Some people with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) say their symptoms feel worse in winter. They describe changes such as more pain, tremor, weakness, fatigue or difficulty regulating their temperature.
Other people say their symptoms are worse in hot weather, or that different symptoms respond differently to cold and heat. No single seasonal pattern applies to everyone.
People’s experiences deserve to be taken seriously. At the same time, research has not established that winter itself makes FND worse, or confirmed one explanation for why some people notice a change.
What people have shared
In public online discussions, people with FND have described feeling colder than usual, struggling with cold hands or feet, or noticing symptoms when they go from a warm home into cold air. Some describe more pain or tremor in cold weather; others report weakness or mobility difficulties. A few say that heat is harder for them than cold, or that one symptom worsens while another improves.
These are individual accounts, not a survey of everyone with FND. They cannot show how common a seasonal pattern is, or prove what causes it. But they can help show the range of experiences people may want to discuss with their healthcare team.
Why might symptoms feel different in winter?
More than one factor may be at play, and they may overlap. What affects one person may not affect another.
Cold and temperature sensitivity
Some people report that cold brings on or worsens particular symptoms. Cold can also affect comfort and movement, and it may make pain or stiffness harder to manage for some people. Weather and pain research is mixed, and it does not show that cold causes winter FND flares.
Pain or other health conditions
FND can occur alongside other health conditions. If someone has joint pain, migraine or another condition, winter may affect those symptoms too. A change in pain or mobility may then make it harder to manage other symptoms or activities.
Mood, daylight and sleep
Shorter days and reduced daylight affect some people’s mood, sleep and energy. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression with a seasonal pattern. Changes in mood or sleep could be one part of someone’s experience, but this does not mean their FND symptoms are “just psychological”.
Changes in routine and activity
In winter, some people spend more time indoors, move around less, see fewer people or change their daily routines. Others may have disrupted sleep, winter illnesses or additional caring and work pressures. Any of these might affect how someone feels and what they can manage, but they will not explain every person’s symptoms.
Screen time
Some people may spend more time using screens when they are indoors. Screen use can affect routine, sleep or sensory comfort for some people, but there is no clear evidence that screen time causes winter worsening of FND. It is best treated as something an individual might notice, rather than a general explanation.
What can you take from this?
If you notice your symptoms change in winter or summer, that pattern is worth discussing with a clinician. You don't need to prove the season caused it for the change to matter.
You could make a simple note of:
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which symptoms changed and when
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what the weather or temperature was like
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pain, sleep, mood and energy
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changes in activity, time indoors or usual routines
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any illness or other health changes
This may help you and your clinician look for patterns. A diary cannot prove the cause, and you do not need to track everything if that feels burdensome.
If a symptom is new, significantly different or worrying, seek medical advice rather than assuming it is due to winter or FND.
A note about the evidence
This article includes personal experiences shared in public online forums. Forum posts are not medical evidence, and they do not represent everyone with FND. They can show what some people report, but they cannot establish how common the experience is or why it happens.
Research into FND triggers and seasonal patterns is still developing. At present, there is not enough evidence to say that winter or summer generally worsens FND or to identify one cause. More research is needed to understand why some people notice seasonal changes and others do not.
This article is for general information and support. It does not replace advice or care from a qualified health professional.