Question:
Has anyone ever been very cold natured after RNY?
I can't get warm since I've had surgery. I was always very hot natured until now. Will this go away, or will it be permanent. I also have hurting hips and back. It's getting worse by the day. Almost as if you are getting the flu. Thanks for any information. — vrshoemaker (posted on November 19, 2008)
November 19, 2008
I've been cold since my RNY 5 mos ago. In group they say it takes about 2
yrs to get better. I live in MN and now I wear long johns everyday started
that in Sept. Good luck
Sandi
— sandikellerrn
November 19, 2008
Well I have the same issues, I just can't seem to get warm. I even wore my
long johns to work in the summer cause the building was to cold for me. I
guess we don't have the covering that we used to have. I asked the doctor
and he said my iron and all labs looks great. Well I would rather use that
extra bit of clothing and space heater than to have that extra 257 pounds
back on my back.
Linda
— sparkle8062
November 19, 2008
I was cold natured being morbidly obese. I'm even more cold natured post
RnY 8 months and -94 lbs. I've heard it's a common thing to be cold natured
when loosing weight. I've also heard that one didn't get cold being fat - I
know as a lie because I always got cold. I found my self this past summer
wearing socks and covering up with an aphagan when setting and watching TV.
You're not by yourself.
— ap2008324
November 19, 2008
As we loose the fat we also loose our insulation, thus making us feel
COLD~all the time! At 352 I was always HOT...no way I could ever wear a
sweater to work. Well now I'm freezing and a sweater alone can't keep me
warm. My overweight b-friend thinks I'm nuts.
— Holly F.
November 19, 2008
Greetings everyone:
Before I even start, I know I'll get lambasted for what I have to share.
But what I have to share is the absolute, unvarnished truth. So, before
you lambast me, I strongly recommend that you do your own research and you
will come to realize as I realize that you do not need to be cold at all.
You can and should have a normal metabolism. I grew up in the Greater
Seattle area and used to this cold climate. Then, I moved to Sacramento
CA. I resided there for 33 years. The heat was a tremendous issue for me
for 32 of those 33 years. Finally, at 33 years of living there, dying
during the summers because of the intense heat, and freezing during the
winters, ever sensitive to the cold, I finally sort-of-acclimatized. No
longer did the heat bother me. Yet, whenever I'd return to the Greater
Seattle area, I'd stand directly in front of the heater attempting to get
warm because I was so cold!!
Then, I moved back to the Greater Seattle area. Talk about cold! The
heater became my closest friend! Summers were sort of OK because we may
have the sun for 2 weeks or so (I am stretching the truth here); but the
winters were dreadful. Cold. Cold. Cold. White skin. White, white,
pasty bluish white hands and fingers and toes and feet.
You get the picture? I also found I couldn't return to Sacramento to even
see my family because I would suffer so from the heat. It was simply too
hot for me.
What a problem!
Then, last January (2008) I asked my nutritionist about how I could get
more vegetables into my diet. She said, "Have you considered juicing
your vegetables?" Wow! I'd forgotten about juicing. That led me to
Cherie Calbom who has now published 20 books on nutrition. She is a
leading authority on nutrition. I also went looking for her since she
lived in the Greater Seattle area.
When I found her and talked with her, she told me about a new book she'd
written, called the Coconut Diet. So, before you lambast me, check out for
yourself information on the Internet about coconut oil and definitely buy
her book(s). I did. I was amazed.
Since February 2008, I've been consuming daily from 1 Tablespoon to 3.5
Tablespoons coconut oil daily (this is a medium length fatty acid which
aids your digestion and is a good fat). I also use coconut oil on my skin.
Within 3 days, I threw away all my expensive moisturizers.
Just look at my picture and tell me if you don't agree that I truly look
good!
The next thing I noticed is that my body warmed up. I was warm. Not only
was I warm, but when the weather got hot, I RELISHED the warmth because it
ACTUALLY FELT SO GOOD! Even when the temperature has approached 100
degrees here, I don't turn on the car air-conditioner because the heat
feels so good against my skin. Fancy that!
Then, in July 2008, I noticed that I was commencing to lose weight! Yes,
after being stable for over 2 years with my weight but not at my goal
weight, and actually gaining 15 lbs when I fought not to die from my liver
failure in 2007, the scale started to show my weight again falling.
Since July, I've lost the 15 lbs. I gained and I've lost an additional 15
lbs, making a total of 30 lbs lost. My body is always warm. My pulse,
which had been in the high 30s and low 40s (yeah, at death's door, with the
cardiologist ready to give me a pacemaker) is now consistently in the 70s
and 80s and 90s. I feel great! My metabolism is working! My body is warm
and I have incredible energy, vitality, and life surging through my body
all the time.
Regarding the hurting hips and back, see if you need to adjust your
consumption of glucosamine. My knees are always fine as long as I take
2000 mg. of glucosamine daily. If I stop, about 5 days later, I think my
hip bones are going to come out of their joints and my knees don't feel
good.
I truly hope my personal story helps you get warm and to normalize your
metabolism. Here's to all of our good health!
Christine Gibson, MS, MA
OH Coach and WLS Support Group Leader
— Christine Gibson
November 19, 2008
I've had the same problem. I just dress warmer. As far as the back, you
probably have long term damage to your spine from obesity, like me. Get
yourself to a chiropractor like I did and I'm sure you'll be feeling better
soon.
— Shirley D.
November 19, 2008
Hi Verona. I had the same thing as you with the coldness. I was so cold
one winter when I was trying to lose weight that I had to wear gloves on my
hands while sitting at my computer. I just couldn't get warm. Then I
gained quite a bit of the weight back, and I was warm again. Now I had my
RNY in August and I get cold again, however it's not as bad as it was and
other wls surgery patients have all told me it will improve. So I guess
celebrate your coldness and know your body burns more calories when you are
cold. Congrats on the surgery. Hang in there.
— katiecakes
November 19, 2008
My surgery was 5 years ago and I am still cold all the time. They told me
at my doctor's office it can go on indefinitely.
— Debbie F.
November 19, 2008
I had my orginal RNY in 1997 and have been cold ever since. I know alot of
WLS patient's that are alwayd cold. Than in 2006 I got hypothyroidism and
have been hot ever since. Now I have hyperthyroidism and I still am hot. I
just had a revision of my RNY and I am still hot. I might have surgery to
remove all of my parathyroid and thyroid and hope to be cold again. You can
always bundle up with extra clothes but you can only peel off so many
clothes to cool. I can't wait for the day to be cold again.
— [Deactivated Member]
November 19, 2008
My aunt had RNY four years ago. She too was very hot natured until after
her surgery. She chills very easily, even living in the south during the
summer. I guess it's quite common.
— [Deactivated Member]
November 19, 2008
6 1/2 YRS POST OP AND VERY VERY COLD.FREEZING ALL THE TIME.
— deb44m
November 19, 2008
Hunny, you are a new person now!!! You are also a skinny person, or at
least getting skinnier!! Your body fat has always kept you warm/hot before,
and now that you are losing it, your natural heating system is going away
with it.
— mommydragon2
November 19, 2008
Not sure how long you've been post-surgery, but the fatigue you have in
your hips and back is concerning. Your symptoms resemble those of having a
low iron, or ferrtin, levels in your bones. Your hips (or pelvis) are what
store iron and produce red blood cells. If those stores get depleted, then
those bones can't produce fully formed red blood cells, and then your bones
become fatigued. If your MD runs lab work on you, ask for a
"ferritin" panel and also hemaglobin or hematocrit, to check for
reb blood cell size and count. A person can get so depleted that any iron
that is floating in the red blood cells can't be absorbed by those bones.
If you are low, he can choose a therapy to "flood" your system
with huge amounts of iron (dextran IV therapy) that forces your bones to
absorb iron. Once your iron stores are replenished, the fatigue goes away.
I would be interested in hearing how you do, and what your MD says. If your
surgeon is not sure about running these labs, I'd seek out a Hematologist
within your insurance plan. He's a blood doctor and will know exactly what
to look for in a patient who's had malabsorptive surgery!! Please let me
know how you do!! You can e-mail me if you'd like!
FYI. I am 3 yrs post-RNY. -Darlene ([email protected])
— dadebrito
November 19, 2008
I too have been cold since surgery. My hands and feet were rarely warm.
Most of us can agree that losing weight can contribute to this as we have
lost our winter coat! No more insulation and it does take a while to get
used to...BUT you had surgery 2 years ago and what you are describing now
are vitamin deficiencies! The aching bones are probably a Vit D/Calcium
deficiency...and you need to get that checked... The cold is a common iron
deficiency complaint. It's time for labs to be certain...You can rid
yourself of these symtoms within a few weeks of taking a supplement if it's
vit defs!...but see a doc and get labs done on all you vit levels...REQUEST
all of them...because most likely if you are becoming low in one....others
follow! As for the coconut oil boosting your metabolism...I was off thyroid
meds for 4 years because of virgin coconut oil (Thyroid problems also have
coldness as being a symtom) Everyone thought I was half crazy for taking a
tsp of coconut oil daily...but guess what...when I stopped taking it
again...my thyroid went back outta whack and now I am on thyroid meds
again! So I am with the person who believes in the VIRGIN coconut oil as a
metabolism boost! I can say it worked for me for 4 years, until I stopped
taking it to cut calories. I think...no, I KNOW that was a big mistake to
stop taking it...
— .Anita R.
November 20, 2008
Ditto to all the other responses . . . I stay cold all the time (11 months
post-op). I chalk it up to no more insulation. I have a space heater
under my desk at work and a blanket on the couch for watching TV. Good
luck!
— KimDye120
November 20, 2008
YES 4 months post op, RNY. 94 pounds gone and freezing. I will take
freezing over the weight any day.
Thought it was just me. Thanks for the question
Tammi
— Tammi Sandoval
November 20, 2008
I'll take being cold (except for during those occasional "hot
flashes") and 120 pounds less any day! My RNY was 3/11/08.
— Kate L.
November 25, 2008
I can't believe it, I'm not crazy!! I used to be hot natured, but since my
RNY I am cold most of the time, I am so glad I'm not alone in this. I
think it's because we're losing our "insulation" (fat). LOL I
hope it changes soon, I live in Myrtle Beach and the winters are not bad,
but this year....I am so cold!. Hang in there. 302/282/257/134. WLS 10/13.
— jenks621
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