Are your symptoms/progress affected by weather?

My Personal Support Worker and others have been certain that the rapid progress of my ALS is due to heat and humidity, and that I'd do better with air conditioning. I don't believe it, but I wanted to ask everyone if weather conditions affect temporary symptoms or your experience of your ALS (or you're welcome to prove me wrong if you believe that heat/humidity/other weather affect the progress of ALS!)
Thanks, Mary Jo

Mary Jo - for me heat leaves me very tired but cold and the winter is much worse on my bones. I doubt the temperature has any effect on progression but certainly has a lot to do with comfort which effects your attitude and energy level and that is very important.
Dan

I think the weather could play a part if it stresses your body. I know this to be true with people that have MS (symptoms usually exacerbate in hotter temperatures).

Zaphoon

Indirectly , I think it does.

What is the rule , energy & attitude .

If the heat tires you out , that's a hit on energy , and that is not good.

So , get into a nice air-conditioned space , and celebrate with pizza and beer (its medicinal ya know)

Glen

Gran,
I do think that that weather can surely have effects. It can probably not speed up progression, but can sure make you feel worse or better. Cold is my enemy, stiffen up, just miserable. I think 72 in the air conditioning on the couch, with my nice blanket to cuddle, with computer, now that is the best, oh yah a pizza and beverage to top it off.

In his final stages, Andy's congestion worsened significantly on humid days. My friend, whose daughter also had ALS, said that barometric pressure affected her breathing. When the barometer went down, she had much more difficulty breathing. Again, this was during her final stages as well, when breathing is more difficult and labored on a "good" day.

Who knows really ALS is such a mystery in so many ways. All I can say is my mom's greatest decline was Dec-Mar during one of Iowa's coldest winters. Most days were well below 0 degrees, I think there were weeks where the temp hovered around Negative 17 degrees.

Thanks so very much! I'll watch out for the too-hot, too-cold, and try your Goldilocks solution, Doctors HopingforCure and GlenBrittle!
And thanks especially to Pam - my deepest condolences for your loss.

Oh, absolutely! When it rains, Mom has many more secretions. Weird but when it is hot she sems to be so much better but we do kep the air cond on.
Laura

And for us, heat seems to be an enemy... Seems to suck the energy out of Glen

Strange mood?

I have trouble breathing when humidity is high like when it rains. Then I have trouble in winter when humidity is low because of dryness of mouth. Come to think of it I have trouble breathing all the time period.

When a cold front comes through or the barometer changes a lot I do have more trouble with my back hurting.