cold hands and joint pain

[frian]

hi I don't know where to turn I have had raynauds for many years and take carbimizole for overactive thyroid but no matter how i try to keep warm my hands are always cold and my arms /wrist are painful also i keep losing my fingernails they start to grow back but then the same thing happens again i have got the most awful itchy lumps on my hands and my nose is always cold and red when i eventualy get warm my hands start to burn and itch my doctor says its due to my thyroid but my T4 & tSH are within range could it be that i am going underactive and my test results are not showing this yet, i don't seem to be able to get anywhere with him other than cream he gave me this helps the appearance and the blisters any advice would really help

[SlowDragon Administrator]

First thing is, do you have any actual blood test results? if not will need to get hold of copies

UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need enhanced access to see blood results.

In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet

Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up. They can make nominal charge for printing but many will do so for free (£10 max and can not charge at all after May 2018)

Can you add most recent results and ranges for TSH, FT3 and FT4, plus have you also had thyroid antibodies tested

Also helpful if had vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested. Add results and ranges if you have them

Itchy White bumps can be indicative of coeliac disease. Ask GP to test.

[frian in reply to SlowDragon]

thanks for your reply I have results taken in January but at the time I had a very bad chest infection so I don't know if this can affect the results ( serum free T4-15 pmol/l serum TSH 0.62 mu/l ) the lumps are not white but red and become blisters like chilblains

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to frian]

Just TSH and FT4 is not enough and definitely need ranges on those results

You need FT3 tested plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 plus antibodies

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.

All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take Levo in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)

If you look up pictures of dermatitis hepetiformis you can see possibly something similar

Presumably you had Graves' disease. Many of us with Hashimoto's or Graves find gluten becomes a problem

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

[frian]

thanks I will look it up