The heat!!!

[81Charger]

Hi all I'm looking for opinions or suggestions. I'm feeling fairly well with my MS I was diagnosed 10 1/2 years ago. But what is really basically paralyzing me is the sun. I'm in Canada so it's just getting hot here now but a few minutes in the sun and I can hardly walk. I've thought about CCSVI but when I convince myself to go ahead with that then I read something bad about the procedure and I talk myself out of it. I'm scared that the procedure could make me worse, Is there any tips that I could do besides just stay out of the sun. With my business that's not really possible all the time, or should I just try the CCSVI?

Thanks Glenn

[ElliotB]

Have you considered wearing a cooling vest?

[vesta]

Hi all I'm looking for opinions or suggestions. I'm feeling fairly well with my MS I was diagnosed 10 1/2 years ago. But what is really basically paralyzing me is the sun. I'm in Canada so it's just getting hot here now but a few minutes in the sun and I can hardly walk. I've thought about CCSVI but when I convince myself to go ahead with that then I read something bad about the procedure and I talk myself out of it. I'm scared that the procedure could make me worse, Is there any tips that I could do besides just stay out of the sun. With my business that's not really possible all the time, or should I just try the CCSVI?

Thanks Glenn

Greetings:

Consider that poor fluid circulation through the central nervous system causes it to heat up. Usually the brain is cooler than the body, poor fluid circulation in MS brains causes them to heat up.

ElliotB has a good idea. Try this. Get someone to place an ice cold cloth along your spine (lying down) and see if your function improves afterwards. That might give you an idea of how well a cooling vest would work. If you are doing fairly well after 10 plus years, I wouldn't do anything drastic like angioplasty if you can find a way to keep your brain and spine cool. (Maybe put ice in a helmet???) be creative.

Best regards, Vesta

[81Charger]

Thank you for the information, I will try those on my days off when it's very hot. It's impossible for me to do that while working but at least that will tell me if that would work.

Thanks Glenn

[scotland]

Hi all brutal day in ontario today. All i do is try and outsmart heat anymore. I find i can work inquick blocks and then cool off. I will wet a t shirt to work outside, and wrap a cooling towel arount my neck the are on amazon. I drink lots of cold water or take a cold shower or will wet my hair down. We keep our house cool as well and avoid hot drinks. Its all about core cooling!

[ElliotB]

Cooling vests can keep you cool potentially for hours, are comfortable to wear and keep you extremely comfortable even in excessive heat. I live in South Florida and the summers are really hot (typically mid 90's during peak hours) with high humidity (usually above 95%, often 100%). The sun's rays are very, very strong as well and you can really feel them even in the early morning hours when it is a bit cooler, yet I am able to go outside for up to about 1 1/2 hours and be completely comfortable. Basic vests are simple to use - to freeze it, you simply put it in your freezer overnight. And can be refrozen again and again. And they are inexpensive. I have several.

[Scott1]

Hi,

When it gets hot down here (freezing at the moment) I found I could make a really cold cold drink in a magic bullet processor by mixing ice with a little water and water melon. The watermelon is a natural vasodilator but its really getting the ice inside you that cools you down. It tastes fine and adding a handful of berries can change the flavor if you like.

I'm never sure about heat by itself. For me it's more about humidity so anywhere with evaporative cooling seems to work.

Regards,

[Mbfd1051]

Hello

I have been a firefighter here in the Miami area for 20 plus years and was just diagnosed 3 years ago. It has been difficult for me to do the things I used to before in the heat and it has been extremely difficult to accept it . Being out in the heat I can’t even function let alone going to training at work . It is what it is . I was looking to buying a cooling vest any suggestions ? Thx in advance

[ElliotB]

I am in North Broward so our weather is about the same. There are vests that use a pump to circulate cold water through the vest (I had one called Veskimo). The ice and water are kept in a backpack. This is also commonly used for motorcyclists that want to stay cool. This type of vest is more expensive than other options. Typical vests that have plastic pockets filled with water or a suitable freezing agent. The longest lasting one I have found and the main one I use when it is really hot and or need long lasting cooling is called The Cold Shoulder. It is actually a vest for dieting but it works well as it has a lot of freezing material easily lasting about 1 to 1 1/2 hours in mid 90 degree, highly humid weather. The only disadvantage is that it is a bit heavy compared to other vests although you probably won't find it heavy compared to the gear you wear.

I also use a thinner, much lighter weight vest that I bought on Amazon that only lasts about 15-20 minutes (like one called FlexiFreeze). Perfect for short excursions.

One tip is that the outer surfaces of the vests typically are not insulated so a lot of the cooling potential is wasted and the time that the cooling lasts is reduced. I bought a over sized neoprene dive vest that I wear over the cooling vest and it gives some insulation to the outer surfaces and also helps keep the cool air 'in' so the cooling lasts longer.

[NHE]

I have been a firefighter here in the Miami area for 20 plus years and was just diagnosed 3 years ago. It has been difficult for me to do the things I used to before in the heat and it has been extremely difficult to accept it . Being out in the heat I can’t even function let alone going to training at work . It is what it is . I was looking to buying a cooling vest any suggestions ? Thx in advance

ActiveMSers.org has a review of several cooling vests.

http://activemsers.org/gear/reviewcoolingvest.html