Yes and yes. Especially my extremities. When the weather is wet and cold or even just wet...it really affects my RA. I've especially noticed it in the last year or so. My fingers and toes get cold and it takes hours to get them warm again. There are other parts of me that get that way too....it is weird but my butt gets really cold. And takes forever to warm up.

Yes it does and my doctor has confirmed that too. I also didn't know that so does the barometric pressure. When I saw my rheumy last week due to a major flare, he told me that we had just experienced a low bp and that plays a major role.

Cold not as much as damp. I know this sounds nuts, but this winter I would walk every morning at 5am in 5-20 degree weather and I always felt better after. I've also been known to soak my hands in icewater. I got flared up in Nov in Fl, it was sunny, warm & humid. Don't get me wrong, sunny and 75 is my favorite, but this is my take on it.

I have Raynaud's, which presents challenges in cold weather, or even cold surfaces in summer. It affects my fingers, toes, ears and nose. Also, since I've had RA, my *normal* body temperature has lowered to a range of 96.8 - 97.1. Because of a lower core temp, I've learned to layer my clothing for just about any season. Drops in barometric pressure used to affect my RA more than cold weather.

I'M with flip...the heat seems to bother me more than the cold & damp weather.


Kim

Cold is very uncomfortable for me. Damp & raw has more of an affect on the way my joints feel but I always feel cold. Even now that it is 80 degrees here...the people in my office turned the air conditioner on and I shut off the vents in my office and have my space heater up against my desk. They all think I'm nuts.

Yes and yes, the hands and feet get too cold in the winter and take too long to return to warm. My RA is affected greatly by barometric pressure to the negative.

For those of you who are old enough to remember Mighty Mouse, I feel like the mouse in the tower whose big toe alerted everyone to barometric pressure, so that he could make weather predictions! I hate being a weather mouse!

So what kind of cold are we talking about? Like -52 F or -46 C like it was here this winter? I think that kind of cold affects everyone! As far as a few degrees below freezing, not so much. I have very poor circulation, I am not sure if it is RA related, but I can't take extreme heat either.

I think you can get used to anything, but I prefer somewhere in the middle. I've also lived on the wet west coast, and I will take that any day over cold.

Cold, damp winters affect me to the point that my family is moving to Texas from Northern Indiana in the next year or two!!!

Yes, especially if its damp outside. Heat is better for my bones, they seem to thrive when the sun is out. I agree with the barometric pressure, my husband wants me to track my pain in my journal so I will know if it is weather related. I will let you know. Sue

Definite yes...:(

Agree re cold - but have never liked! But damp factor even worse and barometric pressure definitely. I looked this up once and read something about the change in pressure on the water in our tissues causing tiny differences which add up to swelling even when it is not naked eye visible. Makes sense I suppose but cannot explain really why much less affected by any temperature factors which upset me at home when on holiday!! Only thing which will definitely affect me anywhere and whatever is eating food I now know to avoid. And if I am going to be in pain I prefer to be warmly in pain!