night shift & Hashimotos

[ChloeEllen]

hey everyone

I am a nurse suffering with Hashimotos hypothyroidism- I have struggled to keep my TSH stable for past few years now - always fluctuating. I have recently noticed that working nights shifts makes all of my symptoms ten times worst + I feel even more exhausted & I constantly feel nauseous from 2am onwards

my consultant and I are trying to work out why my level only stays stable for a few weeks then goes crazy ! I take the medication correctly the same time each day ! I’m starting to think that working night shifts could be the reason !

I’m due to have my bloods done again however the hack on st Thomas hospital means this is delayed ! Is it reasonable for me to ask occupational health to take me permanently off night shifts ? I feel like I will never be healthy and stable. Does anyone know if night shift work has an impact on hypothyroidism and symptoms ?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Please add most recent vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 results

Looking at previous post you are only on 50mcg 6 days and 75mcg once week

Retest 6-8 weeks after any dose change or brand change in Levo

Are you now on strictly gluten free diet

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

You are far from the first to have issues with night shift work.

These are two searches which find some posts (and, unfortunately includes quite a number of irrelevant posts):

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If nothing else, can you get an extended period without night shifts to try to see how much they are affecting you?

And what time do you take your levothyroxine?

helvella - Bed-time dosing of levothyroxine

Discussion about taking levothyroxine at bed-time. Several linked references to relevant papers.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[RedApple Administrator]

' Is it reasonable for me to ask occupational health to take me permanently off night shifts ? '

Yes, absolutely it is reasonable. After all, it's a really important job that you do, and you need to feel at your best to be able to do the job. If you can get a letter from your consultant to back up your request, so much the better. In the meantime, consider keeping a diary of how your symptoms change when on and off night shifts, that you could also present to back up your request.

[greygoose]

I have struggled to keep my TSH stable for past few years now - always fluctuating.

But it isn't about the TSH, it's about the throid hormone levels: T4 and T3. And if you're dosing by the TSH, that's the best way to keep it fluctuating!

TSH fluctuates throughout the day, anyway, being highest before 9 am, then dropping sharply to its lowest around midday. Do you always have your blood drawn at the same time of day?