thyroid and temperature

[visitingcarol]

All right, is temperature a reliable indicator of thyroid function or not? I'm trying to decide whether to go to a doc or not, and would like to know if a doc is likely to take temp information seriously or pooh-pooh it.

Carol, displaced Texan teaching my own (4) in AL
My T-Tapp blog: http://fitcarol.extrapounds.com

[QE3]

in general yes, but some people are normally low. How are your other symptoms?

If you have fatigue, weight gain, low motivation and ambition, heat and/or cold intolerance, headaches and migraines, dry skin and hair, irritability, anxiety and panic attacks, hair loss, fluid retention, depression, decreased memory and concentration, unhealthy nails, brittle nails, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, low sex drive, insomnia, hives, asthma, allergies, slow healing, acne, or carpal tunnel syndrome, you may have a thyroid disorder.


If you have you experienced female problems (tumors, fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, PMS, cramps, (dysmenorrhea), amenorrhea, female cancers, spontaneous abortion, cyclic seizures, dry vagina and infertility), weight problems (usually high, sometimes low), gallbladder disease (six times higher in women with excess estrogen or on birth control pills or ERT), heart disease, cancer, colon problems, low blood sugar, attention deficit disorder (ADD), adrenal exhaustion from excess secretion of adrenaline, and osteoporosis (from excess estrogen leading to excess adrenaline and then to excess cortisol), you may have thyroid disease.

Why is it so important to take note of your symptoms?

If you don't get your thyroid disease diagnosed and start a course of proper treatment, you are setting yourself up for many problems down the road. The longer you leave it untreated, the harder it is to respond to the treatment when you do get it.

A blood test will help determine it too.

<h5>Kate -:¦:- Queen of Everything plus 3 boys! -:¦:- </h5>

[kimmie-99]

Body temperature is a relatively good indication of a thyroid problem. One of the tests that many non-traditional docs have you do is to take your basal temp for a week upon waking up but before getting out of bed. I think http://www.drrind.com is one good site and http://www.drlowe.com/QandA/askdrlowe/dxthyrd.htm is another among many outthere. Oh also http://thyroid.about.com is what I use as my bible mostly. Here's another one that has a self test http://www.thyroidpower.com/

Usually if you are suffering for low thyroid (hypothyroidism) you feel cold when others are comfortable or warm. I know a lot of times when we have the A/C on, I'll feel like I'm cold when everyone else feels fine.

Thyroid does control many things and body temp is one of them

Blessed Be,
Kim
Arbonne Consultant

Makeup, Skincare, and Hair advice at http://makeupdivas.proboards61.com/index.cgi?

[visitingcarol]

Well, of the things you list, I would definitely say I have low motivation and ambition.
Some fatigue. Thought it might just be the anemia.
Definite weight gain, and apparent inability to lose no matter what I do.
Fluid retention, check.
Depressive type symptoms are fairly cyclical, though I can get a bit dysphoric from time to time.
Definite decreased memory and concentration, though I was blaming that on the children. ;)
Constipation sometimes, though better lately.
Gynecological issues are pretty much okay as far as I know, though I skipped a period last cycle. (I'm 39, BTW).

I waver between thinking I'm just a big fat hypochondriac slug who needs to get up and get over it and thinking that I should go get checked out just in case there really is something that could be helped.

Oh, back on the temp. In the fall of 2004, I had lost about 10 pounds from a weight I had sustained for about 5 years (not counting one pregnancy in there) and that summer began a gain that has now culminated in 30 pounds up from the weight I had sustained for some time. Haven't lost an ounce in 2 years. When I exercise, I don't gain, but I don't lose. Anyway, when I was losing, my temp in my pre-ovulation part of my cycle actually would be about 98.0. Now it's more like 97.6.

TMI? Sorry, I guess I'm feeling whiny today.

Carol, displaced Texan teaching my own (4) in AL
My T-Tapp blog: http://fitcarol.extrapounds.com

[QE3]

Carol,

you are WORTH it to go to the doctor and get checked out. Think of your children. We must help ourselves in order to have the ability of helping them (think of the lil' oxygen masks popping out of the airplane overhead ;) )

<h5>Kate -:¦:- Queen of Everything plus 3 boys! -:¦:- </h5>

[kimmie-99]

quote:Originally posted by visitingcarol

Well, of the things you list, I would definitely say I have low motivation and ambition.
Some fatigue. Thought it might just be the anemia.
Definite weight gain, and apparent inability to lose no matter what I do.
Fluid retention, check.
Depressive type symptoms are fairly cyclical, though I can get a bit dysphoric from time to time.
Definite decreased memory and concentration, though I was blaming that on the children. ;)
Constipation sometimes, though better lately.
Gynecological issues are pretty much okay as far as I know, though I skipped a period last cycle. (I'm 39, BTW).

I waver between thinking I'm just a big fat hypochondriac slug who needs to get up and get over it and thinking that I should go get checked out just in case there really is something that could be helped.

Oh, back on the temp. In the fall of 2004, I had lost about 10 pounds from a weight I had sustained for about 5 years (not counting one pregnancy in there) and that summer began a gain that has now culminated in 30 pounds up from the weight I had sustained for some time. Haven't lost an ounce in 2 years. When I exercise, I don't gain, but I don't lose. Anyway, when I was losing, my temp in my pre-ovulation part of my cycle actually would be about 98.0. Now it's more like 97.6.

TMI? Sorry, I guess I'm feeling whiny today.

Carol, displaced Texan teaching my own (4) in AL
My T-Tapp blog: http://fitcarol.extrapounds.com


Not whiny at all! Totally understand and it's so frustrating because being a Hypothyroid patient myself (45 years of taking meds so far), finding someone to understand and adjust our meds accordingly is hard - extremely hard at times.

DEFINITELY get yourself checked out! And know - that 99% of the doctors out there rely SOLELY on the TSH test alone (and don't go by your feelings). The labs ranges that will DO your test will probably be .5 - 5.0 (old values that haven't gotten updated yet). Optimum is around 1.0 and if your values are 4.0 the doctor could very well say you are normal (because your values are within normal range). That does NOT mean you are however. The new values set by the Endocrin Society are .3 - 3.0 and even then a value of 2.5 could be you are still a tad hypo. Find a doctor that treats you not ONLY based on your TSH tests, but how you feel also.

Another note - Estrogen Dominance can mimmick Hyptothyroid symtpoms to the T also! So your hormone levels could be out of whack or both! Either way - see a doctor. You'll feel better especially if they get you on treatment!

Blessed Be,
Kim
Arbonne Consultant

Makeup, Skincare, and Hair advice at http://makeupdivas.proboards61.com/index.cgi?