Summary
In this post, I explore the puzzling phenomenon of my body "freaking out" during changes in my environment or health. From experiencing cold spells and muscle spasms to discussing a recent wisdom teeth extraction, I share my journey as someone living with chronic illness. I invite others with similar experiences to join the conversation and help me understand these unpredictable responses better.
Hi all. Today I wanted to talk about something my body does. I don’t understand why it does this, and I’m wondering if any chronically ill people out there can relate. None of my currently diagnosed conditions really explain it either, as far as I know.
Understanding My Body’s Responses
Body Responses to Change
When I go through a change, whether it’s something in my body or environmental, or a combination of the two, it’s like my body “freaks out” (my words for it). I might have cold spells, where I know it’s not cold around me, but my body acts like it is, muscle spasms that are worse than usual, and other symptoms that seem to just come out of nowhere. When I go through a cold spell, I shiver uncontrollably and feel like I can’t get warm, and my teeth chatter.
Recent Experience: Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Yesterday, I had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted. Everything went really well, but Last night, while I was lying on our couch, the freakout started. I had all the symptoms of a cold spell and really bad muscle spasms in my legs. My mom put me to bed and had to turn off my fan and give me an extra blanket, and even then, it took a couple hours for everything to pass. I woke up in the middle of the night sweating.
Other Triggering Events
Other times something like this has happened were after losing a lot of weight to prepare for bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) which we didn’t end up going through with (that’s a whole other story there), and getting into a pool that was a little too cold. It seems like any change can trigger it.
Seeking Insights from Others
To those with chronic illnesses and rare diseases, do you deal with anything like this? Just curious, and it would be nice to have some idea what condition might be causing it as well. Feel free to reach out through my contact page if you have similar experiences or questions. For more insights on living with chronic illness, check out my blog. Visit my homepage for more about my journey and advocacy.
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Lanie,
Here’s what I found on “freezing” when it isn’t cold around you & I believe these things should be checked out.
“If you’re feeling “freezing” even when it’s not cold outside, this usually means your body is trying to regulate its temperature by initiating a “chill response,” which could be a sign of an underlying medical condition like a developing infection, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), anxiety, hormonal changes, or poor blood circulation, causing you to shiver even though the ambient temperature isn’t low.”