Sleep Apnea and Hypo?

[dreeftwppd]

I have always had sleeping issues. ie, getting a good night sleep has been near impossible for me.

I went through a bad relationship 2 years ago and was not able to sleep  well for 6months. I got my act together and was working out etc and was sleeping waaay better. After I got injured then I started to get the bad night sleeps patterns.

Last 2 months have been really weird in that I have been waking up around the same time short of breath, almost like I am being choked. Nightmares everynight. I have never brought up my sleep problems, I always just thought they were related to stress or in this case the injury. But for some reason I am woken up short of breath. I know the word apnea has been brought about, but is there a relation to hypo?

[redheadaussie]

It is always best to talk about everything, even if you don't think they are related. It helps the doc make the correct diagnosis.

[dreeftwppd]

My anti-bodies where slightly high. like 9.1 (range was 9) so not sure if that is the case.

I really do not know if I have the apnea, but I do not sleep very well and like I posted earlier I am often waking up grasping for air..

I had read that they can often be confused with each other, and some studies suggested that Hypo patients usually have some kind of sleep apnea. Then I read that alot of people that have Sleep apnea can get hypo type situations.

So perhaps this is important information to share with the doctor and see if he can determine if I do have it and if they are related?

I just never brought it up cause I thought alot of it had to do with stress and anxiety.

[LazyMoose]

Apnea will not create Hashi antibodies though.

[redheadaussie]

Certainly having sleep deprivation of apnoea can lead to hypothryoid state. Dr Steven Park has a fantastic book and his website is excellent to read up all about how they are linked. I have sleep apnoea and had a sleep study done.  My doc was fantastic at knowing how it affects the thyroid levels and our circadian rhythm too. (what makes us know it is nigh nigh time!) With them all out of whack they hypo state is worse.

You may never know which came first. The old chicken and egg quandary. It is now better to move on and get the help you need. Not all sleep problems are apnoea. I have a deformed nasal passage which restricts my airway. Like breathing through a bent straw. I have learned to now not lie a certain way to help that. I also get episodes of stopping breathing, and this is worse when I am hypo. My sleep study doc got me to do a lung function test and I have asthma. So using Symbicort daily has helped my sleeping, by allowing my breathing to be deeper. He also told me I had a mucousy nasal passage which, again, inhibits my breathing through my bent straw nasal passage. Nasonex helps enourmously. So not all sleep apnoeas need a stupid cpap machine. ( I say stupid coz mine was not suited to my stupid nose! LOL!)

Maybe you should come see my sleep study doctor guys! Funny enough, this guy is very cluey on thyroid issues and has helped me ginourmously to get better nights sleep. Still have hypo though....bugger!

[LazyMoose]

Its a question of what came first. Or one can have symptoms from two causes- we don't know until we go on with the process of elimination.

Sleep Apnea as well as all interrupted or lack of sleep effects lipid and glucose levels. We need the correct amount REM sleep, not a specific total hours of sleep. When Hypo, you dont get REM sleep. Hypos 'drift' with there eyes shut.  

Thyroid docs do not analyze this disease. Most are totally unaware of interrupted sleep from tyhroid. Sleep study docs dont even understand an inflamed thyroid. They should, but dont. I was a guinea pig for a sleep study doc, he admitted that he learned a lot and now asks patients if they have any known thyroid issues.

[dreeftwppd]

I guess I have been wondering if I have been having sleep apnea  or not been sleeping well if that can stress out my enodcrone system? or does it not work that way?

I know for sure I have sleep issues and am wondering which came first.

[dreeftwppd]

ah ok, makes sense. I just used apnea cause it was thrown out there.
But it was suggested that the reason my muscle injury has not healed could have been related to this and then it got me thinking that waking up short of breath etc...

[dreeftwppd]

hmm - I don't know why I never brought it up to the doc.


I see him in 6 weeks I supposed I can wait and see if it gets better on the Levo.

[LazyMoose]

Not all breathing interruptions / restrictions during sleep are Apnea. Apnea is just one very specific category in this area.

[LazyMoose]

There are many different medically identified sleep problems. Hypo thyroid presents is own problems that can mimic others. And a hypo person could have both also.

Chronic 'lump in throat' feel from Hashimotos is common - and it can even mechanically interfere with breathing when sleeping horizontally. This problem seems to be related to low Free t3 levels and can go away when proper levels are resumed.

Untreated Hashimoto also interferes with sleeping in a hormone body chemical sort of way - improper levels promoting anxiety and or insomnia, very , very common.