• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Continous side effect: Cold hands and feet/freezing

Johnmac

Johnmac

Senior Member
Messages
756
Location
Cambodia
My hands and feet go cold when I crash. I feel the cold much more generally too.

So far as I can work out the crashes come from too much LCF (I only need a crumb). That causes over-excitatory stuff in itself, but also causes potassium to be stripped out. Nett result is high tension & anxiety (and cold hands & feet).
 
Victronix

Victronix

Senior Member
Messages
418
Location
California
I haven't read through this whole thread but I'm currently having freezing feet and numbish hands and feet and that goes along with my peri-menopause symptoms where estrogen, testosterone and progesterone are extremely low.

However, I also got extremely cold and numb feet when I was taking too much B6 -- it appeared to affect the nerves in a way that caused my lower legs to get severe muscle spasms. When I stopped all B6 that whole thing stopped and the numbness and coldness went away.

I also have Hashimoto's which is also affected by peri-menopause -- progesterone apparently enhances thyroid function while estrogen binds to it and reduces its effectiveness. My T3 is also rock bottom and I have not yet dealt with that.

So, hormones can play a role if you're in your 40s or 50s . . .
 
Gondwanaland

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,094
Victronix said:
I haven't read through this whole thread but I'm currently having freezing feet and numbish hands and feet and that goes along with my peri-menopause symptoms where estrogen, testosterone and progesterone are extremely low.

However, I also got extremely cold and numb feet when I was taking too much B6 -- it appeared to affect the nerves in a way that caused my lower legs to get severe muscle spasms. When I stopped all B6 that whole thing stopped and the numbness and coldness went away.

I also have Hashimoto's which is also affected by peri-menopause -- progesterone apparently enhances thyroid function while estrogen binds to it and reduces its effectiveness. My T3 is also rock bottom and I have not yet dealt with that.

So, hormones can play a role if you're in your 40s or 50s . . .
Click to expand...
Ditto.

But for two weeks now I seem to have finally balanced my electrolytes and no more night sweats!

I needed I lot of magnesium, a bit of electrolyte mix, high calcium and potassium foods and plenty of pink salt.

Vitamin A helped with the calcium metabolism.

But the final miraculous touch (although incidental and unexpected) has been the silymarin (finally tolerated it): no more freezing between 6 and 7 AM!

Since then, my body has been refusing the B complex, like it doesn't need it right now...

Also last Sunday I did a poultice with cassava flour thickened broth (my alternative to castor oil pack) and felt really relaxed this week.

All of those interventions had their side effects, but I am pleased with the present result.

It makes me think that everything revolves around the liver. Adrenals and thyroid are clearly happier.
 
Victronix

Victronix

Senior Member
Messages
418
Location
California
Glad to hear it. I've never tried silymarin, though probably should. It makes sense that supporting liver function would help other issues.

I also finally doubled my B's tonight (B1, B2, Biotin, etc.) and that's a bit of a milestone for me. But I'm at the point of trying everything . . .
 
Gondwanaland

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,094
@Victronix be warned: the side effect of silymarin for me was candida overgrowth, just like some people report from taking NAC and high sulfur foods... But I don't regret taking it, I wish I could even take it for a longer period... But for now I am dealing with the gut. It was like two steps ahead and one backwards. Could have been worse!

And I am only tolerating silymarin because I already dealt with salicylate intolerance/magnesium deficiency.

Silymarin is high in or can elevate
  • histamines
  • sulfur
  • salicylates
 
2manyhobbies

2manyhobbies

Messages
75
dannybex said:
That's funny. I used to have Colgan's book, but it was one that I tossed when I moved about a year and a half ago.

I tried a little zinc with my lunch today, and no cold feet, so perhaps I was blaming it when it wasn't the problem, or it helps by taking it with a meal. I'll see how it goes.

I don't do iodine. I've tried it off and on, but am trying to minimize my supplements now after having such a bad year and figuring out that some things I was taking actually gave me symptoms that were identical to worsening ME/CFS. I definitely am hypo-t, and have been taking small doses of natural thyroid, but might need to increase that. Thanks for your reply.

p.s. I got an email from Ray Peat awhile back where he said (paraphrasing) that he thought Pfeiffer went too far with avoiding copper, claiming he had lost all the pigment in his skin. ???
Click to expand...

I think Ray Peat is right. A lack of copper is bad news all around as SOD needs copper to run and is vital to detox. Long term could lead to an aneurism through weakening artery resilience?? I thinl balance is the key and it is necessary to know what your ferritin levels are before going far afield with Zn.

Ever feel your Hypo-T might be due to low Iodine?? Or perhaps Bromism?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.