Something wicked this way comes

No, this isn't a thread about Halloween. I am just reminding myself Fall has arrived and I need to be extra vigilant since all my flares in the past seemed to start in the Fall. I have seen others post how they believed their flares also seemed to be seasonal and typically began in Autumn.

At first I thought you meant "Stranger Things" as season 2 of that Netflix original is coming out this month...

Take any precautions like upping your treatment doses? What could be different, less vitamin d from shorter days, more exposure to indoor molds (the intestinal tract microorganism makeup is sensative to environment), other?

I've come to the conclusion winter is bad for me.

Everything bad has started in winter, including Crohn's (although I received the actual diagnosis in summer, it had started about 6 months earlier). The majority of my severe flare-ups have also happened in autumn or winter. The winter before last I had continous cold sores for 3 months. Last winter I had fun with uveitis, only that - unlike the cold sores - didn't go away. Oops, nearly forgot the shingles I got last winter too.

I'm just waiting to see what befalls me this this January

I have never noticed "seasonality" with my UC although have read here that other people do.
When UC started I was living in a 4-season state and now live in Florida (2 seasons: hurricane and non-hurricane). No change for me at all due to season/no season.

Nature has rhythms we have yet to fully understand as it applies to us humans. Perhaps the bad gut bacteria starts multiplying in the fall because of shorter days, or the good bacteria goes dormant.

Maybe there is a change in diet due to season change, although "seasonal" food seems to be a thing of the past, it's always available from Chile or wherever. Since your diet is carefully chosen I doubt it's diet.

I vote for the internal body clock being adjusted and gut not adapting right away.
The angle of the sun has changed quite a bit in the last month, moved to a lower angle. I notice because it now comes into windows it didn't in summer.

The thing I notice (not esp. UC related) is when I feel ill it ALWAYS happens late on Friday afternoon or holiday when I cannot call/see my doc. Never fails and also occurs with my spouse. Why??? I don't get sick often but it's always on an inconvenient day.

Most people get plenty of vitamin D because it is added to most milk.

A lot of people believe that until they get their blood levels of vitamin D measured. Unless you work as a lifeguard or something most people find they are deficient.

BTW before my UC I would generally gain a bit of weight in the winter and lose that weight again in the summer months. That is why I was able to stabilize my weight thru middle age. Makes sense when you consider less activity in the winter, not to mention Halloween candy, Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, New Year's parties, etc. Probably a factor for UC symptoms arriving this time of year.

IamCurious said...
Most people get plenty of vitamin D because it is added to most milk.

A lot of people believe that until they get their blood levels of vitamin D measured. Unless you work as a lifeguard or something most people find they are deficient.

I never would have believed this, but it turned out to be true for me despite having a pretty decent tan AND having just finished two consecutive bottles of D3. I am wondering even if my low vitamin D was the catalyst to this latest flare. I won't get low on D ever again, that's for sure.