Anybody else suffer with cold feet ?? - Thyroid UK

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Anybody else suffer with cold feet ??

loulabel profile image
23 Replies

Can't get my feet warm despite wearing 2 pairs of thermal socks today. Have had cold feet since last night which kept me from sleeping nearly all night, would have tried to warm them up on other half but he is working nights this week.

I am also getting spasms in my right side towards my back in my ribs giving me trouble too.(so bad one night last November I had to go to ED and was seen, had usual tests and given painkillers to go home with)

I wish my doctor would start me on medication to see if it would help. At last visit I asked the doctor for a trial and she said she would think of starting me on medication when my TSH was close to 10 !

Not due another blood test on TSH till May dont know if I can wait that long. (last TSH was 3.4 non fasting and 3.7 fasting month before)

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loulabel profile image
loulabel
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23 Replies

hi yes my feet are always like blocks of ice winter or summer, if i dont take a hot water bottle to bed for my feet i get cramp in my toes, If im staying at anyones house, or going on holliday i always pack my trusty hot water bottle lol Am on 175 levo one day and 150 the next I started off on 200 but theres a blip somewere and i keep having to reduce my levo,hopefuly it will sort itself out, hope you manage to get the meds you need xxx

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

The BTA guidelines say that they should prescribe when your TSH is 10 (how barbaric is that). I always thought that if you had symptoms they could prescribe earlier.

Can you post a copy of your latest blood test results (you are entitled) and post here together with the ranges as it makes it easier to comment.

Regards

loulabel profile image
loulabel in reply toshaws

Blood test on 8/1/13

TSH 3.41

FT4 14.7 (range 12-22)

Peroxidase antibodies 317 (range <49)

Abnormal Inflamation markers and liver function tests lastest ones below

Blood test on 12/3/13 - no Thyroid function tests done

CRP 10.0 (range <5.0)

Gamma GT 115 (range <40.0)

ESR 26 (range 4.00-12.00)

Cholesterol 5.8 (range <5.2)

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toloulabel

Hi Loulabel

Thanks for posting. I can see your TSH is high and this is a link from thyroiduk.org.

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

Copy and past your results in a new questions and you will get more advice.

GP's know very about clinical symptoms or how best to treat patients. We have to learn ourselves.

Heloise profile image
Heloise in reply toloulabel

loulabel, maybe your doctor isn't concerned about your thyroid tests but he/she should be very concerned about your C-reactive-protein CRP test which is marker for inflammation and heart disease. You have other ranges that are way over the top although I don't know about their importance but you certainly need some sort of treatment.

Duchy82 profile image
Duchy82

oh yeah ice toes galore, they always have been too, try taking a hot water bottle to bed that usually helps me when they're that cold but i live in slipper booties ( you know the high ones that go past you ankles) they are the only slippers that will warm my feet up a bit.

cein profile image
cein

Hi,

Tip .. make sure you go to bed warm all over .. even if you have to get in the '' bath '' (not shower) then go straight into bed and put bed socks on ... the soft fluffy ones, not normal socks.

I even have to wear my bed socks in summer ... although I do reduce the tog of my duvet :-)

When its very very cold I also put the electric blanket on for an hour before I get into bed to take the chill off the bed, if I don't do all this then I am awake all night.

Having the electric blanket also means I can switch it on in the middle of the night if I need to.

If I didnt do this and I went to bed cold, I would be getting into the bath in the middle of the night.

In winter I wear tights and socks inside my boots to go out .... in the house I wear tights, socks and thick slipper socks ..... and if I go into the kitchen because of the concrete floor I slip fluffy slippers on as well. I also find if my ankles are warm my feet stay warm.

Good luck

loulabel profile image
loulabel in reply tocein

Hi,

I have a radiator on my side of the bed that I put my feet on while in bed also use a hot water bottle and I wear my fluffy bed socks but still feel cold. The worst thing is I am a Midday assistant (1 1/2 hours) and this cold is making me feel worse. One day I ended up going to bed in the afternoon as I was unable to get warm quick enough I had cramps in my legs and ribs and was so tired. Once my feet are cold I find it harder to warm up. Fingers crossed I will get my Doctor to treat all my hypo symptoms soon.

cein profile image
cein in reply toloulabel

I know what you mean about the cold outside .. I also get very stiff and heavy when I'm outside in it and feel ill when I get home .... I have been taking Levothyroxin for nearly 36 years and it didnt and still doesn't make any difference to me being cold.

Mumtoboy profile image
Mumtoboy

Yes I do since thyroidectomy 4 weeks ago. I wear thick fleecy socks on top of cotton sports socks day and night. Sometimes it feels like my feet are not really part of me. Hope you can get it sorted xxx

ChemicalAngel profile image
ChemicalAngel

Hi, I too suffer cold feet, never used to.

My endo has said that he refuses to start me on treatment until mu TSH gets to nearer 10, and my test last week, which I paid privately for, was 3.99.

I did tell the endo that he wont be treating me when it gets nearer 10, as I would be dead.

I had my fluffy socks on, and hubby was laughing as I dont normally wear them, but hey, I was flamin freezing!!

Hope you get warm soon

Ann xx

loulabel - I'm almost the same (no treatment since PT op with last known tsh 5.12)

so going to ask or a trial of Levo - gotta start somewhere... it may work! (if your'e one of the 85%)

as hubby says - apart from 'keep those darn feet away from me!'- 'all this research and faffing, you've not DONE anything to help yourself"

well I've boosted up vit D first (private test 'tho) - esp solved rib cage pain and carpal/cubital tunnel symptoms - just can't get the docs to test for vit/minerals (irons, ferritin, folate B12). but still cold, fatigue and now dry skin - I've NEVER had dry skin (or thin hair)

so I will take a little quote to the docs next time.... (as well as Dr Tofts book - available in most Chemists) see second link and flowchart - sub-clinical TSH 5-10 should have a trial as one third to a half find improvement. good odds I reckon - we shall see!

thyroiduk.healthunlocked.co...

J :D

cein profile image
cein in reply to

Smiling about your hubby's words .. my ex always swore I gave him piles by just sleeping next to him :-)

in reply tocein

have you asked if they got better now? lol! :D

cein profile image
cein in reply to

haha no .. I hope he's still suffering. :-)

EVESARAH profile image
EVESARAH

Make an appointment with Dr Peatfield. It's worth it. Best wishes. Eve

Yes!

Mine recently have been so bad as to be painful, and had to resort at times to sitting with a hot water bottle under my feet whilst sitting in a centrally heated house.

Been a little bit of a problem for a few years now, but got out of hand when I had to go onto beta blockers when my thyroid went a bit nuts which made the problem horrendous, now even after stopping them, it can still be very uncomfortable. I am not aware of any side effects at all from the Telmisartan I take for blood pressure, they have been great in that respect.

Now settled on a stable NDT dose, which seems to have got rid of the lows and highs that were happening with my thyroid, and I think I have just about got it right now, it's a lower dose than I was on before things went haywire, but feeling pretty "sorted" in that respect, but still got the cold feet as it write this, so I am left thinking it is more than thyroid related.

Hair loss on my lower legs is saying poor circulation to me (it's not hormones that's treated, and well settled!), but to be truthful that isn't borne out by anything else, and no swelling of any sort, despite not being thin at all, I have skeletal feet and legs!

seastar profile image
seastar

Not recommending this, I use a hairdryer to warm up the area of the sheets and 'air' where my feet go when it's this cold, and I use one of the bags that you heat in the microwave, I like the fact the the heat can be spread out and wrap the bag around my feet.

Hypo32 profile image
Hypo32

It seems I was very lucky that my GP prescribed me Levothyroxine with a TSH of 6.6 (she even put me down for a test 3 months after it had been 5.1) based on my symptoms and family history. Have you had a test for antibodies. My GP tested that too and was happy to prescribe at 6.6 with positive antibodies - and yes it made a difference for about 2 years, sturggling again now.

loulabel profile image
loulabel in reply toHypo32

I have a family friend who is a doctor and said he would treat my symptoms mostly because I have antibodies and the thyroid would need support eventually and should be treated sooner than later but he doesn't live near me. Just have to keep pestering my doctor until she gives in to a trial at least !

Blood test on 26/10/12 (fasting test about 8.30am)

TSH 3.7 (range 0.4-4.0)

FT4 15.1 (range 12-22)

Blood test on 8/1/13 (non fasting about 11 am)

TSH 3.41 (range 0.4-4.0)

FT4 14.7 (range 12-22)

Peroxidase antibodies 317 (range <49)

Abnormal Inflamation markers and liver function tests lastest ones below

Blood test on 12/3/13 - no Thyroid function tests done

CRP 10.0 (range <5.0)

Gamma GT 115 (range <40.0)

ESR 26 (range 4.00-12.00)

Cholesterol 5.8 (range <5.2)

I too have cold feet, mine are like it all the time even in summer. I wear thermal socks and thick bed socks. They have been particularly bad with this cold spell we are having. My hands are the same except they go numb and white, doctor says that's reynauds. Roll on summer !!!

golden profile image
golden

I have resorted to an old fashioned remedy that works for me . When my feet get cold I make up an epsom salt footbath., or when I'm cold through I put it in a bath.This is essentially magnesium and known for helping with poor circulation. You can get buy in some chemists or buy online for bigger quantities

Yes ha ha.

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