Sometimes I get so COLD... HELP

just4Brooks
just4Brooks Member Posts: 980 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello my friends. I hope this finds everybody doing fine today. I have a problem that seems to be getting worse as time goes by. Three to four times a day I get cold. Now I’m not talking about a chill. I mean cold cold where I just shake cold. When I get this way I go take a hot bath and it seems to do the trick for a few hours. I live in San Diego so it not the weather (mid 70's). My chemo treatment is Oxy with 5FU pump for 48 hrs. I have this treatment every other week. I dress warm, Slippers, socks, pants, shirt then a long sleeve on top of that. I cant take getting this cold where I just shake much longer. It seems like I just cant get warm. OMG this is why I live in San Diego. I hate the cold!!!

Does anybody else get like this with there chemo treatment?


Help me
Brooks

Comments

  • sig
    sig Member Posts: 13
    #2
    i remember getting cold more
    i remember getting cold more easily during treatments, and had to put on layers sometimes; of course you need to ask your doctors, and nurses, (what have they said so far?); find out if this is dangerous for you; and even if not dangerous, it sounds too uncomfortable, so perhaps there's some sort of adjustment that they can make?
    hope it eases up for you!
  • hannacat
    hannacat Member Posts: 101
    #3
    cold
    Hi Brooks, when I was getting oxi they warned me about the cold. I used mittens to handle cold stuff.(You know mittens?) Sorry,it sounded strange to me and I live in upstate NY.

    After treatment I had neuropathy and I feel cold when stressed or when the weather changes.

    I would ask your nurse;

    does air conditioning lower the temp of the pump meds?

    or windy days?

    or your blood pressure?

    There must be an explination for this chill.

    Temperature of the liquids I drank also gave me problems. Room temps vary from room to room in the house. I gradually needed liquids kept by the fireplace as opposed to the kitchen.

    Good luck,Hanna
  • Fight for my love
    Fight for my love Member Posts: 1,522 Member
    #4
    Hi Brooks,I think you should
    Hi Brooks,I think you should avoid air conditioning,avoid cold food.Put a pair of sneakers on,it should be warmer than slippers.The cold sensation is just from the Oxy.Maybe something is not cold to normal people,but it is going to be cold to you because you are on Oxy.Hope you will get better soon.Take care.
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #5
    sig said:

    i remember getting cold more
    i remember getting cold more easily during treatments, and had to put on layers sometimes; of course you need to ask your doctors, and nurses, (what have they said so far?); find out if this is dangerous for you; and even if not dangerous, it sounds too uncomfortable, so perhaps there's some sort of adjustment that they can make?
    hope it eases up for you!

    cold
    Brooks the first day I did my oxy chemo it was -34 F and I was never that cold. Your coldness and shaking doesn't sound right....I really would talk to your doc and nurses...

    so glad you live in a warm climate.

    mags
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #6
    Fight for my love said:

    Hi Brooks,I think you should
    Hi Brooks,I think you should avoid air conditioning,avoid cold food.Put a pair of sneakers on,it should be warmer than slippers.The cold sensation is just from the Oxy.Maybe something is not cold to normal people,but it is going to be cold to you because you are on Oxy.Hope you will get better soon.Take care.

    I Remember
    Shaking really bad one night, I am not on Oxy, but Folfiri, but got scared with the freezing and the coldness I felt, and the shaking, that I took my temperature, and it was over 100.3, that's when I called an ambulance, since my doctor said that could be a sign of infection. Take your temperature Brooks, make sure it isn't that. It turned out it was an infection, and I had to be in the hospital a few days on heavy antibiotics.

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #7
    Unusual coldness
    Hi Brooks: the only time I can remember getting real,real cold was after fifth oxy infusion (was doing Xeloda and rad at same time as well)and I went from hot sweats to cold sweats, to freezing to the extent that I was shaking uncontrollably(in mid-July!), back to hot to cold. Feeling was likeI was gonna die that night. Girlfriend kept trying to dial 911 and I kept screaming No. Luckily, I woke up next day ,still feeling strange but with no sweats or coldness and then called rad and chemo doctors for emergency visit. Take your temperature (which I never did as afraid if I had any).I hope what you're going thru isn't what I should expect as I start identical treatment as you tomorrow. You might want to contact your chemo doctor . Wishing this goes away soon and is the worse you get....Steve
  • just4Brooks
    just4Brooks Member Posts: 980 Member
    #8
    coloCan said:

    Unusual coldness
    Hi Brooks: the only time I can remember getting real,real cold was after fifth oxy infusion (was doing Xeloda and rad at same time as well)and I went from hot sweats to cold sweats, to freezing to the extent that I was shaking uncontrollably(in mid-July!), back to hot to cold. Feeling was likeI was gonna die that night. Girlfriend kept trying to dial 911 and I kept screaming No. Luckily, I woke up next day ,still feeling strange but with no sweats or coldness and then called rad and chemo doctors for emergency visit. Take your temperature (which I never did as afraid if I had any).I hope what you're going thru isn't what I should expect as I start identical treatment as you tomorrow. You might want to contact your chemo doctor . Wishing this goes away soon and is the worse you get....Steve

    Thanks guys
    Thanks everybody. I don’t think my coldness is do to it being cold or me touching anything cold. Like i said. Today it's in the mid to upper 70's (we have the door open because it feels so nice). It just strange that I would get so cold 3 or 4 times a day. I talking chilled to the bone shaking cold. I see my chemo doc tomorrow and I'm going to let him know. I like the idea of checking my temp and or B/P when I get cold like that. My wife just left to the store to get me a Snuggy? Pic this, A 6'2" 250lbs man wrapped in a Snuggy.

    Life is funny sometimes
    Brooks
  • SandyL
    SandyL Member Posts: 218
    #9
    just4Brooks said:

    Thanks guys
    Thanks everybody. I don’t think my coldness is do to it being cold or me touching anything cold. Like i said. Today it's in the mid to upper 70's (we have the door open because it feels so nice). It just strange that I would get so cold 3 or 4 times a day. I talking chilled to the bone shaking cold. I see my chemo doc tomorrow and I'm going to let him know. I like the idea of checking my temp and or B/P when I get cold like that. My wife just left to the store to get me a Snuggy? Pic this, A 6'2" 250lbs man wrapped in a Snuggy.

    Life is funny sometimes
    Brooks

    Yep,
    My husband had the same cold feelings, tho he didn't shake. When that would happen I would fix him some hot chocolate or soup. Sometimes he would go to bed and turn on the heated mattress pad. When he woke up he felt better. Do you get the jaw spasm when you eat? That bothered him more than anything else cause he would forget about it until he tried to eat and than BAM! He remembered-almost would bring him to his knees near the end of his treatments. Thankfully his symptoms have mostly left him now. He finished treatment in June 2009. He had the same cocktail you are getting.
    Sandy
  • just4Brooks
    just4Brooks Member Posts: 980 Member
    #10
    SandyL said:

    Yep,
    My husband had the same cold feelings, tho he didn't shake. When that would happen I would fix him some hot chocolate or soup. Sometimes he would go to bed and turn on the heated mattress pad. When he woke up he felt better. Do you get the jaw spasm when you eat? That bothered him more than anything else cause he would forget about it until he tried to eat and than BAM! He remembered-almost would bring him to his knees near the end of his treatments. Thankfully his symptoms have mostly left him now. He finished treatment in June 2009. He had the same cocktail you are getting.
    Sandy

    Sandy
    I havent got any jaw spasm's. Sounds like it would sure hurt. I like the idea of the heated mattress pad. I just got done with treatment 4 out of 9 so maybe the jaw spasm's will hit me later but I hope not. I do get the leg and hip pain but i know that's just from my white blood cells making more. This cold thing sure does suck!!! How is he doing now? everything back to normal?

    Brooks
  • tiny one
    tiny one Member Posts: 465 Member
    #11
    Oxy
    I think oxy is causing this. When they say extreme sensitivity to cold their not kidding. Take a blanket and put it in the dryer and get it warm and then wrap up in it. Also they sell wraps that heat up, or electric blankets. There are some things you can microwave and then put around your neck. My last oxy treatment was on halloween of 2007. Thank heavens the weather hadn't turned freezing then.
  • luv3jay
    luv3jay Member Posts: 533 Member
    #12
    I used to get that way also.
    I used to get that way also. I would have my heat on 80 degrees and still have a space heater blowing! I always thought it related more to healing from surgery than the actual chemo because that's when it was worse for me. Talk to you doctor about it...see what he/she thinks about it.

    -Sheri
  • coolvdub
    coolvdub Member Posts: 408 Member
    #13
    tiny one said:

    Oxy
    I think oxy is causing this. When they say extreme sensitivity to cold their not kidding. Take a blanket and put it in the dryer and get it warm and then wrap up in it. Also they sell wraps that heat up, or electric blankets. There are some things you can microwave and then put around your neck. My last oxy treatment was on halloween of 2007. Thank heavens the weather hadn't turned freezing then.

    Brooks,
    You are not alone on
    Brooks,
    You are not alone on this one. I to get bone chilling shakes from time to time, and I generally just get cold really easy. I thought it was because I lost so much weight, I have lost 90 pounds since this all began. But since you are at 250 I need to rethink the weight loss causing it. It was 68 degrees in my house the other day when they hit,I had on a shirt and sweat pants along with slippers and a flannel and a beanie on the head, plus a blanket over to do the trick. Let me know what your Onc says.

    Don
  • SandyL
    SandyL Member Posts: 218
    #14
    luv3jay said:

    I used to get that way also.
    I used to get that way also. I would have my heat on 80 degrees and still have a space heater blowing! I always thought it related more to healing from surgery than the actual chemo because that's when it was worse for me. Talk to you doctor about it...see what he/she thinks about it.

    -Sheri

    We live in Ohio
    And when he started with his treatments it was Dec. So, the cold was to be expected to some degree-but he would be sitting in his office and it would be 80 in there and he would still have chills. He has few of the issues now that he had during chemo. He still has minor neuropathy in his toes and his shoulder is aching like arthritis now. I've just learned that this could possibly caused from the chemo.

    When he was first diagnosed the hospital gave him a gym bag that had gloves(for accessing the refrig) a blanket and a stocking cap. And at that time the comment was "Cold is not going to be your friend"...so be glad you are in a warmer state. The jaw spasm started immediately for him-I think you may be spared that one. Just don't be embarrassed by being cold-you're kicking cancer's butt.
    Sandy
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #15
    Yup
    When I was in treatment (just 5 weeks out) and even still, I get chilled. Nothing I do seems to warm me except a hot cup of soup or hot chocolate. I have bought two electric blankets just a few weeks ago because I'm so cold. I went through treatment during the summer and I almost always wore long sleeves with pants. Ask you doctor about it tomorrow though and let us know what he says. Good luck!

    Kim
  • snommintj
    snommintj Member Posts: 601
    #16
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Yup
    When I was in treatment (just 5 weeks out) and even still, I get chilled. Nothing I do seems to warm me except a hot cup of soup or hot chocolate. I have bought two electric blankets just a few weeks ago because I'm so cold. I went through treatment during the summer and I almost always wore long sleeves with pants. Ask you doctor about it tomorrow though and let us know what he says. Good luck!

    Kim

    Before I was diagnosed
    I am always hot. The temp outside needs to be in the low 30's for me to put on a jacket, and in the 20's for a coat. The fall of 07 and winter of 08 were different. I got cold, seriously cold. In fact, that's one of the reasons I went and got checked out. Once I started chemo things got much better until the winter of 09. I had my second liver resection and developed an infection. I couldn't get warm enough. I shook and shivered for a month solid. The shivering was from being septic, but i felt very cold. If your shivering becomes uncontrollable get checked out.
  • angelsbaby
    angelsbaby Member Posts: 1,165 Member
    #17
    snommintj said:

    Before I was diagnosed
    I am always hot. The temp outside needs to be in the low 30's for me to put on a jacket, and in the 20's for a coat. The fall of 07 and winter of 08 were different. I got cold, seriously cold. In fact, that's one of the reasons I went and got checked out. Once I started chemo things got much better until the winter of 09. I had my second liver resection and developed an infection. I couldn't get warm enough. I shook and shivered for a month solid. The shivering was from being septic, but i felt very cold. If your shivering becomes uncontrollable get checked out.

    Angel
    would get cold so i would put a throw blanket in the dryer on high for about 10 minutes and wrap him in it and it really helped angel,

    michelle
  • just4Brooks
    just4Brooks Member Posts: 980 Member
    #18
    angelsbaby said:

    Angel
    would get cold so i would put a throw blanket in the dryer on high for about 10 minutes and wrap him in it and it really helped angel,

    michelle

    Cold.... So cold answer
    I talked to my dr on Monday about getting "so Cold" that a just shake. He thinks it's just my body reacting to the Oxy (Chemo). Wants me to check temp before hot bath then again a 1/2 hour after the hot bath and start a log for him. But he thinks it's my body fighting to get well. Kinda of like when you have the flu. He says that not everybody will react the same way to the Chemo but has heard of others with "so cold" affect. Says that if it gets worse as we go on to let him know.

    Brooks

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