Autistic and really struggling with the heat

[autistickie]

Are any other autistic people really struggling with the heatwaves? I have terrible heat tolerance as well as sensory issues that get worse the warmer it gets- I feel like my brain is running on half capacity! I’m struggling to sleep and I can feel myself getting closer to either a meltdown or a shutdown the longer it continues 😭

Is anyone else in the same boat?

@ArseSkinForAFriend no medical study would ever say "100% of this type of person would experience this medical thing every time". They would say that a statistically significant amount of participants observed this effect in the study.

Just annoying that no one on this thread has said "only autistics are suffering" or "all autistics react the same to heat" but judging by the replies you think op said this (spoiler they didn't).

Reading comprehension on mn is dire.

Which studies? I can only find ones with the opposite conclusion.

Well to be fair the PP seems to be saying it with this post.

Disappointed it's taken less than 5 replies for people to dispute medical facts that autistic people are less able to regulate body temp than non autistics.

It doesn’t mention ‘some’ or ‘many’.

@Portmore I have heard from several sources over the years that heat tolerance tends to be less in autistic people. I also experience running hotter than most people in the office despite being a woman, who as a group generally run cooler than men.
I googled before posting my comment to check I wasn't posting misinformation. It is also a fact that SSRIs antidepressants etc affect body temperature regulation.
I am literally too hot (😝) and tired to do other people's research for them. Everyone on this thread has access to the Internet and Google Scholar.

Yes. "The internet and Google Scholar" are only showing studies that don't support your claims.

@ArseSkinForAFriend you're right I should have said generally before autistic people.
Anyway it's definitely a thing, I don't make a habit of making shit up on the Internet.

I'd also like to point out that I'm one of very few posters that have actually given op any useful advice instead of berating them.

You don't say what your home or work is like, which will probably influence how people are able to advise.

My autistic DC has poor heat regulation and while doesn't feel any amount of cold, fares very badly in heat. Today went from AC school straight to a woodland and doesn't want to come home until much later when it's cooler. Fine.

My two autistic pupils both threw up in class today despite efforts to target fans at them and provide plenty breaks. Autistic heat stress is real. But it was 32°C in the room with windows only opening 5 cm, so it's understandable.

Are you able to relocate to cooler spaces, either for work or resting at home, OP?

Also age has tinkered with my tolerance immensely.

When I was younger I loved the heat and didn’t suffer at all.

I'm autistic and honestly I want to rip my skin off. I have eczema which has flared up but more than that I can't stand the feeling of sweat on me. I'm working in a classroom, in an old building with no fans, no AC and windows that only open a limited amount. We hit 32° by lunch in the room and all I can concentrate on is how wet my skin feels. All my clothes touch me more and I can feel every seam. I don't want my skin to touch any fabric or other skin or anything really. It all hurts, not just the eczema areas, just skin seems to hurt in high heat.

Everyone is affected by the heat, children and adults and I feel it's a whole new social game to try and navigate. It's end of term so many colleagues are over stretched and short (same as the children) and now extra heat has made conversations harder to navigate successfully as I can't seem to adjust my narrative as needed. So I'm pissed off, they're pissed of and we're all pissed off!

I'm autistic too. I get it, OP. Things that we know affect some autistic people - changes in routine, changes to clothing and food, different sensory stimulation - very unusual weather in either direction ticks those boxes.

I'm hugely rule-abiding so will just sit there and suffer but seem to need more in the way of recovery than most people around me.

@WhatHappenedToYourFurnitureCuz me and the OP were not making up that heat can disproportionately affect autistic people compared to the general population. Images will load soon.

@autistickie I am self diagnosed autistic and I suffer immensely. I feel like I'm on strong drugs- out of breath and slow responses. Brainfog 20 times worse than usual (peri). My autistic DS 16 y old doesn't seem to suffer from it at all though 🤷‍♀️.

@AzureCats I take 150 mg Effexor- should I take just 75 during the heatwave? I have never heard about antidepressants being problematic for the body's temperature regulation.

@TheBlueKoala I'm not a doctor so can't advise on that. In my previous comment I did post a scientific study screenshot that says SSRIs can affect night time body temperature.

For me when I've accidentally forgotten a daily dose, I don't tend to have immediate negative effects. Some people get awful withdrawal symptoms so best not to mess around with it. I know I don't get withdrawal, so I have skipped a couple of pills during the warmest days just in case it helps a bit.

I did come off ADs over winter and I was freezing which is unusual for me. Had a terrible crash in mood so I'm back on them for life probably. 🙃 I'm going by "if you can't make your own serotonin, store bought is fine" mantra.

Me. Very likely autistic and ADHD- on the long waiting list for assessment but does explain the lifelong thermal regulation issues and noise sensitivity and summer is noisy.

None of those say anything about thermoregulation. Marzipan, Caniato, and Gasparella come closest, in saying heat increases affect the ability of autistic people to fill out questionnaires more than non autistic, but that is not strong evidence for your claim. The others don't say anything of relevance.

I think the point has been made so I will leave it there.

My husband has researched this partly because being a teacher he deals with autistic students and also because I have suffered in the heat all my life, and he has found a link between neurodivergence and issues with the hypothalamus. This small gland is responsible for a lot of regulation of things like how we handle temperatures etc.

Some anti depressant medication is useful for treating Reynaulds due to its ability to increase circulation, theres a possiblity I could use this for Reynaulds but we have to wait until winter to see how bad I am on other medication

So it stands to reason that some of those SSRIs will raise temperature and make you feel warmer.

Im on a SNRI and told her that since taking it I feel my symptoms are better in any case, not sure if that was coincidence.

Yes and im on ssris too. I sweat like a bitch and it makes me SO tired. I had a nap at 2 and was ready for another by 5

It must be a nightmare for autistic people who work in blast furnaces, steelworks, commercial kitchens, firefighters, tank drivers etc.

Autistic people struggle with temperature regulation at the best of times. It really isnt the same.

Yes. Although I love sunny weather but this is too warm. Most of my ND friends are struggling too, as are my 2 daughters. I can cope with 25c but when it’s around 30+ I just can’t cope.

We are camping next week and dreading it (camping in the south), my daughters begging me to change our plans and head to Scotland where it’s cooler.

The heat at night is what I struggle with the most as I can sleep without covers. My room is so warm as it has 2 windows, by the evening it feels like a greenhouse.

Same boat in this house.
3 autistic kids and its been a bit of a struggle.
The biggest help Ive found is, cold hydration constantly on hand. Ditching layers that arent needed, really light meals and ive ourchased a layz spa, ive got it set up between 28 abd 30 degrees. The kids spend hours in it of an evening so theyre cool enough to sleep

Also to add lots of autistic people have sensory difficulties which can include difficulties with interoception - the bodies internal signals. So some people will have more sensitive interoception in some areas which may mean they feel the heat/cold more than others do. Equally it may be under-sensitive which means they may not register being hot or cold (which can cause its own issues as they dont react accordingly).

Interesting. Do you have a link or reference to the research?

I'm a patient/expert by experience reviewer for a couple of medical & autism journals

I sleep better in warm weather as I don't need to keep the heating on to regulate and it is much easier to keep the house cooler than to ensure it's completely warm. I can't have extra layers of clothes or blankets as I would feel too restricted. My lounge and bedroom only get evening sun, so cooler all year. Warm weather have a cool showers and light cotton clothing only.

Additional to other suggestions, if you have an attic @autistickie - leave the hatch open.