Constantly feeling cold

I have been constantly feeling cold since my platelets dropped below 35. Has any one else experienced this?

It's not a common ITP complaint, but some people do have problems with their temperature gauge being off kilter. I think it's more of an autoimmune dysfunction than a symptom of ITP. It could also be thyroid-related or any other number of things.

I did not have a problem with temperature when my ITP was active and counts were low, but have since developed the problem over the years. I used to sit at work with a space heater near my desk set to high. Anyone that came into my office was overcome with the heat and couldn't stand it, but I was still cold. The problem got even worse when I hit menopause. I can feel like I'm freezing but have sweat pouring off of me at the same time. I drive my husband crazy with the hot/cold thing because I go from air conditioning to heat in seconds flat in the winter.

My daughter also has this problem, and both of us have a constant low body temperature. Our normal temps are between 96 and 97 degrees. If we get to 99, we both feel like we have a high fever. She has Graves Disease (autoimmune) so it makes more sense medically for her because thyroid problems can throw body temp off. I have Lupus but there is no medical explanation for the weird, irregular body temps.

It's miserable and actually controls my life to an extent. I don't go anywhere if I know it will be too cold because I actually feel sick and uncomfortable the entire time. To complicate matters, I lose feeling in my hands and feet and my skin burns when it's cold.

Sorry for the long-winded response, but temperature is an important topic to me. I have never found a reason or a way to make it stop.

I also feel constantly cold.... I am sure it is related to low platelet levels, but I haven't seen any comments on this so far.

The reason I posted was on Health Unlocked a survey 2 years ago suggested over 80% of ITP sufferers felt cold.I was so surprised I found nothing on this site about it. Nor on the UK site

Wow this is so true with my daughter. It is so pronounced. She is a kid who was like a furnace. We both like cold weather and being outside and last year when it was bitter cold she would go outside in a sweatshirt, no coat no gloves and I would be the one who would get cold first and we would have to go inside when I was the one who was fully dressed for the weather. This summer her platelets tanked and she is always cold. She had to get a warmer coat gloves and she is still cold to the point either she doesn't really enjoy going out or we will just go out for short intervals. And this winter in the Northeast has been mild! Today is the first cold day. The change in her is like night and day. We mentioned it to the hematologist, he said he had not heard it yet but since the autoimmune response is systemic he would attribute it to that. This really validates what she has been feeling!

I "only" have cold feet.

Being cold can be a symptom of iron deficiency anemia. Ellen is a dietitian and has correctly identified this deficiency in numbers of people who felt abnormally cold.

I don't know how low platelet counts would have to go to start causing anemia, but it is worth watching CBCs for indications of anemia, and perhaps have ferritin checked as well. Even being on the low end of normal can cause cold hands and feet.

Not only am I cold, I'm actually cold - my "regular" temperature is about 97.1.

I am always cold especially my hand. My count has been steady around 100k body temp 97.1

My guess is that it is a metabolic problem separate from ITP, possibly set off by steroid use or some other stress on the body. It is not a common complaint here on the Forum, although there are people who report it sporadically. When I began to have a low body temperature years ago, the only thing I could find was Wilson's Syndrome.


www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/expert-answers/wilsons-syndrome/FAQ-20058414

I tend to have a lower body temperature on a regular basis. I am also someone who complains of being cold when my counts get extremely low. That said usually when that happens I've been bleeding on and off for quite a while.

On personal note I've been feeling extremely cold lately that said temps outside have been been -15 to -20 for pretty much a couple of weeks here.

I'm cold, but I've always been cold (except for a menopausal period of hot flashes!). So my coldness predates my ITP diagnosis. I don't feel my coldness is related to my platelet count.

Karen