Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: KittyBee on January 14, 2021, 03:07:46 PM
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I feel the cold a lot at the moment, and I wondered if it might be a symptom of menopause? I saw something on Twitter which said it might be, but when I Googled, I only found references to ‘cold flashes’ and shivering.
This is different, I am pretty much cold all the time. On an average day, I wear a thermal vest, t-shirt, jumper, scarf, jogging pants (nice and thick), socks and boot style slippers. If it gets cold, I will get myself a hot water bottle. Our house isn’t particularly cold, I don’t think, but I never feel comfortably warm.
I know this could be linked to thyroid issue, but in the last blood tests I had done, my thyroid function was ‘normal’.
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When did you have a full blood screening which included thyroid function?
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I had to go through Medichecks to get a thyroid test done (although due to poor circulation, I couldn’t do the pin prick option, so I ended up having it done at a local blood clinic anyway ::)).
It was done before lockdown, but I’ve been like this for a few years at least.
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What were the results, some GPs won't do further checks if it comes back 'within normal limits' :-\ even if a patient continues to complain of symptoms.
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TSH - 2.53 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2)
Free T3 - 4.7 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)
Free Thyroxine 13.2 pmol/L
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MayB put 'thyroid function' into the search box?
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KittyBee, I think you have replied to your own question! You have poor circulation! That's why you're feeling cold all the time, poor thing. Your thyroid blood tests results are just fine. Keep moving, sweetie, that's the best way to increase circulation and produce heat, what about dancing? :-*
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Have you heard of Raynaud's Phenomenon. I've always felt the cold but recent years and now into post-menopause especially, it seems worse. It maybe applies to your situation or contributes?
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My DH has a form of Reynauds ...... when cold two fingers on each hand go cold: his Dad had the same thing happen.
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KittyBee, I think you have replied to your own question! You have poor circulation! That's why you're feeling cold all the time, poor thing. Your thyroid blood tests results are just fine. Keep moving, sweetie, that's the best way to increase circulation and produce heat, what about dancing? :-*
I have fibro so don’t have much energy at the moment. I could try dancing about a bit and see if that helps.
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Ah, the fibro could be a contributory factor, too. Oestrogen is affected by fibro and that along with very poor circulation might be the root cause. I agree that movement, if you can, could help a lot. I have M.E., so I understand how limited movement can be. Perhaps explore senior or chair yoga/pilates/qi gong (especially!). Swimming of course, too, particularly in a therapy pool, but that's pretty unavailable just now. I guess experimenting to see what supports you without PEM.
💚
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Exactly what I was going to say, Postmeno3! I also have fibro, only I have the opposite symptom, but the cause is the same, 'feeling too hot or too cold – this is because you're not able to regulate your body temperature properly'
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyalgia/symptoms/
Excellent advice Postemeno3! Hope you feel better soon KittyBee :-*
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Yes! Temperature regulation is a huge problem for me. So much energy is used up trying to come back to a middle range. Lovely to be making these connections, both physiological and interpersonal. Thank you!
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Thank you for the advice, I will look on Youtube for some gentle exercise.
I am so cold, I am considering getting some wrist warmers and maybe even leg warmers.
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Poor thing! I hated feeling cold all the time, menopause has sorted it! Have you ever had hot flushes? Are you underweight? My sister had surgical menopause and had cold flushes. Doc said she lacked proper insulation from fat cells!
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Poor thing! I hated feeling cold all the time, menopause has sorted it! Have you ever had hot flushes? Are you underweight? My sister had surgical menopause and had cold flushes. Doc said she lacked proper insulation from fat cells!
I have had very rare hot flushes - or at least, what I think are hot flushes. I am usually dressed in many layers, I suddenly go hot from my stomach upwards, so peel off a jumper. By the time I've wrestled with the sleeves, the flush is pretty much over. No red face, no sweating, just that weird hot sensation.
I am not underweight, in fact the opposite, so my fat cells need to do their job! ;D
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How are you doing, sweetie? Any luck getting warm? :-*
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If you don't have much energy and are feeling cold then these are most definitely an indication of slow metabolism and hints at thyroid problems whatever your results say. Fibromyalgia is not a disease (as far as is known) but a syndrome - a collection of characteristic symptoms with unidentfied cause. Don't be fobbed off with this as a diagnosis for your symptoms because it means the medical profession will stop looking!
Many women develop underactive thyroid around the time of menopause, notably through an auto-immune disease caused Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Recognition and treatment of thyroid problems is shockingly poor on NHS. Any blood test needs to look at thyroid antibodies, and apparently even normal blood tests don't necessarily rule out thryoid problems.
There was a whole article on thyroid UK website about fibromyalgia and thyroid function. A very good friend of mine has fibromyalgia (ie the symptoms/syndrome) but the CAUSE of this is underactive thyroid for which she takes medication. In her case she has a problem converting T4 to T3 so takes a combination, and this keeps her fibro symptoms ( and others) under control. Unfortunately she had to go privately for this which is as I said, shocking in today's advanced times.
I found these links:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-thyroid-fibromyalgia-connection-3231681
https://thyroiduk.org/about-thyroid-uk/position-statement-fybromyalgia-cfs-me/
I couldn't find the article on thyroid uk I read some years ago which was detailed and helpful, comparing the two conditions. The weabite has changed since I was last there!
Another indication of underactive thyroid besides low energy, and feeling tired, and cold is a tendency to weight gain, as well as muscle pain and stiffness especially after exercise. Some of these symptoms are also caused by low oestrogen and/pr testosterone.
Where are you in menopause in terms of what your cycle is doing?
I would urge you to continue to find a cause for your symptoms, write down all that you experience and when by keeping adiary and include your cycle etc - and take it from there, if necessary by getting more blood tests....
There are others more expert in thyroid function than I am and would be able to say whether your symptoms might point to underactive thyroid- I know very little - Wrensong for one - maybe she might read this?
All the best
Hurdity x
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:thankyou:
Many GPs won't treat symptoms if results are 'within normal limits'. I suggest an endocronologist.
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Hello!
Thank you for your replies, I totally forgot about this thread - must set up email notifications. :)
So I have found one jumper which keeps me warmer than the others, for the most part I am just layering up and drinking lots of warm drinks. I think everyone is cold at the moment though!
I will have a read of those links, thank you.
I don't know if my GP would consider referring me to an endocrinologist, I had to pay for the thyroid checks I had done a couple of years ago, and that's not an option now.
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R U in the UK? You should be able to request a referral although it's getting towards end of year so GPs may be reluctant to dip into the coffers!
Woolly layers are important, some artificial fibres are now made as wicking/thermal layering. I feel cold around my shoulders mostly. I have a mohair cape which is impossible to wear outdoors so it's on the settee ready to grab - lovely to sleep under ;-)
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Hello,
I don't have fibro or any other health issues. I don't really get hot flushes but I get chilling sensations instead. This can happen and I don't think it's to do with poor circulation but to do with memo for me.
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R U in the UK? You should be able to request a referral although it's getting towards end of year so GPs may be reluctant to dip into the coffers!
Yes, I’m in the UK. I could ask for a referral, or at the very least, a proper thyroid blood test to begin with.
Woolly layers are important, some artificial fibres are now made as wicking/thermal layering. I feel cold around my shoulders mostly. I have a mohair cape which is impossible to wear outdoors so it's on the settee ready to grab - lovely to sleep under ;-)
I notice that the top of my shoulders/back of my neck feel the cold too.
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Hello,
I don't have fibro or any other health issues. I don't really get hot flushes but I get chilling sensations instead. This can happen and I don't think it's to do with poor circulation but to do with memo for me.
I don’t necessarily get shivery, I just feel cold. It could very well be a menopause symptom.
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Apparently there's less brown fat around the shoulders ..... brown fat in layers keeps us warm ;-)
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Regarding thyroid if one has antibodies, then even a thyroid result "within range", as the one posted above, can still cause symptoms. I started on levothyroxine and a low dose of 25mcg helped somewhat and got thyroid "within range" for me but symptoms persisted and for me TSH needs to be near 1 or and T4 in the high teens to feel better. Medichecks do good private thyroid function tests also for antibodies for GP refuses testing. Thyroid can also fluctuate during peri/menopause and for some people it may go back to normal but for some it may then work less and less well especially if antibodies are present.
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I used Medicheck last time - I did the Thyroid Check Ultra. I still had to go to hospital to have blood taken because I couldn't get enough blood in my fingertips for the home test. ::)
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Kittybee, I used Medicheck as well to do a meno/thyroid test and I was told that my thyroid was fine. I might do a full thyroid check as well in the future.
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Bump
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Kittybee - ‘normal’ thyroid results do nit mean your thyroid is functioning well. Many meno women go through this problem and it’s probably related to the hypo-pituitary axis being in flux during the meno transition. Oestrogen surges can play havoc with thyroid hormone. Your results are not optimal, and clearly not optimal for you as you have some classic low thyroid symptoms. I’m not allowed to give the names of organisations who can give you more help and I can’t yet pm, but there’s a thyroid organisation in the U.K. you can search for who can provide lots of info. If you post your results and symptoms on there, they’ll give you feedback. Good luck.
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Tnx for that reminder about the charity. 8) = Thyroid UK .