Can being hypo thyroid cause breathing problems?

[Wiggy29]

I've never experienced this before but apparently I've swung hypo and now I feel like I cant fill my lungs? They feel weird & congested. My throat feels a little strange too. It's def not anxiety related (I could write a book on what is though

[Clutter]

It's a hypo and hyper symptom, often described as 'air hunger' and just to complicate things, can be due to over and under medication.

Symptoms such as this cause anxiety IMO, not the other way around.

[Wiggy29 in reply to Clutter]

Absolutely! Struggling to breath does cause anxiety but my dr wouldn't agree apparently anxiety causes everything!. It doesn't feel like I'm gasping just my lungs feel different somehow and my breathing is shallow I guess. I'm v achey in my shoulders now too. Thanks for quick reply

[OrangeGirl in reply to Clutter]

I get air hunger as well. My first bout of it was in 2011 when a medication error resulted in me only taking .25 of thyroxine instead of.225 for hypothyroidism. Since then I have experienced it on a chronic basis and I think it occurs whenever my dose is not optimal. Since discovering this site and learning about the importance of supplementing with B12, selenium, magnesium and zinc I have been able to over the last two years slowly lower my dose from .225 to .200, then to .188, then to .175, then to .150 and now to .137. However I still experienced air hunger. The last two decreases I attribute to recently starting iron supplementation which I hadn't done before. The addition of the iron has also now significantly reduced the air hunger symptoms. So for me it may have been a bit of an iron deficiency that played a role in the airhunger. My endo doesn't take this symptom very seriously and he certainly wouldn't attribute the series of dose reduction to vitamin and mineral supplementation but I certainly do. My family doctor tried to prescribe me atavan for anxiety when I initially mentioned the feeling of breathlessness. What is it that doctors' think that because you are female it must be "anxiety". I told her no thanks as I do not suffer from anxiety. About six weeks after I discovered the pharmacy's error in my levothyroxine prescription.

[debjs]

Yes I suffer from this. I also have a laryngeal nerve palsy and am always told my breathlessness is due to that but it is a very different experience as you describe. Mine improved slightly when I started supplementing B12 but also as I have increased my Armour dosage though still has not resolved. Dr S told me it is due to a weak diaphragm. You are right too it can make you anxious not the other way around.

[Wiggy29 in reply to debjs]

Thank you. I've been feeling really low with this. It takes so long for my endo to change my dose I end up making every problem worse by taking the wrong meds. I've been feeling really low with this today, it's a new symptom for me & I've had graves since a child so I thought I knew them all ill try b12

[rollonsummerrunning]

I am currently suffering air hunger and was wondering if it was caused by anxiety. Though I'm not naturally an anxious person. I'm hypo btw. X

[Wiggy29 in reply to rollonsummerrunning]

I've had breathing problems from anxiety when I was hyper but it felt more intense than this & almost always resulted in a panic attack. This is in the background but it's awful. It's def a new one for me sucks xx

[rollonsummerrunning in reply to Wiggy29]

I agree, breathing becomes so laboured its all I can think about some times, deep breaths all the time...did wonder at one point if I've been on the verge of a panic attack.

[Wiggy29 in reply to rollonsummerrunning]

Yeah it takes a lot of self control to avoid the panic attack x

[Maldives2016 in reply to rollonsummerrunning]

From the hypo...left untreated can worsen & cause anxiety! Hope it gets sorted soon! x

[humanbean]

I am hypo and get air hunger almost all the time. My mother is also hypo and she uses inhalers all the time because she has been told she has developed asthma. I know this is nonsense - she is desperately under-medicated - but my mother believes that her doctor knows best and won't listen to me.

[Wiggy29 in reply to humanbean]

My gran has had her thyroid removed & isn't on any meds, has every hypo symptom but believes her dr when he says she's fine. So frustrating I don't believe he's running the right tests.

It sounds crazy but I have been really feeling low with this, thinking the worse so I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one with it but wish we could all be well xx

[Hidden in reply to Wiggy29]

When did your Gran have her Thyroid removed? If it was a total Thyroidectomy she must be given immediate replacement hormone to survive. (not a drug as it's supposed to be there!)

If only a partialT (like me) 'half' a thyroid can't always cope with demand & many have hypo symptoms - the TSH test is not the only Thyroid test - FT4 and FT3 help to give a clearer picture (but labs are unlikely to do these if TSH is within range).

Please consider tests for irons folate ferritin B12 and Vit D - Deficiency in any causes problems (even low is deficient for many) - I only have experience of low Vit D (& ribcage pain restricting breathing) & possibly low B12 which can cause 'air hunger'. (After removal of a 'dodgy' nodule then supplementing both vitD & B12 I haven't had a jittery 'panic attack' and am able to walk upstairs without being out of breath - just what happened to me in case it helps you). Jane

[marmaris in reply to Hidden]

I have had this spareribs just found out that low Vit D and doctor is supplementing me. My B12 is within normal range but supplement also.

[RLapin in reply to Hidden]

Hi, how much B12 and D are you taking?

Thanks!

[Tanyag in reply to Wiggy29]

That is weird to me that she isn't on medication. I was told when you get a total thyroidectomy you have to be on medication for life

[Bk1395 in reply to Wiggy29]

I had my thyroid completely removed about 12 yrs ago and my endocrinologist told me I would have to take thyroid meds my whole life afterwards to keep from being hypothyroid, she needs to be tested for hypothyroid. I too when laying down to sleep have a feeling of breathlessness but only when lying down. It's not anxiety.

[Moggie]

I couldn't even go upstairs without gasping for air but that has now gone due to my ferritin levels being corrected. Its the blood that taken oxygen around the body and if you have low iron this can have a big impact on your oxygen levels as your blood count is low. Low blood count = low oxygen levels.

Moggie x

[Wiggy29 in reply to Moggie]

My doc said from a basic 'routine' blood test that I'm not anaemic but maybe i need to ask for more, again haha! I don't feel that bad but it's def worse when I am active and it's frightening. Another day, another symptom ha xx

[Wiggy29 in reply to Moggie]

Moggie did you ever have to clear your throat more because of the sensation? X

[Moggie]

I was not showing anaemia but my ferritin levels were on the floor, which was causing the breathlessness. The medical term for this is "hypoferritinaemia" which I had never heard of before, so a new one to me and diagnosed by my gastro. So just because your iron levels are - so called - normal (mine were low in range but not below range so my doctor also kept telling me they were "normal") does not mean that you do not have iron problems.

Hope this helps and baby is doing well.

Moggie x

p.s. Sorry ment to say that hypoferritinaemia means low ferritin without anaemia.

[Wiggy29 in reply to Moggie]

Thank you! I'm going to see him tomorrow and if they won't run the test ill pay for it. I don't suppose you know how you find out where you can have bloods taken for blue horizon? I can't see on the site. I'm okay, surgeon has cancelled op and said I have to have RAI now but my tsh is moving for the first time and I'm hypo now so things are changing! I've gone totally grain free, researched all the different supplements & I was feeling 99% better, but now I can't breath it's not so great lol. That's the nature of the disease I guess hope you're well xx

[Moggie in reply to Wiggy29]

Try asking your GP first about a private test as GP's will often ignore any private tests you have done so it could be money down the drain. If he wont do a private test at the surgery ask the question "if I have a private test done elsewhere will you except the results" or "can you recommend a lab I can contact to have private tests done" and see what happens.

You need to ask for a full iron panel and B12.

Here is the link to Blue Horizon but please ask your GP if he will except the results first as it will just be a waste of money if he says no.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

And I'm not sure about the clearing my throat thing as I used to do it a lot but hadn't noticed that I have stopped doing it until you have just mentioned it.lol.

Moggie x

[Wiggy29 in reply to Moggie]

Oh no lol! It's only started since swinging to hypo so I guess it's all related. Weirdly after having graves for so many years I've started getting eye & joint pain since going hypo too! Ill check with go thank you xx

[BunionsHurt in reply to Wiggy29]

My Hypothyroid was caused by a gut imbalance issue. Long story, but some unfriendlies took over and my gut could not metabolize copper or nickel well and it shot it into my bloodstream, throwing my thyroid into a tizzy. Doctors did not catch it for years, by then I was diagnosed with serious RA, and RA MD said I would be crippled for life. I guess no one told him HypoT can cause RA symptoms. All quacks. That is the short of it.

[Canyonk8 in reply to Moggie]

Did the iron help you? My ferritin is 10 but my iron is normal.... I feel HORRIBLE.

[Aurealis]

Yes I get this too

[Wiggy29 in reply to Aurealis]

I can't believe many of us have this

[hj1234]

Hi i suffer with sense of not being able to take full breath and was told it was anxiety! Felt so much like crazy lady until i came on here and saw others having same problem, still waiting to get levels right with meds but have been supplementing with b12 and vit d and i think its improved. Its horrible feeling and constantly on my mind

[Wiggy29 in reply to hj1234]

Wow thank you. I'm going to try both of those vits & see if that helps. Why do dr's always make us feel like symptoms are in our heads?! This is the realist symptom I've had. No mistaking not being able to breath properly is there x

[evey]

Hi, I have suffered with Air Hunger also, you just cannot take a deep breath and fill your lungs. Dr. Skinner explained to me (in simple terms) that it was because there was not enough energy (T3) getting into the cells in the lungs, therefore they were unable to work at their full capacity. A classic symptom of under active thyroid.

[Wiggy29 in reply to evey]

It's strange because if I try I can take a deep breath but my normal breathing seems shallow & not full. A deep breath feels different it's horrible but I'm glad to hear an explanation x

[appy45]

I told my Dr about this over a year ago, am now on inhalers, and I don't think its asthma. I have to see asthma nurse , she says it might be part COPD and part asthma.

I to thought it was just me til I saw other posts on here. x

[Wiggy29 in reply to appy45]

Mine doesn't feel like asthma either but I bet they will say it is. Can't believe so many of us have it! X

[Clutter in reply to appy45]

Endo suggested I might have COPD when I had breathing problems and xRay showed over expanded lungs. During wait for spirometry lung function test I had an inhaler. It didn't help at all.

I was struggling to tolerate levothyroxine and when I stopped taking it for a few weeks I could breath normally.

[deniD]

Me too!

[Maldives2016]

Hiya, I am hypo & have the same problem, battling to breathe, feeling like you just can't get enough air in, throat often sore, always tired & prone to getting colds, I also get tremors in my hands when it's very bad & my short term memory is hysterically non existent!

I believe these are all linked to hypothyroidsm!

(oh & hypo can lead to anxiety if left untreated & symptoms continue to worsen

[SageR]

Hey gang, I'm also experiencing this problem. I'm not gasping for breath or hyperventilating like when I have an asthma attack, I just feel like my body is really hungry all over--for air/oxygen and my heart is very, very quiet (I've always been able to feel mine going, since I'm small).

For me, a temporary solution has been to jog in place for 1-3 minutes and go back to bed. You might think this is counterintuitive, but I did it as a natural response to what I was feeling and it worked. Exercise gets the heart rate up and makes you take deeper breaths, getting more o2 in for someone not having an asthma attack. If you're not gasping for breath and just feel oxygen deprived almost--and it's safe for you health wise, try it. It's not a permanent solution but it'll help u sleep more hours tonight and shed the anxiety that comes with breathing problems if it works for you.

If it works, start monitoring your pulse and keep a log in your hypo journal each time this happens to you (before your mini jog) and take this data to your Dr. A slow heart rate is a symptom of our disease and can indicate that the medicine isn't doing its job. Too low blood pressure or bpm can be dangerous. My dr said if you're an athlete, 60s range is normal. If it goes below 55/50 bpm, that's really bad. 70bpm is normal resting pulse rate for most people. But everyone is individual. I'm feeling this at 66 and my bp and bpm have always been low with or without an exercise program.

[hobbycat]

I have experienced air hunger too. It felt like I couldn't convert the air going into my lungs into the oxygen I needed. My breathing was working fine otherwise. It happened in the early weeks of adding T3 to my T4. I reduced my T4 from 125 to 100 and added 20mcg T3. For the early weeks I particularly experienced it about 9 in the evening having taken 10mcg T3 at 06.30 and again at 18.00. About 7 weeks and it's gone, thankfully. My own thinking is like someone else mentioned - that I needed more T3 in my cells for things to function correctly.

[DressingGown in reply to hobbycat]

The issue with T3 is that it has a shorter half life than T4 supplements. I don't know how you deal with that but it is the reason the Japan Thyroid Association banned T3 and compound thyroxine supplementation nationwide.

[DressingGown]

Wiggy29 - we are five years out. I'm suffering from the same symptoms (have been for four years) and it is intolerable.

Reading your post and comment replies my heart goes out to you. This is one hell of a disease. Its driving me crazy. Of you ever found out what helped you, of you have, then please let me know because I've been alking along the same road as you and sister, I'm sick of it!