I'm so cold

[Goodytwoshoes]

My heating is on, 23 °C but I'm freezing. Sat here with my coat on and hands like ice. Just falling short of shivering. I was recently diagnosed with underactive thyroid and started on 25mcg levothyroxine. Is it "normal" to feel this cold? I keep going to bed to warm up! TSH was 6.09 I think with the range being 0.27 - 4.2 free T4 is 11 (10-21)

[Rapunzel]

Hello gts. It's pretty awful isn't it ? When I started off I would regularly look like Nanook of the North and that was when I was in bed. Finding bedsocks fluffy enough to warm me without cutting off circulation to my feet was a real crusade. This gets better as your treatment resolves your symptoms. 25mcg is a tiny starting dose. I hope that your GP hasn't just left you on this. You need to have your T3 tested as well and there is lots of info here thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

If you have been left for any length of time on 25mcg without further blood tests your GP doesn't appear very up to speed with this condition and you may need to change surgery or doctor if you can .

Good luck

[Clutter]

Goodytwoshoes,

It is a hypo thing to feel cold. I'd been optimally medicated for two years before I stopped feeling cold to the core. Hands and feet are still cold all the time, even in summer.

As Rapunzel says, 25mcg is a very small dose and you should have a follow up thyroid test 6-8 weeks after starting Levothyroxine to check dose is sufficient. Most people need TSH around 1.0 or lower to feel well.

[Goodytwoshoes in reply to Clutter]

Follow up blood tests mid January, thanks for your replies

[humanbean]

You should have blood tests every six weeks. If your thyroid hormone levels are low then your dose needs to be raised 25mcg. Then re-test levels in another six weeks. Keep repeating this cycle until thyroid hormone levels are good.

It may seem a very slow way of doing things, but the body takes a while to adapt to thyroid hormone when it has been deprived of good levels for a long time, and it has to be introduced slowly.

However, doctors slow the whole process down by

a) Starting people on too low a dose - 50mcg is a better starting dose unless you are old and have a dodgy heart.

b) They extend the time between testing from six weeks to 8 weeks - 3 months.

[Kathrynbaggott]

Feeling cold all the time can be draining. It is a normal symptom of hypothyroidism and meens your levo is too low. Tell your g.p. about your symptoms. I have been unmediated and have recently had it increased to 100mcg. I am now starting to feel less cold and have more energy. Don't suffer in silence or worry about taking up g.p.s time your health is important. Good luck with sorting it out.

[SilverAvocado]

Sounds like it will be the end of the Winter before you get your dose sorted. So in the mean time, electric blankets are a godsend for warming yourself up.

I like the fact that I never have to fear getting over-chilled if I know I've got my blanket set up, I can just lie down with a book and sort myself out.

[Lorriloo]

Try a hot water bottle tucked under your jumper, if you warm your core you will feel much better. A neoprene encased water bottle lasts for a good few hours, I bought one online from a fishing tackle site. Much better than normal water bottles. Also leg warmers over my trousers make a massive difference to how cold my feet get, it sounds daft but if your super frozen wear a woolly hat indoors, I do. 😊