************* M*W: Well, in my neck of the woods, "hot-blooded" has an entirely different meaning... but back to your question. Although inflammation can raise your temp, if there is truly an immunity issue, you could be constantly fighting off a mild inflammation and your leukocytes would be higher than normal. When I say "inflammation," I don't just mean a cold or virus, I mean organ inflammation. Scientists now have concluded that heart disease, for example, starts in early childhood due to an inflammatory process, but it doesn't appear nor can be completely ruled out until the person is older and unfortunately has their first heart attack (in most cases). It happened to me. I always had a high white cell count but wasn't sick with anything. I always had perfect health and labs. Then I had a heart attack, and then another one. That inflammatory process that I'd been staving off for years inflamed my heart, kidneys and liver, yet I never missed a day of work, and I never felt ill! So, it's not truly what you eat, but that does play a role in heart disease. But as to your hot- and cold-blooded family members, I would first get their thyroids checked. If they're cold all the time, they could have a low thyroid function. If they warm all the time, it could be an inflammatory process, and I'd watch that very carefully. Don't just rely on a general practitioner to diagnose a healthy heart. All hearts sound healthy to a general doctor. Go to a cardiologist who can study the heart more intensely. That's the only way to prevent heart problems and sudden heart attacks. But, in general, go get your thyroid checked out by an endocrinologist, especially since you said you were freezing all the time which is a very loud signal that your thyroid is not putting out enought thyroxine. Been there, done that, too. Take the medication and become a "hot-blooded woman."
You ARE good. I am hypothyroid and have to take that synthroid shit every day. I still have a rather noticable intolerance to cold - below or at room temp. Cold hands and feet, dry skin prone. The drug has helped with groginess/fatigue etc. however. I have suspected it has something to do with a lack of t3 getting to my cells, because synthroid and similar t4 only hormone pills are not giving the t3. I begged my Dr to give me a t3/t4 combo drug, he would not... Do you have to take synthroid? Considering your research into the depths of some of these subjects can you offer any other advice to help with these annoying as hell symptoms?
my daughter is always cold, it was hot here weeks ago and she was sitting in the lounge with her jumper, coat and duvet around her, and she was shivering, and everyone else was hot and bothered
************* M*W: That's why my name is "Medicine*Woman!" T4 is supposed to convert into T3. That's why most endocrinologists give T4 (Synthroid, Levothyroxine, Levoxyl, etc). However, that's the textbook answer. Fact is, T4 doesn't always convert to T3 in some people. It could be a familial type of hypothyroidism, as experienced in my family. I was cold all my life, even as a kid. I was slow in school, and my mother always said I was a "backward" child. I had a great aunt who was born a cretin (no thyroid) and even though she lived a rather long life, she was retarded. Her sister, my grandmother, was only 4 ft. 8 in. I was taller than her when I was in third grade, and I'm only 5 ft. 3 in. now! She was most likely a midget, but she was Italian, and the native Italians are very small people! Been there, towered over them! I started taking Armour thyroid when I was 16. My life changed. I became brighter, friendlier, and more physically active. I used to sleep a lot before then, and I was always cold. I can remember in the heat of the summer I would go into the bathroom and turn on the gas heater and sit by it on the floor, because I was so cold! I took both natural and synthetic compounds of thyroxine for years, except when I was pregnant, and I had to stop it. My last pregnancy, I went into a myxedema coma. I couldn't remember my name or address, and I couldn't talk because my tongue was in the way. All I did was sleep to a point where I couldn't wake up. They started me immediately on Synthroid 0.2 mcg per day, and I regained my faculties almost immediately. I always had internal medicine doctors follow my thyroid, and as I grew older, my thyroid functioned less and less. Most recently I went in to the hospital to have a stress test for my heart, and they did lab work and found once again, my thyroid wasn't putting out. My doctor raised my dosage to 0.350 mcg of Levothyroxine (T4) per day and added 50 mg. of Cytomel (T3) per day. Now I feel normal temp, I've dropped a bit of weight without having to try! (Now that's a miracle!). I have lots of energy and alertness, and I feel great! So, don't let some doctor tell you all you need is T4, because that's what they learned in medical school. Ask for T3 (Cytomel). Beg for it if you have to! Or find a doctor who will give it to you. There is some medical literature on PubMed.com or Medline where you can print out the study. It's been a long time since I read it, and I don't recall who did the study, but T3 in addition to T4 seems to help the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Take the study to your doctor and ask him/her about it. Or do what I do, I tell the doctor "another doctor" had diagnosed you as needing T3. He told you that your body wasn't converting T4 to T3 like it should, and you need to get back on Cytomel... or something like that. You get the drift. If your blood work comes out drastically high for T3, then your doctor can take it from there, but you'll probably start feeling a lot better with the addition of T3. As human beings, we are not all balanced perfectly hormonally. When one gland goes up, another one will go down. More than one glad can get outta whack, and that is entirely normal. We need to aim for a balance with the addition of the right hormones, because we were not all born to be textbook cases. Let me know if you get the T3 and how you feel once you're on it.
It just amazes my husband that I never seem to sweat. Hmm, does that thyroid thingy run in families? My Mom had hers removed and now is on meds.
Anyone who works with many individuals of one mammalian species--I'm a dog breeder--will tell you that the "standard" temperature of any species is just a statistical average. Dogs can range from 100 to 102--different dogs or the same dog on different days. There's no reason to assume that humans don't also exhibit that trait, if perhaps to a lesser extent than dogs.
I think the OP was referring to our perception of the temperature, not our actual body temp. If your temp runs a bit high, I'd think that would cause you to percieve the temperature as colder than most people. Also, did you know that the Fahrenheit temperature system was designed with the human body as its reference point? Body temperature was supposed to be 100 degrees Fahrenheit. So either his measurements were off, or he had some bozo like you messing up his whole system!
Regarding T3/T4 combo-treatments: I'd be a little more careful. It is true that combo treatments had apparently stronger effects than T4 alone. This is most likely due to the fact that T3 is a far more potent effector than T4. However, newer studies found that in combo treatments there is a sudden sharp increase of fT3 after taking the hormones, whereas only taking T4 resulted in a more moderate increase. As of yet no physiological effects have been reported, however it has been hypothesized that a life-long treatment might have side-effects (due to a regular, sudden fT3 increase). Unfortunately, long-term studies are still lacking. So, while in the short-to midterm the symptoms should be better than on T4 alone, one cannot easily predict what happens in the long-term yet. In general a T4/T3 equilibrium is maintained by the activities of a deiodinase that converts T4 to T3. However, what is sometimes overlooked is that the major deiodinase requires a selenocysteine in the active center. Importantly, in many areas of the earth selenium is lacking in the normal diet. Thus the lack of deiodinase activity can sometimes be caused by a lack of selenium. Ideally one should therefore not only determine fT4 and fT3 levels (and closely monitor the ratio, of course), but also selenium values. Also, one should monitor these values for a longer stretch of time. Of course, if one could take a sample every hour after taking the hormones, it would be even better, but unless one is participating in some kind of study, hardly any medical docs are willing to do so.
Sounds like my cup of tea t3/t4 combo. I desire quality of life, not quantity. However how does one get more selenium in the diet? What to eat? Thank you CharonZ
The problem with selenium is that the main sources are vegetables. However the selenium content of plants is largely dependent on the selenium content of the soil. That is the primary reasons why whole areas are selenium deficient (analogous to iodine deficiency, which can lead to hypothyroidism). Another possible source is sea fish. Selenium deficiency is generally less common than iodine deficiency, however there other cross-indications that might lead to selenium deficiency. Best is probably to have ones blood checked, first.
Amount of body fat or normal metabolic rate could be correct, but it's more likely neurological. The skin has associated neurons that act as 'cold receptors' so to speak, and send messages to the brain, notifying it of whether it is hot or cold. Simply put, the number of these receptors vary from person to person. You and your son happen to have more. If it were some type of endocrinal condition like hyperthyroidism (or hypo) you'd be noticing more severe symptoms: excessive weight loss, heart palpitations, hyperactivity.
thanks Athena. I didn't think of that...mainly cuz I didn't know it. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Now I do.
Yeah well I must get 2-3 blood tests a year done and they are always good, I've had it with western medicine on this problem quite frankly.
Problem with (medical) docs is that you have to ask them specifically for what to test for. Otherwise they just make a standard assays for a couple of components.
