Goiter

[SAM_S]

Hi I have mildly enlarged thyroid. Since I was diagnosed with it I am having sleep issue. I think my airways is obstructed by the enlarged thyroid. My current Apap pressure setting is not working it seems. Can any one please share their experience with goiter? how manage it? Thanks

[Julie]

Have you spoken to your doctor or e.g. an endocrinologist about it - whether or not people here have had experience?

[SAM_S]

I talked with the Doctor. My thyroid hormone is within the range. She said it may shrink on its own. Its almost 3 months still no improvement.

[Julie]

I'd want a second opinion asap... how does he know for sure it's just your thyroid in there? What else has he done to check it out?

[SAM_S]

She performs a sonogram.Just that

[chunkyfrog]

At this point, the bullfrog's doctor ordered a biopsy.
You will hate it; but it beats not knowing.

[SAM_S]

I don't have any nodule. That's why may be no biopsy. I can see the base of my left neck is inflamed. No one here in this group has goiter issue that surgically or medically shrinked ? I am struggling with my sleep very much.

[kteague]

As you sort through whether the thyroid is causing new breathing issues or not and what to do, maybe adjusting your CPAP treatment to where it addresses whatever is causing your problem would be helpful to your sleep and breathing.

[SAM_S]

These days my sleep is not refreshed ,feel exhausted and I have nightmares everynight.

[chunkyfrog]

Bother the doctors until they lose as much sleep as you do.

[SAM_S]

Bother the doctors until they lose as much sleep as you do.

dont understand what you say

[chunkyfrog]

Bother the doctors until they lose as much sleep as you do.

dont understand what you say

Call them, and insist on help. Be a pest.
But be a nice pest--show them it is urgent, and keep at it.
Get a second opinion, if possible.

[SAM_S]

Bother the doctors until they lose as much sleep as you do.

dont understand what you say

Call them, and insist on help. Be a pest.
But be a nice pest--show them it is urgent, and keep at it.
Get a second opinion, if possible.

Thanks.My question is nihgtmares is a sign of poor sleep right?

[Pugsy]

When we are complaining of remembering many dreams (good or bad) often is a sign of poor sleep quality.
Here's the deal...we won't remember a dream unless we wake up long enough to form a memory of that dream.
Usually right after a dream or during the dream is when we wake up and maybe remember it.
We can dream in any sleep stage...it isn't limited to REM sleep...and it is entirely normal to wake after a completion of a REM sleep stage. Normally we just wake up and roll over and go back to sleep and aren't awake long enough to form a memory.

So when we remember a lot of dreams it means we have a lot of wake ups or else we wouldn't be remembering them.
So the dreams (remembering them) is a symptom of poor sleep but as to what is causing the poor sleep we just don't know what that might be.
There are 2 kinds of arousals.....respiratory related arousals which mean airway related as in potentially related to some sort of airway related issues...i.e....apnea
the other kind of arousal is just called spontaneous arousal because we have no idea what might be causing us to wake up.
It's the arousal that happens which can cause us to remember a dream.

So...cpap fixes airway related arousals but does nothing for spontaneous arousals.

Did your doctor add any medications when they found the goiter?
Any change in your other routine meds? Addition, subtraction or change in dosage?
Did the poor sleep (remembering dreams) start after the goiter was found or was it going on long before the goiter was found?
Do your cpap reports show any changes in results from what you typically might see? More events?....Maybe higher pressure average???.

It wouldn't be totally impossible for the goiter itself to reduce airflow and cause arousals related to the airway.
It also is entirely possible that finding about the goiter has caused mental stress which can cause spontaneous arousals.

So the remembering of a lot of dreams is a symptom of poor sleep and having lots of arousals.
Now what might be causing those arousals in the first place is the million dollar question.
To fix any problem we have to first figure out the cause of the problem....and most of the time that isn't easy to do.

[SAM_S]

Dear pugsi,
Answer to your questions below :

Did your doctor add any medications when they found the goiter?---No medications
Any change in your other routine meds? Addition, subtraction or change in dosage?---I dont take any medications.
Did the poor sleep (remembering dreams) start after the goiter was found or was it going on long before the goiter was found?Its starts same time I am feeling irritations in my throat eventually diagnosed with mildly enlarged thyroid
Do your cpap reports show any changes in results from what you typically might see? More events?....Maybe higher pressure average???.---Before this I slept very well.I use min pre-17 max 20.but its no longer helping.