Low body temperature

This woman has had a low body temperature (ranging from 34.3 to 35.1 degrees C) for a couple of years. She was prescribed Thyroxine for a borderline thyroid problem and has been taking adrenal support (herbal), which has increased her energy levels, but her body temperature is still low. She has low blood sugar levels, and her acupuncturist says her heart is under stress although a standard ECG test showed nothing. What causes low body temperature? Could it be low blood sugar or heart problems or is there another underlying cause? One woman who also suffers from a low body temperature says her right heart chambers are enlarged, so her heart doesn’t function as well as it should. She suggests a 48-hour ECG, which will give a better picture; if your heart is struggling, it will have down time at night, which your cardiologist should pick up on. Mercury amalgam fillings may also be the cause. One reader’s body temperature did increase a little after having all 13 fillings changed for ceramic ones. She also visited a kinesiologist/osteopath who tested for all mineral/vitamin deficiencies and toxins, prescribing selenium cysteine (other forms of selenium are not easily absorbed) to raise body temperature. An alternative to selenium might be Armour, the natural porcine hormone. Like the majority of readers who responded, she was told that she was producing thyroxine but that the body was not able to process it (a low body temperature indicates low tri-iodothyronine intake or low conversion of thyroxine to tri-iodothyronine, which is associated with hypothyroidism and Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome, or WTS). As the NHS thyroid test uses blood plasma and her blood tests fell within the normal range, it appeared from the result that she did not have a thyroid problem. This happens all too often, with symptoms either ignored or – even worse – treated with drugs. One woman knows of several people taking Thyroxine who still display hypothyroid symptoms. If WTS is involved, repeated cycles of tri-iodothyronine will eventually return your temperature to normal. As the condition may be associated with “brain fog,” try ginkgo biloba, which also helps blood circulation. And don’t forget the necessity for moderate sunshine – try to get 5-15 minutes per day if possible. Also check to see if you have a negative reaction to soy products. One reader found that once the soy was out of her system, the thyroid pills did their job correctly and now she no longer has to take them. The other big improvement in her health came with monitoring her iodine levels. The soy seems to block the body from using iodine. If you do have a problem with soy, you will need to work fairly hard at eliminating it from your diet; there is soy in almost everything at the grocery store (even eggs contain soy because chickens are fed soy), and it takes about three months to get soy out of your system. However, checking your iodine level is as easy as buying a bottle of iodine and painting a large circle on the inner part of your arm. If it disappears, you need to be taking kelp supplements. Other natural thyroid remedies include astragalus (good for the adrenals), and ginger or capsaicin can help blood circulation. Regular moderate exercise (half an hour daily, with the heart rate raised) is certainly essential. Nutrition-wise, you might want to try Coenzyme-Q10, molybdenum, and alpha lipoic acid. Acupuncture can also help with low body temperature, as it balances out the body, removing any blockages.