Thyroid : So just a question...can a low... - Thyroid UK

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Thyroid

geordieclaire120573 profile image

So just a question...can a low temperature be a symptom? I've gone really cold last few days. Temperature now is 34.3. Been freezing,shaking shivering. Normally I'm opposite I'm always hot..

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geordieclaire120573
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14 Replies
humanbean profile image
humanbean

Yes, low body temperature is a classic symptom of hypothyroidism. But if you are normally hot I'm not sure what that is telling you.

I'm speculating here, but if you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (the commonest cause of hypothyroidism in many parts of the world), then it is a condition which can often begin with periods of apparent hyperthyroidism (which would make sufferers hot). But Hashi's causes damage to the thyroid and eventually it becomes so damaged it can't produce sufficient thyroid hormones for your needs. And so people become hypothyroid and hence will become colder.

To test this idea you would need to get thorough testing of your thyroid as well as antibodies that affect the thyroid. Since having thyroid disease also affects absorption of various nutrients it is worth getting those tested too. The most important ones for people with thyroid disease are vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D and ferritin (iron stores).

According to this link :

verywellhealth.com/low-body...

another cause of low body temperature is low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).

More possibilities are given here :

healthhearty.com/causes-of-...

uptodate.com/contents/image...!

TSH110 profile image
TSH110

It is a symptom. You may have atropic autoimmune thyroiditis which can have mixed symptoms some like graves disease and some like hypothyroidism either yo-yoing from one to the other or concurrently. I had no goitre was as thin as a rake felt very cold all the time had angina and anxiety and ca lot of other hypothyroid symptoms I’d have long bouts of feeling so full of energy it was almost too much I slept only 5 hours a night and was always on the go but I still felt cold they I’d get a period of feeling sluggish, very depressed and not wanting to do anything..,,then I’d be back to hyper mania. As time went on the hypo phases overtook the hyper in duration. It depends on what antibodies are involved as to which thyroid disorder you have assuming yours is autoimmune in origin (most is, but pituitary problems can cause it) now I am on medication and have no thyroid function, I sometimes get hot after I eat like a hot flush, it doesn’t last long but I no longer feel cold like I did.I’ll post to an interesting article you may find helpful about antibodies. It’s quite a lot to take on board but knowledge is power with all things thyroidal!

thyroidpatients.ca/2020/04/...

Charlie-Farley profile image
Charlie-Farley in reply to TSH110

Well said! Knowledge is power and reading this is ringing a few bells for me too. Thank you TSH110 😊

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Are you diagnosed as hypothyroid and on levothyroxine

Or trying to get diagnosed

Either way you need full thyroid and vitamin testing done

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis) diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis. Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

In U.K. medics never call it Hashimoto’s, just autoimmune thyroid disease (and they usually ignore the autoimmune aspect)

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally before 9am last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options and money off codes

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

geordieclaire120573 profile image
geordieclaire120573 in reply to SlowDragon

Thankyou so much. I had tests done with medichecks and both antibodies are raised and I have low folate, high b12 borderline vitamin d... thyroglobulin 154. Range 115. Thyroid peroxidase 36range 34. TSH 1.32 range 0.27- 4.2. Free t3 4.51 range 3.1-6.8. Free thyroxine 13.5 range 12.22. My TSH was 0.9 about 8 wks ago

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to geordieclaire120573

Take results to GP

What are the exact results for folate, vitamin D, ferritin and B12

GP should test for coeliac disease

Also test for Graves’ disease

TSI or Trab antibodies tested

Link about Graves’ disease

thyroiduk.org/hyperthyroid-...

Graves Disease antibodies test

medichecks.com/products/tsh...

geordieclaire120573 profile image
geordieclaire120573 in reply to SlowDragon

My doctor won't have it he made me feel I was crazy. He said menopause...yes I'm menopausal. I'm three years now post...but definitely something has changed I'm poorly all the time

radd profile image
radd in reply to geordieclaire120573

geordieclare120573,

It sounds like GP is mistakenly going by TSH levels which unusually remain low in range in spite of your over-range FT4. You could challenge him with this anomaly and ask to be referred to an endo. Your TPOAb are also just over- range meaning you have Hashimotos and most likely symptoms are attributed to early onset hypothyroidism and Hashimoto attacks. These can make you feel extremely unwell.

If you can't face your GP, email tukadmin@thyroiduk.org for a list of endos that members have received positive experiences from. These are both NHS & private, although after COVID NHS will probably have longer than long waiting lists.

You might also benefit from reading The Root Cause by Isabella Wentz who explains Hashimotos and its long lasting effects.

.

Hashimotos

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...

.

Re your reply below, kidney function can become impaired in hypothyroidism, which will ultimately impair thyroid hormones as a proportion of T4-T3 conversion takes place in the kidneys.

boostthyroid.com/blog/2019/...

geordieclaire120573 profile image
geordieclaire120573 in reply to radd

Thankyou I'm gonna ring go tomorrow. If no joy I'm off private...thanks so much for this information. I've hit rock bottom.. symptoms are debilitating.. something new every wk..I just feel awful

radd profile image
radd in reply to geordieclaire120573

geordieclare120573,

‘Free thyroxine 13.5 range 12.22’.

Apologies, I said FT4 was over-range but it’s just inside, so extremely low. Thyroid hormones/TSH can fluctuate quite significantly during Hashi attacks & you may find another test result differs quite vastly.

However, I don’t think your GP will respond to these results so going private may be a necessity. Equally you may find things settle down for a while if attacks were to calm, but ultimately Hashimotos is a progressive condition that will need managing. I also like Datis Kharrazian books that explain the effects of autoimmune conditions.

Good luck 😊

geordieclaire120573 profile image
geordieclaire120573 in reply to radd

Thankyou...I've got doctor ringing this morning

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to geordieclaire120573

Ft4 and Ft3 are fairly low and may drop further

Low Ft3 linked to low GFR and poor kidney function

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/a...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/a...

What was your ferritin result on Medichecks

Getting all four vitamins tested and improved to optimal levels essential

Vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better

Active B12 at least over 70

Folate and ferritin at least half way through range

radd profile image
radd

geordieclaire120573,

Thermogenic mechanisms are under thyroid & neural control; brown adipose tissue (BAT), white adipose tissue (WAT) & the hypothalamus, all directly influenced by ambient and body temps. Also things like diet, energy expenditure, health, etc.

WAT stores excess calories (triglyceride form) & provides thermogenic properties via mitochondrial stuff, ATP, etc, and is also the fat associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Thyroid hormones govern activity in BAT regarding non-shivering thermogenesis but I remember internal shivering with cold in a hot bath, and that type of coldness can never be alleviated until thyroid hormones are working effectively.

Research shows hypothalamic T3 to influence sympathetic stimulation of BAT and thermogenesis. I know the day I started medicating T3 I experienced a wonderful inner warmth that has stayed with me ever since except when I am really tired. Thankfully the inner shivering has never returned.

Your profile doesn't give any information regarding your health. Do you have a thyroid problem? Have you raised antibodies? Are you medicating? Coldness is a classic hypo symptom.

TSH110 's link has reminded me of this article that explains possible thermogenic properties of Triac (metabolite of T3).

thyroidpatients.ca/2020/01/...

Thankyou all for your messages they are greatly appreciated...I'm just trying to get to bottom of what's going on... doctor's are a lost cause. I'm normal. Tests are getting logged. Test in a year ..I give up...I've just been in hospital with a kidney infection ..it's one thing after another..I full on had shivering..

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