Feeling Cold

Kent Cass said:

Above Ground
Well put, Sportsman. 3 years- excellent (I'm 16-months).

Of note: this past summer was just about the most tolerant I've ever had, due to the chills in the summer heat. I have not experienced the chills I had back then, and it seems the chills became less noteworthy when I started gaining my weight back. Again- for all of head and neck, a Wikepedia reading of the Thyroid can be helpful.

kcass

cwcad said:

subject to cold spells
Being cold started as soon as the treatments began. I thought, at the time, that the treatments were the cause hence when treatments ended I would not be cold any longer. Wrong...almost three years out of treatments and I still am walking around the house with sweaters and sweatshirts on each day.

At nite the sweats hit often and hard. It has slowed some but never the less it still happens. I am at a loss as to why but am glad that it is not as often as it once was.

I often think I am cold because of the large weight loss I had. Having spent most of my adult life above the arctic circle, heat had never been a problem for me. Now I freeze in my new Texas home every day. I am at 195 pounds and I am not gaining weight any longer. Hands and feet are always cool and sweating.

Tephi said:

Oh what now! Another thing to deal with? - lol
I am on day 6 of radiation and I am freezing! I have been through chemo, 2 surgeries and now radiation for breast cancer, cancer in my axilla nodes and internal mammary nodes. The radiation is extensive they say and they have not done such complicated radiation before -so I am told. Now I have these long cold spells where nothing I do, even draping myself round a radiator wrapped in blankets, then followed very suddenly by a burst of heat and sweats. It seems like there is nothing in between. I had had hot flashes and sweats all through the chemo, but this seems to be a bit more extream. Can't imagine what it is going to be like by treatment number 33.

HAWVET said:

The new normal
Good words Hondo. It has been years after my cancer. Before cancer, I usually slept without a blanket and my wife was always cold. Now, we are the complete opposite. I need pajamas and blankets to keep warm. During the day, the wife likes the ceiling fan on and it is too cold for me.

longtermsurvivor said:

Hey Rld
welcome to the forum. We try to wrestle with all kinds of situations here. The point of this thread is that lots of us are cold, and sometimes there's an obvious reason, but sometimes not. The causes are the same, whether our background is throat cancer, breast cancer, or just about anything in between.

In cases where us guys have had radiation to the neck, low thyroid problems are very common, up to 60% of us eventually have thyroid failure. I did, before my radiation was even finished. That's something to think about in anyone, and I wonder if her doctors have thought to do that kind of lab in awhile. She is at risk, you know, just because of the extended health problems she's had.

While I'm just free-wheeling with you, other metabolic problems would be pretty ordinary for her to sneak up with. Has she had a complete workup targeted to just the issues you mentioned, fatigue and feeling cold? If not, she really should. Are her blood sugars normal, is the rest of her lab ok, including blood counts especially?

Sometimes things just get by the system, when your focus has been on cancer, and its treatement for so long. Don't know if any of this helps.

Hope you have an easy solution.

Pat

IAmStrong said:

Singing My Song
I'm so glad to see this topic and know I am Not goofy! Everyone around me knows I have "issues" with being cold. Frankly I believe they view me as a psych case. I am in bed with my Cuddle Duds on. I wear Layers to work...my co-workers laugh at me. I wear three layers on my legs, 3 pairs of socks, 3 shirts:) I have fur lined ankle black slip on sport shoes, I wear those if I am particularly cold. Then I'll get quite warm. Mostly cold though. Today, I am wearing gloves, my full hooded wool coat, Cuddle Duds 3 shirts.....Pathetic ehh? Anemia? I don't know. I only know, I am COLD even when it is 50 like today~! A heat wave here. I even wear hoodies and gloves in the house at times.

That was an interesting remark re the carotid being close to the surface thus contributing to being cold.

I Especially like the remark of someone moving you to the North Pole and not telling you....THAT is what happened!!! Finally the truth!

For those of you out there on chemo or have taken chemo and you don't seem to be able to get comfortably warm.  I know this to be common.  My son is a cancer survivor, took several rounds of chemo, stem cell transplant, and is cancer free for about 5 years now.  He graduated college, is working, living life.  You wouldn't even know he once had cancer.  BUT, he complains of being cold when it's not cold in the house or outside.  We discussed it with his oncology team and bone marrow transplant team.  Here's the conclusion I came up with after years of health checks - it's just something we're going to have to put up with from now on.  I don't expect it to change.  It hasn't in 5 years and I don't see it changing in the next 5.  His body seems to have permanent trouble regulating temperature due to all of the infusions.  If you are experiencing a similar situation, it's probably permanent.  Move to a warmer climate if possible. 

I'm just the opposite. I go through periods where I have the sweats really bad no matter how cold it is in the house. Outside in the winter I am ok but summer is rough. I have no remedy for it though walking around seems to help.