is there a connection to low body temperature and thyroid function and fibromyalgia?
I am always cold and wear several layers of clothes, i sit with a hot water bottle and blanket wrapped round me most days. I have had thyroid checked several times and each test results come back normal. I mentioned to my GP all my symptoms which Ive had for years such as feeling cold, headaches, weight gain, high cholesterol, tired, poor sleep,IBS, muscle pains. i had several blood tests done a few years back all normal and that's when I was given the diagnosis of fibromyalgia but I am still convinced I have an under active thyroid. I had surgery last year to remove right side thyroid gland as i had a benign tumour. I phoned my GP 2 weeks ago as I had been feeling nauseous and light headed for a few weeks along with very painful legs, my back had gone into spasm and these symptoms got worse at the same time as I had hurt my back the gp said over the phone that it sounded as had a viral infection as I had been feeling really cold and then occacionally hot sweats i mentioned my fibromyalgia and that I always feel cold but he insisted it was a viral infection and told me to take paracetomal . I have been taking my temperature for a few weeks now and it is usually between 35.4c to 36.2 c never higher. I read there was a link between low body temperature and under active thyroid . I am not on any medication for thyroid as blood results come back normal. I have no quality of life as I feel lethargic all the time, i am always cold so i tense my body which then causes more pain, i suffer from headaches, abdominal swelling, my ankles and knees are also puffy, I have gained 2 stone in a year, but GP's dont comment much about weight gain. i had an ultrasound on abdomin and pelvis as i have been having pain under right side of ribs it is tender to touch and I feel my tummy is full all the time even after eating small amounts, results were normal. I was hoping someone out there might know if there is a link to all these symptoms i am having and have some good advice as how you get your GP to listen.
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Angeren14
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Hi, I'm sorry you are feeling so ill. Yes, one of the main features of hypothyroidism is feeling very cold. Can you put your thyroid blood test results o here. What the doctor says is normal often isn't as they know very little about it. I hope you have had the full tests which are tsh, t3/ t4, tt4, possibly rt3, b12, vitamin d, ferritin and folate. If not see if your gp will. Ot like many of us you can get them done privately. Check out the mother site for information on all things thyroid related which is thyroiduk.org.uk
unfortunately i dont have blood results , I have only been told there normal I did ask one GP what tests were carried out she told me they test TSH and that my TSH were normal and that was the end of that. I asked if there was any other test that could be done and she replied no. I have purchased a private blood testing kit from blue horizon that I saw advertised on thyroid uk website costing £89. I tried to draw blood from my finger but cause my hands are soooooo cold I could not draw enough blood to fill small test tube provided with kit I also fainted trying to squeeze blood to tip of finger. I phoned my health centre to see if a nurse would draw blood for me I was told they would but there would be a £25 charge I have not made appointment yet but planning to do so this week so I will post results when I get them. I am so desperate to get answers as to why I am always feeling so low i have no energy and no motivation. My GP said to stay active and exercise to help my fibromyalgia but I find that very hard to do with they way I feel all the time. I think it is rediculous that I even have to go down the route of private blood testing kit to get full thyroid test done.
When you posted two months ago - I suggested you posted your Thyroid blood test results. Please do that - because without those results it is very difficult to make any helpful suggestions. I also suggested other tests that would be helpful.
Low Body Temperature is connected to Low thyroid. Fibromyalgia is also connected to Low thyroid.
I did ask for results but GP just read them out as normal so I still do not actual results to post that is why I have gone down the route of buying a private blood testing kit from blue horizon as it tests for 6 thyroid functions. I will post results once Ive done the test and would value any suggestions given. I had calcium, vitamin d, liver and kidney function tested a couple years ago all fine except for vitamin d which I was told was slightly low. I also had full blood count taken in January this year and was told results were fine. I had a follow on appointment in March for the removal of benign nodule and removal of right side thyroid gland I had done December 2015. I mentioned to the surgeon about being cold all the time my weight gain and high cholesterol and I asked if these were anything to do with my thyroid function he checked my results on his system and said my last blood test were fine and he arranged for me to have blood checked while I was at the hospital the results were normal AGAIN. I am at the end of my tether trying to get answers. all I want is some quality of life.I have felt so low for so long it is such an effort to get out of bed every day I suffer from stress and anxiety and have been seeing a clinical psychologist for the last 2 months as my doctor keeps saying I am depressed and need to get my head in a better place and she prescribed anti depressants I tried to explain I feel low because of the constant pain I am in.
As the above link indicates - you are entitled to your results by law. Do not allow others to tell you your results are normal when that is an opinion and not a result. Post your Blue Horizon test results in a new post - otherwise they could be missed.
The reason you are being fobbed off all the time is probably because your Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is less than 10. In other countries they will treat people when their TSH reaches 3 in some cases, but the UK has the worst, most sadistic, thyroid treatment in the western world.
But TSH is a pituitary hormone, it isn't a thyroid hormone. How does any doctor know that your pituitary is capable of producing enough TSH for your needs? Well, they don't, and they don't care either.
There is a possibility that your Free T4 has been tested and is in normal range too. It could be 0.1 above the bottom of the range and they would still declare you normal, when to feel well most people with an underactive thyroid need the result to be in the top quarter of the reference range.
Another issue... In order for you to feel well the T4 you have has to convert into T3. T3 is the active hormone, and it is good T3 levels that make people feel well. Too little T3 makes people hypothyroid, and too much T3 makes them hyperthyroid. The problem with T3 is, that doctors almost never test it.
So, you need to ask for a paper copy of your thyroid test results. Alternatively, ask your surgery about getting access to your medical records online. You need proof of identity that includes a picture e.g. a passport. They will give you the information you need to register, and you can do that at home, online.
I had thyroid blood test done in January this year and was told results were normal I did ask the GP over the phone what actual reading was she said TSH was 2.59 she said that was bang in the middle where they like it to be. I did ask if any other tests could be done as the symptoms i have I feel are related to an under active thyroid but they dont seem to want to investigate further they just say its part of fibromyalgia. An animal would get better treatment than I am from my gp's and Ive seen a few.
I am going to make another appointment to see a GP unfortunately that means a wait of 2 to 3 weeks to get face to face appointment most often our GP's call you back to discuss symptoms and what treatment if any you need so many times being diagnosed over the phone but it looks like I will have to dig my heels in and insist on being taken seriously.
Middle of the range for TSH is not normal. It has a very skewed distribution, and the vast majority of healthy people have a TSH around 0.5 - 1.5 so yours is too high.
And how does your doctor know that your body produces the right amount of TSH for you? The only way to know is to test Free T4 and Free T3, but they don't do that.
Believing your doctor when they say "normal" will keep you ill. Sometimes they haven't even done the tests they say they have done, but they still say "normal".
You're right about getting better treatment if you were an animal. Lots of people have said they have hypothyroid dogs who get treated far more promptly than humans do.
You need to get copies of those results of yours from January as a start, then you can post them on here for us to comment on.
I am convinced I am too but cause my blood tests come back normal my gp doesn't seem willing to investigate further. So I continue to feel unwell all the time. life sucks
Ask for copies of your blood test results even if your doctor says they are normal. Doctors aren't God - they aren't all-powerful. There are things they don't know that can keep you ill. And sometimes they get fed up with people and say things that are convenient for the doctor but not for the patient, just to get the patient out of the surgery.
With low body temperature the list of symptoms you give isn't really a surprise. With a low core temperature your blood flow will likely be sluggish - you feeling cold and having swollen ankles and knees are indicative. The weight gain issue you are having may well be a result of slow metabolism - the two often go hand in hand.
Whilst you struggle with getting someone to listen to you, add fingerless gloves and a hat to your attire. Wear them im bed if necessary. If you don't already have them also add the highest heat factor thermal long johns/vest you can find - Damart thermal wear do up to grade 5, Asda this year only had heat factor 2.
Your blood supply is likely to be very sluggish, cold liquids tend to thicken. So, particularly if you get really cold, run your wrists or forearms under the hot tap. The heat from the warm water can help raise your temperature quite rapidly, it will also help to thin the blood and make it easier for your heart to pump - do take care not to scald yourself though. (This works well the other way too. Running your wrists under a cold tap can help reduce temperature and ameliorate nausea.)
Have you ever tried dry brushing? There are lots of helpful tutorials on-line if you haven't. You might find that giving yourself a whole body dry brush first thing in the morning will help give your day a kick-start. You could also use massage therapy to aid with some of your other issues, particularly the fibromyalgic pains - especially if you have someone who can reach the parts you cannot.For poor sleep make sure that your bedroom is totally devoid of light when the curtains are closed. If you can, try to exercise a couple of hours before bed. Try a warm shower as part of your night time routine. Try lavender oil on your pillow (or a tissue placed within smelling range). Try looking for foods high in melatonin to have for supper.
For IBS symptoms take a look at making kefir - I can 100% vouch for the efficacy of this. If you have never heard of it, it is a bit like home-brew yogurt with added punch and, with the addition of a handful of dried fruits, better than any yogurt I have ever tasted. The milk version is anyway. The water version is like pop but better because it doesn't have all the sugar and e numbers. Kefir might also sort out any other issue you have with your digestive system.
Try to get as much exercise as you can manage as this will help your sluggish blood supply to remove the toxins that are piling up in your muscles & organs and adding to your problems.
(Unless you are a spring chicken) I wouldn't worry too much about your high cholesterol. Your body needs cholesterol. It uses it to carry out repairs and will produce as much as it feels necessary for the job. We already know that there are repairs to be done, all your symptoms are telling you this, so having high cholesterol just indicates that your body is working hard to repair itself. Take that as a good sign. (I know that, historically, medical advice has been to reduce cholesterol but this was in response to misinformation and thinking is now catching on to the error.)
I got my GP to listen by going to a different one.
Good luck with finding something usable in your blood tests.
thanks very much for all your advice i will look into kefir as Ive not heard of it before. Im 51 and I was put on statins last year as my cholesterol was 10.2 and have family history of strokes my mum had a stroke at 52 which was 21 years ago and she had two small strokes last year she is a smoker tho, I am a non smoker and dont drink much alcohol as my stomach cant tolerate it and I follow a reasonably healthy diet. I was initially put on 20mg of statins my cholesterol came down to 6.4 but one of my last lot of blood tests showed it had crept up to 7.2 so I am now on 30mg of atorvistatin. My blood pressure was 138/84 which is high for me but GP said its moderate. I have been having chest pains and was given a spray to use when I was having pains my GP thought pains were stress related angina and referred me to chest pain clinic I was hooked up to a machine and put on a treadmill they said my heart rate was good they are putting chest pains down to stress related angina.
i phoned my surgery this morning to make an appointment to discuss my ongoing symptoms the first available appointment is 21st April so a bit to wait. I have an appointment with nurse this Thursday so hopefully not have to wait too long for results of private thyroid blood test, I will post results on here and see if anybody can help me understand it all.
You should not be on statins. Cholesterol will not kill you, but statins could.
The body needs cholesterol and makes it in the liver - it has little to do with what you eat. Your cholesterol is high because you are hypo - your TSH says so. Even so, better to have high cholesterol than low cholesterol. Low cholesterol will give you a heart-attack, high cholesterol won't. I would strongly suggest that you do some research on cholesterol - try Dr Malcolm Kendrick for starters - and make your own décisions. But, know that statins have many, many side-effects, lowering your cholesterol can cause other illnesses, and your doctor gets paid for prescribing them!
You should also know that your doctor knows nothing about thyroid symptoms. He just didn't do it in med school. He will try to treat all your symptoms individually - because Big Pharma tells him that's what he should do. He will not get to the root cause and treat that. 'Diagnosing' fibro is just a get-out - get you out of the surgery and out of his hair! He knows there are no means of verifying his 'diagnosis', no treatment and no cure - and telling you to get more exercise is the worst thing he could do for your hypo.
It's good that you're going to do your own blood tests - but Don't be surprised if your doctor doesn't understand them, and dismisses them out of hand. If he does, then it will be time to take matters into your own hands.
You're welcome These are all just things I do for myself so I thought I'd pass them on and hope they'd help you too.
I love kefir. I first came across it whilst looking for alternative therapies that wouldn't interfere with the medication a friend was taking. Although it can be bought ready made the pro-biotic content is greatly reduced in order to standardise it and prolong shelf life. You are better making your own. The most comprehensive site I came across then is written by the kefir guru Dom users.chariot.net.au/~dna/k.... There are many more good ones now but this was the original. Kefir can be bought at both Amazon (use thyroidUK's link to go there) or eBay. The last time I checked the prices the latter was cheaper. Initial outlay can seem ridiculously expensive for what you get but it is a one off purchase as the grains are self perpetuating - they are so long lived your grandchildren's grandchildren could be bequeathing them to their grandchildren.
Now, before I go on I have to confess, whilst I have no medical training and firmly believe that they can do a wonderful job in certain areas, I have a total distrust of the medical profession's willingness to hand out drugs they do not appreciate the full implication of - believing without question the evidence presented by big pharma. I am not saying that they always get it wrong but I have seen too many people, friends and relations, suffer as a result. An uncle, having been given just 6 months to live, ceased all his medications. Within 3 months he had gone from being unable to stagger to the bathroom unaided to marching off down the road swinging his cane - and survived another 12 years.
So, statins! Without wishing to denigrate any concerns you may have over your health, you have to weigh up the pros and cons for yourself, but being armed with some background knowledge will put you in a stronger position when you go back to your doctor (my doctor hates that but always listens). The following paragraph is taken from 'The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease' by Swedish doctor Uffe Ravnskov (it can be downloaded here smashwords.com/books/view/4... if you want to read it all)
'Statins block an enzyme called hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, an enzyme that is necessary to produce mevalonate, and mevalonate is the building block not only for cholesterol, but also for a substance called coenzyme Q10, or simply Q10. This substance is located to the mitochondria of our cells, and the mitochondria is the cell’s power plant. No energy is produced without this vital molecule and its importance is particularly great where energy is needed the most, in the muscle cells. And muscle complaints are also the most frequently reported side effect from statin treatment.' I wonder where your muscle pains come from?? You might also guess from this that the reduction in Co-Q10 can also lead to tiredness.
A search on statins and pain reveals many complaints about side effects - including chest pains eg dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...
Total cholesterol figures like your 10.2 are a bit misleading because it lumps together all 4 types of cholesterol roaming around in your blood stream. What you really need to know is your cholesterol ratio - DHL/total (they don't normally measure LDL). A high total cholesterol with high percentage of HDL represents a low risk factor. Whilst someone with low cholesterol levels but with equally low HDL is in a far graver position.
Scientific opinion is now coming to recognise that there can actually be a benefit gained from having high cholesterol levels in terms of heart health, particularly as we age (and there is more repair work for lipids to keep in order). Research is also showing that there may be a higher risk factor in the use of statins that outweighs any perceived advantage. This just doesn't always filter down to grass-roots.
Take a look at coconut oil. Coconut oil is a saturated fat made up of medium chain fatty acids (aka MCTs or MCFAs). Early research into coconut oil is often sited as just cause for it being seen as ‘bad’ fat but that research was carried out on partially hydrogenated coconut oil - we all now know hydrogenated fats are bad for us. More recently research has shown it to have a positive effect on weight control and improved cholesterol ratio. For some users total cholesterol decreases, whilst others will find it increases. Whether overall levels are reduced or not, HDL cholesterol levels increase. Either way there are many benefits to be gained bebrainfit.com/coconut-oil-....
Your low blood pressure probably isn't anything to worry too much about unless you are, or are close to being, hypotensive in the range of 90/60 or below. Generally, the lower your blood pressure is, the lower your risk of developing heart problems or having a stroke. Avoid stress to keep it that way
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Low Body Temperature, Fatigue and Cold possible Thyroid?
Cool body temperature?
Low body temperature 
Basal Body Temperature
