Could a thyroid disorder be causing my rigorous chills?

[cmpsnp]

I am a 38 year old female (partial hysterectomy 7 years ago).  For 12 years, I have had chronic, miserable rigorous chills, where I feel freezing, that come on my at random times, which is always related to me being cold immediately before the chills, when other people are not cold.  I feel unusually cold most of the time, and have to dress warm.  Usually, when I get the chills, or feel cold, my body temperature is elevated, around 99.5-101.  But, sometimes, when I check my temperature and it is low; 96 or less.  When my temperature is elevated, my bed becomes soaking wet with sweat.  My tests were as follows:  Thyroglobulin AB= 20 (ref 0-2-IU.mL), thyroid peroxidase AB =10 (REF 0-35. IU/mL), Free T4 .9 ng/dL (Ref .8-1.8), cortisol am 11.3 (Ref 4.0-22 mcg/dL), T3 free 284 (Ref 230-420pg/dL), TSH, ultrasensitive 1.04 (Ref .4-4.5), LH 2.1, FSH 3.5.  Because doctors don't know what's causing my chills, many of them treat me like I am a hypochondriac.  

Do you have any ideas about what could be causing my rigorous chills, and/or what other tests I should have taken, or which direction I should take?

[Rite760]

Hi, I'm 43 years old and I live in the UK, so that is half the problem I encounter as our doctors here seem useless compared to yours in the USA. Yes I do have night sweats which are worse when I stop HRT. But I'm back on it now and haven't had any until the last 2 nights. I used to get hot flushes and cold flushes too, which is why they are not sure if it's meno related or thyroid. But now I'm mainly cold with just severe cold flushes now and my TSH has started to become elevated so it looks as though I'm going hypothyroid. I'm also being investigated for a Pheocromocytoma which is basically a rare adrenal tumour which causes the same symptoms. I hope to God it doesn't turn out to be that, because I have a 10 yr old daughter and I just have to be here for her. That is my main concern. It's terryfing me just thinking about it, if it turns out to be a tumour. I was reading some of the posts yesterday from these poor ladies who have got cancer and it makes me feel ashamed that I'm so worried before I even find out. Anyway, thanks for your information, I will look it up. Ta

[cmpsnp]

I think I may be on to something.  Check out Shapiro's Syndrome, discovered in the 1960s, by Dr. Shapiro, who I believe was an endocrinologist.  It is a very rare malformation or absence of part of the brain, called the corpus callosum.  It can be seen on an MRI and causes spontaneous chills, profuse sweating and up and down temperatures.  There is no know helpful treatment, unfortunately, but I would love to att least know what's wrong with me so people don't treat me like I am nuts.  

[cmpsnp]

I feel bad for you, but it's good to know I'm not the only one who has this problem.  The last time I went to the doctor for help, a endocrinologist, he flat out told me I was trying to convince myself something was wrong with me, when there wasn't anything wrong.  He said, "You are an attractive woman, but your mind is warped."  I left there crying and discouraged.  

There is a chiropractic doctor in Colorado that I want to try, when I get a little extra money in my account.  You have to give your credit card number, and you are charged with each phone consult, $4 something per hour.  You may want to look on his website: www.fibromyalgiaresearch.org/solved/.  His name is Dr. Lowe.  Do you have any of the firbromyalgia symptoms?  My mom has fibromyalgia, and I was told I have it years ago.  Some doctors don't believe in it.

Have you ever checked your temperature?  Is yours high and low and do you have night sweats?  How old are you?  I was recently told to go to a neurologist, which I am going to try next.  Please let me know if you find any hope anywhere and I will do the same.  May I ask where you live?  I live in Henderson Nevada.

[Rite760]

Hi! I've just posted a comment to another lady who is experiencing similiar symptoms to you and myself. I am suffering a premature menopause and thyroid symptoms but I am experiencing a lot of problems getting decent diagnosis and treatment. I'm also new here so I may not be a lot of use, but I get those chills you are talking about in exactly the same way. They start off as feeling generally really cold and then develop into waves of freezing chills. The trouble is that symptoms of menopause and thyroid are so closely linked that it's hard to decipher the culprit. And my doctor is also treating me as though I'm a head case, or depressed, when I just know I'm not! However, having had help from Stella and the girls here, I truly believe the symptoms are more related to the thyroid, no matter what your lab results show.