feeling cold

[MSharpy]

Hi everyone

I have heart failure and my legs, arms, feet hands and tummy have all started to be cold over the last 4 weeks, even sat in the living room.

I have my thermals on but feel I need to wear gloves in the house.

Is this normal?

[Jako999]

yes it’s normal I’m afraid, anything that changes your hear will unfortunately make you extremities feel colder from the heart it self to the meds we take. When you eat you will feel even colder because your stomach needs more blood to help with the digestion and it takes it from your outer limbs first.

Thanks

[MSharpy in reply to Jako999]

Wow wasn’t prepared for that. Suppose I’ll get used to it. Better order some indoor gloves 😃

[Jackabee]

it seems that a lot of us now feel the cold after heart failure diagnosis and being on the meds. Sometimes I think that my nose will freeze and drop off or my big toe! Try and accept it but plan for it and keep as warm as you can, onesie with hood, double layered socks, blankets, hot water bottle…

[MSharpy in reply to Jackabee]

thanks for your reply, I tried the hot water bottle last night. Suppose I will get used to wearing more clothes indoors 👍

[56dick19]

hi i get cold it starts with my hands and feet most days I have my hat and coat on in doors even with the heating on. My wife bought me a heated jacked for Xmas which is brilliant. And keep rechargeable hand warmers close by

[MSharpy in reply to 56dick19]

heated jacket sounds a great idea. Had no idea I would feel this cold.

[56dick19 in reply to MSharpy]

the temperature I feel comfortable with in the house is about 25c but can’t do that with the heating cost used to keep the heating on 24/7

[uzininemm]

I know exactly how you feel. Me I previously put it down to be being 6ft 5 and therefore the blood has further to travel!

Based on my experience alone I have noticed it's at about 6 degrees when I start get a problem in my hands whilst outside, I find I can only spend 15 mins at the time then in the garden and below that I don't even try now.

The last few days I have noticed an improvement though, I do find exercise even just marching whilst sitting down or pumping the arms gets the blood flowing to my feet and this helps.

[MSharpy in reply to uzininemm]

thanks, I will try the exercise 👍

[Gussy121]

unfortunately this is one of the symptoms of the medication 💊 I asked the kind people on here the exact same question . I’m now not worried how I look when I go out dressed for the North Pole 😂

[MSharpy in reply to Gussy121]

lol, makes me feel a little more normal listening to all the replies. Thanks for sharing.

[ILowe]

I find I feel the cold more in the evenings. Going to bed means cold, even though the room is a pleasant 16C, I have a winter Duvet. I have learned NOT to change clothes. I add a down coat, loose thick socks. I put a battery in to my heated gilet, and even then I sometimes feel cold. Keeping the hat on helps. Early morning, if awake, I sometimes feel my body, like a switch, suddenly start to heat up. Having a shower is dangerous -- I always feel really cold afterwards.

Sometimes I find a snack during the night helps.

I have dim memories of there being two types of body fat, BAT (Brown Adipose Tissue) and WAT (White Adipose Tissue). I think it is the BAT that heats, and some people have very little of it.

[devonian186]

I have been using the usual full range of medications since my bypass in May. My nose is a bit cold and for the first few weeks so were my fingers. Other than my nose I now don't especially feel the cold, wrap up warm if I go out and try to keep the house at a reasonable but not excessive temperature.

I think it would be worth looking at the detailed notes that are in every medicine pack. It may be that you will find that being cold will be listed as symptoms and if so you could ask your pharmacist first if they could suggest any alternatives. If there is you then need to see your GP, but in my experience the pharmacist is much easier to talk to 'casually ' than the GP.

[Alan99999]

Bisoprolol immediately made me feel colder when first prescribed, and a friend experiences the same. If I get active I do still warm up normally which is good. I can recommend the Lakeland embossed super-soft heated throw. A bit expensive but it's lovely. Sometimes when I feel the warmth come through it makes me fall asleep, in a good way!

[Brian1974]

Hi MSharpy

I have been wondering the same thing lately.I am saying this because i have been feeling the cold also and not just because it is cold as was kind of the same in the summer.

I never felt the cold before my heart failure ,like to the extent I would be walking around

in a T shirt with people in big jackets saying "are you not freezing"and I would say "are you not sweating!"I think in my case is because I was obviously out working and on my bike etc.was active and was keeping me warm .

When I was rushed into hospital with was major HF now CHF and gp misdiagnosed twice so can't remember much just being moved from one hospital after acute event had a pump inserted and was in the transplant ward of the Golden jubilee in Glasgow.

And when I asked about going back to up and about I was told About how I could not work again and do the same things and is something I still find hard to accept,but I am getting There so sorry for going on a bit there but it was just when I saw You're Question .

That's in my case anyhoo because i find it hard to get out my bed some mornings physically so i feel it cold which is something I have noticed more but I am still here thanks to some great nhs workers and the best cardiologists >hope you are doing ok and happy new year to you and everyone else on here!

[Hidden]

I can relate to this so much. I've always been a cold person, and have always taken a long time to warm up when I get really cold.

Now with Bisoprolol in the mix I'm getting cold fingers that go totally white, as though all blood has been drained away, and they go completely numb. I find myself now, not being able to afford heating at all, except twice a week when I shower (I'm not a dirty person and shower daily in summer, using an electric blanket and my bed to attempt to get and remain warm (2 winter duvets in one cover) after doing my housework etc, which makes me colder and colder the longer I'm away from a source of heat. My hands and feet take hours to get warm again.

So thank you MSharpy and everyone who has posted with great tips to keep warm.

I wish you well and hope the tips will help you keep warm too.

[Beta70]

I use an infra red electric heater 1000kw, they warm the body and not the room. You can buy them on Amazon or e bay for about £39. They are portable so can be moved from room to room plus inexpensive to run compared with other electric heaters.