It's January and it's Thyroid Awareness Month. Seeing as we like to focus on the issues that our customers are facing every day as they battle nighttime discomfort and oftentimes, as a result of a medical condition like Hyperthyroidism, we thought this was the perfect time to do a Customer Spotlight Q&A with our friend, Kayla.
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Wicked Sheets: When and how were you diagnosed with hyperthyroidism? Were you experiencing particular symptoms? Was excessive sweating one of them?
Kayla: I was diagnosed officially 10/2018 with Graves disease (high thyroid levels from my immune system creating antibodies that fight my thyroid gland), but my first abnormal test result was in 07/2018. I didn’t realize the hot flashes that I have and was having were my thyroid levels attempting to adjust themselves.
What started everything was our infertility. My doctor ran a test in 07/2018 and that got the ball rolling. I AM ALWAYS HOT. I do have excessive sweating day and night. I had this before I was diagnosed, but I had no idea anything was wrong with my thyroid. Nighttime does seem to be worse. I wake up sweating and sometimes the “sticking your foot from underneath the covers” doesn’t work. The only other symptoms I had were (heart) palpitations.
Wicked Sheets: When you started noticing these things, what type of doctor do you go to?
Kayla: I’m currently seeing an Endocrinologist who specializes in thyroid.
Wicked Sheets: What is your current treatment plan and what type of medical professional do you see for this treatment?
Kayla: My treatment plan, as of now, is a medication called PTU (
Propylthiouracil). I take it twice a day right now and have to get my labs checked every 6 weeks to ensure that the medications are working correctly and that no adjustments are needed.
Wicked Sheets: Is hyperthyroidism prevalent or common in particular groups of people who also have co-morbidities with autoimmune disorders? A lot of our customers with Hyperthyroidism also report high metabolism, restless leg, and insomnia.
Kayla: I am not 100% on this, but I do know that these are very common symptoms of someone with hyperthyroidism.
Wicked Sheets: Are there any lifestyle changes that folks with treated or untreated hyperthyroidism can do to help cope with the condition?
Kayla: My doctor tells me that I cannot make a lifestyle change that will change my results. (That was my first question when I was diagnosed.) I was in shock, really. I do not look like someone who has Graves. But as of now, I continue to have the day/night sweats, a high heart rate and feeling of tiredness all the time. I have a hard time coping with the diagnosis because I feel like I’m too young to be going through something like this. Taking medication everyday, twice a day is a hard habit to start. And being in the medical field, that makes me a “bad” patient. Being on the other side is super hard. But one day at a time right now.
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We posted on our Wicked Sheets Facebook page to ask our followers if they were suffering from hyperthyroidism and Kayla so graciously stepped up and said she was happy to share her experience. We believe it is so important to share these stories, because there are lots of you out there who are suffering from the nighttime discomforts associated with night sweats, hot flashes, and overheating, that may have not visited a doctor or received an accurate diagnosis that just might relate to Kayla's story.
If you, or someone you know is not sleeping well, having issues falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up to sweat soaked bedding and pajamas, we're here to help. First, visit your doctor and make sure you rule out any serious medical conditions, but then give us a try. We've been in business 10 years because we help people sleep cool, dry, and better.
Until next time, friends, sleep wicked! -Alli
