heat and cold

[DragonflyC]

Keep being stubborn!  The only way to get anywhere with autoimmune disease care is to be as involved and informed as possible. 

I strongly suggest always getting copies of all lab reports and keeping your own records (ask your doctors to list you in the "cc" section of the lab request).  Also, if it turns out that your TSH is low, you can show a copy of the AACE 2003 press release with their new TSH range recommendations to your doctor (http://www.aace.com/public/awareness/tam/2004/tsh.php). 

Finally, Raynaud's is pretty common with Sjogren's and other autoimmune diseases.  While it doesn't affect your internal temperature, it does impact your response to external temperature changes (both cold and hot).  It makes your extremities turn fun colors like white, blue, and sometimes red, and your fingers shrink when it's cold and swell when it's hot. If you have those symptoms, your rheummy should be able to look at your nail beds to see if there's any damage there (they put some sort of oil on them and look through an instrument); if there is, that's autoimmune Raynaud's.  I have it (autoimmune illnesses often travel in packs), and I definitely react more strongly to changes in temperature than most people around me even when my thyroid is under control.   

[Patze]

I too am hypothyroid and the endo keeps telling me that I shouldn't be having any problems, yeah, right (that's another mess); DragonflyC is right, the range did change and a lot of doctors (not to mention labs) are not up on the latest ranges).  Please do check, you can't be too careful where your health is concerned (I learned that the hard way).

I find that I'm often cold, very cold even in an office building that's kept at 72 during the winter.  My hands and feet turn fun colors (yep, I too have Raynaud's) and my nose wants to go south for the winter!  I'm seriously thinking about joining it next year!

I sure know what you mean about being rushed like cattle!  Seems to be more common these days.

Take care -

Patze

[wednesday mc haggis]

Epson  lmao@the freezer club   class, thats right mad eme giggle , since the fatigue an dpain floored me 5 months ago and still is, im under my blankie alot on the sofa, feel like an apisode or charlie brown most days lolol, i called my guinea pig haggis so i could sneak him under for a heat lol.

I think raynaulds is likely yup, my problems is its taken so long to get the docs to believe me, that i have so many symptoms and as yet, no meds for it, my extremities dont change colours, but they feel frozen even to my partner, Ill ask my GP next week whats what with my thyroid, i cant ask them to CC me a copy, im in the UK and the NHS just wont have that , but i ll be taking  apen and papaer and asking and writtign ti all down from now on, seems youv enot only to be ill, but a self diagnosing detective and be steadfast with the docs , i as a nurse always took that attitude the pain is what the patient says it is, so sad that others have not got that attitude,you advice is invaluable to me ty so much


T x

[salsen]

In my mid forties I started with non stop hot flashes. Now that I am 57 I am at the other end of the spectrum.  The hot flashes seemed to have sucked all the heat from my body because I stay cold all the time now.  I do have autonomic neuropathy which plays havoc with my heat/cold system.  Today was one of those really off days. I have been layered in sweats with double socks and slippers under two layers of covers most of the day and am still freezing.  All the bones are aching and it is only 56 degrees outside and about 70 inside.  Hopefully this is a short spell and things will be better tomorrow. 

Had to laugh at your bag lady comment.  Sounds like me.  I don't really worry about how it looks as long as it will warm me up.  I think I would be rejected by the "What Not To Wear" tv show.  Thank goodness I live in a fairly warm climate!  I know I would turn into the ice woman in short order just a little further north. 

Hope things are better for you soon.  Take care!

[wednesday mc haggis]

salsen   

i live in scotland all winter were now about -2 /-5 0c , summer is ask scottietottie, a week in may/june and a week in about september you actually get some son !! it rains about 300 days a year and the wind chill factor is increadible , i go to my sons school to pick him up i have an two tea shirts a jumper , 2 socks boots, a coat my friends call the polar bear a woollen nomad hat that covers my ear that just sting in the cold theyre so numb , scarf i knitted with 3 kinds of wool and gloves, noe of it matches lol some of its goth some of its tye dyed and my thin dry hair is like straw , im honestly one day expecting someone to give me money for a cuppa and a room for the night lmaoooo everyone said i was eccenteric , now i think im likely just needing to be enteric coated lmao

T x

[Epson]

Mc Haggis,

That's not cold, come to the Northern States, we'll show you cold, those darn Canadians keep blowing their cold air down to us and knock our plains out of the sky with their Canadian geese, well that is when they aren't soiling are side walk and parking lots.

But, we love their whiskey, so I guess we can put up with it.  We will go from deep freeze to boiling in a matter of weeks, so if you have Sjogren's you can't win.

[wednesday mc haggis]

Epson  ouch !! I bet you cant win !! , sayign that i went to south africa 2 years ago on holiday and thought the heat might kill me, so possibly scotlands climate isnt that bad lololol

T x