# Thyroid-related insomnia?



## Alexandr (Mar 9, 2015)

Hi!

For 14 years I'v been taking levotroxine 75 ug/day. For that time I'v had trouble sleeping, but these problems got exacerbated in the last half year. Sometimes it is better, sometimes worse, but always it is that I wake up after 4-5 hours of sleep in a restless state feeling hot, but not much sweaty. And it is unrelated to the actual room temperature. It feels like an inflammation is in my body. GP told me to go to psychiatrist, psychiatrist shrugged his shoulders, because there are no related psychic causes (apart from being wrecked from not getting enough sleep).

I'm man, 34 years, 180 cm, 80 kg, no other medical problems, no thyroid-related problems in my family.

I have a feeling it is thyroid-related and actually not knowing exactly WHY I was prescribed the medication, I asked my GP to perform blood tests, the results were (75 ug/day):

(1 - 75 ug)

TSH 2.06 mU/L [ref. 0.35-5.60]

fT4 13.06 pmol/l [7.81-14.34]

Well, seems OK? I don't know, maybe. Also my other results (sugar, white blood cells etc. were in normal range).

Then I lowered my levotroxine intake to 3/4*75 ug = ~56 ug and after a few weeks visited a specialist for medical check-up. He actually didn't listen to me much and I was done in a few minutes, but ordered thyroid sonography and blood tests. Results were:

(2 - 56 ug)

Thyroid gland sonography - all normal, no pathologies.

TSH 3.65 mlU/l [0.27-4.2]

fT4 17.3 pmol/l [12-22]
fT3 4.49 pmol/l [3.1-6.8]

parathyroid hormone 43.4 ng/l [15-65]

anti-TPO antibodies 7.47 IU/ml [0.01-40]

tyreohlobulin antibodies 0.01 IU/ml [0.01-120]

goitre 0

It seems to me I actually lack any cause of the thyroid problems, no auto-immune disease. When I asked the doctor about it, he just told me "it seems your thyroid is just not working enough". I should note that with 56 ug my sleep got a bit better.

So I halved levotroxine to 1/2 = ~37,5. Sleep got better, but it also made my feel really down, tired, muscle aches etc. Then I returned to full 75 - strength returned, but sleep got worse.

Seeing my doctors just don't care and they are good maybe for prescribing drugs and blood tests, I'd like to ask for your collective wisdom, what to make out of all this. Especially:

Could it be, that the function of a normal thyroid gland could be actually suppressed with a long-time levotroxine supplementation? And if so and I stop taking it, it would restore?

Can thyroid gland just be plainly "lazy"not producing enough hormone even without any obvious causes?

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Trab
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684583
(Copy and paste into your browser)

TSI
Normally, there is no TSI in the blood. If TSI is found in the blood, this indicates that the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin is the cause of the of a person's hyperthyroidism.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid-antibodies/tab/test
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Substances not found in normal serum (scroll down to autoantibodies)
http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/evaluation-of-thyroid-function-in-health-and-disease/
(Copy and paste into your browser)

TBG (thyroxine binding globulin) up, hypo............down, hyper
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003374.htm
(Copy and paste into your browser)

TBII
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9364248
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-thyroid_autoantibodies
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Blocking TRAbs (also known as Thyrotropin Binding Inhibitory Immunoglobulins (TBII)) competitively block the activity of TSH on the receptor. This can cause hypothyroidism by reducing the thyrotropic effects of TSH. They are found in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease and may be cause of fluctuation of thyroid function in the latter. During treatment of Graves' disease they may also become the predominant antibody, which can cause hypothyroidism.

The causes are the antibodies that you have. You do have autoimmune thyroid disease.

And it could very well be that you are hyper, not hypo as other antibodies attack the receptor sites thus giving the TSH a false reading.

So, you do need more tests and I think you do need a better doctor.

I will list info above which I hope you peruse as it could help you advocate for yourself.

What exactly did the print out from the sonogram say besides no pathologies?

Welcome to the board and I hope we all can be of assistance!


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

I have not slept well since my thyroid disease was triggered with pregnancy.

Throw aging on top of it and it just does not get better.

Throw menopause on top of it and it only gets worse.

Even if you fix your thyroid levels to optimal you may not sleep - sad but true fact.

Some have had luck with Melatonin, I use Clonizapam on occasion and have used lorazapam in the past as well as Ambien, Temapazapm ( which completely knocked me out to the point I had trouble waking up and Lunesta. The benzo's work better than anything I have tried and leave no hangover effect. I take as infrequently and as little as possible as they can become addictive.

L Triptophane also has helped me and I am now trying essential oils.


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## KeepOnGoing (Jan 2, 2013)

When my FT4 gets to the top of the range, I can't sleep at all! When it drops, I sleep much better - largely because I then become hypo again and can't stay awake at all.

I'm still struggling to find a level at which I can both sleep at night and function during the day.

But then again, my sleep is affected by so many other factors, which makes it very complex. Stress, work and lifestyle factors all play a part for me.


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## Alexandr (Mar 9, 2015)

Andros, this is Google translation of the thyroid gland examination:

Sonographic examination. Right lobe 38x11x12 mm [2.5 ml], the left lobe of 36x11x14 mm [2.8 ml] palpable, well-demarcated thyroid, both lobes are above the sternum, trachea without deviation, vascular bundles free - uncompressed, pathologic lymph nodes jugular riverbeds, and in nadklíčcích the transparent part of the mediastinum differentiate. Basic parenchyma echogenicity is reasonable and uniform fine structure, without lesions. Doppler parenchyma at reasonable flow rates up to 10 cm / s. Conclusion: palpable thyroid without sonographic signs imunopatie - normal finding.

KeepOnGoing - It seems we are on the same boat.


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## VFRgrl (Feb 15, 2015)

AK! Insomnia is the primary reason I was going to chose a thyroidectomy. If that doesn't resolve ever- FORGET IT!

I'm keeping my toxic thyroid then!!

the only way I'm sleeping now is sleeping pills


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Typically people have more trouble sleeping with a hyper thyroid than a hypo one, but it's different for everyone. There are lots of other factors that could be involved, too--cortisol issues, liver issues, age issues, etc.


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## KeepOnGoing (Jan 2, 2013)

I've been lucky enough (let's put a positive spin on constantly changing T4 meds!) to be given the chance to prove it's my FT4 levels which are causing my insomnia - when I reduced it, I could sleep. When I was forced to put it back up, the insomnia returned within a couple of weeks. No way will I be putting my T4 meds up again - as my FT3 is below the bottom of the range, that's the only thing I'm willing to increase now.

Doctors seem to dismiss insomnia as a minor inconvenience - that's rubbish, it completely takes over your life and makes you feel dreadful, 24 hours a day. It's time to fight back...


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## Alexandr (Mar 9, 2015)

Yeah, I'm looking for a new specialist. Also I experiment with my medication a bit on my own.


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