Activity monitoring and patient-reported outcome measures in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, 2022, Rekeland et al

[Sean]

Thanks for those graphs, @Karen Kirke

 

[Karen Kirke]

Many of us are heat intolerant. I'm out walking more often during the cooler/colder months.

That may depend on the country. I'm guessing here, but I think in Norway, where the study took place, spring-to-summer might generally be more comfortable to be outside in than winter. To put it another way, their winter would be cold enough to provoke cold intolerance more often than their spring-summer would be hot enough to provoke heat intolerance.

Rekeland et al. write:

23 of 27 patients were included between December and March, which means the first three-month
period was winter to spring and the second three-month period was spring to summer. Some of the clinical improvement seen, could be explained by the fact that ME/CFS patients living in the Northern hemisphere often have less severe symptoms when the weather is warm.

What do Norwegian members think? @Midnattsol @Utsikt I think you might be from Norway. Would you expect Norwegian pwME's steps to be higher in winter or summer?

 

[Mij]

I live in eastern Canada. I've had ME/CFS for 35yrs and feel best starting late summer, fall and winter. I feel like a different person. I'm out walking in -25C temps.

 

[Mij]

I should also add that allergy season (trees, grasses and ragweed) are extreme here, starts in April right into mid July. I'm feeling exhausted/horrid during this time.

 

[Utsikt]

That may depend on the country. I'm guessing here, but I think in Norway, where the study took place, spring-to-summer might generally be more comfortable to be outside in than winter. To put it another way, their winter would be cold enough to provoke cold intolerance more often than their spring-summer would be hot enough to provoke heat intolerance.

Rekeland et al. write:


What do Norwegian members think? @Midnattsol @Utsikt I think you might be from Norway. Would you expect Norwegian pwME's steps to be higher in winter or summer?

I’m worse during the summer, I overheat very quickly. 15C is more than enough for me. I know others that are the complete opposite, and everything in between. So I don’t know what the average impact on step count would be.

 

[Karen Kirke]

I know others that are the complete opposite, and everything in between. So I don’t know what the average impact on step count would be.

Probably another tangle!

 

[Midnattsol]

I feel best in spring and autumn, the extremes in winter and summer wipes me out. It has varied a bit what has been worse, but the last few years there has been extreme temperatures in both seasons for weeks on end... in the old normal I did better in summer, but I lived further north where 14-18C would be considered not too cold. Over 20C and I find it too hot (last summer we had 30+ for weeks...)

I used to love winter, skiing and such, but that was something I had to quit early.