is there a link between Fibromyalgia and Weather/Seasonal Changes?

What have you noticed? How do you take care of this when it happens?

Some patients with Fibromyalgia have reported that they are more sensitive to changes in the weather, to bright lights, noise etc. Some studies report that barometric pressure affected Fibromyalgia pain positively while yet others find no association.

A 2013 study published in Arthritis Care & Research involved 333 women with fibromyalgia. They had the women answer daily questions about their pain and fatigue, then compared them to meteorological data. Researchers found a "significant but small" effect on pain or fatigue in five (10%) of the 50 different weather comparisons they performed. They also found significant but small and inconsistent differences between participants when it came to random effects of weather variables. They concluded that there's no uniform impact of weather on symptoms, but left open the possibility that weather could have an effect on some, saying: "These findings do not rule out the possibility that weather-symptom relationships may exist for individual patients. Some patients may be more sensitive to weather or weather changes than other patients, and some patients may also be affected positively and other patients affected negatively by specific weather conditions."

A 2015 study in The Journal of Rheumatology suggests a relationship between humidity and joint pain in osteoarthritis, with humidity in cold weather having a greater impact than in warm weather. There is a definitive association between flare up of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and weather changes. A wetter and colder climate usually affects arthritis pain adversely. Low back pain worsens with weather and so does osteoarthritis pain due to changes in humidity and temperatures.

A 2010 Rheumatology study found that cold weather was associated with more pain, including chronic widespread pain. Researchers stated that, as you'd expect, winter was the worst season, followed by autumn and spring, and that summer was the best season.

#Fibromyalgia #FibromyalgiaSymptoms

[gossamyst]

I am in UK and can tell as soon as I wake in the morning if the weather has changed! I suffer from dreadful pain anyway, but any type of change afects my pain levels. And the weather changes A LOT here :-(

[srileysr]

I am definitely affected by weather changes...Widespread pain fog, headache, nausea, trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep..A very hot bath, saves me... and with the intermittent nausea brain fog and headache..it's miserable, and complicating.. because some still don't believe in it... Thanks for your post... I'm in Ca too..God bless! Stay safe Prayers for everyone reading this...🙇‍♀️... Anyone else experience nausea or stomach upset..indigestion periodically...?

[debrastewart-leigh]

Fibro, migraines, osteoarthritis, neuropathy and more. I livr on OK and my husband calls me his barometer because I always know when the pressure is changing. My doctor told me barometric pressure affects the skeletal muscles, which is why it stands out to people like us. If pressure is 29.92, it's the most comfortable. Big fluctuations from there HURT. I also do a hot bath in Epsom salt if I hurt too much, but sometimes have to use an ice pack just to try to numb the pain.

[jilligain]

I’m in South Carolina & the heat plus humidity is thru the roof. It’s so bad. And it makes my skin feel like it’s burning all the time. I do better when it’s colder. I bought a chilipad for my bed to help control the temp & it’s actually doing really great for me

[Elisa-js]

I flare so bad prior to rain, humidity or cold weather. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia over 10 years. I get crazy stiffness and get excruciating ocular pain behind my eye . It is so frustrating when I tell my doctors about how weather impacts me because I sense from their reaction that they don’t seem to think it is correlated. I live in NY and this summer it has just about rained everyday. I have been unable to get past the stiffness, soreness and excessive fatigue. I’m physically and emotionally drained from this condition and frustrated that medical science has yet to have test to quantify the disease. 😢

[Sweetpea]

Great topic. 😊. Yes, I have also noticed more large areas of skin pain. It feels like i have bruises all over my body since the weather has changed.

[vettaj]

My sister turns up the heat. I have to use heat pads, pain meds, tens unit etc… yes my hands and feet -and my hips, knees…

[WendyHannan-ptez]

I’ve had heat packs on my back and cold packs on my legs 🦵 at the same time. I’m in a flare up at the moment. I believe weather does play apart in our pain. I’m newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia although I’ve had it for years, it was put down to arthritis due to old back and knee injuries. Now the pain is far more wide spread, I think fibromyalgia pain, hits body injuries harder. Good luck to all fibro sufferers out there, my thoughts are with you.

[RevSarahGrace]

I'm dealing with changes NOW. Old wives tale eh? Tell that to my joints, muscle, hips, legs, shoulders... head... all of it. We just shifted from hot to cooling down here in the south and I went from full functioning to down right now in a day. I threatened to live in my bath water... no pain there. Sleeping on a heating pad. Brain is tired and foggy... nothing that was helping before is helping now. Pain is at a 9 at times... and yes, when I mess with stuff in the freezer and remember growing up in Indiana where it got really cold my hands hurt bad!

[geoffreygathura]

for the past five years i live in hot and humid climate and my morning fatigue, burning sensation and pain are very high .

[mariaarroyo]

The cold affects me more, have more body aches and feel more stiff and tired. What helps me keep my feet warm is massage them with Vaseline and then put my socks on. I don’t drink cold drinks as much.

[malcolmgaines]

Yes I can say weather affects me the most. 😩🤧 really dislike the winter as I can get headaches, fatigue, body can become weaker where at times I can’t lift nothing more than 25 pounds, sometimes I have thrown up, nausea and a lot of pain especially with the wind and cold in Texas. I usually do opposite for my body to help against the temperature of the environment. Like if cold, I get heating pads, electric heaters, etc. If hot, definitely tried staying inside as I can feel the burning sensation if the sun beaming directly on my skin with heat.

[nurtureulifecoaching]

Yes! I feel exactly like your description at the beginning of the video!

[Sweetpea]

I can so relate to pain when touching cold things. I dread loading the freezer. 🥶 lol! 💜

Summer is my favorite time of year because I feel so much better physically.

[johngrigg]

I suffer from headaches every day, but I recently get extreme, extra headaches when barometric pressure changes. Changes in season exacerbate my fibro symptoms too. A bit tough to navigate daily life😮. It's nice to not feel alone. Hi from South Africa ❤

[pursedelighted]

Yes.I am in awful pain in the winter but I also have arthritis😢

[vettaj]

Bright lights, noises, smells, touch…

[annadennison]

I do find with weather changes, my symptoms do worsen. Specially on high humidity days cold day or really hot days I don't cope well at all.

[sarahall]

Cold weather is bad for me, I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis.

[vettaj]

I shared. I was really wanting to know what is going on. 😢😢