Hiya,
The heat is having a major effect on my legs, they are swelling really bad and are so painful by the time I finish work. What does not help is I have a sit down job but I try to get up and walk around as much as possible, I do have fluid retention due to thyroid on and off sometimes in my face.
Please does anyone have any advice....
Thanks
Alis
Have you discussed this with your GP?
Can you ask your employer to have a sit down job more often? They should make reasonable adjustments for you.
If you have general fluid retention you may need to look more closely at your latest thyroid blood results. Do you have a copy of them that you can share with us? You are legally entitled to a printed copy of your results, ask at GP reception. In England you can get the NHS app and ask for permission to see your blood results on that by asking at GP’s reception.
It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.
When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins. Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...
There is also a new company offering walk in & mail order blood tests in Crawley, Hove and Reigate areas. No charge for blood draw in clinic. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...
Only do private postal testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.
Hi Jaydee, My job is PC work so I'm sitting down most of the day. I've just had some bloods done so I'm waiting. I had this last year aswell. What could cause this being undermedicated do you think?
Thanks
Alis
It could be caused by being undermedicated so thats why it would be good to review your latest results.
It could also be caused by circulation problems and I see you have posted in the British Heart Foundation group so discussing this with your GP/consultant would be a good idea.
Keeping your feet up while you work or for rest periods during the day might help also.
I will book an appointment Thank you for taking the time to reply ☺️
Hello,I have the same problem in summer. I suspect mine is hereditary as my father and sister had something similar. I have spoken with doctors and have been dismissed. They will agree that I have some sort of lymphedema which really only affects me in summer.
But I have found that green tea really helps. I drink three or four cups a day and it makes a huge difference to me. Nothing else touches it but I would recommend this. It might not work for you but it's worth a try.
Could be sluggish circulation due to Low T3 - which probably won't be tested - sigh ! Icing may help as will an exercise on standing - go onto tip-toes then bang heel down hard , several times. Most importantly ensure your thyroid treatment is optimal.
Before thyroid diagnosis I suffered with swollen ankles/feet when flying or sitting to long. I used elastic bandages overnight which I kept in the fridge during the day ! Seemed to help - probably by encouraging the upward return of blood flow in the legs. When blood lingers too long in the lower legs it can overheat - fluid gathers to cool it....
Hi Marz,
I'm going to get some private bloods so hopefully I can get sorted. It's painful so I can't put up with it much longer.
Thank you
Alis
What are you doing to help the swelling ? Yes I remember the pain as the swelling probably presses on the nerves ....
Hi
I have a fan on my legs but I will put some cool bags in my fridge tonight for tomorrow.
Thanks
Alis
Just a suggestion for helping you to feel more comfortable...
If you have any hot water bottles you could use them to keep cool by filling them with cold water from the tap. I wouldn't suggest putting them in the fridge because that would probably be too cold and might be damaging to your skin, although it might be okay if you wrapped the hot water bottle in a towel.
I have this problem too. It's worse than ever this week. Really swollen feet, ankles and lower legs. I have Afib so might be circulation but my money is on being under medicated as my latest test results show both FT4 and FT3 under halfway in range and TSH over 3. This is sort of par for the course as I switched to NDT from combo treatment in December and have had issues increasing my dose.
I over-heat everywhere. I used to love this weather. I'd be out gardening in it. But not anymore. I feel like I have to sit in rooms with fans and the curtains closed. I hate what's happened to my body.
Hi FancyPants54,
Yes I think I am too, it's a shame isn't it. I hope we get sorted soon
Thanks
Alis
do you drink plenty of water? I’ve upped my intake to 3l ish a day. Every time I pee I slug a load of water (tends to be backwards and forwards to the bathroom all day but it’s keeping me well hydrated and prevents water retention I feel!) it might help? Your body let’s go of water when it knows it’s not got to hold onto it in the heat i think. Hope you feel better soon x
Hi
Yes I do drink alot but I'm trying for more today and see what happens. Thank you
Alis x
hope it helps 😊
I have very swollen legs after sitting too long especially on long journeys,, car or plane and I have discovered taking licorice tincture has helped a lot, so I am wondering if it is more to do with adrenals, it has happened several times now and the licorice tincture has acted fast to bring the swelling down and my legs have looked the best for a long time , even my husband noticed the difference. Obviously this may not be the answer for you but just thought I would share with you. Licorice root tincture is not without side effects if it is taken for too long or in too high doses so I have a break from it and only use when my legs look horrible all pitted and puffy . I take the tincture sublingually for a couple of minutes and then swallow with a little water. hope you find something to help you .
Hi chrisbuy,
thank you for replying it really helps with everyone's advice. This is another thing I will try now but I did find today that drinking twice as much did help that someone advised . I will definitely try it though.
Thanks so much
Alis
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