"Air Hunger", or shortness of breath

[JackieCalifornia]

Several people have posted here recently, noting their tendency to 'air hunger', or feeling like it's hard to get a full breath.  I did a little scouting on the internet and found some commentary on the topic, some of it connecting the breathing difficult with low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism).  

Of course shortness of breath can mean many things, including heart problems, asthma, etc., but this mention of low thyroid caught my eye because I have also read (and experienced personally!) that Lyme, in its sneaky fashion of going around the body mucking with different physical systems, can bring about low thyroid function.

There are MDs who believe in supplementing, in someone who is hypothyroid, with a drug called Synthroid (generic levothyroxine), which provides the thyroid chemical T4, and others who believe in supplementing with a combination of T3 and T4, which is more like nature's approach.  Some docs prescribe Armour, which is dried, ground-up pig's thyroid (and naturally contains both T3 and T4, I think) and was used before the synthetic supplements like Synthroid were invented.  I've read that many people don't do well with Synthroid and prefer the natural Armour, but Armour has fiddled with the formulation in the last year or so, so other 'natural' versions are being used.  

In other words, nothing is easy.  However, this something you might bring up with your Lyme or other MD if, like me, you were tired and foggy and gloomy and your hair was falling out.  I thought it was 'just' Lyme, but turns out it was -- to a significant extent -- thyroid deficiency (which also runs in my family anyway).

For what it's worth!

[JackieCalifornia]

Thanks, Todd -- I appreciate the data.  I'll check in with my doc ... I think she was concerned about contamination of natural thyroid sources, but we didn't explore the reasons overtly.  Time to do so.

[Fuel1212]

Hi there,

I am Hypothyroid and also the doctor feels I was infected at sometime with Lymes. I know first hand the shortness of breath, or feeling like I can't take a deep breath feeling. It usually happens when my symptoms are at their worst.

I would not recommend the synthetic version T4 for treatment. Chances are if you have thyroid issues your thyroid is not converting or producing enough thyroid hormone. The Synthetic T4 is not the active hormone and still needs to be coverted by your body. Now if you have an underactive thyroid, why would you rely on your body to convert this T4 synthetic to the active T3 that we need for energy? Chances are it will not convert and you will still feel bad even though your numbers may look good.

I would HIGHLY recommend a dessicated version like Armour, Nature Thyroid, or ERFA (Canadian) This already has the T4, T3, and even T1 and T2 that you need to feel good.

Feel free to ask questions if you have them.

PS. I know first hand since I have been down the thyroid road. ERFA is the best I have had at this time FYI

Thanks
Todd