Hypo coldness (and muscle cramping)

[Charlie3055]

Is there anyone out there like me, whose life has been taken over by extreme coldness? My basal temperature ranges from 35.8-36.3 on average and being cold all the time has honestly taken over my life to the extent that if I am invited to an outdoor event in the summer, such as a wedding, I spend months dreading it as I know I'll be cold, even in the summer! I've been known to go clubbing in a polo neck jumper in the middle of summer and in the winter I have to wear two pairs of socks with Ugg boots and so many layers I look like the Mitchelin Man and can't move around very easily! I can't cope any more!

I went sailing this weekend and got so cold I had to go to bed in the afternoon to try to warm up (everyone else was wearing flipflops and shoes without socks). When I get so cold like this, it's incredibly hard to warm up again and it can take hours. I feel like my body is starting to go into a hypothermic state and I can barely move and don't think straight, it's just awful. When I did eventually move after rising from my bunk, my back muscles went into spasm and over the next two hours became even more painful to the extent I had to go home and go to bed as I could hardly move. This keeps happening to my neck and back whenever I try to exercise or move in a slightly unusual way. I think I have fibromyalgia as well. Does this sort of thing happen to anyone else?

[Chippysue]

Charlie, it sure does sound as though you are under-medicated. What were your latest blood test results? if you don't mind me asking.

[Charlie3055 in reply to Chippysue]

No I don't mind at all. I don’t actually have any results from being medicine-free, but the below results were after I had been on Armour for seven weeks and I felt so ill I didn’t know what to do with myself, it was awful and as you can see, it didn’t help, it actually made all of my hypo symptoms worse! (This was last October).

TSH 1.21

Free T4 13.3

Free T3 3.8

After I had been on 1/2 grain of NatureThroid a day for six weeks, my results last December were:

TSH 0.47

Free T4 14.0

Free T3 4.4

I did feel better in some ways taking Nature, but I was still freezing cold and my metabolism was no faster! (I don’t remember what it’s like not to be constipated, put it that way)! My Endo (on my request) was going to increase the dose to 1 grain a day (1/2 in the morn and ½ in the eve) but that’s unfortunately when it ran out globally, and I’ve not been able to get hold of any since (and have tried all other brands but had terrible side-effects). My Endo was however concerned about increasing the dose as my TSH was so low because of the possible risk of osteoporosis associated with low TSH. I have however read reports saying that isn’t true – who knows! He said if I felt better on a grain a day, he would need to do bone density tests to ensure I wouldn’t be at risk of getting it. I’m now waiting to see if I can have my adrenals tested and am still waiting for the NatureThroid. I feel like I’m a long way off of getting my life back. On a plus note though, my Endo agreed prozac would be a good idea for my depression so I’m now on day two of taking it, fingers crossed it works without too many side-effects!

[Julia]

Hi Charlie, you poor thing!

Im not suffering to this extent as my medication now been sorted, but even so I do feel the cold so much more than previous years before being diagnosed with under-active thyroid. We have just come back from

Germany and could only manage a half day outing each day as, compared to my husband who wore t-shirt & fleecy, I became so cold and stiff even though having thermal vest, another top, plus body warmer and jacket! then had to rest in bed each afternoon to warm up, now we home weather has improved so not so bad. Yes you certainly need your medication sorted asap.

[Charlie3055 in reply to Julia]

Oh gosh, poor you Julia, I really do know how you feel. Do you feel you are on the right dose of medication? I did however read in Dr Durrant-Peatfield's book that hypo people who have particularly suffered with the cold often never quite reach a 'normal' temperature as others do. This upsets me greatly but I still hold out hope!

[lynmynott Partner Thyroid UK]

Hi Charlie, It certainly sounds as if your metabolism is low. You need to ensure that your levels are good. Dr Toft feels patients aren't well until their TSH is right at the bottom of the range or suppressed and your FT4 right at the top of the range or a little over. It's a statement in the little BMA Family Doctor series booklet, Understanding Thyroid Disorders. Buy it and take it with you to your GP or endo.

[Charlie3055 in reply to lynmynott]

Hi Lynn

It's interesting you say that about the low TSH. You will see from my results above that my TSH was greatly supressed once I started medication, but my T4 was only just in range at the lower end, which is probably why I still didn't feel right. Do you think that doubling my dose of Nature once I can get hold of some would do the trick?

[Chippysue in reply to lynmynott]

Charlie, I do hope that you have been able to get hold of some naturethroid. It is brilliant that your Endo prescribes natural desiccated thyroid as many people struggle to have theirs on the NHS but if you could just take the correct amount for your Free T3 to be higher and your Free T4 to be at the top or even above the range.

It upsets me to read that your Endo is treating your symptoms (depression) and not the cause (being undermedicated) I really do hope that you can increase your meds and improve really soon.

Have you been able to get hold of a copy of the BMA thyroid book? they are around £5 and available in good chemists.

[Hidden in reply to lynmynott]

Hi all,

I have been keeping a record of my temps over the last 2 weeks and it never goes higher than 36c in the morning on waking and has been as low as 35.4c I wasn't sure whether to be concerned or not but will be taking this along with my symptom list and bloods to the Endo (1st appt) on Thurs - so wish me luck!!! I am convinced now after much research that I am Hypo after about 8 yrs of increasing symptoms. I am hoping that I don't have to but I may yet have to resort to a private blood test for the 3's and 4's and antibodies and then if they show something I will consider self treatment if my GP is reluctant.

Bye for now and this is great having this new site.

Stacey