Dealing With Winter

lindsay · Nov 9, 2014

What do you do? In the one week since daylight savings time decided to mess with my internal clock, I have felt a quick return of hypo symptoms, despite being on one grain of Cynoplus. I'm determined to not up my dosage this winter, but I was so cold last night, I went to bed wearing a hat and socks. And I had to take a bath around 6:30 to warm me up because I just couldn't tolerate the cold (I live in the Northeast USA).

So how do you all cope with the winter blues? Of course there is light therapy, but what else? I'm going to have to work on my light therapy setup, and I'm pretty sure I will be doubling my daily espresso intake, but I'm not sure what else I can do to not resort to more thyroid. I don't want to go that route.....

However, if you've discovered any other over-the-counter thyroid like substances (Vitamin E?), I'm open to suggestions.....

Zachs · Nov 9, 2014

I hear ya, im from northern MN and we just got our first snow last night.

In your situation you might just have to suck it up and take more thyroid because you sound like you have pretty severe hypo.

Can you move? That would be my first option, move somewhere warmer. My family is working on that but it wont be this winter.

Otherwise tanning beds can help, always eat warm foods, high starch foods and saturated fat help me feel warm. Usually a warm soup on sweet potatoes, rice noodles and a tbs of coconut oil or something.

Other than that, just keep working on your health. Keep stress low, endotoxin low, food quantity and quality high, etc. good luck!

jyb · Nov 9, 2014

I find that a single 300W incandescent is absolutely not a replacement to sun, in terms of brightness. I say this because often I let the bulb shine on my face for a while before stepping outside. In winter with the sun out, I feel my eyes adjusting to the brightness while stepping outside. I think this suggests that the body was still largly in the dark: the bulb was insufficient.

I think this suggests that a single incandescent is not sufficient at all. It's probably much better than nothing though.

Zachs · Nov 9, 2014

Oh and sodium, lots of salt in everything keeps me real warm. I think mineral loss contributes heavily to that cold feeling so much sure you keep it high especially if you are drinking a lot of cold fluids.

lindsay · Nov 9, 2014

Zachs said:
I hear ya, im from northern MN and we just got our first snow last night.

In your situation you might just have to suck it up and take more thyroid because you sound like you have pretty severe hypo.

Can you move? That would be my first option, move somewhere warmer. My family is working on that but it wont be this winter.

Otherwise tanning beds can help, always eat warm foods, high starch foods and saturated fat help me feel warm. Usually a warm soup on sweet potatoes, rice noodles and a tbs of coconut oil or something.

Other than that, just keep working on your health. Keep stress low, endotoxin low, food quantity and quality high, etc. good luck!

MN? Yikes! You have it way worse. I'm only in Connecticut, but last winter was TERRIBLE. We were renting a basement apartment temporarily and it was so depressing. Now we have an apartment with lots of great natural light, but when it's overcast and rainy, I feel like I can't get through the day. Fortunately, when the snow comes, the light reflection is welcome.

But yeah - I don't know what's up. My thyroid problems more or less dictate my endocrine (or maybe vise versa) and despite my health history (gallbladder disease, ovarian failure, amenorrhea, low B12), doctors won't treat me because my TSH wasn't high enough to warrant treatment.

Anyhow, I don't have the option to move at the time. And in the past, I've never minded winter (I grew up in Maine & spent a year abroad in Russia, where the lack of daylight had me sleeping 12 hours most days). But now I feel it's horrid presence. The coldness is manageable, but the joint pain and estrogen dominance is not super fun.

But yes I hear you - fats and starch are important. And soup - pretty much my favorite thing ever. I just made some yesterday - Pacific makes a new organic chicken bone broth (without the fat)!! So much easier than spending all day making it myself!!

loess · Nov 9, 2014

Word. I'm feeling the change too. I already put a lot of effort toward getting out and into the sunlight since the house I'm living in right now is in a heavily wooded area without much natural light peeking through, but the window of opportunity to get enough sun every day is quickly dwindling. I am leaving for warmer and sunnier places after the holidays, so until then I will manage as best I can with the two 300-watt incandescents I have and I'll have to try a tanning bed, I've never done that before but it sounds like a good addition.

I wish there was sort of clothing material available that kept you warm in extremely cold temperatures, but let in the full spectrum of light from the sun. I bet NASA or somebody has already figured it out...

Kenobi · Nov 9, 2014

A tanning bed is a terrible idea. UV is between x-rays and blue light on the spectrum...not good. As for winter depression, I never noticed anything. Summer feels depressing for me because I feel like I should be mating, but I never did, and I rarely feel compatible with anyone.

And although I think I have hypothyroidism, thyroid doesn't seem to do much for me. Nothing else seems to improve my symptoms much either. I think it improves my sex drive, but no improvement in energy. On the other hand, tianeptine works great for me.

I'm here in Denver with lots of sun and high altitude. Makes no difference. Still feel melancholy and have no energy without tianeptine. Could be a serotonin issue, but sunlight, high altitude, and thyroid and other supplements antagonize serotonin and they don't work for me. I tried pretty much everything, curious what else I could try.

Zachs · Nov 9, 2014

Tanning beds are nice just for the warm sun feeling you get.

Kenobi · Nov 9, 2014

Why not take a bath in epsom salts? Or sign up for red light therapy? This is silly, increasing your risk of skin cancer and being less healthy just to experience a "warm sun feeling".

loess · Nov 9, 2014

Kenobi said:
A tanning bed is a terrible idea. UV is between x-rays and blue light on the spectrum...not good.

Right, I forgot tanning beds isolate the UV spectrum and you don't get any of the other colors. Here is what Ray said in this Herb Doctors interview:

Ray Peat said:
"So a tanning bed would be just pure ultraviolet with no beneficial [sic], and therefore harmful? Correct me."

Ray Peat: "Well, yeah, basically you're getting your vitamin D, but without the protective red and orange light, you're gonna have a slight immune suppressive effect, because as your red blood cells run through your skin, they are subject to a slight sunburn themselves. so, until you get so tan that your white [sic] blood cells aren't exposed to ultraviolet, it's better to get your suntan in the real sunlight."

Dutchie · Nov 9, 2014

OMG Yes! I too have noticed negative effects the last couple of weeks,especially on greyish days. My bowelmovements become less&slow motillity,which ofcourse creates estrogen dominant symptoms which in turn makes for food sensitievities etc.

Just like you it seems to be keep on messing up my endocrine system. I usually have about a week every few weeks,where things seem to go well (less waterretention,less of a bloated belly,libido kicking in,feeling more confident,stronger,more energetic,better bowelmovement etc.)
I have no idea how to tackle it. The constant bloated belly and/or watery lower belly pouch is driving me crazy! I want to be able to wear my more formfitting female clothes again! (And before people start,the carrot and other supplements have no influence on it.)

tara · Nov 9, 2014

This last winter I started to realise how cold-blooded I've become. I haven't got this sorted.

If you are not already doing it, electric blanket turned on an hour or two before bed (and switched off when you get in makes a difference to me. Sheepskin underlay. Can be combined. Getting out in what sunshine exists in winter helps. Really strong extra lighting. I found 1000 Watts a little over a meter from bare shoulders felt great and made a difference, but couldn't do it as often as I wanted. I used halogen, but incandescent would be better.

loess said:
I wish there was sort of clothing material available that kept you warm in extremely cold temperatures, but let in the full spectrum of light from the sun. I bet NASA or somebody has already figured it out...

Great idea. I bet there'd be a market for it. I'm often having to choose between sun on the skin or warmth.

BingDing · Nov 9, 2014

I'm waiting for someone to come out with pjs with red LEDs inside, soft LEDs.

lindsay · Nov 9, 2014

Dutchie said:
OMG Yes! I too have noticed negative effects the last couple of weeks,especially on greyish days. My bowelmovements become less&slow motillity,which ofcourse creates estrogen dominant symptoms which in turn makes for food sensitievities etc.

Just like you it seems to be keep on messing up my endocrine system. I usually have about a week every few weeks,where things seem to go well (less waterretention,less of a bloated belly,libido kicking in,feeling more confident,stronger,more energetic,better bowelmovement etc.)
I have no idea how to tackle it. The constant bloated belly and/or watery lower belly pouch is driving me crazy! I want to be able to wear my more formfitting female clothes again! (And before people start,the carrot and other supplements have no influence on it.)

I totally feel you on this one - I think that's why I am so bothered by it most of all. The sluggish bowel movements create a cascade of hormonal annoyance. And the carrot didn't work great for me either - but I think the bamboo shoots do. I had them earlier this week and felt great the next day. Worked all morning into the afternoon and still had energy enough to go for a walk! They go great in thai curry with some coconut milk, so that's also a plus!

lindsay · Nov 9, 2014

Kenobi said:
Why not take a bath in epsom salts? Or sign up for red light therapy? This is silly, increasing your risk of skin cancer and being less healthy just to experience a "warm sun feeling".

I did this yesterday and it helped until my actual bedtime - then I got real cold. But really - the cold is manageable, it's everything else that's bothersome. The EXTREME tiredness, reduced peristalsis, estrogen dominance, etc. And joint pain - hate that one.

Fortunately, I just realized I am heading to Florida for a couple days next week to visit my friend. But I will still have to come back to the cold weather and snow

marcar72 · Nov 9, 2014

lindsay said:
The EXTREME tiredness, reduced peristalsis, estrogen dominance, etc. And joint pain - hate that one.

Why don't you do some research on Google about protein deficiency? You just might be suprised... :2cents

HDD · Nov 9, 2014

Mittir said:
I was feeling cold all day and i just took 10 mg of B1 and B6 and some coconut oil.
(Earlier tried only coconut oil and did not feel much.) In half an hour i am feeling warm now.
I usually avoid vitamin B supplements , it gives me strange headache. But, in past B1 always warmed me up. You can try small amount of B1 and B6 to see how you feel.

This was from a previous post I did about pain and the need to increase thyroid. I haven't tried it but thought I might since I am having the pain again.

arinryan · Nov 10, 2014

10 mg of B6 a day has been pretty helpful to me. I started it after reading that it can increase progesterone naturally. I think its working better for me than progest-e. However...my real advice would be...
moving. (I left Boston after living there for 7 years) The logistics of moving are nothing compared to the effort of putting up with life in a place you don't want to be. Even if it costs money, or a job.

Its your daily surroundings in your one and only life. Move to a place you enjoy, don't live in a place you just put up with.

marcar72 · Nov 10, 2014

It makes no sense to keep trying MICRO solutions for a MACRO problem.

Lindsay has stated she struggles to get 60 g of protein a day AND she's supplementing thyroid. Ray Peat suggests 80 g of protein a day for hypothyroid people BEFORE they even think about trying thyroid supplementation. Supplementing thyroid is only gonna raise the bare minimum requirement of 80 g of protein a day even HIGHER.

But what the hell do I know, right? Well maybe I had been really struggling with some serious health issues pretty much all summer and tried upping this and upping that. (micronutrients) What I've come to realize most recently is that I was probably protein deficient even when getting 100 to 125 g of protein a day.

It takes protein (macronutrient) to escort a lot of micronutrients around the body. That's why my upping zinc, then vitamin A, then iron... along with B Complex and Magnesium didn't really resolve the issue.

Now that I'm getting 150 g of protein a day or better, I am most definately feeling a whole lot better. (knocks on wood) :2cents

Dutchie · Nov 10, 2014

lindsay said:
I totally feel you on this one - I think that's why I am so bothered by it most of all. The sluggish bowel movements create a cascade of hormonal annoyance. And the carrot didn't work great for me either - but I think the bamboo shoots do. I had them earlier this week and felt great the next day. Worked all morning into the afternoon and still had energy enough to go for a walk! They go great in thai curry with some coconut milk, so that's also a plus!

I've tried bamboo shoots in a stirfry a couple of times,but they didn't seem to do me any favors. I think they're too starchy for me. Starchy foods seem to slow my bowelmovements.

I think Marcar72 is rigth about the protein(deficiency)....Metabolic processes seem to drop when I don't get at least 150grams of protein. There are certain periods where I go more towards 200grams. (even though I don't track or like tracking,but from counting what I roughly eat in a day).
I agree that it's certainly challenging,also financially,to get in that much protein daily. Sometimes,it feels like I'm only constructing meals around the fact of how much protein I can cramp into it.
(I've heard a theory once that sick people need a lot more protein,though the Lyme should be gone for about 2 years now,I wonder if having had it for 10+ years is still a factor in this.....)

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Dealing With Winter

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