Maybe a bit of a strange question - does anyone feel the cold a lot more since their heart operation?
I certainly seem to, two extra layers of T shirts/jumpers, a second pair of socks and I've still had to turn up the heating ...
It's mainly my feet, got some lovely slipper socks that make all the difference in the evening but not practical during the day.
Once I get warm it's not too bad but it takes a while and some rather odd measures - a snood and woolly hat indoors until I warm up feels odd.
And it is a total contrast to at least one day in hospital where I was so hot I slept in the nude, even during the day at that time I was struggling to keep cool.
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Survivor1952
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Yes, I feel the cold a lot more. I think it was getting very cold that brought on my second HA just before Christmas last year. Temperature may not have had anything to do with it, of course, but now I wrap up warmly whenever the temperature drops. This is indoors. I try not to go outside in cold weather now. Duvet cover in front of the TV is very nice.
However, ventured out to a church service last night and wore woolly hat, scarf and gloves along with great coat over body warmer and more. I was still cold. Our church is where my last HA occurred.
I run my central heating at 19 degrees C which is fine with a bit of clothing help. I have a big air source heat pump which is effective but does use a lot of electicity.
1952? I'm 1950 so we may both be children of the '50s and shouldn't feel embarrassed about wearing clothes indoors. I used to go to bed with more on than when I was up.
Hospitals are unbearably hot. Their heating bills must be enormous.
No insulation in the house and open fires which I was in charge of as my father had a gammy leg and I was the only son. Trying to salvage any coal from around the bunker when my parents forgot to order more.
Yes, I had the frozen window problem. Take a glass of water to bed and it was frozen solid in the morning. This was in South London. Goodness knows what it was like in really cold places.
Thus we are made of stern stuff but it doesn't make life easier now, does it?
Like AlfredV, I have lost a load of blubber: must make a difference.
And Blackcatsooty: we're probably all on blood thinners. I was never one for exercise apart from the odd stroll. Can't fathom the enthusiasm for gyms. Also tire easily but 'Er Indoors reckons I always did.
Yes, maybe the church was a good place. Also I had just finished leading our carol service as no vicar at the time. Got home, thought I was going to die and ambulance took four hours to arrive. Divine intervention? I must be doing something right.
Me too. Not as severe as you perhaps, but yes I feel the cold and I easily overheat . Blood thinners may be the obvious culprit. Or reduced exercise. I tire rather easily hence not as much exercise.
I find some jumpers warmer than others, haven't fathomed out the key to that issue.
Hi 100% yes I blame the fact I am on warfarin, for instance if I am in a supermarket in the freezer isle, I sometimes have to walk through as quickly as i can.
oh yes !! I was always a super warm person now I really get the cold fingers and toes that take ages to warm up . Super thick slipper socks and I must have gloves in the car until the warmth kicks in - thank vid for heated seats !!!
It's not your imagination, I feel the cold a lot more too especially in my hands and feet. I've just had to wear thicker clothes. I would guess the circulation is effected by the operation. I'm trying to slowly build up the amount of exercise too.
I was always a t-shirt person, even in mid winter. Now, after the CABGs I'm always cold. Even in summer I'm never really warm. At the moment it's definitely insulated socks and thick gloves.
Hi Survivor1952 I definitely feel the cold a lot more since my heart surgery, I’ve put it down to my meds just can’t get warm at times. I also overheat at times. Strange I know. Loved reading all the comments about scraping the ice of the windows etc brought back memories I was born 51 coats on the bed outside loo etc. My nans loo was down the stairs in the garden 😂🕸🕷🐜 happy days 😊X.
I understand. I live in a small apartment and the building is all electric so I decided three years ago I could no longer afford to put my one radiator on and have hot meals. I can only tell you for the last two years I haven't been cold I think my body has adjusted and I do layer up if I do feel cold in fact the other night with this cold snap I went to bed in pyjamas, a fleece, socks and a hat! I do find it I put a weighted blanket on top of my quilt I warm up quite quick.The downside is my friends don't like to visit in the winter because my apartment is cold but if they do I give them a blanket as they come in and plenty of hot drinks.
I'm the summer or even early spring I get ridiculously hot and trying to stay cool is a bigger problem than getting warm.
I wear base layers (decathlon sell some cheap and effective ones) all the time, and thick socks. Still searching for a really good pair of gloves though (bought a £40 pair recently but not cutting the mustard) so any tips welcome!
I definitely feel the cold more since my HA especially in my hands. The blood sometimes stops at my knuckles leaving my fingers white & numb. I work from home so I keep my heating on all day now between 16 - 18 so it stays at a constant comfortable temperature. I found that if I got really cold I had to jump in the bath as that was the only way I could get warm again. I have the hive heating app too so when I'm out I can turn the heating up for when I get home. So, not getting too cold in the 1st place works for me 🙂
It sounds like you may have Raynauds. White fingers are a symptom and the inability to get your extremities warm without applying heat such as taking a bath. Might be worth checking wuth your GP.
Another 52er here. 😀 I remember the ice on the inside of my bedroom window. Layering up was standard and keeping moving obligatory. We gathered around the open fire in the living room in the evening.. The kitchen was thankfully warm during the day as we had a Wellstood, which is like an Aga.
I definitely feel the cold more since my bypass op. Taking aspirin thins the blood so it doesn't carry heat around the body so efficiently. I also have Raynauds and the beta blocker I take has made this worse year by year. I now take Nifedipine to counteract the effect of the beta blocker and thankfully no longer have white fingers and toes. I'm only on minimal doses of medication, so goodness knows what it is like for those on more.
Hi Survivor 1952 I too feel the cold, but what I suffer far worse is my body temperature fluctuates from hot to cold and cold to far too hot very quickly ! Not much fun
Like you I layer up but also have to get the layers off pretty quickly too !
I can’t seem to control my temperature since being diagnosed with severe heart failure two years ago. Either can’t get warm or I’m far too hot and sweating profusely. I find thick woolly wraps very helpful. I can open them up easily to cool down or wrap them round myself in a matter of seconds. I find this is far more effective than putting jumpers on and off constantly, especially as I suffer from chronic osteoarthritis and find this process quite painful.
Yep, another one that feels the cold more now post 4x CABG and I’m sure the meds contribute. Working round my small holding I have wrap up, neoprene wellies , layers , overalls, fleece jackets, ski gloves.. I call it bring freezing hot 🥵🥶 🤣. I usually end up soaked sweating with freezing toes and fingers, nose constantly running 🤦🏼.
I was meant to have an intensive motorbike course to take the tests for big bike next weekend, 2 full days riding/training then first test on Monday . I’ve cancelled, no way could I stand a full day riding in this type of weather , even with heated gloves …think I can manage 2 hour lessons max… no rush and best to be safe and happy 👍
Morning from a very snowy Scotland it's Baltic 🥶I am a bit younger a 58'r but just as cold, the 60's/70's were awful up here we could never see out for the ice in our single glazed windows we had those big horrible storage heaters that mum and dad couldn't afford to put on but being an awful lot younger I didn't feel the cold so much. My hands and feet are always frozen now and having arthritis in them just makes it worse and very painful. I am forced to have the heating on more than I would like, I heat the house first thing to 22 and then keep an eye on it( I have the hive) the rest of the day, wooly socks and a blanket does help along with the jumper and fleece 👍, I won't be venturing out until the snow thaws I hope it will soon it was a shock when I opened my curtains this morning and my wee car had nearly disappeared 🤣char
After I had aortic valve replaced I remember having to set my thermostat to 79 or 80 degrees for a while. Fortunately it didn’t last very long for me, just a few weeks as I recall.
I'm permanently cold. Last night I had to soak my hands in hot water to warm them up. If I go out I have tow rap a scarf around my nose and mouth so I'm not breathing in cold air or even wear a mask to warm it up. Our heating isn't coping with this cold spell. When I came down today it h ad been on 3 hours and was still only 15c. I felt frozen.
I am as well, only 1.25mg though. It is a known side effect having looked it up. Thank goodness doctor didn’t increase it recently, wanted to but my HR is too low to do so. Added Felodipine instead.
I too am one of those who can recall the insides of windows being iced up. After almost three months of fluctuating energy levels post-TAVI, I felt good enough this morning to turn out for an environmental task that started at 9am. As I did pre-TAVI, I wore three layers below my waist and four above, and wore tough gloves. But after an hour I was very conscious that my fingers were colder than I'd expected, and wondered if I was wise to be out in the cold. Thirty minutes later, the temperature had improved by a degree or two and my fingers were OK.
When I got home, I Googled to find out more about the combination of TAVI, blood thinners and cold weather and resolved to be extra careful about venturing out when it's cold. (And it wasn't as cold as yesterday and is likely to get colder yet over the next two or three months._
Same for me,stents X2 almost 2years on,off the blood thinners for almost one year which I was blaming for feeling cold,but,have to have heating on from begining to end of winter months,socks,blanket whilst watching TV,hot water bottle at bed time,I found the hospital too warm for me.
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