Hot Showers - link with POIS?

[hurray]

I have been taking cold showers by choice for the last few years. During this time, my POIS has been much lighter. I took a warm shower a couple of nights ago almost by accident, and I have been feeling lousy ever since

I wanted to post this as a suggestion for people who are still looking for ways to alleviate their symptoms.

Here are some old quotes from the NSF forum - there's some interesting ideas buried in that enormous thread:

POISon:

Hot showers feel so addictingly good(especially in the winter) while I'm taking them only to feel like hell when I'm out of the shower for up to a week. I thought about trying  the filters,but the chance they don't work,and I feel miserable again is enough for me to just stick with tepid or even cold.

badgerstripe:
Re hot baths, fatigue and headaches. As I previously mentioned, this condition runs in my family and have wondered at times if there is a POIS link so i thought i would post this for people to take a look at symptoms, hopefully not to alarm anyone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycythemia_vera#Symptoms


--- Quote from: Porke ---Same issue here! I also cannot tolerate very hot showers. They normally make me feel very foggy / lethargic the entire day.

--- Quote from: demografx ---
Same here!!

acronym:

We may be on to something.I thought about mentioning my intolerance for hot showers when I first went on this site over a year ago,but I thought it may be just me on here that had this problem and it may not be related to POIS for most people here since I couldn't find anyone else mentioning the same problem. Glad to know I'm not alone! Whats odd is that being out on a very hot day for hours doesn't seem to be much a problem for me,but taking a 10 minute hot shower can make me miserable for days after. I'd be curious to know how many people on this forum have Pois and sensitivity to Hot showers/bath.If the majority do, this information might be of great value once we get the funds for Nord to do research.

[FloppyBanana]

Hot showers with POIS definitely make me feel worse.
FB

[Myers6609]

I haven't so much observed that cold showers worsen my symptoms so much as that cold showers help quite a bit. I'll usually use cold water for the bulk of a shower and then turn the heat up at the end for a bit; supposedly, that helps with circulation. In any case, it's super pleasant.

[Prancer]

Omg, without question hot showers worsen my symptoms like crazy. They feel so good, but during the time after the shower, and lasting until the next morning when I wake up, I'm completely dead cognitively.

[POISrival]

Hot showers release Histamine which may cause or aggravate an already existing inflammation.
and yes, hot showers make my symptoms worse.

[Colm]

I have hot showers, but ALWAYS finish off, with as cold a shower as I can have, gradually reducing water temperature obviously !

Cold showers help immune system I think also. If you are living in Greenland or northern countries, I suggest not turning the tap down completely, just partially !!!

[hurray]

That is the one problem with cold showers - they can be very uncomfortable! An alternative might be to take no showers ... your family might not be too happy though

[Myers6609]

From what I've read, discomfort is just about the point of cold showers. Apart from making blood go to your internal organs (including your brain), the simple act of learning to endure a cold shower does great things for one's willpower.

[Mishlen]

I am feeling somewhat opposite. Hot/warm showers are okay, sometimes relieving but if staying too long makes me also feel discomfort.

However when in symptoms i strictly avoid cold showers. Reason is that cold showers makes me feel like my core has lost all of its energy. I feel afterwards uncomfortably cold in my core and it may last days plus my symptoms may get just worse. I used to take my routine have a cold showers cause i read it is very healthy and increases testosterone and so on. Only if i am symptom-free cold showers actually may energize me thought i have become more cautious and sceptic towards the claimed health benefits.

However i also avoid being too long in hotshowers cause there is proofs that testosterone production may decline for sometime.

--
But however, I do feel hot climate/sauna/room, makes me feel uncomfortable and sometime actually makes me feel worse. I've thought this is because disrupted body sweating function or lack of electrolytes.
---
sorry text may turned to more unclear as i added more thoughts.

[relaxeverything]

Showers make symptoms worse for almost everyone with Lyme disease which I have.

http://www.tiredoflyme.com/feeling-worse-after-a-shower-or-bath.html#.VMAhZi5aRnk

[Nightingale]

Started taking cold showers back when this thread started. I've continued ever since. I begin with a slightly warm shower (in the morning), and then slowly turn the hot valve every 30 seconds or so until I'm frozen haha. It's great, and it's improved my symptoms.

I don't have as strong a reaction to hot showers that some are posting. Maybe this has something to do with my low body temperature (my normal temp has been 96.7 degrees Fahrenheit (35.9 degrees Celsius) 

[Outsider]

You need to try hot shower without the head
and no soap, just hot water on your body especially near the neck
It works for me, no symptoms after the shower

[demografx]

I think my TRT helps my old (prolonged) hot shower "hangover" --- similar to feeling better after moderate alcohol intake. Prior to treatment I could handle neither.

Not sure how others might react, though...