IMHO, the "explanation" is that you need a better nutritionist! And read about it. There's lots of info on the WWW for you.

O.K., folks. I am destined for hypothyroid. Every female in my mother's family has it, and I am showing signs that it's coming - hair loss, etc. - but have so far not tested positive in the doctor's office. I know I need to do the temperature thing. It's somewhere toward the top of an overwhelmingly large to-do pile on my desktop.

But here's my question. When your body temperature is low, do you FEEL cold, like do you get goosebumps all over your body (I call them "cold flashes")? I can't seem to get warm. I sleep in a union suit with wool socks under a comforter. (Please note that I am also anemic - on Atkins - quite a trick, right, with all that red meat. The anemia problem is related to TOM and I am getting on top of that problem). I bought some coconut milk yesterday, and am about to see how it makes me feel.

This is such a great thread! Can someone please send me some warm thoughts?

Many doctors are beginning to believe that a low body temperature is the best test to determine hypothyroidism. Blood tests do work, but the problem is whether the doctors will test enough of your hormones, and then read them all in conjunction with one another. In any event, many doctors are beginning to believe that is just secondary to the low body temperature. Anything under 98.0 on a regular basis is what they deem a sign of hypothyroidism. For reference, my mother was undiagnosed hypothyroid for 12 years, and underdiagnosed for 20 more, and before starting new meds her temp barely broke 97.0.

When you do have a low body temperature, a result of hypothyroidism, you are plagued with cold. I could never get myself warm - my husband thought I was nuts when I would put on sweaters because it dipped below 80 [we live in Arizona]. Our house was never allowed to fall below 84 degrees inside. Sensitivity to cold is just one of the many signs of hypothyroidism.

There are more - I'll post some of them here to give you a clue. They are, unfortunately, generally used as adjectives to describe women as they age. It is unfortunate, because women do not realize that these are abnormal - and continue to suffer needlessly. They are:

Fatigue
Lethargy
Sensitivity to Cold
Depression
Mood Swings
Hair Loss
Trouble losing weight
Swelling of joints
Constipation
Decreased sex drive
Dry Skin
Dry Hair
Dry & Brittle Nails
Brain Fog

The more you have, the more likely it is that you are hypothyroid - especially if you have low body temp. Further, the following makes you more susceptible to developing a thyroid problem:

giving birth
family history
past thyroid problems [once hypothyroid, always hypothyroid]
goiter problems
history of smoking

For me, I had only a family history. Keep in mind though that my doctor believes that 60% of women are hypothyroid today, and most do not know it. What this means is that when you get tested against the "normal" population, this includes a significant amount of undiagnosed thyroid sufferers - hence, you are not actually being tested against the right population. If there is anyone in your family that is or was a hypothyroid sufferer, you need to be keenly aware of your risk.

Now, what can you do about it?

Going to a doctor is obviously step one - but which doctor is a really hard question to answer. You need to find a doctor educated on thyroid issues, and there aren't that many who are. Worse, many think they are. I would give your family doctor a shot first - see what tests they want to run on you. Ultimately, you are going to need to have your low body temperatures documented for them, and you will need to get the following tests run:

T3
Free T3
T4
Free T4
TSH
Reverse T3

You do need all of these taken. If your doctor doesn't accept these tests or interpret them, then they are not your doctor right. There is one out there, though, and if you are interested in figuring out how to find him please feel free to drop me an e-mail and I will help you get there. It's so much easier when you have support - thanks to my mom, I was able to fight for four years before finally being diagnosed. Starting medication has changed my life 100%, in every possible way. I want to share that with anyone willing to listen!!

You can catch me at thyroid~justice.com [that little squiggly is an "at" sign]. Anyone can drop me an e-mail, and I will gladly e-mail with you for as long as it takes to get to you on track!!

Margaret

The following recipe is for protein bars. I am still tweaking...any additions would be appreciated.

I have not used any other artifical sweetener to make these, so I have no idea how they would turn out. I do know that maltilol behaves similar to how real sugar does.

The next batch I make I will use try equal amounts of oil and milk. I may reduce the amount of maltilol to 1/2 cup.

I have made these the vanilla praline and french vanilla flavors. So far, I prefer the vanilla praline.

Protein Bars

1. coconut oil 7T
2. coconut milk 2T
3. natural peanut butter 4T
4. vanilla extract 1T
5. sea salt 1/2 tsp
6. maltilol 2/3 cup
7. unsweetened coconut 1 cup
8. Designer Whey protein powder (any flavor) 4 scoops
9. optional: 2 ounces crushed nuts

In a heavy pan over medium heat, combine 1-5 stirring well. Add 6, stir until dissolved. Remove pan from heat. Add 7 (and 9 if you are using nuts) and stir well. Add 8 and stir well. Pour into a rectangular pan and press using the back of a spoon or spatula. Coo and cut into 10 bars. Keep refrigerated.

Thanks to Thyroid_M for the long post in answer to my question. It has taken a long time for me to reply - I really do feel too busy to take care of things that seem important at the moment. I've got to get re-organized.

I am coming up due for an annual visit to the doctor in the next few months (I have to get through the holidays here), and I will look into the testing that you suggested. In the meantime, I am bundling up. Maybe I can get it together enough to take my temperature and see if I notice a pattern. I need to read back through this thread and see if there is good information on the type of thermometer to use, etc. For me, it has to be pretty simple. I am a busy working mother with alot on my plate.

But again, thanks for your quick and comprehensive reply. I will try and post again as I move toward figuring this all out.

Having raised my now 20 and 18 y.o. son and daughter mostly by myself, I totally understand what your life is about. In fact, I blame my stressful life for my thyroid slowing down. I had so many side effects with the medication because 2 weeks earlier I was started on HRT and all those hormones are hard to balance. Eventually naturopathic treatment brought great improvement and I've been off thyroid meds for over a year now but I've had low energy levels which I trace to fluctuations in my body temperature which at one point last year had gone back to 98.6 and then dropped again to no more than 97.5.

But since I discovered coconut oil, my temperature has been going up as well. I spent months not being able to lose weight and easily gained back what I lost at the beginning of last year. In '01 I went down to 131 lbs. and after 9/11 began to "stress-eat", but I'm hoping now will be different so I encourage you to try the coconut oil.

I buy "Spectrum" brand either at a healthfood store for under $5/14 oz. jar, or I order it with my other supplements at Vitanet (www.store.yahoo.com/vitanet/), their prices are really good, packing is excellent, regular shipping is $5.95 (I think) but they have an online coupon for $1. This oil smells and tastes "coconuty" so sometimes I just take it straight from a spoon (and love it!). I also buy coconut milk at the supermarket and use it in many things, like my protein shake instead of milk. And 2 days ago I bought a coconut from the produce section, opened 3 little holes where the "eyes" are with a big nail and hammer, drained the water (which I later drank chilled and sweetened artificailly) and then placed the coconut in my mini-oven for a few minutes to heat up, then hammered it on the floor and the shell came off almost all by itself. I put the pieces in a container and I just eat pieces of it when I want a snack. Goya also sells frozen unsweetened grated coconut which is really good.

Hey Lisan, I'm near P.B. Lakes Blvd. & Okeechobee, where are you? Need a "diet budy"? I'm here!

I too fear I am destined for thyroid disease. My mother nearly died from an undiagnosed condition - she went into a coma from it. 3 of my sisters have been diagnosed with it. I so far have come away clean, but I am always, always cold. I would love to hear more about that amino acid complex you're referring to!

And I'm out to buy some coconut oil to see if it makes a difference.

I've always had low temps.. never 98.6 that I can remember... so after reading the Atkins book, I decided yesterday to take my temps during the day... and sure enough...this is my results...
and again this morning when I got up my temp was again 93.3...
Maybe I will see if I can find that coconut oil... Great info in this thread...

93.3 - When I got up..
94.2 - Before breakfast.
96.8 - After breakfast.
96.1 - ~ 10:55 am
95.2 - ~ 1:58 pm
96.0 - ~ 3:31 pm
96.8 - ~ 7:45 pm

I just bought 2qts of coconut oil from www.tropicaltraditions.com. Talk about rich & coconutty!! I couldn't get a spoonful down last night - it was just too much. So now I'm trying to brainstorm what I can put it on to make it go down better. I cooked my omelet in it this morning, which made it very puffy and rich (nice), but I think I need to eat more than that to make a difference!

I've been taking my waking temps for natural family planning for the last month, and have never once had a waking temp lower than 97 degrees. Usually I'm right around 97.2 - 97.8 when I'm not ovulating. I think I'd get checked out if I were clear down in the 93 degree range!!!

Thanks ever so much for that site... It is an awesome place.. I got to searching and discovered a lot in there... thanks....
My temps today were as follows. (I was super busy at work so did not have time to take it very much...

93.3 upon waking
97.7 at 6:58 after breakfast
96.5 at 2:17 pm
97.5 at 9:30 pm

now I am headed to bed.. will try this again tomorrow... this is very interesting... and I plan on ordering some of that coconut oil from that site... again thanks

jraz, from what I've read, it's your basal body temp 1st thing in the morning (before rising) that counts. I've read in some places that you can use a digital basal thermometer in your mouth & in others that you need to use a regular basal thermometer in your armpit for 10min. I guess there's a difference between a regular fever thermomter & a basal one. Not sure exactly what the difference is though.

Most of the sources I've read say to take your basal body temp 5 mornings in a row. If you're a pre-menopausal woman, you need to make sure you do this during your period. (Otherwise your temps will be effected by your ovulation cycle.) Throw out the lowest & average the rest. If it comes out to under 97.5 (and boy does it sound like yours will), it says to get to the doctor for some blood tests.

Worried about you - 93 sounds really low!

As far as the coconut oil, had an interesting experience with it last night. Managed to get a teaspoonful & a halfe down plain - was a lot like eating a spoonful of butter, which is a little beyond me too. Then I added a heaping tablespoonful to 1/4 cup of plain yogurt (did you know that sugar-free yogurt really only has 4g carbs/cup, despite what the package says?!). Added 1/4 cup berries and stirred it up good. There were little coconut oil chunks in there, but it wasn't too bad at all. I'll definitely do it again.

Anyway, I was doodling around the house doing this & that, and wandered into the bathroom to put something in the cabinet. Caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and to my utter surprise - my usually very pale face had color in it! That's very, very unusual for me. Plus, I was only wearing one layer of sweats and wasn't cold at all - in fact, I got rather warm even though I was down in the cold basement working with the dogs. (Usually I'll wear a t-neck, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and fleece sweatpants to be comfortable in our 70 degree house.)

Definitely something I'm going to continue experimenting with. Looking for more ways to get the stuff inside me without having to eat it plain though!!! Maybe tomorrow I'll try to make some of that "mock walnut bread" - the stuff where you put walnuts through the food processer, add an egg, and bake. Might be OK to spread coconut oil on.

jraz, please let me know if you get in to see the doctor!!

Thanks for being concerned... Appreciate it a lot... I am now also...
My temps today were
95.3 upon waking
95.4 at 8:50 am (before leaving for church)
96.3 at 1;50 pm, just after a 2 mile power walk
94.2 at 4:10 pm, just before a nap..lol
96.5 at 9:35 pm, just got home from church....

Could you please give me that recipe for the mock walnut bread.. that sounds good....

I wonder if my thyroid has anything to do with my yawning all the time... I have done this most of my life... just to get air I thought.. and I can't sit in a meeting without yawning my head off.. and am so thankful that I have a job that keeps me extremely busy or I'd be yawning all day long... I have to stay busy.... otherwise people think they are boring me and it's not that at all... it's just i can't help it.... and speaking of yawning... It's my bedtime.. nite... will catch ya tomorrow...

I just noticed you live in Baton Rouge.. My grandfather used to live there.... and I used to visit him as a child there.. Of course at that time my dad and I lived in Shreveport.... My grandfather died in 1965.... but I can remember going to Baton Rouge and to another place in La... called Cross Lake...

While at the doctors yesterday for my blood in the urine episode I decided to tell her abut my temps and experiences and she proceeded to tell me... that she does believe I have a thyroid problem, but because my last blood test came back normal that she can't put me on thyroid medicine and that she would dearly love to and she believes what Dr. Atkins is sayng, but the FDA or Medical something or other would come down on doctors so fast if they started prescribing thyroid meds when the blood tests are coming back normal.... grrrr, but I understand where she is coming from... So guess what... It will be coconut oil for me....
Hope I explained this ok...

JRaz,

Do you know what blood work your doctor took? Your experience sounds identical to something I experienced . . . That is exactly what my doctor told me in June of 2000 before prescribing me to Prozac . . . which made me change doctors, and this new doctor took additional blood work of me that did show a thyroid problem. The other doctor just did a TSH check, and didn't follow up on T3 or T4 levels at all. Just curious if you are in a similar situation as I was. Perhaps this would be something for you to consider, if your doctor didn't follow up on these areas.

Also, please let me know how your experiences with coconut oil go. I've heard that they have helped others out a lot, and am really excited to try it myself . . . but I still can't find it anywhere! I've had people let me know where to look and what to look for, but I still can't find it. If you are able to find it, maybe you could tell me what you did to get there. I would also appreciate hearing how your experiences on it go.

:-) Margie