For some patients with hypothyroidism, including my wife, medicine just doesn’t completely eliminate the fatigue associated with this condition. Most patients with hypothyroidism suffer from some degree of fatigue, which can range from mild to severe. For example, a friend of ours just gets a little sleepy around mid-afternoon, while my wife sometimes needs three-hour naps to make it through the day.
If you suffer from hypothyroidism, you might be looking for different ways to fight the fatigue, especially if your medication (such as Synthroid) doesn’t seem to be making a dent. Following are some of the things that my wife has tried over the course of her ordeal, and whether or not they worked for her.
Earlier to Bed, Earlier to Rise
My wife doesn’t like to sleep more than eight hours each night, but she started going to bed earlier last year (around nine o’clock, if you can believe it). Rising at five o’clock in the morning instead of her usual seven, she found that her fatigue didn’t hit until early evening, which was a definite improvement. If you have hypothyroidism, you might try adjusting your sleep patterns to see if it makes a difference. Obviously, this might not be an option if your work schedule doesn’t permit it.
Less Caffeine Intake
Up until she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, my wife consumed copious amounts of caffeine each day, from coffee to diet sodas to iced tea. After her diagnosis, she began limiting herself to one Diet Dr. Pepper in the morning, and one glass of iced tea in the afternoon. The result was a greater energy boost during those periods of consumption, which helped her stay awake all day. In some cases, fatigue can be fought with just an extra pick-me-up.
Long Afternoon Walks
Since many patients with hypothyroidism experience the most acute fatigue during the afternoon, my wife decided to start taking long walks right after lunch. She thought that the exercise might invigorate her and stimulate her metabolism, but it actually had the opposite effect. Although exercise is reputably a good way to fight fatigue, this might not be the case with some hypothyroidism sufferers. Of course, it might work for you.
Short Cat Naps
If you suffer from hypothyroidism and are looking for ways to fight fatigue, you might try taking short cat naps throughout the day. Although this didn’t work for my wife, who will sleep for hours if she goes to sleep at all, she’s heard from friends and online acquaintances that it does work for some people. Just set an alarm for thirty minutes or an hour after you fall asleep, and you might wake up feeling less tired.
In addition to taking her meds and visiting the doctor regularly, my wife has discovered that diet can have an enormous impact on fatigue for hypothyroidism sufferers. She was eating too many fruits and vegetables, which included fewer categories but provided very little energy. Similarly, carbohydrates can give you a momentary boost, then send you plummeting into exhaustion. She’s found that loading up on protein-rich foods-particularly fish-can have a positive impact on your daily life.
