Cold Hands & Feet

sportsman
sportsman Member Posts: 97
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
It is getting winter time in North Carolina and I am again beginning to experience the being cold syndrome, especially the hands and feet. I am now going on five years post treatment (radiation and chemo) and being cold is another one of my many side effects. I have read on this site about others experiencing this and would like to know more about what causes this. My thyroid was completely fried by the radiation and I must admit I do not take my thyroid medicine as prescribed because of side effects it causes. Is this coming from a thyroid problem or something else? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Also this is just not necessarily a winter type thing as I get cold during the spring and summer months as well. Is there anything that you can purchase to keep your hands and feet warm rather than wrapping up in a electric blanket? I think I would be much more comfortable if I could just keep my hands and feet from being so cold.

Comments

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #2
    Hi sportsman

    I too am just about 6 years passed the last treatment and I am always too cold, but find I have no problems with heat. I sleep with 3 blankets at night just to keep warm, my kids always complain about how hot it is in the house. I spent my vacation in Honduras this year and it was about 85 degrees the hold time and I just loved it. Winter is just upon us now and I like you will have to fight just to keep warm.

    Let me know if you find out anything to help, take care
  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    #3
    Me too
    I too have cold hands and feet but have not had a thyroid problem, now post treatment 14 plus years. Additionally i have cold ears especially when I sleep. I have numb bottom half of the ears from the radiation. That is due to a more larger less pinpointed area of radiation that they have now.
    I have found nothing to help the problem.

    John
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #4
    fisrpotpe said:

    Me too
    I too have cold hands and feet but have not had a thyroid problem, now post treatment 14 plus years. Additionally i have cold ears especially when I sleep. I have numb bottom half of the ears from the radiation. That is due to a more larger less pinpointed area of radiation that they have now.
    I have found nothing to help the problem.

    John

    It's strange how we are all
    It's strange how we are all so different. I used to be freezing all the time. My hands and feet like ice cubes even in summer. Now since rads, I mind the heat, and will start sweating, which I NEVER sweat before. I have been getting my thyroid checked and so far no problems.
  • rmkbrad
    rmkbrad Member Posts: 176
    #5
    Cold hands
    I used to have a great furnace built in with plenty of insulation,lost 108 pounds. Now even typing is harder with cold hands. I worry since one of my favorite outdoor activities is snowmobiling. I guess some new gloves and keep the hand warmers on hi. My wife used to try sticking her feet on me to warm them up,somtimes I would let her. Now she wont return the favor.

    Brad
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    #6
    Toasty Warm
    Hey Sportsman,
    I've been in the wet and cold outdoors most of my life and find there is nothing that works better than down for keeping things warm. Also for warming up fast. I have 800 fill down booties made by North Face that are my go to instant feet warmers. I think they cost me about $80 but I bought them at least 5 years ago and have worn them in Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Point Reyes and alot of other rough places with no signs of wear or tear. They have solid tread on the bottoms but weigh about as much as my socks. If I had a second choice for foot warmth I'd go with Teepee Creepers. I've owned a few pairs of those over the years and also backpacked with them. They're made of wool and look like some kind of furry animal but have a fairly good sole and warm up the feet wicked fast and keep them warm. They cost less and don't last nearly as long but provide about the same warmth. I'm sure you could find them online. Hands are a bit trickier as they just don't get as much blood and warm up much slower. A good set of goose down gloves would be nice as would a nice wool set. You'd really need to try on a few to find the ones that worked best for you. It's alot easier to keep hands warm than it is to warm them up so keeping them dry and covered is really going to be key. Warm water always works fast though just be careful that it's not too fast. Once warmed by water dry them off and cover them up with the gloves that work best for you. Best of luck.

    Bob

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