99 degrees F average temperature, cold hands

[martybyrde]

I dont think I am hyperthyroid I feel more hypo. but my temperature is always 98.8-99.2 oral using two different thermometers especially in the afternoon and night. its been like this for many months. But along with this I wear gloves inside sometimes because my hands they're always cold. The higher my temperature is the colder my hands are! If I fast I don't have this problem and any time I eat this happens. It doesnt matter what kind of food. Its accompanied with a foggy head and 85ish bpm. most of my day is like this. i thought adrenaline but i dont have any sweating with this.
im 24 male by the way

 

[xeliex]

Hey there and welcome.

Stress hormones can do that. In the ICU where I worked, patients that were given pressor agents to maintain higher blood pressure often had minimal blood flow to the extremities sometimes leading to amputations. Epinephrine / adrenaline injections are also used to vasoconstrict surgical sites to minimize bleeding.

It is not surprising that someone whose metabolism is running on too much adrenaline and other stress hormones have a high core temperature at the expense of poor blood flow to the extremities. Restoring ones thyroid in that case should lower the stress hormones over time and allow vessel relaxation and more systemic blood flow.

This is not to say that this is what you are experiencing. Just know that catecholamines can increase heart rate and possibly core temperature at the expense of peripheral flow. Typically people with high / adequate thyroid function have very warm hands.

 

[TheSir]

Hey there and welcome.

Stress hormones can do that. In the ICU where I worked, patients that were given pressor agents to maintain higher blood pressure often had minimal blood flow to the extremities sometimes leading to amputations. Epinephrine / adrenaline injections are also used to vasoconstrict surgical sites to minimize bleeding.

It is not surprising that someone whose metabolism is running on too much adrenaline and other stress hormones have a high core temperature at the expense of poor blood flow to the extremities. Restoring ones thyroid in that case should lower the stress hormones over time and allow vessel relaxation and more systemic blood flow.

This is not to say that this is what you are experiencing. Just know that catecholamines can increase heart rate and possibly core temperature at the expense of peripheral flow. Typically people with high / adequate thyroid function have very warm hands.

Could this same pathology lead to chronically purple fingernails? Any amount of adrenaline or vasoconstriction seems to increase the phenomenon.

 

[martybyrde]

Hey there and welcome.

Stress hormones can do that. In the ICU where I worked, patients that were given pressor agents to maintain higher blood pressure often had minimal blood flow to the extremities sometimes leading to amputations. Epinephrine / adrenaline injections are also used to vasoconstrict surgical sites to minimize bleeding.

It is not surprising that someone whose metabolism is running on too much adrenaline and other stress hormones have a high core temperature at the expense of poor blood flow to the extremities. Restoring ones thyroid in that case should lower the stress hormones over time and allow vessel relaxation and more systemic blood flow.

This is not to say that this is what you are experiencing. Just know that catecholamines can increase heart rate and possibly core temperature at the expense of peripheral flow. Typically people with high / adequate thyroid function have very warm hands.

Thank you friend
I also wonder if TSH is 0.9 and free t3 is close to top of range same with t4 and total t3 also close to top, I forget the unit but I remember around 150 should I still consider thyroid?

I don’t have the paper with me but I can check.

 

[xeliex]

Could this same pathology lead to chronically purple fingernails? Any amount of adrenaline or vasoconstriction seems to increase the phenomenon.

Possibly. I have this problem too. Sugar and thyroid help.

 

[xeliex]

Thank you friend
I also wonder if TSH is 0.9 and free t3 is close to top of range same with t4 and total t3 also close to top, I forget the unit but I remember around 150 should I still consider thyroid?

I don’t have the paper with me but I can check.

Thyroid labs are a fickle thing. TSH can be suppressed or falsely low from many factors. A high cortisol / high stress can lower it. But your numbers look ok. If I am going through the trouble of checking TSH and T4/T3 free, I would check antibodies and reverse T3 as well.

Your labs are indicating that thyroid function is good and your symptoms can be that of high adrenaline / catecholamines. Rule out any pinches nerves and muscular / fascia tension that is causing the cold hands. If your feet and nose / penis / ears are colder too, it is circulatory which can be influenced by catecholamines.

Try to notice any temp changes post eating, especially a high carb meal. If they warm up nicely, it's stress hormones most likely.

 

[Vileplume]

Possibly. I have this problem too. Sugar and thyroid help.

If you don’t mind sharing, what dose and brand of thyroid works best for you? Thanks for the informational responses.

 

[xeliex]

If you don’t mind sharing, what dose and brand of thyroid works best for you? Thanks for the informational responses.

You are welcome.

I am still far from optimal but I am alive. Doctors refused to put me on thyroid despite my heart rate being 36 bpm. Closer to zero than optimal, haha. My TSH was 3-4 and to them, cardiologists, endocrine, etc... my thyroid was fine and my heart was fine.

I had started on Cynoplus but cutting and weighing the pill was too stressful for me. I switched to Tyromax and have been on it for several years now. I cannot seem to find my dose on Tyromax. Sometimes I take too much and other times too little, but it sure is keeping me healthier.

I plan to go back on Cynoplus in the near future.

 

[Vileplume]

You are welcome.

I am still far from optimal but I am alive. Doctors refused to put me on thyroid despite my heart rate being 36 bpm. Closer to zero than optimal, haha. My TSH was 3-4 and to them, cardiologists, endocrine, etc... my thyroid was fine and my heart was fine.

I had started on Cynoplus but cutting and weighing the pill was too stressful for me. I switched to Tyromax and have been on it for several years now. I cannot seem to find my dose on Tyromax. Sometimes I take too much and other times too little, but it sure is keeping me healthier.

I plan to go back on Cynoplus in the near future.

Holy smokes, 36 bpm! When I was on carnivore, I got down pretty low too. One night in my sleep it got to 33, and my temp in the doctor’s office got down to 94.5… but thyroid therapy was never considered.

Your experience with doctors goes to show the problem of relying exclusively on blood tests. If only Broda Barnes still had a practice—for him it was all about temperature.

 

[xeliex]

Holy smokes, 36 bpm! When I was on carnivore, I got down pretty low too. One night in my sleep it got to 33, and my temp in the doctor’s office got down to 94.5… but thyroid therapy was never considered.

Your experience with doctors goes to show the problem of relying exclusively on blood tests. If only Broda Barnes still had a practice—for him it was all about temperature.

Incredible! Doctors baffle me. I am muscular but clearly obese, yet they said my heart rate is low due to my fitness!

I think labs, temperature, and pulses all should be used as part of the puzzle. As the op is observing here, one can have good pulse and temperature and good labs without it meaning that they are necessarily optimal. Too many factors affect vitals and biochemistry.

 

[martybyrde]

Thyroid labs are a fickle thing. TSH can be suppressed or falsely low from many factors. A high cortisol / high stress can lower it. But your numbers look ok. If I am going through the trouble of checking TSH and T4/T3 free, I would check antibodies and reverse T3 as well.

Your labs are indicating that thyroid function is good and your symptoms can be that of high adrenaline / catecholamines. Rule out any pinches nerves and muscular / fascia tension that is causing the cold hands. If your feet and nose / penis / ears are colder too, it is circulatory which can be influenced by catecholamines.

Try to notice any temp changes post eating, especially a high carb meal. If they warm up nicely, it's stress hormones most likely.

feet are the same as hands if not worse, and my genitals act as if they're cold by shrinking, same with scrotum. but normal size when erect.
yes I just had my first meal today, high carb with some protein, same usual reaction. total meal was around 1000 caloris.

if its not thyroid hopefully and I eat enough carbs, what do you think? I dont like guessing so I should get reverse T3 and antibodies but I think I just get bloodwork for everything I can think of. do you have any ideas for other things to test for? I doubt it is pinched nerves because its both hands and feet always at the same time. this also might be a clue but I go numb easy when sleeping on my side so I sleep on my back.

I think high stress makes sense because I have restless legs unless im warm. and I have low blood pressure

 

[Ulysses]

I used to have this problem. The cause was peripheral vasoconstriction caused by too much caffeine

 

[Vileplume]

Hey @martybyrde, it definitely could be adrenaline, or a circulatory issue like @Ulysses described.

I think if it was adrenaline, the temp would at least drop sometimes. What’s your temperature right upon waking?

Have you played around with diet and seen if the cold hands go away some days?

You should also test for TSH and cholesterol, because those are useful to understanding thyroid function. Usually higher cholesterol (at 24 years old) indicates low thyroid function, as does high TSH.

 

[martybyrde]

Hey @martybyrde, it definitely could be adrenaline, or a circulatory issue like @Ulysses described.

I think if it was adrenaline, the temp would at least drop sometimes. What’s your temperature right upon waking?

Have you played around with diet and seen if the cold hands go away some days?

You should also test for TSH and cholesterol, because those are useful to understanding thyroid function. Usually higher cholesterol (at 24 years old) indicates low thyroid function, as does high TSH.

Hi sorry I had TSH on that blood work at below 1. It always is below 1. I wish it was a thyroid issue because then I can just take some. But I will mention that I went ahead and tried some thyroid low dose to see what would happened and I had a huge sex drive and muscles were bigger and mood was good. Three days later I got worried and stopped it. Is it possible to have good reaction if thyroid bloodwork is almost high as it is?