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Home / Ask the Expert / Hypothyroidism and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hypothyroidism and Rheumatoid Arthritis

October 3, 2007 By Arthritis Center

Question

I have had RA since 1967.  When I eat a meal, immediately afterward I get cold.  I can recall that as a child, after I ate I would frequently go outside and sit in the sun to get warm.  I also find that I frequently get cold and it seems it is from the inside, and the only thing that will warm me up is soaking in a hot bath.  Is this from the arthritis, or something else?

Answer

The symptom you describe is not commonly reported by RA patients, so it is difficult to ascribe directly to your RA.  Hypothyroidism, which can lead to symptoms of coldness, is more prevalent in RA than in the general population.  Thus, you primary care provider may wish to test for this with a simple blood test.

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