I'm so cold all the time: I'm not diagnosed with... - Thyroid UK

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I'm so cold all the time

FoggyMoggy profile image
13 Replies

I'm not diagnosed with hypothyroidism although my symptoms are consistent with secondary hypo and I am diagnosed with fibro.

I'm also going through the change and the sweats are cold sweats

And to make it worse got back from ten days away so house already cold and the heating's not working properly, though someone's due to come out tomorrow. All in all it's making me miserable

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FoggyMoggy
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13 Replies
PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja

I'm sorry you are having such a rough time at the moment. It's so frustrating when you don't know why you feel so bad or you do know but no one is listening :(

Do you have your thyroid blood test results? Sometimes they can give us a clue even if they are in the normal range ("normal" doesn't mean they are right for you).

There are other things worth testing too as they can cause similar symptoms but also affect how your body uses thyroid hormones, effectively making you hypothyroid. These are serum iron, ferritin, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D and cortisol. I was low in the first five of these and they all had an effect. I am anaemic at the moment after a period of illness and it has really knocked me for six so I know not to underestimate these vitamins and minerals and their effect on my health. If I wasn't hypothyroid I don't think I would be affected so badly by it. If you manage to get your doctor to test all of the above with a repeat thyroid function test (you need TSH AND T4, especially if you suspect secondary hypothyroidism) we can have a look at them for you to see if there is anything that can be addressed to help your symptoms.

Vitamin D was a big one for me. I get deficient very easily and that's when the chronic joint and muscle pain returns, along with depression. Many people are deficient but it doesn't seem to occur to the doctors to check this.

I hope you get to the bottom of this soon and that your heating gets fixed quickly. What a bad time of year for it to break down!

Carolyn x

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy in reply to PinkNinja

Many thanks Carolyn. Yes I have had most of those checked and reported them on here. I'm taking ferritin supps and Vit D. My TSH was low but within 'normal' range and I had my T3 and T4 done privately last summer. T3 was low (just outside range) and T4 low (just within range). Prolactin high (attributed to anti-depressants), Cortisol high, B12 low (but within range) and white cell blood count low (outside range). Hope that helps. I'm only getting treated for low iron and low Vit D.

Moggy x

PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja in reply to FoggyMoggy

I read somewhere that low or high cortisol and low b12 can cause low TSH which in turn causes low t4 and t3. This could be what is happening with you. Supplementing with b12 and a b complex may help.

It might be a good idea to look into what is causing the high prolactin as that could also be causing the low TSH.

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy in reply to PinkNinja

My GP put it down to anti-depressants and I think they can cause high prolactin but I have no obvious signs. I am weaning myself off them at the moment to see if that helps but don't know if that will reverse it or not.

PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja in reply to FoggyMoggy

That could be a contributing factor. It would be worth retesting once you are off them

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy in reply to PinkNinja

Yes, I will see. I have always felt cold though...or should I say my tendency to feel cold predated my use of anti-depressants

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy

Hi RFU

Yes, that was what I meant, low TSH, low T3 and T4. I've had all the tests (see my reply to Carolyn above) and also antibodies were negative.

I don't know how much store folk here put on basal body temperature but that is always low too.

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy

NDT - is that the one that uses pig's thyroid? Difficult for me as a non-meat eater. Also, where would I get it? Can I get it online? When you say once the ferritin is halfway up, do you mean halfway in the range? I guess I need more blood tests. I always have to ask for them rather than my GP monitoring it as a matter of course :(

Jackie profile image
Jackie

Hi It may also b e diabetes be sure to have a test.

Jackie

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy in reply to Jackie

Hi thanks Jackie. I was tested for that and I was OK.

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy

There are other sources of iron. Not all non-meat-eaters have low iron and not all people with low iron are veggie.

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy

I am taking ferritin now so hope that is helping. I will see when I get follow-up bloods. At least central heating is sorted for now.

FoggyMoggy profile image
FoggyMoggy

Yes, must find my Vit C. I packed it when went away for Crimbo and not seen it since

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