Hypothermia in hypothyroidism

[sobs1962]

Just wanted to know other people's experience with low temperatures. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos in 2007 and in May 2020 had a tympanic temperature reading done by nurse at GP surgery, it was 34.4°C which the nurse told me is NORMAL, I know that any temperature under 35 is considered at least mildly hypothermic, but just wanted to know about other people's experience. Today 30th July the temperature here where I live in the UK is 13°C and I am wearing a vest, t-shirt, cardigan and dressing gown as am so cold, took my temperature and it is 35.5°C. Any thoughts or advice would be most helpful.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

sobs1962

I have always felt the cold, it think it's something that some of us Hypos learn to live with.

I think we have to look at the temperatures in recent days compared to today. It has been very hot for a week or two (depending which part of the UK we are in) and today it's 13C outside where I live but in my house it's 22C, like you I am feeling cold. I have gone from wearing just bra, pants and a flimsy lightweight dress and walking around barefoot, to today wearing bra, pants, t-shirt, thick cardigan, long cotton trousers, socks and footwear. My hands are cold and I feel quite cold.

It was 22C in my living room last night, I was feeling cold, I had a fleece blanket over my legs and eventually put my central heating on for an hour before I went to bed.

I haven't bothered taking my temperature, I know it's always on the lower side of "normal", when I walked to the hairdressers in 31C heat last week, when she took my temperature on arrival it was only 36.3C

It's all relative.

[sobs1962 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for reply, I have felt the cold terribly since about 8 years old and it took till I was 40 before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism so how much damage was already done. My husband just doesn't get it and most of the time he thinks it's all in my head and when I point out it's my thyroid, he says I blame everything on my thyroid. Just have to keep soldiering on but dread the winter every year.

[humanbean in reply to sobs1962]

he says I blame everything on my thyroid

Would it help to point out that every single cell in the human body requires adequate levels of thyroid hormones to work efficiently? This is why the list of symptoms of hypothyroidism is so very, very long.

As for body temperature, in my teens I would feel the cold dreadfully while at the same time I could sweat buckets even in the cold. I've had this problem with over-heating and sweating a huge amount all my life even while my actual body temperature is low.

When I was in my 20s I kept a graph of my temperatures for a few months and it would regularly drop below 95F (35C), and at it's highest it would end up being around 97.4F (33.3C).

Nowadays I am post-menopausal and my temperature variation is much reduced. Normally my early morning temperature is somewhere between 96.3F and 97.3F, usually at the lower end. I still feel the cold desperately in autumn/winter/spring to varying degrees. I feel the cold rather less than I used to. But I had to get my thyroid hormone intake up high enough for this to happen.

For many years I have used a hot water bottle throughout the winter. But, when my thyroid hormone levels are good I need a hot water bottle much less often than I used to.

[sobs1962 in reply to humanbean]

Maybe your right abour explaining this to my husband but he's used to me doing a lot of whinging so don't know if it would make much difference and having severe mental health problems doesn't help. My GP and Endo are concerned about my "suppressed" TSH which was at 0.01 last time it was checked and considering reducing my levo dose , so something else to worry about. Am having thyroid bloods done on Monday and dreading my TSH still being at that level as they are saying it indicates thyrotoxicosis and they won't test my FT3 levels, so it looks like I will only feel much worse again if they go ahead and do that. Have stopped taking my vit b complex for2 weeks to try and make sure it doesn't interfere with test results and intend to leave 48 hours between last dose and blood test as don't want them to reduce it.

[humanbean in reply to sobs1962]

Make sure that you get your blood taken as early in the day as possible.

[sobs1962 in reply to humanbean]

Appointment is at 08.20 so hopefully should be OK.

[joydot]

During bc treatment I had to take temp & discovered I was 1 degree below low norm. This past 18 months I have been cold as well.

[K80t]

I always feel the cold,too! My temperature is mostly lower than normal when taken. I just have learned to live with it.

[LaurieRose]

Hi I also have low body temperature but I feel hot and perspire just from moving. It’s been happening since my levothyroxine dose was increased from 75mcg to 100mcg. Also I’ve been very itchy for months and have hives, not sleeping at night because can’t get comfy.At 35.5 my go wasn’t too concerned I think it’s normal for a low body temperature with hypothyroidism. However this morning my temp was 34.1 which is unusual for me I have headache and dizziness plus no appetite plus change in bowel habits.

Feeling too ill to get to drs as blood pressure has been up and down and says a bit low.

So I think we just have to warm ourselves up, I’ve given up coffee and changed to tea and instead of sweet snacks I’m opting for warm soup, it’s comforting to have warm foods and drinks and makes us warmer inside.

I hope you feel better.

[sobs1962 in reply to LaurieRose]

Sorry to hear you can't make it to doctors as sure it would have helped for him/her to see you at your worst,as I think they think most of our symptoms are in our heads in other words, we are hypochondriac. They should try living with this condition and then they might have some understanding, honestly sometimes I just despair 😢

[LaurieRose in reply to sobs1962]

Yes so true. The dr at hospital nine days ago checked me for a stroke said she didn’t see any signs but to go to dr and said dr would probably suggest continuous no monitoring. I’m not sleeping at night, sweating all the time, no energy to go anywhere. The difference between left and right arm systolic readings is 52 ( not meant to be more than 15) I just can’t get to go, think I might actually need my levothyroxine reducing back down to 75

Have you had any problems with your bp and or sweating lots. How are you doing?