Is Your Thyroid Making You Exhausted?

by Mary J. Shomon

Fatigue and severe exhaustion can be a key symptom in the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease.

Fatigue in Graves' Disease/Hyperthyroidism

Some people with hyperthyroidism find themselves completely exhausted. This can be due to the insomnia and difficulty sleeping that is a common hyperthyroidism symptom. It can also be due to the stress on the body of having a rapid pulse, higher blood pressure, diarrhea, tremors and other symptoms of hyperthyroidism. To help understand more about Graves' Disease symptoms, see my Graves' Disease/Hyperthyroidism Checklist of symptoms and risk factors. For information on diagnosis and treatment, see [link url=http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa022398.htm]Frequently Asked Questions on Hyperthyroidism/Graves' Disease[/link], which goes through most of the common questions regarding Graves' and hyperthyroidism.

Fatigue in Hashimoto's Disease and Hypothyroidism

For many patients such as myself, one noticeable sign that thyroid levels are getting too high and dosages may need to be adjusted is the onset of bone-numbing fatigue. This sign of hypothyroidism often comes on suddenly, and leaves you barely able to lift your head off the pillow in the morning. You may feel like you can't get through a day without a nap, or you sleep more than usual but still feel exhausted. This fatigue, frequently seen along with other symptoms you'll find on my [link url=http://thyroid.about.com/blchklst.htm]Hypothyroidism Symptoms Checklist[/link], can be a sign that your hypothyroidism is undertreated.

For some hypothyroid patients, even when levels are normal after treatment, exhaustion continues. I get hundreds of emails a week from readers who are complaining that they are just plain exhausted, despite being treated for their thyroid disease, asking WHEN will they get their energy back? I don't always know what to respond, because I periodically have the same problem.

Many doctors will tell you that the fatigue will be relieved by thyroid hormone replacement, and for some people, it is. But when you're STILL exhuasted after you've given it enough time to get your levels back to normal, AND you've investigated whether you are [link url=http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa081499.htm]undertreated[/link], then it's time to look into a simple issue -- are you getting enough sleep?

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

According to a survey released from the National Sleep Foundation, one in three people the United States sleeps for 6 hours or less per night, substantially less than the recommended 8 hours. The average person gets 7 hours of sleep a night, and 40% of adults say that they are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with their daily activities.

"The survey findings are a source of great concern," warned Thomas Roth, Ph.D., Health and Scientific Advisor of the National Sleep Foundation and director of the Sleep Disorders Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. "People have no idea how important sleep is to their lives. Most of us need eight hours of sound sleep to function at our best, and good health demands good sleep. Conversely, lack of sleep and sleep problems have serious, often life-threatening consequences. This is a case where what we don't know can harm us -- and harm those around us."

I am one of those people who does NOT do well on less than 7 1/2 to 8 hours. But just with the general business of living (and particularly lately, with a toddler) getting that much sleep is a luxury I've rarely enjoyed in many years. I keep wanting to blame my thyroid, but after a few nights when I actually get 8 or more hours and feel much much better and more energetic, I've realized that, to a large extent, my problem is sleep deprivation, compounded by a slightly increased general need for more sleep due to the thyroid problem, even if it is treated. So if I usually needed 7 1/2 -8 hours, and my thyroid disease adds a bit more of a need, let's say a half hour to an hour a night, that's 8-8 1/2 hours, and if I'm getting 6-7, then I'm pretty sleep deprived.

Thyroid Disease and Sleep Apnea

There is also a relationship between an increased incidence of sleep apnea (brief periods when you stop breathing while sleeping) and hypothyroidism. Frequent apnea can also cause unrelieved exhaustion. Apnea is often also seen in conjunction with snoring. For more information on apnea and other sleep disorders, and how they can be treated, see About.com's Sleep Apnea Links.

When Fatigue is Chronic

If you suspect that your fatigue is more than just sleep deprivation, you might also want to read Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease, a look at the relationship between these diseases, and read the detailed sections on these conditions in Living Well With Autoimmune Disease.