I find with copd I am extremely cold at times especially my feet and take ages to heat up, is this common as it is very irritating.
Hello Bill
I would say this can be a common happening with COPD, as it is with some other diseases.
I use one of those warming bags you put into the microwave oven to preheat my bed, where my feet go, and it helps.
There are also some 'warming' lotions/rubs that a person can buy that warm the area as well...I think those would be great.
Decreased oxygen or 'over breathing' as well as decreased circulation would cause the peripherys of the body to be colder.
Lill
Hi Bill:
Are you thin? I am and also get very cold, not just my feet. I just put on an
extra pair of socks and that really seems to help. As Lill says cold feet, hands,
ie. extremeties can get cold due to poor circulation. I always say as long as I'm
upright and still warm there is hope!
Terri (Canada)
That's not my experience with COPD: it sounds like a circulatory problem which may or may not have anything to do with COPD but I'd be checking with your gp if I were you.
What level of lung function& oxygen saturation do you have? I ask because it'd seem logical to me that the less oxygen is getting into your body the worse your circulation could be.
I'm fat and suffer this tho it's much worse in rt foot, now foot and shin and rt fingers. I gotta have my socks on, and my flannel PhD, and only flannel sheets from at least November on (I live in central tx, tee hee, or this might be yr round). I sleep on an airbed so I can't use anything from the microwave or an electric blanket. And yes, I often use 2 pairs of socks, plus a cute German Shorthair to help heat up the air on that airbed before I climb in.
At a certain.point everyone I've known with COPD suffers this. It's my understanding (misunderstanding possible lol) that lack of oxygen decreases circulatory function. Whatever, if you've got cold feet, get some warm slippers and buy extra.socks for bed.
It's The New Sexy: who cares about negligees and nude when you've got flannel on flannel, socks and gloves or mittens for the bedroom? I know people w/o our disease.who sleep in sweatsuits in San Diego. Days may be warm but we gotta deal, one way or another.
I loved your post aitarg35939 !
LOL
Lill
Like it. Try living in Canada and dealing with being cold in the winter. Although I'm on the west coast so don't really have to deal with the sub zero temps. a whole lot. Usually around freezing or just below for most of the winter. That's how "I deal". (extra socks and bed linens). Breathe easy.
Yeah, Terri, my best friend has lived in Montreal fordecades. She was shocked to her core several yrs ago when I told her it some times took wks. to warm up my rtf toes. She is always willing to fly me up for a few wks she pays, but despite my love of the Laurentians in snow (they have a cabin), I only accept spring and summer trips -, not enough flannel down whatever to keep my tootsies warm in the sun porch where I sleep there since I can't climb stairs to bedrooms on 2 and 3,. Summers up there are great for me tho.
You have my flannel-wrapped empathy.
My eyes are bleary don'r know what rtf is meant rt for right
Forgive any other typos
I'd be really interested to know if all you people with the cold feet etc problems have low lung function percentages & low oxygen percentages: I don't have this problem even though in winter it's fairly cold in the mountains were I live in Victoria, so I'm wondering if this is something which happens in later stages of COPD? Is this something everyone experiences or only those with low oxygen concentration levels?
My lung function last year was 70%, unchanged from when first diagnosed: I'm having another spirometry later this week to check if it's still at that plateau level or has decreased. I can't remember the oxygen figures, but I know the practice nurse said they were fine.
Oh Aitarg: I feel your pain re only being able to accept spring and summer visits to that gorgeous area of Canada. I have turned down many requests for winter stays, ie. Christmas in particular, from my family, in Saskatchewan, where temps. can daily get to 40 below zero at times. Not for me. Sorry Mom, et al. x
Hey Jude: I have always had cold extremeties, for as far back as I can remember, long before the diagnosis of COPD. Just gathering research or what Jude? Breathe easy. x
Jude
My toes have been cold as long as Ive had toes.. They havent gotten colder since I got COPD. Infact I tolerate the cold better after living a colder climate for several years. Please forgive my silliness.. maybe Ive been overseas too long.. Where is Victoria??
Hi Jude
I avoid those tests like the plague as getting them done means a hefty bill from creeps I can't stand and won't see, i.e., pulmos. But I got the cold toes long after my first diagnosis, or at worst they got so cold that I couldn't warm them up just with friction, warmed sheets, etc.
For me the most pathetic thing is that I need to boil a few cups of water to heat the floor of the tub for a shower
Australia!
Not gathering research, merely asking for more clarity and I do breathe easy, thank you.
I've only seen a pulmonary specialist once, to confirm my gp's diagnosis. I'm quite happy with the treatment I've been getting from my gp and his practice nurse, who does both those tests (and others) free, and am very grateful to live under Australia's (not perfect, but fairly good) public health system on government benefits.
I haven't had lung function or oxygen saturation tests since last year and am having both later this week just to check how I'm doing because I want to know if the management methods I'm using for my COPD have maintained the plateau level indicated by the last tests a year ago.
This thread is the first I've heard of COPD patients having such bad circulation in their feet and I'm wondering if this is because the COPDers I'm in contact with have almost all attended rehab groups or if not, exercise and walk daily. Just a thought .......
Hi Jude
The only correlation between exercise and my cold feet is that I pay extra attention to which socks and shoes I'm going to wear if exercise will be outdoors instead of at home. If I'm taking my dog to one particular park I dress even more carefully as that one's quite windy.
That sounds wise, but I was really thinking of specific foot exercises to improve circulation. I find if I don't do mine for a couple of days I'm much more likely to get cramps and/or swollen ankles from fluid retention.
I assumed Australia. I lived in Sale and Perth for several years. Your right.. the medical isnt brilliant but its pretty good and the system is amazing though I struggled to sort out what was paid by who. Thank God for Bulk billing!!
Anyway, I work out daily for at least 45 min and my FEV1 is 83% and the ratio is 68% and my FEF25 - 75 is 38% O2 sats are 97% and my feet stay cold all winter and thaw out in the Spring. I would be interested to know if the people with cold feet are the ones still smoking. I just quit 4 mos ago and i do seem to handle the cold better overall now. I dont have a PR here in Beijing. They told me my COPD had not progressed enough to warrent PR when I return to the USA. I just look it up online and see what I can do to try and ensure I dont progress enough to warrent it! Not sure I understand my US Pulm Drs Logic!