What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals.
Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.
Women are more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
The primary symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
- Widespread pain. The pain associated with fibromyalgia often is described as a constant dull ache that has lasted for at least three months. To be considered widespread, the pain must occur on both sides of your body and above and below your waist.
- Fatigue. Fibromyalgia makes you feel tired even when you’ve gotten plenty of sleep.
- Sleep problems. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired, even though they report sleeping for long enough. Sleep is often disrupted by pain, and many people with fibromyalgia have other sleep disorders, like restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea.
- Memory problems. Many people who have fibromyalgia report problems with attention, memory and forgetfulness.
- Other symptoms. These include migraine headaches, morning stiffness, tingling or numbness in hands and feet, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression and more.
While there’s no cure for fibromyalgia, medications, lifestyle changes and stress reduction can help improve symptoms. Exercise, relaxation and stress-reduction measures, such as tai chi, yoga or meditation, also may be helpful.
Does fibromyalgia make you feel hot?
Many people with fibromyalgia report feeling hot or having hot flashes. There are a few reasons why fibromyalgia might cause someone to feel overheated:
1. Hot flashes
Hot flashes are sudden feelings of warmth, which are usually most intense over the face, neck and chest. They can also cause profuse sweating and may even wake you up at night.
Although hot flashes are commonly associated with menopause, they can also occur in people with fibromyalgia. In one study of 75 women with fibromyalgia, 65 percent reported experiencing hot flashes.
Researchers aren’t sure why fibromyalgia triggers hot flashes. One theory is that it’s related to autonomic nervous system dysfunction, which is common in fibromyalgia. The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary body functions like blood pressure, heartbeat and temperature control.
Some medications used to treat fibromyalgia, like certain antidepressants, also may cause hot flashes in some people.
2. Temperature regulation problems
People with fibromyalgia seem to have problems regulating their body temperature. Many report feeling hot when other people are comfortable, or feeling chilly when others are warm. Difficulty adjusting to different ambient temperatures is sometimes referred to as a “broken thermostat.”
Research shows that people with fibromyalgia have reduced blood flow to parts of the brain that help regulate body temperature. Lower blood flow in these areas could impair the body’s ability to control temperature.
Some experts think this problem with temperature regulation stems from abnormalities in the hypothalamus. This is a small part of the brain that controls functions like sleep, appetite, sexual desire and body temperature.
3. Increased inflammation
Chronic widespread inflammation is believed to play a role in many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, including pain, fatigue and sleep problems. This systemic inflammation may also cause people with fibromyalgia to feel hot.
Inflammation triggers prostaglandins, which are lipids that regulate body temperature. Higher prostaglandin levels can make you feel like you have a fever, even if you don’t.
Other Causes of Feeling Hot With Fibromyalgia
In addition to hot flashes, problems regulating body temperature and inflammation, a few other factors may also cause feelings of warmth if you have fibromyalgia:
Medications
Certain medications prescribed for fibromyalgia could potentially make you feel hot, including:
- Antidepressants.
- Anti-seizure drugs, like pregabalin (Lyrica) or gabapentin (Neurontin).
- Hormones like low-dose naltrexone.
Menopause
If you’re going through menopause, this transition alone might trigger hot flashes and night sweats. Fibromyalgia won’t cause menopause, but for some women, fibro symptoms may start around the same time as perimenopause.
Obesity
Excess weight doesn’t directly cause fibromyalgia, but it can contribute to widespread pain, fatigue and inflammation. The extra insulation of body fat can also make you feel overheated. Losing weight may help improve fibro symptoms and reduce feelings of warmth.
Deconditioning
Lack of physical activity can interfere with your body’s ability to regulate temperature properly. Inactivity due to fibromyalgia pain and fatigue can cause deconditioning. Boosting physical activity safely may help improve temperature regulation.
Anxiety
Feeling anxious activates your sympathetic nervous system. This prepares your body to respond to perceived threats by increasing heart rate, elevating temperature and boosting sweat production. If you have anxiety along with fibromyalgia, it could make you feel hotter.
Other medical conditions
Having certain disorders like hyperthyroidism or chronic fatigue syndrome also could make you feel hot or cause more frequent hot flashes. Getting an accurate diagnosis is important before attributing all your symptoms to fibromyalgia.
Managing Heat Sensitivity With Fibromyalgia
If fibromyalgia is making you feel overheated, there are some practical steps you can take to find relief by cooling down. Some tips to prevent and manage heat sensitivity include:
1. Stay hydrated
Drinking enough fluids is essential for temperature regulation. Shoot for 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages, which have diuretic effects that could lead to dehydration.
2. Take a tepid bath or shower
Soaking in lukewarm water can quickly help lower your body temperature. Alternatively, rinsing off with a tepid shower can also rapidly cool you off.
3. Use cooling products
Special gels, cooling vests, bandanas and other cold therapy products can provide rapid, temporary relief of overheating. Look for versions that don’t need to be refrigerated or frozen.
4. Apply cold compresses
Simply placing a cold washcloth on your forehead, wrists or neck for a few minutes at a time can efficiently bring down your body temperature. You can also try using gel ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables wrapped in a thin towel.
5. Use moisture-wicking fabrics
Clothing made from synthetic, moisture-wicking technical fabrics helps keep you dry by pulling sweat away from your skin. These materials are vastly superior at cooling to natural fibers like cotton or wool.
6. Opt for loose, layered clothing
Restrictive, tight clothing will trap heat and sweat next to your skin. Better choices include loose tops and bottoms made of breathable fabrics. Also opt for layers you can add or remove as needed to regulate temperature.
7. Stay in a cool environment
Being outdoors in hot, humid weather or in a warm room can quickly overheat you. Adjusting the thermostat, using air conditioning, seeking shade outdoors or finding cooler rooms can provide heat relief. You may also want to avoid saunas or hot tubs.
8. Adjust your schedule
If possible, shift more strenuous activities like exercise to cooler times of the day. Try scheduling work, errands and social activities during hours less affected by intense sun and heat.
9. Use a fan
Placing a fan nearby, positioned to blow air directly on your face and body, enhances evaporative cooling. This simple trick can help stop hot flashes in their tracks.
10. Lower the thermostat at bedtime
Night sweats and hot flashes often disrupt sleep for those with fibromyalgia. Adjusting your bedroom thermostat to around 65°F before bedtime may help minimize overheating at night.
11. Ask your doctor about medications
If lifestyle measures aren’t providing enough relief from heat sensitivity, certain prescription medications may help. Possibilities include low-dose antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs or hormone therapy. But these drugs can also have side effects, so discuss options carefully with your doctor.
Does Weather Affect Fibromyalgia?
Many people with fibromyalgia report that shifts in the weather intensify their symptoms. Changes in barometric pressure, precipitation, wind, cold, heat and humidity seem particularly likely to aggravate fibromyalgia pain, fatigue and general malaise.
But while individual experiences provide powerful anecdotal evidence, scientific research into weather sensitivity and fibromyalgia has produced mixed results. Some studies confirm this phenomenon while others show no association between weather and fibro symptoms.
Researchers suggest a few possible reasons why weather might affect fibromyalgia:
- Barometric pressure changes may trigger nerves that signal pain and worsen joint stiffness.
- Cooler temperatures can make muscles tighter and more achy.
- High humidity exacerbates pain and fatigue.
- Shifts in weather can increase stress, anxiety and depression.
- Changes in air pressure may amplify pain signals.
Though not definitively proven, it seems plausible that the combined physical and psychological impacts of weather changes could worsen fibromyalgia symptoms in those prone to this kind of sensitivity.
Tips for Coping With Weather-Related Fibro Flare-Ups
While you can’t control the weather, you can take steps to reduce its impact on your fibromyalgia symptoms:
- Check forecasts so you can expect and prepare for inclement weather.
- Adjust your schedule to accommodate low-energy periods.
- Use structured pacing to help manage activity and avoid overexertion.
- Lower expectations for productivity during flare-ups.
- Avoid going out in exceptionally hot, cold, humid or windy conditions.
- Tweak your treatment plan when needed – for instance, by boosting pain medication if pain worsens.
- Increase stress management and self-care routines during bad weather.
- Move your body gently to reduce stiffness in muscles and joints.
- Apply moist heat to soothe achy muscles tightened by cold.
- Try over-the-counter analgesics to relieve amplified pain.
Though fibro flares related to the weather can be discouraging, being proactive reduces their impact. Pay attention to your body’s sensitivities and adjust your self-care routine accordingly.
The Bottom Line
Fibromyalgia can make you feel uncomfortably hot due to night sweats, hot flashes, problems regulating body temperature, inflammation and other factors. If heat sensitivity is interfering with your daily functioning and quality of life, work with your doctor to find effective solutions. Steps like dressing in breathable layers, staying hydrated and using cooling strategies can provide low-risk, low-cost relief worth trying.