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[Clarella]

I can tell the oestrogen is working (I think!)  as I’m again exceptionally cold! (Thyroid levels good.)


But extremely so at times. Just had to go for a half hour march to try to get blood pumping so I’m warm for a while!

My testosterone is very low according to a blood test. 0.15.  Could testosterone help with circulation/ feeling too cold? I always had cold hands and feet when younger but never got quite this cold.

I’m not asking Gp yet as allowing a little more time on this patch level. But have been wondering. I do have symptoms of low testosterone.

[Jjumper]

Hi Clarella,

Being cold is one of my symptoms, going on for a few years now. It feels different to the normal feeling of being cold, sort of deep in my bones, and I find it very hard to warm up. Actually it reminds me more of the feeling I get when I have flu, sort of shivery. I have taken my temperature a few times when very bad, out of curiosity, and it has been 38c if that means anything. When I experienced night sweats (gone now since starting HRT) I only ever felt freezing cold with them, rather than hot as I know some women do. Anyway, it is horrible! I thought mine was due to low oestrogen (thyroid normal). When I’ve increased oestrogen I don’t experience the cold feeling as often. Testosterone didn’t make any difference for me but my doctor wants me to increase that as well so who knows.
Hope it might help to hear my experience - obviously we are all different!!

[laszla]

I have no real answers but just to say that I too suffer the cold terribly (and have normal thryroids). I take oestrogel and testogel and neither seems to have made a difference - bearing in mind that I have difficulty in absorbing both, especially T - my FAI is a measly 0.5 despite taking testogel daily.

[Clarella]

Thank you both for your experiences - it’s possible that I’ve been suffering from a virus as well though it’s been going on for some time since on hrt. I would say it’s felt like a cold flush at times too!0

I do wonder if testosterone will help energy and get up and go - walking and exercising does help but some days motivation is hard.

[Hurdity]

Hi Clarella

You say you have symptoms of low T - what are they if I may ask? Blood tests for T in women are inaccurate to diagnose actual because the tests are designed for men and they're not sensitive enough to distinugish between low and very low. However they are useful to carry out after T replacement when levels should be higher, to ensure they remain within the normal level for women. Also T should not be measured on its own anyway, but in conjunction with SHBG so Female Androgen Index can be calculated - a proxy measurement for free T.

Cold extremities can be due to a form of Reynaud's syndrome - I've always had cold hands and feet though don't have a condition as far as I know.

Persistent feelings of being cold can only be due to slow metabolism which is caused by thyroid malfunction in some way. Unfortunately thyroid problems are very badly tested and treated on NHS - it's shocking really. T3 measurements are not routinely taken nor are the various anti-body measurements for Hashimotos.   A friend of mine had to go privately to get T3 and had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome - caused by the malfunctioning thyroid metabolism - vastly improved after Thyroid replacement.  I don't know a lot about it but Wrensong is very knowledgeable.

If you have the classic symptoms of low T - which is principally low libido - the first thing to "go" , followed by "oomph" - as you say lack of motivation, fatigue etc, then T replacement at the right level should help.

Otherwise there could be other causes - vitamin and mineral deficiencies?

Hope you get sorted and feel better soon!

Hurdity x

[Clarella]

Sorry for the delay in replying and thank you hurdity for your detailed reply!

Low T - cfs type symptoms for nearly a decade. Muscle aches and pains, low libido (though had those symptoms previously with libido.) still some brain fog and memory issues.

I had wondered about a test. It was just a straight medichecks test but I’ve seen they do what you describe.

Does being on thyroxine affect SHBG? I feel I’ve read that somewhere

Lots of symptoms were alleviated with hrt but then covid really messed me up in jan. Libido scarpered about 3 months later. I’ve been moving up the patch strengths to 100 but some things don’t seem fully alleviated. Memory and motivation, my creativity and get up and go. Used to be a keen gardener and arts background; I just have no interest. I’m finding exercise is hard to maintain, muscle heard to maintain.

Re cold - I’m thinking it was something to do with a virus and maybe pre period exhaustion as I’ve just had a heavy  period. (I’d tried going back to cyclical and the utro had run from day 2 and my cycle ended up being a good 30 days.) This  week I’m feeling much better.

I’m back trying continuous but accept there will be some break through; I do feel so much better on utro. And also wondering if it’s helping my cold levels. Or it was a strange virus!

[Clarella]

I’ve also just read that Utrogestan reduces SHBG. Could that allow more testosterone naturally?

[Emm225]

I have always felt the cold but am a lot worse over the past year or so...on HRT  I also get Reynauds so my fingers and toes go.  I know what you mean...it's a deep cold in the bones..can make you feel poorly.  I am active and fit otherwise, dress warmly as I always have done...have to go on my training bike at times just to warm up! 

[Clarella]

I’m wondering if it was either a patch raising stage or I had covid again (it makes me v cold)

I seem to be better than I was. Though concerned other meno symptoms are coming back. Grr

[sheila99]

I don't think T is the answer to feeling cold but it should alleviate some of the other problems. It's helped me with libido, motivation and muscle strength. I had zero libido and was often pulling muscles for no reason. Oestrogen helped my brain fog but my brain still doesn't function as it used to so perhaps some of it is age related decline.
I used the medichecks test for thyroid which showed I have Hashimoto's though not badly enough to be treated, the nhs didn't know because they don't do the relevant test. It's worth doing IMO.

[Clarella]

Thanks for your reply. Those are the areas I’m Having issues with. Very occasionally libido seems to come back but I’m definitely not as I was. Motivation is appalling, and weak muscles and joint pulling v common. See Gp first and then if no joy will explore private.

[Marchlove]

Hi lovely ladies

It’s worth keeping in mind that feeling cold can be a result of quite a few conditions, namely thyroid dysfunction and adrenal insufficiency, plus a few others.

Sex hormones are but a part of the whole equation I’ve gradually discovered, which is what makes everything so confusing!

What’s sad though, is that we’re fighting blind. The inadequacy of medical advice offered to us, is quite frankly shameful.

Mx

[Clarella]

Yes I agree with you there.

I had an advance medichecks test and all that was good; I’m on thyroxine. Testosterone was the only one too low.