Is there a connection?

[Polly4acre]

I quite often nod off in the armchair these days. I wake myself up choking with my head dropped forward. I have a nodule on my thyroid gland and wonder if the rwo are connected. PollyX

[Hidden]

That sound very likely. The nodule/goitre has the choice of growing inwards or outwards. Many do the latter and you get the "traditional" lump on your neck. Those that grow inwards can increasingly squash your larynx and cause breathing difficulties which will result in pneumonia over time, which can prove fatal without treatment.

See your doc for how to proceed as this needs regular monitoring and possibly an operation if and when it gets quite bad.

[Polly4acre in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply Panda 321, Will get an appointment at my Medical centre, Polly X

[LAHs]

Hi Polly4acre, Go get a full thyroid panel from your doc or from a private lab. You need to know if that lump in your throat is benign or cancerous. It is probably benign, but you need to know. Post the results here and we will give our opinions.

Falling asleep at work was one of my (unacceptable) symptoms. Without work I don't know how to live life, so I went to my doc and told him I kept falling asleep and would he mind checking out my thyroid. I had thyroid cancer, I am not suggesting that is your problem but if that nodule is causing malfunction of your thyroid you cn get medication to overcome its influence.

[Greekchick]

Hi Polly,

A goiter and a large enough nodule can also cause sleep apnea, which is why you may be falling asleep during the day. In addition to thyroid testing you may wish to consider getting tested for it until you can be treated for your thyroid - it is very serious . I developed it as a result of of my thyroid problems.

You need to attend to your thyroid issue immediately - if you read my profile by clicking on my name, I had a similar problem.

Wishing you all the best.