Heat and/or Cold Intolerance

WS sufferers frequently have temperature sensation abnormalities. They will not tolerate temperature extremes very well and often feel extremely uncomfortable in heat, and/or under air conditioning that is a little too cold. Some patients may sweat extremely easily, while others may not sweat at all. Some patients may be convinced that their body temperature runs above normal since they feel hot all the time and sweat easily. These patients are often extremely surprised to find that their body temperature patterns run consistently below normal.

These temperature discomforts can lead to conflicts. I refer to these conflicts as “thermostat wars.” These thermostat wars take place every day around the country, on the job and at home. I am aware of them because I am frequently told of them by patients. One employee will need sweaters to stand the temperatures that are maintained in the office by coworkers, or a person may need to have a fan to keep cool in an office that is seemingly too hot. Frequently, a husband will turn the thermostat down with the wife turning the thermostat up and vice versa. These wars often carry over into the bedding department also, where spouses may fight over what covers are to be used, with one complaining of freezing while the other is complaining of sweating.

I remember a story of one husband who would complain of being practically scalded each time he went in to use the shower after his wife (who was a Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome sufferer). These body temperature sensation abnormalities and intolerance to temperature extremes and sweating abnormalities frequently resolve with normalization of body temperature patterns with proper thyroid hormone treatment.