Bad weather and flare up's in PANDAS

[MIAS_MOM]

I know for a fact that any viral illness is a flare up for my 10 yr. old dd, but what about bad weather? I am really starting to see a conection. My dd has had PANDAS for over 2 yrs. Anyday that is "stormy" with either black skies or strong winds, is a very traumatic day for my dd. Her anxiety, aggression, and phobias blow into a severe flare up,this last Friday nite we played "tackle" all evening to just keep her from hurting one of us. Is this something anyone else is seeing? And is there any known reason, I dont really understand it, unless it's just something I'm putting togehter that might not actually be.

[thereishope]

Perhaps it's the air pressure. It's known to cause sinus pressure, affect joints, I would not be surprised to see a correlation between a flare in symptoms and bad weather.

 

 

http://www.ehow.com/about_5081553_effects-barometric-pressure-joints-muscles.html

Weather Influences Sensitivities

Life is a revolving door for those people who are weather sensitive. The pain from inflammation of joints, muscles and nerves can elevate to points beyond the ability to cope.

 

Some of the conditions the conditions that involve joints and muscles responsive to changes in barometric pressure level include these chronic, sometimes debilitating, illnesses:

 

Arthritis -- including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Back pain -- especially lower back pain

Fibromyalgia -- nerve and muscle condition

Scar pain -- especially scars recently healed

Trigeminal neuralgia -- nerve and joint involvement

Headaches -- including migraines and clusters

Mood disorders -- depression when the barometric pressure falls, and mania when it rises

 

Rheumatic Conditions

Rheumatologists treating patients with any of the chronic conditions listed above, routinely advise them to avoid certain weather conditions that aggravate or enhance their discomfort, especially the following ones.

 

Any of these three easily worsen when the weather changes for better or worse - or there is a change, however slight, in the barometric pressure:

 

Muscle cramps increase when a workout or sport begins without the benefit of a prior warm up, especially in cold environments.

 

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, best known as lupus, becomes serious when aggravated. Internal organs can inflame without any plausible reason. The dullest of sunshine has the ability to activate lupus. Lupus patients must use sunscreen generously and wear clothing to cover the head, arms and legs.

 

Encouragement to relocate to warmer, less invasive, climates is often the only solution for lupus patients.

Edited April 17, 2011 by Vickie

[Guest pandas16]

I know that bad weather can make you antsy and bored because you can't really go out. One key to dealing with OCD/anxiety that I learned from behavior cognitive therapy is to not constantly sit around and think about it- It's better to stay busy if possible. When it rains you can't go outside so maybe she has too much time on her hands? Have you tried coloring with her? Yesterday it rained all day where I live. I spent a lot of time laying around and I noticed my OCD more.

Edited April 17, 2011 by pandas16

[SarahJane]

It could also be an anxiety about storms that gets the adrenaline pumping and puts her on edge. I would also agree with Vickie about the air pressure. The full moon is also tonight. It's probably a combination of things that create a perfect storm (pardon the pun). But if you're seeing it, then it's probably there.

[SarahJane]

It could also be an anxiety about storms that gets the adrenaline pumping and puts her on edge. I would also agree with Vickie about the air pressure. The full moon is also tonight. It's probably a combination of things that create a perfect storm (pardon the pun). But if you're seeing it, then it's probably there.

[Guest pandas16]

Update:

I know there was some discussion before about vibrational energy on a previous thread...I'll try and find it.

 

From studying meteorology quite a bit in college, I can tell you that weather fronts can be warm or cold. Cold fronts typically bring more severe weather/ warm fronts are more associated with light rain storms. Nice weather is correlated directly with high barometric pressure and bad weather with low barometric pressure. So the question is- is it the the change in pressure or the pressure level itself? How does your daughter feel in warm weather? It would be interesting to look into. It might be hard to tell though because high pressure is associated with nice weather and allergies come into full bloom! Seems to be no win! Also after cold fronts there's also typically a lot of wind---- hence the spread of pollen.... ugh.

 

Last Thought:

Pressure also changes drastically if you live in the Southern states in the spring time- hence a lot of tornadoes. The polar jet stream dips downs and interferes with lower level tropical jet streams that become stronger as the summer comes. Do you live in any southern states?

[mkur]

My son gets a headache when the weather (pressure) changes. He would end up in the nurse's office. He says he cannot think and feels sick. He doesn't watch the news so is unaware of the change - not anxiety. I think most poeple get crabby when they have a headache or don't feel well.

[MIAS_MOM]

Update:

I know there was some discussion before about vibrational energy on a previous thread...I'll try and find it.

 

From studying meteorology quite a bit in college, I can tell you that weather fronts can be warm or cold. Cold fronts typically bring more severe weather/ warm fronts are more associated with light rain storms. Nice weather is correlated directly with high barometric pressure and bad weather with low barometric pressure. So the question is- is it the the change in pressure or the pressure level itself? How does your daughter feel in warm weather? It would be interesting to look into. It might be hard to tell though because high pressure is associated with nice weather and allergies come into full bloom! Seems to be no win! Also after cold fronts there's also typically a lot of wind---- hence the spread of pollen.... ugh.

 

Last Thought:

Pressure also changes drastically if you live in the Southern states in the spring time- hence a lot of tornadoes. The polar jet stream dips downs and interferes with lower level tropical jet streams that become stronger as the summer comes. Do you live in any southern states?

Yes, we are Southern Tennessee, with LOTS of tornado weather, especially this time of year. She always has a bad headache on these days. We travel up the mountain ( we are in the valley ) to her school. She will develop a headache alot of the time going up, then is miserable all day. On warm days she is so so. (she has never been great) I will keep an open mind about it and watch to see if there is a pattern. Most of the time she is already at school when the storms hit, or we are running errands. They usually hit around noon to evening. I think its air pressure vs. anxiety. Thanks for the info from all of you, and I will find the vibrational energy thread, I saw it earlier but didnt read it. Thanks again.

[Ozimum]

Quote: "We travel up the mountain ( we are in the valley ) to her school. She will develop a headache alot of the time going up, then is miserable all day. On warm days she is so so. (she has never been great) I will keep an open mind about it and watch to see if there is a pattern. Most of the time she is already at school when the storms hit, or we are running errands. They usually hit around noon to evening. I think its air pressure vs. anxiety."

 

I was a Geography teacher in another life...air pressure reduces as you go up in the atmosphere...as when going up a mountain. You'll notice the change in pressure in your ears - Years ago they used to give plane passengers a glass of orange juice to drink on take off - I've always thought it was to help with this. Babies seem to have the most problem on planes...I've always understood that having something to suck on helped adjust pressure.

 

Also, as a teacher I noticed kids would become restless when the weather changed with a front. I suspect with the wind picking up allergies would be stirred up too.

[smartyjones]

. We travel up the mountain ( we are in the valley ) to her school..

 

 

there is a story in one of Andrew Weil's books about - i read it a long time ago (pre-pandas) so certainly don't have it totally correct - somewhere in Europe that was a valley with a monastery on the mountain (or reverse but i think the monastery was on the mountain). people in the valley would have bouts of 'crazy' and they'd be sent to the monastery where they were cured. at the time, the people believed it was a divine intervention situation. they later discovered that the people were reacting to mold in the valley and when they were away from it, they would not have the symptoms. i would guess pressure could also play into it.