Apnea sleep, and snoring & fibromyalgia treatments ,and the thyroid connection.

In many cases we are so conditions to focus upon the symptoms, that we keep on waiting and waiting for the BUS to arrive which could take us to a different destination.

When we open our minds and begin to realize that the body works as a system and that everything is related, we can start to find different solutions.

The body is designed to win, however we need to give the body the support that it wants in order to win!!

In many cases there is a connections between the apnea sleep, snoring problems, fibromyalgia and the endocrine system.

The Thyroid is an important part of the endocrine system.

Just another reminder, that EVERY PERSON who has a problem with their thyroid, has also a problem with their protein status. Either not utilizing the proteins, and therefore a deficiency in the available proteins.

Once this deficiency exist, the body will turn to its own body proteins, in order to meet the requirements.

Without addressing the protein status, you open yourself up to a whole range of inflammatory processes.

Thyroid Questionnaire

Do you….

1.Have unusual fatigue unrelated to exertion? Generally, thyroid low is a fatigue that is worse in the morning but improves over the course of a day.

2.Feel chillier than most people, often needing to wear socks to bed?

3.Dress in layers because needing to adjust to various temperatures throughout the day (sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold)?

4.Have feelings of anxiety that sometimes lead to panic?

5.Have trouble with weight, often eating lightly, yet still not losing?

6.Experience aches and pains in your muscles and joints unrelated to trauma or exercise?

7.Have increased problems with digestion or allergies?

8.Feel mentally sluggish, unfocused, or unusually forgetful, even though you’re not old enough to have alzheimer’s?

9.Know of anyone in your family who has ever had a thyroid problem (even yourself at an earlier age)?

10.Suffer from dry skin, or are prone to adult acne or eczema?

11.Go through periods of depression, and/or lowered sex drive, seemingly out of proportion to life events?

12.Have diabetes, anaemia, rheumatoid arthritis, or early graying of hair? Does anyone in your family?

13.Experience your hair as feeling like straw, dry and easily falling out?

14.Experience significant menopausal symptoms, including migraine headaches, without full relief after taking estrogen?

15.Have a history of whiplash or other neck injuries (which may have damaged your thyroid)?

16.Have significant exposure, now or in the past, to chlorine, bromine, or fluoride (which compete with iodine in your thyroid)?

17.Feel utterly exhausted by evening, yet have trouble sleeping?

18.Do you wake up tired?

19.Low basal temperature in early mornings (average) over 5 days? (test)

4 or more yes – possible undiagnosed or under-treated low thyroid problem.

Self-assessment of thyroid status

1. Symptoms:

• Significant fatigue, lethargy, sluggishness, or history of low thyroid at an earlier age

. Hoarseness for no particular reason

. Chronic recurrent infections . Decreased sweating even with mild exercise

. Depression, to the point of being a bothersome problem

. A tendency to be slow to heat up, even in a sauna

. Constipation despite adequate fibre and liquids in diet

. Brittle nails that crack or peel easily

. High cholesterol despite good diet

. Frequent headaches (especially migraine)

. Irregular menses, PMS, ovarian cysts, endometriosis . Unusually low sex drive

. Red face with exercise

. Accelerated worsening of eyesight or hearing

. Palpitations or uncomfortably noticeable heartbeat

. Difficulty in drawing a full breath, for no apparent reason

. Mood swings, especially anxiety, panic, or phobia

. Gum problems

. Mild choking sensation or difficulty swallowing . Excessive menopause symptoms, not well relieved with oestrogen

. Major weight gain . Aches and pains of limbs, unrelated to exertion . Skin problems of adult acne, eczema, or severe dry skin . Vague and mildly annoying chest discomfort, unrelated to exercise

. Feeling off balance

. Infertility

. Annoying burning or tingling sensations that come and go

. The experience of being colder than other people around you

. Difficulty maintaining standard weight with a sensible food intake

. Problems with memory, focus, or concentration

. More than normal amounts of hair come out in the brush or shower

. Difficulty maintaining stamina throughout the day

2. Related Conditions:

Have you ever had:

• Any of these autoimmune disorders:

. diabetes,

. rheumatoid arthritis,

. lupus, . sarcoidosis,

. scleroderma,

. Sjogren’s syndrome,

. biliary cirrhosis,

. myasthenia gravis,

. multiple sclerosis,

. Crohn’s disease,

. ulcerative colitis,

. thrombocytopenia

. Prematurely grey hair

. Anaemia, especially the B12 deficiency type

. Dyslexia

. Persistent unusual visual changes

. Rapid cycle bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)

. Raynaud’s syndrome (white or blue discoloration of fingers or toes when cold)

. Mitral valve prolapse

. Carpal tunnel syndrome

. Persistent tendinitis or bursitis

. Atrial fibrillation

. Alopecia (losing hair, especially in discrete patches)

. Calcium deficiency

. ADD (Attention deficit disorder)

. Vitiligo (persistent large white patches on skin)

. Neck injury, such as whiplash or blunt trauma

3. Family History:

Have any of your blood relatives ever had:

. High or low thyroid, or thyroid goitre

. Prematurely grey hair

. Complete or partial left-handedness

. Any of these autoimmune disorders: diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sarcoidosis, scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome, biliary cirrhosis, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, thrombocytopenia

4. Physical Signs:

Have you or your doctor observed any of the following:

• Low basal temperature in early mornings

• Slow movements, slow speech, slow reaction time

•Muscle weakness

•Thick tongue (seemingly too big for mouth)

•Swelling of feet

•Swelling of eyelids or bags under eyes

•Decreased colour of lips or yellowing of skin

•Enlarged thyroid gland

•Asymmetry, lumpiness, or other irregularity of thyroid gland

•Swelling of face

•Excess ear wax

•Dry mouth and /or dry eyes

•Noticeably cool skin

•Excessively dry or excessively coarse skin

•Especially low blood pressure

•Decreased ankle reflexes or normal reflexes with slow recovery phase

•Noticeably slow pulse rate without having exercised regularly

•Loss of outer one-third of eyebrows

SCORING YOURSELF

Category 1:

Additional Symptoms Give yourself 5 points for significant fatigue, and 1 point for each additional “yes” answer.

Category 2:

Related Conditions Give yourself 5 points for autoimmune illness, and 1 point for each additional “yes” answer.

Category 3:

Family History Give yourself 5 points for blood relatives ever having a thyroid problem, and 1 point for each additional “yes” answer.

Category 4:

Physical Signs Give yourself 5 points for low basal temperature, and 1 point for each additional “yes; answer

Interpreting your point score:

Add up your grand total of points from all four categories above:

• 5 points = only mildly indicative of low thyroid

• 10 points = somewhat suspicious for low thyroid - obtain TSH level as first screening test

• 15 points = very suspicious for low thyroid – obtain additional tests, if TSH is normal

• 20 points = likely to be low thyroid – obtain all possible blood testing to help confirm a diagnosis

• 25 or more = very likely to be low thyroid – obtain a trial of thyroid medicine, regardless of bld test results

NB. THYROID TESTING

TSH - >3 considered suspicious; >4 merits treatment, esp if accompanied by other signs, symptoms or family history. Aim to increase medications until TSH is 0.1

Before you decide to go on to thyroid

medication, inform yourself well about the

BEST options for you. Thyroxine or Oroxine

are NOT always the best options!!

Want to know more, call within Australia 08 9285 2121/9285 2123 or fax 08 9285 2124 Speak to you soon!

Helena Ederveen, Associate Member Australasian College Nutritional & Environmental Medicine/ Master Practitioner Neuro Linguistic Programming