I was just reading through all the past posts about weather related pain and thought to bring this up again. I’m fortunate to live in California (although sometimes I consider moving to Southern California for even warmer weather) so I can’t complain too much. But even here, autumn and winter were miserable. I started Enbrel in February and felt much better around April, but I’m a little worried about the seasons changing again into autumn and winter. I traveled last week and a gnawing sacroiliac pain (which is regularly just a dull ache) and stabbing calf pain appeared. Both appear before it rains. Either 24 hours before, or 1-2 hours before the rain. Sure enough it did rain. Happened twice on the trip and made me wonder how I’m going to handle the winter again. Does anyone have any survival tactics for combating weather related pain? My acupuncturist recommended spending time in a sauna or steam room if rain is in the forecast. I haven’t tried this yet. No amount of massage or plasters helps the calf pain caused by weather. Let me know how you’ve been handling this. Thanks!
My tip for weather-related pain is heat, heat heat. I’m an not a fan of the weather between late October and mid-April. The rest of the year is MUCH better for me. In those frosty months when I can’t seem to handle the changes in pressure on top of the cold I am almost permanently attached so some warming device. I have a heating pad at home, a heated blanket on my chair at work and a hot tub in the back yard (I’m a lucky woman!). I often have to be coaxed to go the twenty yards to the hot tub in my robe in February but it’s such a reward to feel toasty all the way through. I always plan a warm weather vacation in February or March when I’m at my lowest ebb in the year. The sunshine helps, too!
@janeatiu thank you for sharing! This is all good info! I may need to add an electric blanket to my PsA toolbox. My gym has a hot tub, which does feel great, so I can take advantage of that. I thought I’d do some short trips to warm weather destinations in Jan and Feb for temporary relief. I’m also fortunate that I can do that. I thought I’d get a happylight for winter depression too. Trying to prepare myself as much as I can. I feel like I’ve made so much progress I don’t want the seasonal weather and rain to make me feel like I’m falling back.
No hot tub at my gym but there’s a sauna. I used to go to deep water exercise there, too. They keep the water and the pool deck pretty cool in the winter so I would run (do NOT run on the pool deck) to the sauna after each class.
And I agree with you about the light. I have a little seasonal affective disorder. I haven’t gotten a light but I do other things to help. I have a really hard time getting up in the darkness so I learned a neat trick about putting a small (low wattage) light in the bedroom on a timer. About 30-45 minutes before I need to get out of bed the timer switches on and I wake up gradually because of the light. I don’t need an alarm when I do this and I generally feel much less groggy waking up this way. Thank goodness my partner likes to wear eye shades at night so it isn’t a bother!
If there could be any kind of silver lining to this, it would be that, now that I have a real medical condition eased by warm weather, my wife is finally relenting her objections to moving to Florida. Have a few years to wait (til kids get out of HS), but hopefully the end of living with snow is near!
Peace,
-Dave
I live in St. Louis (central US), so I feel for you on the Autumn and Winter weather. I dread November-March each year. I did find an electric blanket to be a Godsend, and last year I added the “no-no” of a heating pad at night when I first go to sleep. It turns itself off after 20-30 minutes, but it helped my lower back tremendously last year.
I also plan to join the “Happy Lamp” club this year, but still need to research which one to get. I am someone who thrives in sun and warmth, and I feel completely different when Daylight Savings Time kicks in and the weather turns cold. I suspect a lot of it is Seasonal Affective Disorder, as the 2 years I was on anxiety medication were the best winters I’d had in 10 yrs–LOL. I can’t take it long-term anymore because of other side effects.
I wish you luck in getting more ideas. I’ll be following…
I have had weather related pain as well. Living in North Texas, thunderstorms are frequent, and we do get cold weather in the winter. I have found that Thermocare patches help a great deal, especially when it’s necessary to be out and about. Additionally, like others, soak in a hot tub and always have a heating pad handy.
Lisa, I’m in Indiana so pretty close, globally speaking. I’ve always hated snow/winters. This will be my first one as an official PsA sufferer. I have begged my wife to move to FL for years, but now, at least, she is more open to it.
Peace,
-Dave
Dave–dude? where in IN? I’m in the fair town home of Indiana University…
I am up in Lebanon, in between Indy and Purdue… and perhaps the exact cultural opposite of your home town!
Peace,
-Dave
Wizzed through on my way back from Chicago on Friday. I should have stopped in!
Am I the only one who hated the summer heat more than the winter? I seem to have much worse swelling in the summer and have usually done better in Fall and Winter, with the exception of this past year (but this past year has basically been a giant ball of uck regardless of season).
Dave,
I know exactly what you’re talking about with threatening to move to Florida. I was thinking Arizona myself and mentioned it to my husband just the other day. 
I have horrible mold allergies and get sick as a dog whenever we vacation in Florida, but by January, I’d settle for anyplace other than here. I hope this winter isn’t worse for you. Our’s was so mild last winter that I’m thinking we can’t get that lucky 2 yrs in a row. A person can always hope though, right?!
Nope, SubliminalFlicker, I’m there with you. Summer has been worse for me, too. In the past, not so much this summer because our temps here in Cental MN have been unusually mild. I can’t say I look forward to winter, but since I can remember, the summer heat and humidity make my arthritis and asthma symptoms flare. I can’t say my body feels any changes in weather coming on, though. What I can feel lately are more aches and pains and stiffness that puts me in a depressed mood when I get up in the morning and before I go to bed at night. I can cope fine during the rest of the day, thankfully. I miss the days when I flew out of bed to stop my alarm clock and “flew” through each and every day until bedtime. That was quite a long time ago, but it’s hard feeling like a 80-year old at 63…I can NOT imagine how hard it is for those of you much younger than me having to cope with these feelings. Although, I have gotten more wimpy these past few years and, looking back, my PsA symptoms were worse in my 50s before I started Enbrel, but I coped better. Maybe I expect too much?
Yup - that’s generally how I feel. Though now that I’m off everything I’m noticing how much the mtx and Otezla were helping. I’m back to feeling creaky and stiff all the time again. It’s interesting how it’s almost difficult to tell when the meds start working but it’s oh so obvious when you don’t have them. Lol.
My good ol days were my early twenties, unfortunately. I’m only 33 and feel much older most days. But I suppose its just what it is 
Heat, heat, heat. I will sit under a hot electric blanket, in the middle of summer, in Texas if I have to. I can feel the storm coming a long way off. I will then check the radar and get things ready. Hot cut of tea and a good show help as well.