Just wanted to get some opinions/ pick your brains. Since I got ill with VM in 2016 following a big emotional and hormonal trigger in the form of a miscarriage, I have been very temperature sensitive. No more saunas for me or indeed cold dips in the sea. After a big time relapse around March this year, I am feeling somewhat better and determined to get into some kind of cold shower regime to strengthen my mitochondria. I have tried and failed at this previously, as I experienced significant fatigue shortly afterwards. I also experienced quite extreme fatigue along with short lived feverishness (shivering, feeling freezing while my skin was hot) a couple of times recently after going outdoor swimming in fairly chilly water on a reasonably warm day.
Now Iâve started just with very short cold-ish blasts in the shower and hoping to build up, but am feeling fatigued again this morning after a quick and moderate rinse earlier. I seem to be able to do it for a couple of days and then, boom, terrible fatigue.
Would love to hear your thoughts/ ideas on what is going on here. Has anyone experienced anything like this themselves?
Hmm, seems allodynia is associated with pain? I never get any pain, itâs more like the familiar surging feeling in my body that my nervous system has been over stressed (by a little coldish blast of water), it actually feels nice on my skin. Then afterwards, floored with fatigue.
Thanks for looking, Iâll have a more careful read of this. Certainly an âoddityâ!
Had I not pick up on that Iâd have said itâs âjustâ another indication of hypersensitivity which goes with the condition.
With regard to allodynia being associated with pain id say so is migraine but I had all the other symptoms for a decade before any pain. So could be a different manifestation. MAVers seem prone to those.
Still think the hypersensitivity theory holds up best though.
Fatigue and Allodynia could be many things including Fibromyalgia. Temperature sensitivity could be many things as well, including thyroid issues. Best go to your GP and see what they think of it.
My mother has Fibromyalgia and fatigue. CoQ10 (3x 100mg per day) seems to help her a lot, might be worth trying.
Iâm not sure a cold shower will âstrengthen your mitocondriaâ , so I wouldnât stress about that. Iâve dabbled with those as well and all they ever seem to do is give me an adreneline rush, which then of course feels good, but not sure its the best thing for MAV peeps.
There is a lot of information out there about âeustressfulâ activities such as cardio exercise and cold showers strengthening mitochondrial function (energy production, brain healthâŚ). Iâm not a scientist or a doctor but it makes sense that you need to regularly take your body out of its comfort zone, in whatever small way, for it to function well (use it or lose it?)
But the thyroid link is plausible. I take levothyroxine for an under active thyroid/ possible hashimotos, so maybe worth speaking more to my doctor about that.
Iâm so glad you posted this! This is what I was looking for today â when symptoms flair and brain buzz/fog is added to the mix, I also run a fever 1-2 degrees above my average. Was here looking to see if this is part of VM or another problem.
One of my biggest triggers is actually hot showers. My theory is that my migraines specifically get triggered when my blood vessel are dilated. I have also wondered if thatâs why I respond well to propananol. I can only take cold showers, and that seems to do well for me.
