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Can enlarged thyroid cause sleep apnea
Hi,
I have had an enlarged thyroid for almost a year. My energy levels are depleted, I have symptoms of hypothyroid, but my thyroid function tests always return normal.
I wake up feeling exhausted everyday for months now, sometimes hardly able to function, because of sleep deprivation.
I was wondering if an enlarged thyroid can cause sleep apnea symptoms, during sleep. My X-ray showed my airway has a shape of a C, caused by my enlarged thyroid.
Can an enlarged thyroid put pressure on the airway during, sleep by different positions of the neck, has anyone experienced sleep deprivation from an enlarged thyroid. Thanks for any helpful information. Please help !!
I have had an enlarged thyroid for almost a year. My energy levels are depleted, I have symptoms of hypothyroid, but my thyroid function tests always return normal.
I wake up feeling exhausted everyday for months now, sometimes hardly able to function, because of sleep deprivation.
I was wondering if an enlarged thyroid can cause sleep apnea symptoms, during sleep. My X-ray showed my airway has a shape of a C, caused by my enlarged thyroid.
Can an enlarged thyroid put pressure on the airway during, sleep by different positions of the neck, has anyone experienced sleep deprivation from an enlarged thyroid. Thanks for any helpful information. Please help !!
I started snoring on and off about two years ago. I am overweight, but not overly so. Got a mouth guard and it got better. I discovered I had a 5 cm nodule in my thyroid, pressing on my esophagus. As you said, it looked like a C. I just got it removed two weeks ago and my snoring is GONE. So yes, I think the two can be related. I hope you've gotten some help!
I've dealt with some digestive issues too (along with Hashimoto's thyroiditis). I haven't had the scary episodes like you have, but I often wake up feeling like I haven't breathed for awhile! Have you been able to resolve the problem at all?
I feel like my throat restricts my breathing at night, and being treated with synthroid has done nothing for me.
My problems all started with a candida overgrowth that I got under control by going on a strict anti-candida diet. Some other things that have helped my digestion immensely are Primal Defense probiotics and bentaine hcl with peptide. If you're up to it, an apple cider vinegar enema can really knock out yeast overgrowth in the intestines almost immediately!
Good luck with your issues, and let me know if you've found a solution for the restricted breathing at night!
I feel like my throat restricts my breathing at night, and being treated with synthroid has done nothing for me.
My problems all started with a candida overgrowth that I got under control by going on a strict anti-candida diet. Some other things that have helped my digestion immensely are Primal Defense probiotics and bentaine hcl with peptide. If you're up to it, an apple cider vinegar enema can really knock out yeast overgrowth in the intestines almost immediately!
Good luck with your issues, and let me know if you've found a solution for the restricted breathing at night!
I so understand your issue. I have the very same thing occurring ESPECIALLY during the allergy season. I have 3 nodules and am taking thyroid medication (have been for a long time). I've had sleep apnea for as long as I can remember. It can be a very frightening thing. Normally when I wake up not breathing I can calm myself and slowly it will release. But twice I've had episodes that were different. Once was when I was ill...colds and viruses always attack my throat...I woke up not breathing and could not get my throat to open. As I rushed to my phone to call my son next door it finally opened. I couldn't get ANY air at all..I couldn't even "gasp" ...it was completely shut off. Needless to say there was no sleeping for many nights afterward. Just less than a week ago I woke up not breathing and dizzy, as though I were going to pass out. That's never happened. It indicated to me that I had been without oxygen for a much longer time than usual. Completely FREAKED me out! I know for a fact that my throat issues (thyroid, goiter, nodules..etc) are heavily related to my digestive issues. If I have even the slightest reflux I will have issues with the growths in my throat. I've recently seen new information on the direct relationship of "gut function" and "yeast imbalance" to thyroid disorder. Look into it... Just last night I made the decision to go off sugars altogether and realistically cutting back on carbs as well as avoiding foods that promote the growth of goiter. Those being Cruciferous Foods i.e. cabbage, broccoli etc. It feels like I have to cut out food altogether, but in reality, it's not strict like this forever. I'm tired of the suffocation, panic and continuous worry about cancer. I'm determined to do whatever I have to to get my health back...
I so understand your issue. I have the very same thing occurring ESPECIALLY during the allergy season. I have 3 nodules and am taking thyroid medication (have been for a long time). I've had sleep apnea for as long as I can remember. It can be a very frightening thing. Normally when I wake up not breathing I can calm myself and slowly it will release. But twice I've had episodes that were different. Once was when I was ill...colds and viruses always attack my throat...I woke up not breathing and could not get my throat to open. As I rushed to my phone to call my son next door it finally opened. I couldn't get ANY air at all..I couldn't even "gasp" ...it was completely shut off. Needless to say there was no sleeping for many nights afterward. Just less than a week ago I woke up not breathing and dizzy, as though I were going to pass out. That's never happened. It indicated to me that I had been without oxygen for a much longer time than usual. Completely FREAKED me out! I know for a fact that my throat issues (thyroid, goiter, nodules..etc) are heavily related to my digestive issues. If I have even the slightest reflux I will have issues with the growths in my throat. I've recently seen new information on the direct relationship of "gut function" and "yeast imbalance" to thyroid disorder. Look into it... Just last night I made the decision to go off sugars altogether and realistically cutting back on carbs as well as avoiding foods that promote the growth of goiter. Those being Cruciferous Foods i.e. cabbage, broccoli etc. It feels like I have to cut out food altogether, but in reality, it's not strict like this forever. I'm tired of the suffocation, panic and continuous worry about cancer. I'm determined to do whatever I have to to get my health back...
I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. It has been treated now for 1-2 years. I am now being diagnosed with an enlarged thyroid. Labs and ultrasound pending, but I have been telling my endocrinologist and PCP for 4 years that my thyroid must be the culprit but my labs always came back normal. I currently have a sore raspy throat that feels thick. I also wonder if the sleep apnea and thyroid are related. I am not the typical sleep apnea patient. I am slightly overweight, but definitely not obese. I exercise 5 days a week heavily for over an hour and not lost weight. I think it is all related and hope that I am diagnosed with hypothyroidism so I can be treated and lose some weight and ultimately get off that stupid mask at night. The fatigue is terrible.
2 Comments
Good Luck! I have been to 3 doctors, 1 was endocrinologist. I have had all the blood work and all of the scans. All 3 doctors said that I have Hashimotos (hypothyroidism) and a goiter full of nodules. But all 3 said that my blood work is not bad enough to do anything about it. If you read the symptoms of hypothyroidism I have just about every one of them. Now they want me to test for sleep apnea to see why I am so tired. Do doctors even know how bad thyroid problems make you feel? I am so tired of these symptoms (been going on for several years now) and I am so tired of being tired!
You've attached your comment to a very old thread and none of the previous posters are active on the forum at this time, so it's unlikely you'll get a response. It would be best if you post a new thread of your own, listing your current symptoms and most recent blood test results so we see your current status.
You may have to resort to a Naturopathic or functional medicine doctor to get adequate treatment since conventional medicine doctors, typically, don't believe in treating Hashimoto's - they will only treat the resulting hypothyroidism, but if labs don't go out of range, they won't even treat that. They don't understand that the ranges are "flawed" and those with levels in the bottom part of the ranges do have hypo symptoms.
You can start a new thread by clicking on the "Ask a Question" button in the upper right corner of the page.
You may have to resort to a Naturopathic or functional medicine doctor to get adequate treatment since conventional medicine doctors, typically, don't believe in treating Hashimoto's - they will only treat the resulting hypothyroidism, but if labs don't go out of range, they won't even treat that. They don't understand that the ranges are "flawed" and those with levels in the bottom part of the ranges do have hypo symptoms.
You can start a new thread by clicking on the "Ask a Question" button in the upper right corner of the page.
Yes i thinking it is related..I have a goiter with Nodual and am into the specialist soon, ever since the goiter i wake gasping for air, It wakes me constantly at night, but my gp says no its not the goiter...come on doc it all started at the same time, you go around with a lump in your throat and tell me how you feel...Dawn..
I just posted a question like yours. The 'related questions' brought up you old post. I have had the choking sensation and just had a sleep study as well. Read my post. I was wondering if the two were related - enlarged thyroid and apnea. My doctor did not try to figure out what was causing the obstruction. Could be the thyroid?
Hi AR,
Thanks for sharing. I just don't feel, I'm getting enough sleep, many nights I wake up gasping for air, cause my throat swells up. Still trying to figure out what's happening, doctor's haven't been any help at all. Along with my enlarged thyroid, I have allergies that causes my throat to swell, and applies alot of pressure to my airway, which makes it difficult to breathe everyday, so has to be effecting my sleep, some way or another.
Thanks for sharing. I just don't feel, I'm getting enough sleep, many nights I wake up gasping for air, cause my throat swells up. Still trying to figure out what's happening, doctor's haven't been any help at all. Along with my enlarged thyroid, I have allergies that causes my throat to swell, and applies alot of pressure to my airway, which makes it difficult to breathe everyday, so has to be effecting my sleep, some way or another.
Hi AR,
Thanks for sharing. I just don't feel, I'm getting enough sleep, many nights I wake up gasping for air, cause my throat swells up. Still trying to figure out what's happening, doctor's haven't been any help at all. Along with my enlarged thyroid, I have allergies that causes my throat to swell, and applies alot of pressure to my airway, which makes it difficult to breathe everyday, so has to be effecting my sleep, some way or another.
Thanks for sharing. I just don't feel, I'm getting enough sleep, many nights I wake up gasping for air, cause my throat swells up. Still trying to figure out what's happening, doctor's haven't been any help at all. Along with my enlarged thyroid, I have allergies that causes my throat to swell, and applies alot of pressure to my airway, which makes it difficult to breathe everyday, so has to be effecting my sleep, some way or another.
I was diagnosed with sleep apnia about the same time as I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism.
I forget which came first, the chicken or the egg.
My thyroid problem did contribute to the sleep apnia, and it has nearly gone away now. That doesn't make a lot of sense, because my thyroid swelling hasn't gone away completely.
Sleep apnia can be linked to hypothyroidism, but I have not heard of a case such as you describe. It is possible, but I don't think it was the primary cause of apnia in my case.
The area that causes sleep apnia in most people is located higher in the throat than your thyroid. In your case, it may be a factor.
If you think you may have sleep apnia, the easiest confirmation is from your sleeping partner. My wife MADE me go ask for a sleep study, because she was aware of the fact that I was not breathing properly when I slept. I would stop breathing for a while, and then gasp for air. Snored a lot. Woke up with sore throats and headaches half the time.
The study showed I was having 90 episodes an hour. I was asleep, but I was not getting any rest.
If you think you have sleep apnia, you should get it checked out. It can be very hard on your heart, and oxygen deprivation is not good, either. Lack of restful sleep can affect your health in other ways, too.
But in answer to your specific question, no, I did not experience that as far as I know.
I forget which came first, the chicken or the egg.
My thyroid problem did contribute to the sleep apnia, and it has nearly gone away now. That doesn't make a lot of sense, because my thyroid swelling hasn't gone away completely.
Sleep apnia can be linked to hypothyroidism, but I have not heard of a case such as you describe. It is possible, but I don't think it was the primary cause of apnia in my case.
The area that causes sleep apnia in most people is located higher in the throat than your thyroid. In your case, it may be a factor.
If you think you may have sleep apnia, the easiest confirmation is from your sleeping partner. My wife MADE me go ask for a sleep study, because she was aware of the fact that I was not breathing properly when I slept. I would stop breathing for a while, and then gasp for air. Snored a lot. Woke up with sore throats and headaches half the time.
The study showed I was having 90 episodes an hour. I was asleep, but I was not getting any rest.
If you think you have sleep apnia, you should get it checked out. It can be very hard on your heart, and oxygen deprivation is not good, either. Lack of restful sleep can affect your health in other ways, too.
But in answer to your specific question, no, I did not experience that as far as I know.
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