Does thyroid condition affect your breathing?

[Nanaedake]

Has anyone found their thyroid condition affects the way they breathe even when their blood test results are great? I think my breathing is more shallow and I sometimes wake up feeling like I can't breathe. Anyone else had this experience and what did you do or did you find out it was something else altogether? Vitamin levels are all great so nothing left to improve as far as I know.

[jostafford0]

It affected my breathing when I exercise - I can't get my breath. I used to love jogging but have to stop after 5 mins so my breath can return to normal. I think it is a side effect of hypothyroidism.

[eeng]

Have you been checked for sleep apnoea?

What are your iron levels like?

[elvera111 in reply to eeng]

i am looking into this at minute. i had asthma and know what its like.but this is different. i cant breath after walking a few steps but am fine when sitting. asthma lets you wheeze when sitting. My dhea levels have just come back as very low which causes breathing difficulties.

[JS33]

Yes, I noticed that , might be the swelling in the thyroid area restricting the air intake . It got noticeably better for me when I went on ndt and got to a decent dose.

[MariLiz]

As someone who practices Yoga, I found I was unable to do some of the breathing exercises. Walking uphill also became a problem. My issues were sorted once my low B12 was treated.

[Hidden]

Possible it could be an inward growing goitre. Symptoms can include the inability to say a full sentence without taking another breath - reminiscent of John Wayne. Also not able to stand having anything remotely tight around the neck. I was unable to fasten my tie or have a bib around my neck at the barber's for several years before my partial thyroidectomy. Shallow breathing is a direct cause of pneumonia and chest infections, needing antibiotics. The condition does not right itself, it just gets worse and worse.

Ask your doc if he would recommend you get to see a specialist at local hospital. That could possibly mean having a camera put down your throat.

[Nanaedake in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your replies GP has ordered some tests so hopefully I will get to the bottom of it soon.

[jamesal0]

Yes - I would be out of breath after short intense exertions like walking 2 flight of stairs, but OK to Jog 4-5km. At the time I was on 125 Thyroxine and returning within range blood tests. After successfully taking Thyroxine for 5 years, I crashed and burned and could no longer tolerate it after being increased to 175 by GP to try and get my TSH down from 4-5's. I became completely intolerant the the stuff. In hind sight my Vit B levels were junk and I was un-diagnosed coeliac as well. Any way I changed to NDT and went gluten free and things got better with 3 months.

[Nanaedake in reply to jamesal0]

Do you think taking NDT improved your absorption of vitamin B12 or were there other factors?

[jamesal0 in reply to Nanaedake]

No. I think it was the other way round, once I had VitB I was then able to absorb NDT and lungs/heart recovered. I have tried going back on Thyroxin a few times because it's cheap. But I feel horrible each time, and get depressed/anxious so I choose to pay $3 a day to be on NDT.