Aa
total insomnia after thyroidectomy
Please someone tell me this will go away. I havn't slept since 1/23. not exagerating
they have given me all kinds of sleep rx and none have put me to sleep, just make me feel even crazier. I think I'm going to die. Had thyroid removed 1/23 for cancer. was small and they got it all.
they have given me all kinds of sleep rx and none have put me to sleep, just make me feel even crazier. I think I'm going to die. Had thyroid removed 1/23 for cancer. was small and they got it all.
I've just find this string today 3.13.23. So sorry to hear about your insomnia. How are you doing today? I have the same problem for 4 years now, and need to take quetarapin and pregabalin to sleep. I had asked doc and a scientist in endokrinoghi, but they have never heard about a site effect like insomnia? Best regards Michael, Denmark
10 Comments
Michael sleep problems is a common problem with hypothyroidism. Have you also had a thyroidectomy? If so it is quite common to not be prescribed enough thyroid med. If your doctor is dosing you based on TSH, that will not work. A good thyroid doctor will prescribe enough T4 (and T3) med as required to relieve hypo symptoms. What, if any, other symptoms do you have? If tested for the active thyroid hormones Free T4 and Free T3, please post results and reference ranges shown on the lab report. If you want to confirm all this, please read our paper in the following link.
https://thyroiduk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Patients-Guide-Final-V5.pdf
https://thyroiduk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Patients-Guide-Final-V5.pdf
Thans for responding! Oh, I didnt express myself clearly. I had a thyoidectomy 4 years ago, because one of my glands was 10 time normal size. After that I couldnt sleep at all! My calcium and pth level are normal, therefore the docs couldnt find out why I have this insomnia.
Was that a full thyroidectomy? Surely you have been tested for thyroid., so please post results and reference ranges. Please tell us about any other symptoms you have.
So you still have half of your thyroid gland? If so, you need to make sure that it is able to produce enough thyroid hormone to meet your needs. That is why I asked about test results. To try and help we need to know your thyroid levels and their reference ranges shown on the lab report: Free T4 and Free T3 specifically. Even more import ant is to know what other symptoms, if any, you have.
Im going to see my doc tomorrow. I will ask about my test result and if I had been tested for free T3 and T4. I will let you know afterward. By the way, I had one gland removed!
gimel: By the way, are you a nurse or doc?
Just a long time hypothyroid patient who found this Forum about 10 years ago and learned the importance of Free T3. Since then I have spent countless hours researching hypothyroidism and trying to help others by passing on what I learned. Along the way I decided to write a paper about what I learned, hoping it would help other hypo patients. Two people wanted to join me as co-authors, one of which is a retired Endocrinologist from Germany, with a world of experience and who has co-authored over 100 papers mainly about thyroid. Our third paper is the one I linked for you. It destroys the current standard of care based predominantly on TSH, and the assumptions behind the AACE/ATA Guidelines for hypothyroidism.
Giser, have you seen the doctor yet? If so, what happened since then?
Gimel, I have the test answer from my doc: free t3: 3.6 and free t4: 17 and tsh: 1.2 and pth: 5.9. So it is in the normal spectrum.
By the way, have you in your long run interest in this, heard of some with only one gland removed, that have sleeping problem like mine? Thank you for your interest, I appriciate that :-)
By the way, have you in your long run interest in this, heard of some with only one gland removed, that have sleeping problem like mine? Thank you for your interest, I appriciate that :-)
Since lab results vary from lab to lab, their reference ranges also vary. To assess your test results, we need you to post their reference ranges shown on the lab report.
No I have not known of a member with your conditions.
No I have not known of a member with your conditions.
ps to last post - also avoid pantothenic acid (in supplements) and watch out for vitamin K - this is a really important vitamin, but for some reason seems to stop some people from sleeping.
Try cutting out all fresh (raw) vegetables after noon. Dark green leafy vegetables are high in glutamate - which literally 'excites' the neurons in the brain. It disappears with cooking but is very high in raw green veg such as spinach. Avoid peanuts, which are extremely high in glutamate. And some superfoods/algae. Avoid MSG in food too (monosodium glutamate), which is the worst type of glutamate for insomnia.
Also, don't take B6 supplements or eat any foods high in B6 except at breakfast. If you want to sleep, eat only carb-type foods at night (try non-sugary breakfast cereal or very plain pasta). Don't eat coconut or coconut oil except in the morning (speeds up metabolism). Watch out for it in curries. Basically all these things – glutamate, B6, coconut – all speed up the metabolism, making you wide awake, even if exhausted. If you're at your wits end, eat nothing but plain pasta (with maybe some olive oil) for a short time – maybe 2 or 3 days – and see what happens. I'd have money on it that you'll sleep. Its taken me years to work this out (mixture of research and endless trials with my lifelong insomnia + hashimoto's). No harm in trying - and way less harmful than lots more pills. I know how awful it is not to sleep. But this works, I promise.
Also, don't take B6 supplements or eat any foods high in B6 except at breakfast. If you want to sleep, eat only carb-type foods at night (try non-sugary breakfast cereal or very plain pasta). Don't eat coconut or coconut oil except in the morning (speeds up metabolism). Watch out for it in curries. Basically all these things – glutamate, B6, coconut – all speed up the metabolism, making you wide awake, even if exhausted. If you're at your wits end, eat nothing but plain pasta (with maybe some olive oil) for a short time – maybe 2 or 3 days – and see what happens. I'd have money on it that you'll sleep. Its taken me years to work this out (mixture of research and endless trials with my lifelong insomnia + hashimoto's). No harm in trying - and way less harmful than lots more pills. I know how awful it is not to sleep. But this works, I promise.
I had trouble sleeping too but it got better slowly over time. I know others who have had the same, but with different surgeries.
Just my thoughts... Surgeries seem routine in our age but it's still an upset to the body and the body needs time to settle down. Even if someone can't sleep, just resting will help settle and rejuvinate the body. I once read that in ancient Indian medicine they saw it this way. Seems so cliche but it helped to call this to mind when I was having issues.
Of course, continue to present everything to your dr.
Best wishes.
Just my thoughts... Surgeries seem routine in our age but it's still an upset to the body and the body needs time to settle down. Even if someone can't sleep, just resting will help settle and rejuvinate the body. I once read that in ancient Indian medicine they saw it this way. Seems so cliche but it helped to call this to mind when I was having issues.
Of course, continue to present everything to your dr.
Best wishes.
I'm so relieved to hear someone else with this problem! .... Not that I WANT someone else to be going through this - but I had mine out on 1-25-08 and can count the amount of hours I have slept at night! I have NEVER had a sleeping problem before this! I took one of my husband's sleeping pills and slept for amost 2 days, and I know that was not healthy. I'm going to my reg. Dr. tomorow. I hope you get some sleep. This is really not fun at all!
Could you be having the opposite effect with the sleeping pills? It seems to easy but thought I'd throw it out there anyway.
I've had insomnia for over 8 months now. I'm on my third type of sleeping pill, Ambien CR. I started out on Ambien for a few months, then went to Lunesta. I started having issues with fatique and felt that the Lunesta was making me feel grogging in the morning, so I switched to Ambien CR. None of them are real solutions but at least it gets me enough sleep that I don't wrap my car aound another car when I'm driving the 55 miles one-way to work each day.
I ironically with my insomia there are days I nothing but sleep. I've been so exhausted for so long, it's effecting my entire life. I'm going to talk to my endo this week and my regualr doc if I don't get answers from my endo. I'm having here do some testing to see what is causing my fatique
My insomia is being caused by the level of levothyroxine I'm on (150mcg) and being in menopause.
I ironically with my insomia there are days I nothing but sleep. I've been so exhausted for so long, it's effecting my entire life. I'm going to talk to my endo this week and my regualr doc if I don't get answers from my endo. I'm having here do some testing to see what is causing my fatique
My insomia is being caused by the level of levothyroxine I'm on (150mcg) and being in menopause.
I don't know how to help you.
If I hadn't slept in almost two weeks, I would ask to be hospitalized and knocked out under close supervision. Heart monitor, and all that jazz.
May not be a good idea medically, but I'm no doctor.
Definitly would call the doctor again.
Hope you get some sleep soon.
If I hadn't slept in almost two weeks, I would ask to be hospitalized and knocked out under close supervision. Heart monitor, and all that jazz.
May not be a good idea medically, but I'm no doctor.
Definitly would call the doctor again.
Hope you get some sleep soon.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
