Heat Sensitivity?

[Bee91]

This hasn't really been a great summer so far. I've gotten two heat strokes and I've had heat exhaustion several times. I can't go outside for much longer than 15 minutes with out starting to feel dizzy. I've never been so sensitive with the sun/heat before so I'm thinking it's due to the meds, but I haven't seen anything on the internet about that...

Has anyone else had these problems? Do you know if it related to your medicine?

[Meetz1064]

Yeah, usually the meds are responsible for it, but none of yours (I checked your profile) have that problem....EXCEPT the topamax CAN cause HYPERTHERMIA. Where your body overheats too quickly. Voila....there's the problem.......

[hawke86]

Bee91
Sorry to hear you're having a bad summer. I know what you went through when you had those heat strokes. I had some myself. They're not any fun. Meetz I agree topamax can cause hyperthermia. I hope the rest of the summer turns out better for you.

[RobinN]

This was mentioned on another site that I read, and my thinking is this...
What is happening internally that is not allowing your body to regulate temperatures very well? Is there an adrenal gland issue, magnesium deficiency, mercury poisoning, etc?
Perhaps some detective work to figure this out. The body has a build in self regulation. Seems if the meds are doing this, then the meds are not doing a very good job.

[BuckeyeFan]

When the level of heat issues reaches heat stroke (body temp rising and unable to cool itself) versus heat exhaustion, damage can be done to the bodies self regulating mechanisms.

Thus, once you have had heat stroke, you are much more at risk in the following months and even years.

I agree that you may definitely have another trigger like an anti-epileptic drug or one of Robin's list. But, remember since your first heat stroke earlier this summer, you are still recovering and each new incident is stretching out that recovery time. PLEASE take care of yourself the next couple of months. I need to keep my fellow buckeye around.

[Loudmouth]

HYPERTHERMIA?? Would that be why i overheated MASSIVELY at my children's sports day and then had a massive seizure...a WITNESSED DAYTIME tonic clonic (my first witnessed daytime tonic clonic in 5 years!) in front of the whole school, the parents, the teachers....NOT the most private of places, I can tell you,on a school field, and trying to persuade everyone that I felt semi-ok, didn't want an ambulance, and just wanted to be LEFT ALONE, and left to watch my children's races....WELL lets just say, I had no idea the topamax could have been a part of that....

[BuckeyeFan]

One big wish!!!

I wish doctors could spare ten minutes or even have an assitant spend time with patients every time they start a new med. Long pages of fine print and technical jargon just don't work for most patients.

My sister is fighting cancer and her medical team laid out all the side effects for her even almost calling the day they would appear. That was so helpful for her to alleviate the fear of the unknown.

[Meetz1064]

HYPERTHERMIA. And it sucks. I've had a few run-ins with it myself, I think, so the fact that I drink 3/4 of a gallon of water a day on a regular basis has been helpful.......and made things not so bad for me. But I've had some close calls....

[Bee91]

I had another heat stroke on saturday. I wasn't even outside. The building I was in was warm, but it wasn't like being out in the 90 degree weather! I started seizing, which were the first seizures I have had in 5 or so months (other than other heat stroke seizures)

I think it is the Topamax that is the problem. I have noticed that I haven't been sweating. I haven't taken it during the summer yet, so I guess I didn't know what to expect. I'm glad this is the med I'm coming off of...

[RobinN]

I was reading a little bit about this yesterday Bee, and the Adrenal Glands help to regulate your personal thermostat. You might want to read this and maybe discuss it with your doctor.
Adrenal Fatigue
http://www.medhelp.org/Medical-Dicti...s/1/000378.htm


I was just reading about someone that has similar episodes, and it was suggested that perhaps they were having a particular type of seizure that affected the nerves in the temperature control region of the brain. This is usually manifested as lability in one's temperature.
Hard to know which one comes first.
Have you tried keeping a bottle of water that has needed electrolytes in it?

Above all else Brandi, sorry to hear about the seizure.

[Bee91]

Thanks for the links, Robin. I'll definately start reading up on that. I used to keep a bottle of Gatorade with me to keep my BP up, but I got out of that habit, unfortunately. I need to get back in that habit again...

[RobinN]

You know what I have bought for Rebecca to have is a product called EmergenC. It has a lot of the similar ingredients and comes in a packet. This can be added to water when you are ready to drink. Plus it doesn't have all the added sugars.

[Bee91]

Really? Where do you get it?

[RobinN]

I get it at Whole Foods, but I be any vitamin store would have it. I even saw it at our pharmacy recently.

[brain]

I had another heat stroke on saturday. I wasn't even outside. The building I was in was warm, but it wasn't like being out in the 90 degree weather! I started seizing, which were the first seizures I have had in 5 or so months (other than other heat stroke seizures)

I think it is the Topamax that is the problem. I have noticed that I haven't been sweating. I haven't taken it during the summer yet, so I guess I didn't know what to expect. I'm glad this is the med I'm coming off of...

Here's some options that I do:

What you can do is, whenever you feel it, grab a wash cloth or
a towel and wet it down and dampen yourself with cool water.

There is a cheap thing you can buy, many sports to employees
who work outdoors to even sunbathers uses it. It comes under
all types of names - to "Neck Coolers" to "Body Coolers". What
you do is - you toss in refrigerator (some you toss in freezer),
and whenever you feel it, you take the soft gel-like that's actually
in all types of fashionable colors and usually in either a zipper or
velcro - ranges from Terry Cloth to 100% Cotton - and you wrap
it around your neck or forehead (they come in 2 different types,
but I recommend the one around the neck as it cools you faster
than the one on your forehead).

The great thing about it is - it's washable, but the con side about
it is, you have to be careful not to puncture the bag or the gel
will burst even though it's in a very well made bag, so it's a good
idea to purchase a couple of them.

I have a couple of gel-bags myself that I purchased from a first-
aid store, which I merely just place an old thin washcloth on top
of it and put it inside of a small old pillow case that I fold over
and then I lie down if I feel overheated and I drink water or
Gatorade and rest.


The other option besides using a wet washcloth / towel, or the
above; if you are able to - take a quick cool shower the moment
you begin to feel it for a quick cool down, then sit down and relax.

But I rarely overheat but this might be why I don't, because of
what I do above. My son takes up after me; my ex learned of
this but he didn't always do it until he almost had heat stroke,
and then he began to "steal" my neck coolers for his work and
kept loosing them! (How does one 'hide' such item in the home?
I cannot imagine a lock box in a refrigerator just for that!)

[DAVE1967]

LOOK AT MY MEDICATION LIST ON MY PROFILE & YOU'LL PROBABLY BE LIKE, "HOW CAN HE MAKE IT OUTSIDE ?" BUT YES I UNDERSTAND VERY CLEARLY ON HOW THE HEAT EFFECTS NOT ONLY YOU BUT YOUR MEDS AS WELL. Have a nice day - DAVE from Kentucky

[RobinN]

Brandi - a personal question so answer it if you want... but do you sweat when warm?

I have come to know that if you don't sweat you are keeping a lot of toxins in your system. It is one way it is designed to eliminate them. So I was just curious...
Leave it at that if you want.

[Bee91]

I do sweat, but not very much. My eyelids are about the only thing that sweat, which I find kind of weird...

[brain]

I do sweat, but not very much. My eyelids are about the only thing that sweats, which I find kind of weird...

Same here, my eyelids sweat and I thought I was strange?
Is there anyone else out there who have the same issue?

[brain]

Brandi:

Let's try another question outside of Robin's:

Do you SWEAT when you have a seizure or about to?
I do or my body temp rises.