Do you get sick with changing weather/barometric pressure?

[J-rap]

I don't, but I have some family members that do.  Storms coming suddenly, or heavy and low-hanging clouds with humidity or a pending snowfall...  My dh gets so sick sometimes, that he's sure he has the flu and I have to remind him that it's probably just the weather.  It can also bring on temporary depression, which feels so very real.  Oh yes, and then the migraines.  When the sun finally breaks through, he suddenly feels absolutely fantastic.  I also have two dd's that this happens to.  It can be kind of life-altering.  If I know we're going to have weather like that, then I also know that we'll have to cancel any plans.  They know they might not be able to go to school or work.  I don't know of anyone else besides our family who this happens to in such extremes, but I assume there are people out there.  If you're one of those people, is there anything at all that helps?  (Besides moving?)  I've never known anyone (even a doctor) who can quite explain this.  I assume part of it is vascular related, but why and how -- I don't understand.  And why are moods involved?  

[Jean in Newcastle]

I get fibro flares- which include increased achiness. My mood isn’t different-other than perhaps feeling bummed that I am in yet another flare. And after the flare I don’t feel amazing. I just feel a bit less achy. I also get them at the change of season- it doesn’t matter which season. 

[J-rap]

7 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I get fibro flares- which include increased achiness. My mood isn’t different-other than perhaps feeling bummed that I am in yet another flare. And after the flare I don’t feel amazing. I just feel a bit less achy. I also get them at the change of season- it doesn’t matter which season. 

Does it come on pretty quickly?  The mood part is interesting, and it also comes right before a bad migraine -- even when it's not the whole-body weather deal.  

I'm sorry you have the flares.  Have you found anything that helps?  Have you ever heard why this actually happens?

[J-rap]

2 minutes ago, Patty Joanna said:

Yes.  It is typical with auto-immune to have flare-ups at change of season.  

That's interesting about it being closely related to auto-immune conditions.  I was talking to a doctor recently who said that (chronic) migraines are starting to be seen as a type of auto-immune condition.  The people in my family who are most affected by the weather are also the ones most likely to get migraines, even if they don't always have a migraine headache with their weather-related symptoms.

[Jean in Newcastle]

20 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Does it come on pretty quickly?  The mood part is interesting, and it also comes right before a bad migraine -- even when it's not the whole-body weather deal.  

I'm sorry you have the flares.  Have you found anything that helps?  Have you ever heard why this actually happens?

Nothing helps that I know of.  I just go through them.  (I was diagnosed with fibro 26 years ago now but had it for many years before diagnosis.)  No doctors have ever suggested anything to help other than the polite doctor version of "suck it up".  I'm not bitter about it - it just is what it is.  I suspect that they just don't know what causes it or what might help. 

[Rosie_0801]

Changes in diet can help with Seasonal Affective Disorder type stuff, but I've no idea what to do about the barometric pressure kind of stuff. My mother can feel the sun go behind clouds even if she's in bed, under two doonas, with the heater on and the curtains closed.

[Pawz4me]

Yes. I get headaches (and I’m not otherwise prone to them). I’ve recently been diagnosed with RA and weather changes do seem to affect that some, too. 

[TravelingChris]

I normally do not have migraines anymore but when I did, yes.  Also my Autoimmune issues too often flare.  It used to be mostly my RA but has increased to all of them now but having all meds increased helped too.

[Pink and Green Mom]

When I was in my 20s and 30s, I used to get a migraine headache when a front came through.  It would come on suddenly, remain for a while, and then disappear just as suddenly.  I haven't gotten a headache like that in years, but sometimes I do notice a change in mood (I have suffered from severe depression in the past) when a front comes through.  I never found anything that would help.  Sorry, no advice, just understanding.

[DawnM]

I get pretty intense headaches.  I didn't notice before we moved to NC, but we lived in SoCal, and we didn't get these kind of storms there.  Here, I feel it and I hate it.

[Ausmumof3]

Migraines before a storm frequently yes.  Ds hay fever/asthma can flare with a storm too

[PrincessMommy]

yes.  And the last few weeks have been awful too.  I don't know if it's the change in the season, the coming hurricane (which really didn't hit my area much) or the extra pollution from the fires out west, but I had an awful headache and felt generally miserable from Labor Day weekend until last Friday/Sat.  

I can always tell when a big storm or we're about to have a major weather change because I get those headaches.  Everyone I know who has trouble with this has said it's been particularly bad this Sept with many people missing work and activities.  

[FriedClams]

My arthritic hip sometimes gets really painful, but normal sickness, no. 

[Wheres Toto]

I get itchy. My skin just feels itchy and crawly all over.  I also get headaches and cranky.

I do get pains in my wrist, knees, ankle, foot and anywhere else I have an old injury.  I was woken up in the middle of the night last night by severe pain in my wrist.

[lmrich]

I learn so much here! I have just been diagonosed with an auto-immune disorder (CREST), and I always feel awful with a change of weather. My dh says I have a barometer in my head.

[Pen]

Migraines and related, yes.

[J-rap]

2 hours ago, DawnM said:

I get pretty intense headaches.  I didn't notice before we moved to NC, but we lived in SoCal, and we didn't get these kind of storms there.  Here, I feel it and I hate it.

 As far as the difference between SoCal and NC...  In the research we've done (because we actually have researched areas in the country where these changes are less often and less severe), SoCal is supposed to be one of the best spots to live if you suffer from this.  NC, on the other hand, has pretty frequent barometric pressure variations.  

[DawnM]

1 minute ago, J-rap said:

 As far as the difference between SoCal and NC...  In the research we've done (because we actually have researched areas in the country where these changes are less often and less severe), SoCal is supposed to be one of the best spots to live if you suffer from this.  NC, on the other hand, has pretty frequent barometric pressure variations.  

 

Makes perfect sense to me!

[J-rap]

2 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Migraines before a storm frequently yes.  Ds hay fever/asthma can flare with a storm too

That's interesting, because that IS something I notice with myself -- my seasonal allergy symptoms really flare during a weird pressure day, and then improve pretty quickly once things settle again.

[J-rap]

2 hours ago, OKBud said:

I think she talked about this a bit in the Highly Sensitive Person book. 

And, yes. It makes sense to me that things would change with the weather, though I've never thoughts about it too deeply. Intuitively, I suppose. 

I'm really curious about that book, since many of my family members are highly sensitive all around.  I just looked it up and see there are different versions or similar-looking ones.  Which one are you referring to?

[J-rap]

1 hour ago, PrincessMommy said:

yes.  And the last few weeks have been awful too.  I don't know if it's the change in the season, the coming hurricane (which really didn't hit my area much) or the extra pollution from the fires out west, but I had an awful headache and felt generally miserable from Labor Day weekend until last Friday/Sat.  

I can always tell when a big storm or we're about to have a major weather change because I get those headaches.  Everyone I know who has trouble with this has said it's been particularly bad this Sept with many people missing work and activities.  

 

I'm sorry to be "liking" everyone's posts!  But I do appreciate the input from everyone!

I'm not surprised that that part of the country causes weather change symptoms in people fairly often.  It's probably a pretty active area, weather-wise.  In the research I've done, Southern California and certain parts of Hawaii are supposed to be the most stable areas in the country.

[J-rap]

1 hour ago, Where's Toto? said:

I get itchy. My skin just feels itchy and crawly all over.  I also get headaches and cranky.

I do get pains in my wrist, knees, ankle, foot and anywhere else I have an old injury.  I was woken up in the middle of the night last night by severe pain in my wrist.

Wow, I'm really curious to know how so many of these things are affected.  

Again, I'm sorry to be "liking" people's posts -- I just appreciate your feedback!

[Janeway]

I cannot really travel by air because of it. The sudden change in climate makes me lose my voice. Same for surgery. I have lost my voice after c-sect, where I stayed awake in the very cold operating room. My sinuses go crazy as the weather changes around here. It drives me nuts when sudden changes come on as I know I will end up at the doctor and on breathing treatments and such.

[Selkie]

8 hours ago, J-rap said:

I don't, but I have some family members that do.  Storms coming suddenly, or heavy and low-hanging clouds with humidity or a pending snowfall...  My dh gets so sick sometimes, that he's sure he has the flu and I have to remind him that it's probably just the weather.  It can also bring on temporary depression, which feels so very real.  Oh yes, and then the migraines.  When the sun finally breaks through, he suddenly feels absolutely fantastic.  I also have two dd's that this happens to.  It can be kind of life-altering.  If I know we're going to have weather like that, then I also know that we'll have to cancel any plans.  They know they might not be able to go to school or work.  I don't know of anyone else besides our family who this happens to in such extremes, but I assume there are people out there.  If you're one of those people, is there anything at all that helps?  (Besides moving?)  I've never known anyone (even a doctor) who can quite explain this.  I assume part of it is vascular related, but why and how -- I don't understand.  And why are moods involved?  

I get a few whopping migraines each month. Mine are triggered by hormones, not weather, but there is always depression that comes along with them. Not to mention a weird, anxious, jittery feeling when I know one is about to hit. Also, the older I get, the more gloomy weather affects my mood. I just sat in front of my Happy Light this morning because I'm on the tail end of a migraine and the weather has been so dark and rainy. Now the sun has come out and it's like a weight has lifted.

[Junie]

I have RA and definitely feel the weather changes.

The only thing that really gives any physical relief at all is a really long, hot shower.  (A hot tub would probably also help.)

Trying to have a good attitude is key.  I tell people that the good part of weather-related pain is that when the weather clears so does the related pain.  It helps to know that it is temporary.

[J-rap]

37 minutes ago, Janeway said:

I cannot really travel by air because of it. The sudden change in climate makes me lose my voice. Same for surgery. I have lost my voice after c-sect, where I stayed awake in the very cold operating room. My sinuses go crazy as the weather changes around here. It drives me nuts when sudden changes come on as I know I will end up at the doctor and on breathing treatments and such.

That's interesting...  I wonder if it has more to do with the change in air pressure, at least the flying part?  It's so curious how people are affected by these things!  I'm sorry you're hit so hard!

[Arcadia]

55 minutes ago, J-rap said:

I'm really curious about that book, since many of my family members are highly sensitive all around.  I just looked it up and see there are different versions or similar-looking ones.  

 

I use her website and library has her books https://hsperson.com/faq/

Many in my family has asthma and are affected by changes in barometric pressure as well as humidity.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10881584/

My mom and other elderly relatives with rheumatoid arthritis can feel the change in weather but none has complain of migraines with the change of weather. They get stress migraines though when working but rare now that they are all retired.

[KungFuPanda]

I get very mild headaches and they're in a different place than my occasional dehydration headaches.  It's more on the sides of my head with weather.  It's not usually an issue, but now that it rains EVERY flippin day in Maryland it's getting old.  My dog, however, will actually start shaking.  He's getting more and more sensitive.  It can be sunny and beautiful and hours before any rain or thunder and he'll tip us off.

[lavender's green]

When I used to get migraines, they were often weather-related. Now they're less frequent and rarely painful (often it's just an aura plus a weird feeling for a day or two). I'm in NC where the weather can change rapidly, so I'm glad they don't affect me as much as they used to!

I know two people who broke their femurs and have a metal rod in there. They feel weather changes very acutely. 

[SKL]

It does seem to affect me.  I don't document such things, but it seems the yucky feelings are most likely to happen when the weather is weird.

[Amy in NH]

Just this summer I started getting vertigo with big fronts moving through.  I didn't sleep well last night and just feel off today - just realized reading this thread that a front came through overnight.  It was 80 yesterday; 65 today.

[ScoutTN]

Not sick, but my collarbone aches like crazy. I broke it very badly when I was about 5 and it always aches when the barometer goes up or down quickly. Nothing really touches the pain.

My mom's arthritis is definitely worse during weather shifts and during cold generally. 

Edited September 19, 2018 by ScoutTN

[kbutton]

Yes, sigh. The symptoms seem to rotate around, but I have a huge laundry list of possible bad reactions to "weather" and pressure changes.

I definitely noticed some of these things by high school (impending storm would have me shivering under layers of blankets even in the summer, and I would simultaneously feel as though I had been beaten from the inside out in my bones and joints), though I think I felt some of it before that. My whole family is kind of like that, and my kids are a bit too. My DH not so much, though his sister is prone to lots of aches and pains. 

Ibuprofen is surprisingly helpful. Sometimes I have nausea without a headache, and I've learned it's just a different kind of migraine--I take some ibuprofen (800 mg), and then the nausea generally goes away or gets to a functional level (for instance, I might need to minimize walking around due to motion triggering it, but I can do seated work). If I don't take something during the day for aches, I definitely do at night--sleeping better at night helps tremendously with pain during the day. 

Keeping on top of other sources of aches and pains helps too--chiropractic, minerals that support muscles and nerves (like magnesium). Then, it's not aching on top of aching so much.

[Stacia]

8 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

Yes. I get headaches (and I’m not otherwise prone to them).

This is what happens to me.

[CAtoVA]

I thought I was the only one, lol!!! YES, body aches (mostly my back) and a feeling of pressure and swelling (mostly in my head and sinuses) whenever it's humid. Constant rain, heat and humidity also makes me irritable.  Growing up in So Cal with hot but DRY weather, the SE is now killing me! Especially the constant weeks of rain, heat and humidity. I will be okay for 1-2 days but by the third day I am feeling terrible. One of my DDs (who was born here, btw) gets migraines when it's been hot and humid for more than 3 days. Lots of that this whole summer!!! 

[Paige]

Yes, I get cold/allergy symptoms when the weather changes. It can be really bad. I tell DH we need to move somewhere with a stable environment like Hawaii! I think I'd probably do just as well in somewhere with consistently cold weather too- it's the change that sets me off and not the cold or heat. I don't think I'd do well somewhere with lots of rain. My DD with CP gets more muscle pain when the weather changes too.

[dsmith]

Years ago I had a lot of trouble with migraines and changes in barometric pressure, and then my migraines mostly went away. Until this year. ? I don't know what brought them back, but I've been wondering if there is some kind of autoimmune connection. The heat and high humidity hasn't helped this year. I've been trying to figure out if I've been getting mild MS flares with the change of season since my last big flare 2 years ago. Also, I always know when a storm is coming thanks to arthritis.

We usually have a round of bronchitis hit the family about this time of year. 

[Ausmumof3]

15 hours ago, J-rap said:

That's interesting, because that IS something I notice with myself -- my seasonal allergy symptoms really flare during a weird pressure day, and then improve pretty quickly once things settle again.

https://www.asthmaaustralia.org.au/sa/about-asthma/resources/onair/2017/feb/thunderstorm-asthma

its a known thing - there’s more info here.  Definitely something to pay attention to.

[mom2scouts]

Yes, I get terrible migraines that last for days whenever we have weather changes that affect barometric pressure. It's interesting that it may be related to autoimmune disease. Doctors know that I have some type of autoimmune disease, but they haven't been able to identify exactly what kind.

[extendedforecast]

My DH is sensitive to this. When low pressure moves in he suddenly loses energy and gets sleepy. Yesterday I spent the day with him running errands. A couple of hours into our day he suddenly complained of being tired and needing to go to bed. Sure enough a little while later the clouds came in, and it started to rain. After the storm passed, his energy was back to normal. Also, he’s requested that if he’s sleeping when a storm comes through, let him sleep through it if at all possible. He gets great sleep during this time. I do too, but I suspect he is more affected. Luckily he doesn’t get sick like your family does, because he can be a baby when he gets sick, although he’s gotten much better over the years. 

[Pen]

On 9/19/2018 at 6:42 AM, J-rap said:

 As far as the difference between SoCal and NC...  In the research we've done (because we actually have researched areas in the country where these changes are less often and less severe), SoCal is supposed to be one of the best spots to live if you suffer from this.  NC, on the other hand, has pretty frequent barometric pressure variations.  

 

I would like to find information about places that might be better than where I am now. 

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 10:59 AM, KungFuPanda said:

I get very mild headaches and they're in a different place than my occasional dehydration headaches.  It's more on the sides of my head with weather.  It's not usually an issue, but now that it rains EVERY flippin day in Maryland it's getting old.  My dog, however, will actually start shaking.  He's getting more and more sensitive.  It can be sunny and beautiful and hours before any rain or thunder and he'll tip us off.

My dd gets different kinds of headaches with weather too.  

Isn't it strange how animals can predict weather?  When I lived in California, my dog would start running in circles moments before an earthquake!

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 11:04 AM, lavender's green said:

When I used to get migraines, they were often weather-related. Now they're less frequent and rarely painful (often it's just an aura plus a weird feeling for a day or two). I'm in NC where the weather can change rapidly, so I'm glad they don't affect me as much as they used to!

I know two people who broke their femurs and have a metal rod in there. They feel weather changes very acutely. 

This is sort of how it has evolved with my dh.  He used to get a terrible migraine with weather changes.  Now he doesn't get the headache, but just gets sick and feels weird all over.  I have to think it's all still part of the overall migraine syndrome (for him), even if the headache part isn't there.

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 11:16 AM, Amy in NH said:

Just this summer I started getting vertigo with big fronts moving through.  I didn't sleep well last night and just feel off today - just realized reading this thread that a front came through overnight.  It was 80 yesterday; 65 today.

Have you ever had migraines?  My dd gets vertigo too, but she has also has migraines.  

On a different note, another dd gets a migraine whenever there's a full moon...

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 11:54 AM, ScoutTN said:

Not sick, but my collarbone aches like crazy. I broke it very badly when I was about 5 and it always aches when the barometer goes up or down quickly. Nothing really touches the pain.

My mom's arthritis is definitely worse during weather shifts and during cold generally. 

This kind of stuff really fascinates me!  I have a knee injury from college that only flares up from time to time.  I wonder if it's related to the weather.  And, why are things like this related to the weather I wonder?

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 12:54 PM, heartlikealion said:

It's hard for me to pinpoint what my migraines are from sometimes. Sometimes the weather could be related to headaches or migraines of mine. Other times they seem to be connected to monthly cycle or dehydration. 

It could be that your neuro system is just very hyper-sensitive to any changes.  This is the case for my dd, so weather, change of sleep cycle, and any number of changes that are usually insignificant for other people will cause a migraine for her.

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 1:13 PM, kbutton said:

Yes, sigh. The symptoms seem to rotate around, but I have a huge laundry list of possible bad reactions to "weather" and pressure changes.

I definitely noticed some of these things by high school (impending storm would have me shivering under layers of blankets even in the summer, and I would simultaneously feel as though I had been beaten from the inside out in my bones and joints), though I think I felt some of it before that. My whole family is kind of like that, and my kids are a bit too. My DH not so much, though his sister is prone to lots of aches and pains. 

Ibuprofen is surprisingly helpful. Sometimes I have nausea without a headache, and I've learned it's just a different kind of migraine--I take some ibuprofen (800 mg), and then the nausea generally goes away or gets to a functional level (for instance, I might need to minimize walking around due to motion triggering it, but I can do seated work). If I don't take something during the day for aches, I definitely do at night--sleeping better at night helps tremendously with pain during the day. 

Keeping on top of other sources of aches and pains helps too--chiropractic, minerals that support muscles and nerves (like magnesium). Then, it's not aching on top of aching so much.

This is very much how much dh describes his symptoms, and a couple of my dd's.  (It definitely runs in the family!)  Hmm..  I don't think he's tried magnesium for a long time.  I agree that keeping on top of other things can really help.  I think often it can be a type of threshold deal.  Any number of things can add to that threshold/limit, and if you can control some things, then others aren't felt as strongly.

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 8:14 PM, CAtoVA said:

I thought I was the only one, lol!!! YES, body aches (mostly my back) and a feeling of pressure and swelling (mostly in my head and sinuses) whenever it's humid. Constant rain, heat and humidity also makes me irritable.  Growing up in So Cal with hot but DRY weather, the SE is now killing me! Especially the constant weeks of rain, heat and humidity. I will be okay for 1-2 days but by the third day I am feeling terrible. One of my DDs (who was born here, btw) gets migraines when it's been hot and humid for more than 3 days. Lots of that this whole summer!!! 

That fits exactly with what I've read about people who suffer from this.  So Cal or parts of Hawaii are best.  Probably the SE is some of the worst!

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 9:18 PM, Paige said:

Yes, I get cold/allergy symptoms when the weather changes. It can be really bad. I tell DH we need to move somewhere with a stable environment like Hawaii! I think I'd probably do just as well in somewhere with consistently cold weather too- it's the change that sets me off and not the cold or heat. I don't think I'd do well somewhere with lots of rain. My DD with CP gets more muscle pain when the weather changes too.

My dd -- who is probably even more extreme than my dh, unfortunately, believes that a consistent climate is probably most important, although high humidity (even if it's consistent) comes close to that.  Also, high altitude areas.  She once visited a friend in Switzerland who lived in the alps, and was sick the whole time she was up there.

[J-rap]

On 9/19/2018 at 9:44 PM, dsmith said:

Years ago I had a lot of trouble with migraines and changes in barometric pressure, and then my migraines mostly went away. Until this year. ? I don't know what brought them back, but I've been wondering if there is some kind of autoimmune connection. The heat and high humidity hasn't helped this year. I've been trying to figure out if I've been getting mild MS flares with the change of season since my last big flare 2 years ago. Also, I always know when a storm is coming thanks to arthritis.

We usually have a round of bronchitis hit the family about this time of year. 

I definitely believe there is an autoimmune connection.  Some doctors I've spoken to about this recently are beginning to believe that the migraine syndrome (at least when you have them chronically) is perhaps a type of autoimmune condition.  My dd, who has had chronic (as in daily) migraines for years also seems to be slowly shifting toward having various autoimmune systems.