dreading winter

A wheat bag that heats up quickly in the microwave is a good alternative to a hot water bottle and somehow seems less "ageing". It also avoids the risk of tipping hot water all over your hand when filling a bottle – but, then perhaps you are not as clumsy as I am.

I do like your dining room fireplace, Purple

I sympathise, rojon, as I have similar problems. It definitely helps to have the focal point of a fireplace. I'm all electric here, so bought a free standing fire surround and an electric coal effect fire to go in it. All for £22 at my local auction house! I live in a mobile home and they are hard to heat, so I dread the winter too, but the glow of the electric coals does help, and also blankets, throws, and hot water bottles. Lots of luck to you, I hope you find a way of keeping warm this coming winter.

I have an electric heat pad which you can put on your lap/round your back or wherever at times when you are sitting down. It is cheap to run and great success.

Another thought is that you are warmer in layers of clothing rather than one big garment, as you trap warm air between the layers. Silk is a good insulator even though it is so thin - I have long-sleeved silk vests and long silk pants for when it is really cold. And very elegant I look too!

In the short term do try a hot water bottle when you're watching telly, or reading. I have one most nights as my feet are icy, despite thyroxine. And then you can invest in one of the above heating suggestions if that doesn't work. It can be really miserable feeling cold but to be honest I find coping with heatwaves far worse. Ok, no problems there at the moment. Good luck with a warmer winter for you

I too feel the cold dreadfully (probably a feature of my Lupus) so we moved to a modern house with good insulation but during he winter I still often feel cold when sitting down. We have a feature fireplace (no chimney) and it is comforting. We recently priced a gas fire on the outside wall and it was prohibitively expensive (£1500) plus they do cost quite a bit to run. I dread the winter to but I have recently signed up to the gym and a Zumba Gold class in the hope of boosting my circulation. Each year I promise myself to wear more clothes and certainly something on my feet which I don't usually do but I will this year and get those sheepskin slippers out. One of my faults is that I don't like doors shut but it does make the rooms warmer if you do so I will try to overcome this too. We expect a big fuel bill but DH is very good at keeping on top of the offers and switching regularly- the cost is sort of offset as we socialise less in the winter and use far less petrol. I'm sorry for anyone who feels the cold and finds fuel bills hard to finance.

I also think a fireplace with a fire makes you feel warmer. We are lucky to have a chimney and a gas fire, but if not, I think I would go for an electric fire in a fireplace.

Even if you have central heating the separate fire in your living room it allows you to top heating on days when you do not need the CH on all the time.

I also think very open plan houses are bad for fuel economy. There is always more of a draught problem when the air circulates by the normal convection currents. As in my sons freezing house.

As my dad used to say "Put the wood in the Hole."

Can I second rascal's suggestion. Go to you doctor and tell him/her how you feel. A quick blood test will tell them if this (hypothyroidism) is a problem for you and, to me, Thyroxine is a bit of a wonder.

I have the exact same problems as you rojon.
But we do have an open fire, and adequate heating, though our windows are a little draughty.
I feel cold if the temperature is below 22 degrees. I dont struggle with the cold when out either.
I wear all sorts of things in bed to keep warm. My head suffers the worst.
My worst, is when I have been inactive.
But even having an active day, just means that when I go to bed, instead of being cold after 5 minutes, I am cold after 10 minutes.

My husband says it is my body temperature that is at fault in some way, not the temperature I am living with. I too have some hot flushes, but I am a lot younger than you.

I dont know the answer for you. I hope someone comes along here who does.

You can get open-flame gas fires that are flue-less and don't need a chimney.

Something like these

fires

Have you investigated having the type of fire you would really like to have? If the wall you would use is an outside wall it may be possible to have whichever type of fire you want. Here in France many people put log bunkers in room with no chimney - a hole is made in an outside wall and the chimney is fixed to the outside of the house. There may be a few issues to resolve but it may just be worth looking into and finding out costs and if you need any sort of permission. We have radiators and a wood burner which is lit about October time and stays in most of the time till March. We use the CH very little as the woodburner keeps the house nice and warm.

Here it is I hope

I know it sounds naff, but I bought an electric log burner style fire to warm up the end of our dining room furthest from the radiator. You can run it with the fan heater or with just the flame effect and makes things seem cosier. The very expensive ones even have steam effects making "smoke" and you can buy a pretend chimney bit! Worth a look! It's horrid feeling cold.

Feeling cold is miserable. I must say though that if I go out for a really good walk, it seems to kick start my central heating and I am warm all morning, but gradually cool down in the afternoon.

There are some lovely electric fires these days, so if you feel the lack of one then go for it. Worth checking your thermometer is correct as bags suggests too.

If I get cold I just fill a hot water bottle and hug that. I know it sounds very Old Ladyish but who cares if it works?

We've lived in two draughty old Victorian houses and in the winter we bought Halogen heaters.

They are portable and safe, they turn off if knocked and they cast a lovely warm glow in the room as well as providing extra heat.

Maybe the thermometer is wrong: either the room thermom or your internal body one.

Think a room without a fireplace is soulless. Put a surround in and an electric fire, keep the flame on when your sitting watching TV etc. and those onesie things, my friends swear by them, I cannot bring myself to wear one, but if I was cold despite what the thermometer says I would have one.

Strange thing, feeling cold. My Age UK Thermometer [I got them from work] tells me it's 24 degrees in here at the moment but I'm bloomin' freezing...probably because it's dark [well, it is past midnight]and raining.

Have you had your Thyroid checked as feeling very cold is a symptom I take Thyroxine for that very reason.

A 10 year old house should have adequate insulation, but of course I don't know if it is N facing, gets any sun or is in an exposed location.
Warm clothes, keeping active, hot soups, a warm throw for evenings, a hotty or an electric blanket are all strategies. It may be possible to have a gas fire against an outside wall, not needing a chimney.
Have you got circulation problems perhaps? Or do you feel the cold for medical reasons?
Getting out in the fresh air, well wrapped up will always make you feel more positive and get your circulation going, rather than sitting over a fire though.

Oh PLEASE don't talk about winter......yet.

I think a fake fireplace and electric fire (especially one with fake flames!) would probably help you feel warmer, rojon. I know they're expensive to run, but even just the flame effect can help psychologically.

A living room heated solely by radiators can seem a bit soulless somehow...