Hello everyone. I am posting about my 80 year old hypo mum who has a cough which is disrupting her sleep and she frequently has a sore throat and seems to constantly have catarrh or PND which also causes her to cough. It isn't covid as she has none of the other symptoms and this is something she has had for a long time and it comes and goes with varying degrees of intensity. She had a phone consultation with her GP this morning who ruled out thyroid (likely doesn't know) and prescribed tablets for reflux. I am reluctant for her to start taking the reflux tablets as being hypo it is more likely that she has insufficient stomach acid and the tablets would make that worse. Has anyone experienced anything similar and have any advice?
HYPOTHYROID COUGH/THROAT/CATARRH PROBLEM - Thyroid UK
HYPOTHYROID COUGH/THROAT/CATARRH PROBLEM
Written by
Redlester
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45 Replies
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Yup, I cough all the time. I don't have sore throats as often as I used to, but still get them from time to time.
No point in asking doctors about thyroid coughs. I've tried several times. They just want to listen to your test and then look mystified. "Well," they say, "there's nothing wrong with your chest." "I know," I said, I could have told them that. "It's coming from my throat." And I even show the the spot where the cough comes from! They just look at me as if I'm mad and change the subject.
I'm pretty sure I don't have acid reflux - or low stomach acid, come to that. But, it might be a good idea for your mum to try the home test, at the end of this article, to see if that's what's bothering here.
healthygut.com/articles/3-t...
It might also be a good idea to get full thyroid bloods for her, if you can, because she could very well be under-medicated. Doctors have this weird idea that we oldies don't need much thyroid hormone!
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Thanks Grey Goose, sorry to hear you are similarly afflicted. I too get sore throats, though they are not as bad now or as frequent as they used to be, but I have also tried to show the precise spot to a doctor and got the frustrating "mad" look so I know what you mean. Thanks for the links - I'll try the betaine HCl test with her and see how she reacts, and my sister and I plan to do a medichecks test [thyroid hormones and ultravit one) to see if she is properly medicated, but I think from talking to her today there is an underlying undiagnosed and unaddressed adrenal problem going on, as she told me she is on 75mg Levo (whish seems on the lowish side to me) and when she tried to go up a dose she experienced horrendous hyper symptoms which is why I'm thinking adrenals and possibly low ferritin/B212/D3
You're probably right. But, to check the adrenals, you would need the 24 hour saliva cortisol test.
Thanks GG. I know, - I am looking into that test for myself as well - so we will start her on the medichecks ultravit test and depending on that then do the 24 hour cortisol test. Unfortunately she doesn't really "get" all this, thinks her GP has it all covered and it will be a bit of an uphill struggle to get her to follow all the instructions re how the test needs to be carried out to get legit results from it.
Yes, I can imagine it will be. It's not easy to explain to someone that trusts their doctor that he doesn't really have their best interests at heart.
Sadly she is of an age where the doctor is to be accorded the utmost respect and I know that underlying her reticence to be assertive about it is the fact that she doesn't understand anything about her condition and so blindly follows what the doctor tells her and doesn't question whether it is right or not.
So sad.
I know, but would imagine it is typical of a lot of people her age. all my sister and I can do is try to help her. I just want her quality of life to be better. She is suffering needlessly and it doesn't have to be like that.
Thank you @greygoose for your comments on ‘sore throat thyroid coughs’. I had never realised this connection. Most helpful. Have you found anything helps?
Yes I cough most nights especially in this heat so I always keep a glass of water by my bedside. Mine is caused by my goiter but my husband also coughs and he doesn't have one so unless she has any other symptoms try not to worry.
I'm not worried as such, it is just that it is a) so debilitating for her and interfering with her sleep, and b) impacting her quality of life - she is always worried she is going to lose her voice, which she has done in the past, and which both my sister and I suspect was, at the time, thyroid related, but pre-dated her diagnosis, and if the GP did thyroid tests, probably didn't do the right ones.
Has she had any investigations? My daughter started to get a hoarse voice and felt like she was losing her voice. They put a camera down there and it was found she has nodules on her vocal cords. The doctor asked if she was a singer which made me laugh because she does sing with her toddler a lot and that has now had to stop. My daughter has been given special voice exercises to do and luckily doesn't need surgery yet.
In 2000 she lost her voice for over a month - I can't remember whether she ever had any investigations at the time for that, but it returned, although my sister and I are convinced that that was thyroid and was the first indicator that she had a problem. If GP was testing at all he was probably only doing TSH and thinking all was fine - could be that was onset of hashis but if antibodies were never tested at that time then that diagnosis was never made. I v much doubt she has ever had antibodies tested, and even if they ever did NHS only tests for one not both sets. She has had cough, PND and sore throats in one form or another for about the last decade - when she was on levo. Found out last night that she is only on 75mg, so prob undermedicated.
SlowDragonAdministrator
How much levothyroxine is she taking
Does she always get same brand of levothyroxine
What vitamin supplements?
She needs FULL Thyroid testing
Important to see exactly what has been tested and equally important what hasn’t been tested yet
For full Thyroid evaluation she needs TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
Obviously low B12 extremely common in elderly
Ask GP to test vitamin levels
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Thyroid plus vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)
medichecks.com/products/thy...
Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3
£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off if go on thyroid uk for code
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...
Medichecks - JUST vitamin testing including folate - DIY finger prick test
medichecks.com/products/nut...
Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays
Acid reflux suggests she is under medicated
Or possibly lactose intolerance.....lactose intolerance is extremely common with Hashimoto’s and affects sinus, causes persistent cough and post nasal drip
Slowdragon my sister ordered her a medichecks ultravits test. Unfortunately have just found out she just did it, without waiting for any advice re how to do it, so she did it shortly after taking her day's levo dose, without fasting, and at about 10.30am. I realise this isn't going to produce much in the way of accurate TSH/T3/T4 levels but would the thyroid antibody results and the vitamin and mineral results still be worth anything done under these conditions??
Only Ft4 will be affected....false high
TSH won’t be affected....time of day is most important...
10.30 is a bit late ....but better than afternoon
TSH drops after eating and after coffee too
But antibodies and vitamins will be fine and unaffected
Post back via tracked 24 hour postal service
Thanks Slowdragon. I think she did it after breakfast [cup of tea and porridge] - will the ft3 value be any good? as sadly this is likely the first time she has had T3 tested?
Shouldn’t be affected ....only TSH
Great - thanks SlowDragon
google.com/url?sa=t&source=...
This maybe of interest - coughing connected to low B12 ...
Thank you very much indeed Marz. Isn't it fascinating the number of things which low B12 impacts!! Low B12 could be Mum's problem - I doubt she gets enough from diet sources and her doctor has never advised her to supplement. We will see what test results show when she does the medichecks ultravit. GP has prob only ever done serum B12 testing and the active B12 result will probably be more revealing.
As we age stomach acid is lower and good levels are needed to obtain the B12 molecules from food. It is then bound to Intrinsic Factor for the onward journey into the duodenum and beyond.
Both the Active and the serum test are testing amounts in the blood and not in the cells where it is needed. There is bound and unbound B12 in the Serum Test - so around 20% of that result would be the amount available to be transferred to the cells. The Active Test - tests only the B12 available to travel to the cells !
Reading up on the Vagus nerve is also interesting. Gargling will stimulate the vagus nerve - which again seems affected by the aging process. Vagus means wandering and this nerve does just that !! Mine is not good - singing was once funny- not anymore and I struggle with the Uijay breath ...
Thanks Marz. I have been researching the VN for years - bit obsessed with it at times to be honest - and have found humming is a good way to stimulate it. Aging impacts it as does infection, partic EBV, and anyone who has had any sort of abdominal surgery will likely have had it sliced apart by docs who apparently don't know about it. I have passed on the gargling tip and will be checking each day to make sure she is doing it!! Is the Uijay breath something to do with yoga?
Yes Uijay breath is a yoga breath. Found your comment about gut surgery and the VN interesting - I have had loads!! Edited version on my Bio - yikes ! Am off to hum whilst cooking supper !
Hope all goes well with your Mum ... 🌻
Thanks Marz - didn't mean to worry you about the gut surgery (sorry to hear that) but I was staggered when I came across that - how could they not know about such a large [in terms of size] and important nerve considering the range of functions it is involved with - let me know how the humming goes - I do it when I am out for my walk.
I am not easily worried - so all is well. I was happy to learn something new - now for the research ! I had Gut TB and then Crohns so my poor gut has taken a hammering ! Surprisingly well now - at almost 74 it is about time ☆♡☆
Ouch!! it certainly has - I know about Crohns but I'd never heard of gut TB - But very glad to hear you are doing well now - gives a crittur like me some hope for the future. !!
TB kills 2.5 million people globally every year - but hey the world does not shut down !! TB happens in many parts of the body and at the time of my diagnosis after being in hospital for weeks - one of the senior nurses had had a hysterectomy that was not cancer after all - but TB. I was 27 and had the BCG around 14 - umm !
Absolutely Marz - lots of things kill lots of people every year but the world doesn't shut down, unless of course there is a lot of money to be made from a mass vaccination campaign, and greater uptake urged re other existing vaccinations which have fallen out of favour because of the "anti-vaxxers" (I speak as one of the vaccine damaged as an infant so you can imagine where I would be coming from). Beggars belief re the TB- so did the (much vaunted) BCG not work in your case then??? I also had it at age 14.
Obviously didn't work - hence the Gut TB. I am sick of anti-vaxers being accused of being anti- vaccines in general. What we want is SAFE vaccines and without the attached corruption. Do you follow the Childrens Health website with Robert Kennedy ? Excellent information.
I don't follow it but have looked on it from time to time - must go back to it in light of what I anticipate to be huge forthcoming government pressure to be placed on all of us to have compulsory covid vaccination which worries me greatly as the race to be the first to develop one looks to be likely to drastically compromise its safety. Wouldn't want to be Putin's daughter!!! Couldn't agree with you more re vaccines in general. And my second problem with a covid vax is that no sooner does mass vaccination bring this pandemic under (a modicum of) control than China "accidentally" releases another virus and we are back to square one all over again.
I have very similar symptoms. I had a very gravelly voice and was constantly clearing my throat before I saw Dr P and started glandulars. I still have the post nasal drip sometimes and my digestion could be better. I was gluten and dairy free for ages but I was also grumpy with the restrictions so have slipped out of that but it definitely helps digestion. I stopped taking acid suppressants a long time ago and if I have digestion issues take apple cider pills which help.
Thanks HighlandMo - it's not pleasant is it having these symptoms?. I would suspect digestion is an issue with her as she says that certain foods - like dairy - make her PND worse. Do you think the glandulars helped with it? and was it adrenavive you were taking? My sister tried to make go GF and dairy free but she couldn't be bothered with the restrictions and I doubt if we tried that again now we would get anywhere with it but we might have to try. She does take ACV though. GP seems to have prescribed acid blockers for her which I really hope she doesn't take
Sorry to hear that your mum is experiencing such discomfort. I feel for her as I’m presently suffering in the same way. Mine started three years ago at the same time when my thyroid was failing. I ended up having a total thyroidectomy 3 years ago for thyroid cancer. The doctors seem to be all the same globally, they love to write prescriptions of ppi’s . I have had 4 ENT appointments, still no relief. It can be annoying and embarrassing, the constant hawking and throat clearing. Nothing has helped me so far, please let me know if something works for your mum. I really believe that it’s related to thyroid disorder, especially if one is not optimally treated. My levels have never been optimal, so that doesn’t help.
I wish your mum much need relief from her symptoms.
Thank you for your kind wishes Rosebud1955. I am so sorry to hear about that happening to you, so just so I have this right, did you begin to cough etc and then have thyroid cancer diagnosis and then full gland removal to treat it? That must have been awful for you. Can I ask what led to the thyroid cancer diagnosis? [panicking a little here on my mum's behalf as I would imagine that if there was anything of that nature wrong with my mum with the best will in the world her GP would be unlikely to pick it up.] She talks all the time of the horrendous catarrh and says she has eliminated all the dietary triggers she can to see if that will impact it without success so far. I think her levels of both replacement hormones and nutrient co-factors are definitely not optimal. My sister and I can work on that with her, but it is getting her to actually take the supps which can sometimes be a problem because she doesn't see the need to take them, and she doesn't want to listen to the explanation of why she needs to take them. If anything works I will pass it on to you and hope things improve for you - I really think ENTs just don't get it.
Hi Redlester,
My G.P did not pick up on my cancer. I suffered for a year with symptoms: cold hands and feet, hair loss, massive weight gain and more. He kept doing tsh bloods only, unfortunately my tsh never rose with all my symptoms. I had to insist on having an ultrasound, then they discovered several nodules which were calcified. Then he ignored that, I insisted on having a needle biopsy. The papillary cancer was discovered at that time. It was small and there was no lymph node involvement. I was having the constant hawking but no mucus to cough up. All the doctors kept telling me it was GERD so that they could prescribe the ppi’s . They do get “kick backs” from drug companies when they prescribe ppi’s, statins, and antidepressants, this are always their “go to “ diagnosis for women. It’s a sad reality but we have to be our own advocates when dealing with doctors these days. They just want their patients in and out of their offices as quickly as possible, so that they can move on to the next number. It’s like a production line, we’re just numbers to them.
So I removed my thyroid and the fight continues with getting the appropriate thyroid hormone dosage. I ended up with laryngeal nerve paralysis after surgery, but it slowly resolved, (95%), that’s good enough for them. Still struggling with the hawking and constantly clearing of my throat. It’s not a true postnatal drip because I’m not able to clear any secretions. I do get relief overnight, but starts up once I start eating during the day.
I’m truly sorry that your mum is also suffering as well, it’s not Avery pleasant situation to deal with, it embarrasses me a lot.
Keep fighting for your mum and keep me posted with results. I’m told that postnatal drip goes hand in hand with thyroid disorders, especially with autoimmune thyroiditis, that’s what I have. I eliminated dairy & gluten, it did not make a difference.
Wishing you and your mum great success in this horrific thyroid journey!!!
Hello Rosebud1955.
You have been through an absolute nightmare - and it was probably only because you pushed that you are still here at all and makes you wonder how many other people have been failed in this way. I am so sorry to hear what you are going through. I think the GERD diagnosis is one they resort to far too quickly in a lot of cases (I've had it, was prescribed 2 kinds of PPI's - ended up with a gallstone and no wonder) and seems to be what my mum's GP has conveniently opted for. I am really hoping she doesn't take the PPI's - my sister was horrified when I told her what the GP prescribed. Thankfully so far my mum has held out against statins so would imagine the GP has tried to get her onto those too. She is also on BP medication, which I would imagine she might not need if she was properly medicated for her thyroid.
So you have the sensation of something like a "drip" but cannot clear anything which must be miserable for you. Mum unfortunately doesn't get relief overnight, and it is the night time constant dry coughing which is impacting her sleep and affecting her at the minute. I also have PND at times but its more of the version of constantly needing to blow my nose. Not sure what is going on in my case.
I will of course let you know how things go and will post her results back here when we get them. Stay well Rosebud.
Meant to say earlier but forgot [see my post below] Rosebud, thank you for recounting your experiences - this is invaluable to me as it gives me an idea of the things to look out for regarding my mum and also the things to push for in case she needs them. I don't know what we would do if she needed an ultrasound as I was referred for one on my thyroid last August and I'm still waiting for it. Covid delays most like. Look after yourself.
I know - it is tricky. I have done GF in the past [and CF at the same time] back in the day before they were paddy or on food producers radar and there wasn't the full aisle in the supermarket to buy the free from stuff - didn't make any difference, I continued to deteriorate, and had to make everything from scratch - I seemed to spend whole days in the kitchen. I'm thinking that at some point I am going to have to try again....
so we will start her on the medichecks ultravit test and depending on that then do the 24 hour cortisol test
Don't do the Medichecks saliva cortisol test. It allows for zero in a couple of its reference ranges and gives a couple of results as "less than something" rather than giving an actual result. It also doesn't include DHEA.
The best tests for saliva cortisol are :
a) Regenerus Labs :
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
regeneruslabs.com/products/...
b) Genova Diagnostics UK - their website is often slow (or down) :
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
gdx.net/uk/product/adrenal-...
Thanks Humanbean - seems like there is less faff if you order from Regenerus as you don't have to fill in forms etc to get results back. If I go that route how do I get an interpretation of my test results from forum members without posting the pdf with the graphs etc in it [as that would compromise my identity and anonymity etc]?
You can always cover up identifying details or crop them from the picture.
This is how some other people have posted their results on the forum :
I am having the exact same issue now, i started taking levothyroxine two weeks ago, and since then have had cough, PND and phlegm.. i have no idea what is causing it im on 25 mcg, and am almost tempted to stop it and see what happens..
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