Can anyone help? Heat makes me ill and I can't cope with it anymore.

[heatsickness]

Heat makes me sick, it always has. When it gets to about 23-24 degrees I lose it: I get angry for no reason at all, I sob my heart out, and sometimes throw up. My heart rate increases too even if I'm stationary. As soon as I'm somewhere colder I recover right away.

I possibly have Aspergers which might have something to do with it (I can't afford private testing right now but have many sensory and social issues, and have taken many tests over and over again online, and read every book I can find - it all matches up). My GP has checked my thyroid etc and say it's all normal.

Most of all I urgently need a solution. My office air con has been set to 23.5 degrees and I just can't cope. Others say it's still cold. It's not, it's really not.

I have 3 fans at the desk, one at my feet, I keep a wet flannel nearby and whenever I can dab my neck. I drink water constantly.

It got so bad today that I wasn't able to do any work at all for the last half hour. I kept reading the same paragraph over and over. It's unsustainable and I'm so scared I'll be fired - I actually had 3 weeks signed off sick last year due to crying meltdowns caused by the office temperatures.

I can't go on like this. I need to reprogramme my central nervous system or something. I'm not kidding when I ask this: how can I fix this? Is there a solution, something I'm overlooking? Some vitamin deficiency? A heart condition? Something?

Has anyone had similar issues and fixed them? Or do you know someone who has?

If you Google "hypothalamus" and autism, OP, you'll see that many autistic people have issues with temperature regulation which are believed to be due to differences in that region of the brain when compared to NT people.

Can you get a diagnosis via the NHS?

Thanks for replying Cailleach, I really appreciate it. I have read that before but am getting desperate ... Do you think if it is an autism thing that it can ever be changed?

My GP said she'd put me on a waiting list for assessment in November, and then in January said they no longer did adult diagnoses and I'd have to go private. It's about £500 and my husband's out of work at the moment so I can't justify it.

(In fairness my manager has been sympathetic at work but there's only so much he can do.)

Hopeful bump ... has anyone else had this or seen their kids overcome it maybe?

And a final wishful bump...

Have you had a google for gadgets? workdesign.com/2011/08/the-hottest-gadgets-for-staying-cool-at-work/

*dont know if a quick google is feesible though ^^

I don't think you can train yourself into handling heat, not in this country anyway. It's not hot long enough. Do you do the cold water on the wrists thing to cool down?

Hi gamer, thanks for replying - yes, I have a wet flannel which I keep re-soaking to cool my wrists on. I have lots of fans but that chair fan on that website looks interesting, I'll do some more googling on that!

I think I know deep down that there isn't really a solution but I was hoping someone might have magically fixed this in themselves

24.5 in my office at the moment, I'm in a skimpy dress and suffering, yet one woman is wearing a cardigan!