You always hear that someone went to the desert because their rheumatism acted up. Is there any evidence that supports a dry climate affecting your ra in a positive way? I think some of you live in dry areas... does it help? I live in a very humid area(S.Florida), and am just wondering if that adds to my pain.
Hi There: Have lived in the desert since I was diagnosed and I'm really not sure how much difference it makes. I was in a long non drug remission after being diagnosed (5 years of remission) but flared last year and started enbrel, mxt, prednisone. Went to Mex. and lived in the jungle, 500 feet from the ocean. Very humid and it didn't seem to make my RA any worse. I had no stress; wasn't working anymore; both of us retired; and playing at being beach bums. Am back in AZ and have had a severe flare the last couple of days. I notice barometer changes, rain, snow, etc. make me achy and painful. Am really more achy and sometimes flare with the cold, wet weather. I'm more comfortable in the dry, warm areas. I hope this helps. I've talked to a lot of women in Yuma who swear that they are better and pain free
I've been to louisianna (HUMID) and felt worse the whole time...
and when I went to southern california to visit a friend - i felt wonderful. I was there for 2 weeks... and after about 2 days, I felt a lot better. I noticed, and wondered if it was the weather....
as soon as I got back here, i started feeling like crap again. asked my doctor about it - and he said that it wasn't all in my head. dryer air... air pressure, warm vs. cold....... all effects RA. I didn't believe it until I felt so damned GOOD in California.
too bad the traffic is HORRID there, or I would consider moving out there....(i have road rage - i think i would kill someone).
woobie
In the summer, we get monsoons that are high in humidity. The hardest thing for me is the heat and the sunshine. I am very heat sensitive and more so since they put me on all the medications, especially mtx. So summer feels like hell. But for about 8-9 months the weather is pure heaven out here. There are excellent doctors and hospitals. It is a beautiful place. It is growing fast, but not anywhere near as bad as LA. Employment and economy both seem to be doing well right now. When I asked doctors your question, and a lot of web sites will say this too, they said it didn't matter where you live. But I don't think I could handle some place really cold though or some place where the weather changes abruptly all the time. I love it here, except for the heat. I live in Tucson and can't say it makes a huge difference. I still can tell when it's going to rain or there's a weather change. It may not be as bad as cooler climates but it's still there. I don't think there's a comfortable climate when you have RA. I believe most of the hospitals here have RDs working out of them. That is where I met mine. He works out of Desert Samaritan in Mesa, one of our suburbs. That's where I live. We also have one of the Mayo Clinics in North Phoenix. I believe we are going to be getting a teaching hospital, but I don't remember which one is doing it. However, my RD is always bringing in students. Housing here, like the rest of the country has gone up considerably. Try www.realtor.com for a look at prices. We are not as bad as California by any means. But prices sure have gone up in the last couple of years. A decent house starts at 0,000 and goes up from there. And that depends on what you would call decent. The most expensive parts of town are Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, North Phoenix and Fountain Hills. Mesa, Tempe and Phoenix are more reasonable but the quality of the neighborhoods vary a lot. West Phoenix has the most new development and the best prices. Also, Chandler and Queen Creek on the southeast side are very nice and still have a lot of good values. These areas used to be farms and orange groves. If you decide to pursue coming out here, I can refer to at least three RDs that have heard very good things about. The worse thing here is our ER rooms. They are overloaded and that can be frustrating. But once you get into the hospitals, the care is excellent. The doctors here are very good. If you love to do things outdoors, this is the place to live. We have lots of beautiful parks. We also are between an hour to an hour and a half to the mountains. The Grand Canyon, I think is 4-5 hours. This state is gorgeous with lots to explore. If you aren't able to get out as much, like me, most homes have swimming pools and all apartments do. Think of anything to ask and I'll do my best. Summer is a killer. But you stay in air conditioning and the pool, you can survive it. I lived in the Midwest and my husband and I moved because we lived near Lake Michigan and it was cold and damp. So with my doctors advise, we moved to Northern Florida which seemed warm after the Midwest! But, after 3 years there we were cold again! :) So we moved down to the almost the tip of Florida near the Gulf. And it is wonderful here! I happpen to like humidity, warmth and sunshine! Everytime I walk outside I feel that warmth on my body and it feels so good. I was told by a doctor a long time ago that humidity is good for circulation. I don't know if it is true, and I must be honest and say that I still have my illness and pain but it is so nice to live in a place that makes you smile! Susan Lee
I learned that the hard way by leaving where I was to go to where I thought I wanted to be. But I had no real support system there. I didn't realize how much my family and friends that I have here meant to me. Even though sometimes all they can give me is a hug, it makes a big difference. Then there have been times when they have done so much more. It is the soulful things in life that makes us better which is what Susan Lee seems to be saying. I have lived in NM my whole life so I cant tell any difference about humid vs. not humid. but i feel like the majority, when it storms I can tell. I would not recomend living in NM if you have a serious condition, the DR.s here are horrible, they are used to treating people that dont have insurance so the care is bad. My mom has a chronic liver disease and has to go to Colorado for her appts. So my advice is to go where the best medical help is!
DC I live in Southern Calif. and I know for me personally the warm weather makes a big difference. When the barometric pressure drops and it's cold or rainy I feel terrible. When it warms up, I feel MUCH better!
Susan Deanna, Thank you so much for your warm-heartedness. I printed out your above two postings so that I know where to go when my husband and I move to Phoenix. Many retirees have flocked to Arizona to enjoy the hot weather and to prolong their lives. I am sure there is a reason. I will need your referrel when I come to the city. I don't have support system here in Berkeley. We came from the South because my child attends UC Berkeley. I don't want to move back to the South. Arizona is the most attractive to me: weather and affordable housing. Which hospital is close to West Phoenix£¿What is the name of the hospital? I am sorry --hospital is very important. Will staying in air conditioning in summer worsen RA? What is the average temperature there? 79, 80? Nichole is right about the heat. It does make me sick as well. You'll love the winters. But it is already 90 here and it always gets up to at least 115 during the summers. Air conditioning does not aggravate my arthritis though. There are some places in Arizona that have mild winters and cooler summers. Prescott and Payson are both nice. They are both mountain towns and quite beautiful. But I'm not sure about the medical facilities. You have a 1 1/2 -2 hr drive to Phoenix. A lot of people do retire here, but a lot of them are what we call "snowbirds." They live in a colder climate during the summer and spend the winter down here. In this case, they may just rent a place for the winter. But that has gotten expensive because it is short term at about 00 a month. Some people will own two homes, but with real estate going up like it has that is not even feasible for most people. The other option is the Senior Mobile Home Parks. Out here, they are really nice. I just moved in one myself. But they are not near as nice has having your own home. However, if you are coming from CA, then you are already experiencing the worse prices. From what I understand, we seem tame comparatively. Before you decide, you might want to experience our heat. Regarding the hospitals, I'll have to look into that. I want to ask my friends that live on the west side. I'll try to post you with that. If you come out, I certainly would like to meet you. It's only an hour flight to Phoenix and soon the resorts will be having off season pricing. You might consider taking a trip out here to get a feel for the place. We do have a lot of Californians that like out here. But the heat is hard. I really hate it. I have the same reaction as Nichole. Okay, so I am going to brag a bit about my hometown now. I live in a small but growing town just on the outskirts of Houston TX. In July and August we have days where the temp. is in the upper 90's and because of our high humidity the heat index makes it feel like the low 100's. The winters are mostly in the 40's and 50's. We got snow for Christmas in 2004 and that was the first time I had seen snow here in about 15 years. So it is usually warm or hot, no earth quakes here (yeah), and Houston is The place to be if you want selection when it comes to doctors and hospitals. The Texas medical center is here with an incredible network of medical facilities. There are lots of employment opps. in part because of the med ctr, and also because of the Port of Houston and the Houston ship channel. Schools are good not just for the kiddos, but also for college students, and houseing...cheap and lots of choices. We bought our home brand new 18 months ago for 130,000. It is a 4bdr/2.5bth, 2 car garage, 2240 sq. feet with a large back yard and privacy fence. We live on a cul-de-sac with the neighbor hood play ground almost across the street and in the top rated school district in the North Houston area. Of course it has its draw-backs, Houston is a huge city and even the small towns like the one I live in are becoming big cities. If you are a country person, you have to get about an hour out to get away from all the people. Air polution has been a factor here because of the refineries in the east and south houston areas. That also can be remedied if you move north or west of the city. I love all of the access to shopping, resturants, museums, health care, parks, theatres, concerts, etc that being close to a huge city has to offer. It is a great place for kids with the top rated childrens museum and a fantastic museum of natural science and NASA/Johnson Space Center. San Antonio is a beautiful city with Sea World and Fiesta Texas, the River Walk and the mexican market--it is a 3 hour drive that is wonderful during the spring when all of the wild flowers are in bloom. Dallas and Fort Worth are about 5 hours away and Austin is 2 hrs. Galveston can be fun, except the quality of the beaches/water is poor. Esp. if you have been to Floridas gulf coast. Oh yeah, the food here? Soooo good! Beef is cheap, we have access to the gulf sea food, lots of cajun and creole food, country cookin, authentic mexican food and Tex-Mex, and not far away in the hill country you can get real German food. Being near a big city, you get all of the great Asian resturants, and you can always find the fancy stuff too if that is what you like. Okay, okay...I have bragged enough. It might not be the best place in the world, but Texas is pretty close. You just have to understand, its a Texan thing...we're awful proud. And if there is anyone who lives in Texas who isn't, well then they aint really Texans anyways!
Nichloe, thank you for the information. Deanna, we will meet when i come to Phoenix. I will email you at this site.
Now before all of you decide to move here, we have interstates that become parking lots in rush hour traffic, housing is very, very expensive, and we have earthquakes!!!
MarisaI live in new orleans area, lots of trees, humid etc. Humidity does "nothing" different to my body. I also wondered about the dry desert in like Arizona and how it would do.Deanna, thank you for the information about Arizona. Just curious-which hospital in Phoenix has good rheumes? Are there teaching hospitals? Which part of Phoenix should I buy a house with reasonal price? I learned that house price of Phoenix is 9% below national average. Is that true? Thanks.
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