Hi All

Something I've notice recently on this second time around, and goes back to something I experienced the first time with radiation/chemo. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this, or can clue me in on what's going on.

Seems last fall I was getting cold easily, and now air conditioning sends me searching for the long sleeve shirts. Now in this part of the world they tend to run the air con full force, electricity is still cheap. But my wife will complain she's burning up and I'm comfortable. Temps have been in the mid to high 80's and I'just as comfortable without the aircon.

Also noticing the old getting dizzy when I get up from sitting etc again, that just started a few days ago. Maybe all related, is my blood thinning out again because of the radiation maybe?

Any one else notice this as the weather (at least in some parts of the U.S.) gets warmer?

Bob

Hi Bob,

I carry a sweater with me almost everywhere...and living in Texas I do get some funny looks. Seems as if it comes and goes though. But was worse while I was undergoing radiation. I have had my thyroid checked twice and that is not a problem, yet.

I've gotten dizzy if I rise too quickly most of my life and have found that's a sign of low blood pressure. (last time they put me in the hospital one of the jokes was my blood pressure being 80 over nothing) Funny, huh!!! Since being on chemo the dizzies happen more often and just last week found out that dizzy and weakness was a sign of low platelet counts.

I'm sorry I don't remember if you are undergoing chemo this round or not??? But you might feel more comfortable if you ask to have your thyroid checked.

Take care,
Dinah

I had both these symptoms.

Temprature sensitivity is one of the many symptoms of thyroid problems. Try taking your temp. in the morning before you get out of bed. If it is lower than 98 deg. then you need to get tested. Thyroid problems are pretty common in neck radiation cases.

The dizzy feeling is also a possible symptom of thyroid although I think it is related to the radical neck dissection and possibly being a bit out of shape. (as in) the effects of being less active as a result of the treatment/recovery process. The fact that many of us feel swelling in the neck means that the blood flow up to the brain may be a little restricted.

I too have a sweater with me most of the time here in Southern California, the land of T-shirts and shorts. For sure I have less fat and less lean body mass than I did before all this started, and that is an influencing factor. My thyroid still test out Ok still, but at some time in the future as a result of all the radiation, it will likely become somewhat incompetent. I have recurrent problems with APV (acute positional vertigo) that they have relegated to the world of radiation damage since they can find no other causative factors. But Mark has answered one of my wife

Ahh-something I do know a little about. When somenone is cold all the time and others are not, it is usually because they are anemic (low iron in blood). Here is something you can try that should have you warming up in no time. Go to your nutrition store or local supermarket in the dietary supplement section (I know my supermarket has one) and buy over-the-counter iron supplements. Take as directed and in a week or so, you should notice a big difference. You could also go to your doctors to get a CBC and iron levels checked to see your blood count. Funny how bodies react to such a minor change, but it is very possible that this is what is wrong. Best of luck to you!
Desiree'

Ah, the old blood flow to the brain excuse!!!

I'm probably dealing with a little bit of everything. Definatly there's "less of me to love" as my weight has gone down. Managing to not loose so much this go around on radiation, and since I stopped the chemo my appetite has come back even if the saliva hasn't.

When they were taking my blood pressure while I was doing chemo it was normal, at rest I know it can go down as low as 98/60 sometimes. Heart rate at rest something like 65. So low blood pressure probably a factor again.

As for the being cold business, sounds like this is a fairly normal happening. Will talk to the oncologist about checking thyroid, etc, just in case.

Low blood supply to the brain? Some would claim I've had that all my life, what else is new!

In my own case this was explored because I was feeling fatigued all the time, not that I was cold, and I found that I am not anemic, my blood work is as normal as can be, and I do not have a thyroid or iron deficiency. Iron Deficiency Anemia (also called IDA) is a condition where a person has inadequate amounts of iron to meet body demands. It is a decrease in the amount of red cells in the blood caused by having too little iron. IDA is usually caused by a diet insufficient in iron or from blood loss. Blood loss can be acute as in hemorrhage or trauma or long term as in heavy menstruation. Iron is part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of the blood. Iron-deficient people tire easily because their bodies are starved for oxygen. Iron is also part of myoglobin. Myoglobin helps muscle cells store oxygen. Without enough iron, the body's fuel cannot be properly synthesized. The main causes of iron deficiency are: poor absorption of iron by the body (Vitamin C aides in iron absorption), inadequate daily intake of iron, pregnancy, growth spurts or blood loss due to heavy periods or internal bleeding. Note that anemia after surgery should be very temporary and it is often used as an indicator that something is amiss within days of a surgical procedure.

Anemia develops slowly after the normal stores of iron have been depleted in the body and in the bone marrow. Women, in general, have smaller stores of iron than men. Women also loose iron more frequently than men because of the blood loss during menstruation.

In men and postmenopausal women, anemia may be due to gastrointestinal blood loss associated with ulcers, the use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS), or colon cancer. There are many symptoms of anemia. Each individual will not experience all the symptoms and if the anemia is mild, the symptoms may not be noticible. Some of the symptoms are: Pale skin color, fatigue, irritability, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, sore tongue, brittle nails, decreased appetite (especially in children), headache (frontal), blue tinge to sclerae (whites of eyes), and unusual food cravings (called pica). The inability to stay warm is not normally a symptom of anemia. Those that are hospitalized may, because of treatments or blood loss during treatments, develop short term anemia, and during that period of time, it may appear to be a contributing factor to a patients ability to feel warm. This blood loss anemia is not something that should occur in the normal population of survivors well out from all types of treatments. It may occur in those patients who still have blood issues related to surgical interventions, radiation, or chemotherapy, but not for those of us that are distant from these events.

While small suplimentations of iron will not hurt someone who is not iron deficient, too much of it can cause harm. Excess iron is toxic, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and damage to the intestine. Iron may accumulate in the body when a person is given iron therapy in excessive amounts or for too long, receives repeated blood transfusions, or has chronic alcoholism.

In case some of you with over active humor muscles misread my post , I was serious about the restricted blood flow. My right side carotid artery has now got to pass through a battlefield of sinew and connective tissues that have become tight and built up. I assume because they are doing the work that the sternocleidomastoid {love that word} used to do. I am quite sure that flow through that artery is no longer laminar. Then of course the return path is also smaller as the jugular vein has been removed. I know just enough about physics and hydraulics to believe this has some effect that is different from the way it used to be BC (before cancer as opposed to AD after diagnosis)

To give you a more vivid idea of what I mean, When we were in junior high several kids found out how to make themselves pass out by hyperventilating and then squeezing their necks. They would "white out and drop" they would be out for several seconds and it didn't take much pressure on the neck to make it happen.

I would like to know if there is an easy way to test blood pressure in the head. (don't even think of the pressure cuff turtle neck jokes)
It would be interesting to know if there is a difference and if so does that help to explain the various things we seem to feel and experience. (like headaches, light headed, ringing ears, etc.)

Mark, wasn't trying to make light of the blood flow to the brain comment. Actually, with the pressure in the neck muscles I've compained about in other areas of the forum I've wondered if it could cause to restricted blood flow, or flow of other fluids, causing either a backup of fluids in the brain (I think it's called hydrocephalus) or the restricted blood flow. I dont' think I'm having symptoms of either.

Mostly just he cold and the dizzyzess whe standing from sittin position. No major fatige or headaches at this point. But, Brian, your notes about the subject of anemia were very good, helpfull to a lot of people.
Bob

Sorry Mark, I really wasn't disagreeing with the blood flow comment. Especially because of all the side effects of rad and chemo the lack of being on top of my game mentally is the most frustrating.

I try to make light of it and my husband bears with me, but I worry about my work constantly.

So - please accept my comment for the attempt at humor it was.

Take care,
Dinah

Mark, I think we all know and understand that alterations in the blood flow to the brain are a reality for many who have undergone radical neck dissections, and all these comments, mine included, were just an opportunity to try to lighten things up a little. The issue of thoracic outlet syndrome, and other vascular related restrictions to cervical blood flow, take up a whole chapter in my head and neck surgery text. They are indeed a reality. Obviously the issues attached to this leave us all with a variety of compromises in our lives depending on how severe and extensive our surgical intervention was. Vertigo is the most common, but even things as remote as blurred vision and nausea can be related to this issue.

Gosh folks there seems to be a lot of guilty feelings out there. :p

I am sorry that my reply came across as unhappy (on my part). I too have an in/appropriate sense of humor and a pretty thick skin so I did not feel any of you were picking on me at all. I clarified my point for those whom jump in in the middle (new people) just so they didn't think my comment was intended as humor or to set up the joke for you. (I can be the straight man if any of you want to hit the road with an act).

My mistake for imagining that you guys had not covered the subject well before I got here! Pretty big ego I guess (runs in the family).

Cheers

P.S. Hydrocephalus is caused by excessive cerebrospinal fluid not blood or lymph so I wouldn't believe that either radiation or neck surgery would cause that.

Ah the joys of the written word... without the ability to "read" the facial expressions, the tonal nuances, the look in the eyes of the speaker, we are left with bare words, black and white on a flat uni-dementional page...often with plenty of room for misinterpretation. While there are plenty who have come here wearing a thin skin, I don't think the Mark nor I fall into this category...