Glucose/thyroid/fatigue connection?

April 6, 2006 11:53 AM

I am wondering if there are any resources that can draw a connection of any kind between low blood sugar and poor thyroid function, and thus fatigue?

Basically, I am pretty low-energy. It doesn't affect my work but I frequently feel like going to bed at 9 even though I usually sleep until 7-- and after my workday is through I generally collapse like a lump on the couch.

Recently, I got life insurance, and in my blood test results it showed that I had 60 mg/dL less than 2 hours after breakfast (probably a slice of Ezekiel whole grain toast, natural p.b., and cottage cheese). I have also been slowly gaining weight, and am waiting on the results of my thyroid test (although my doctor thinks it's not thyroid based on the absence of any lumps in my neck). While perusing a previous AskMF I noticed a few people had anecdotal evidence of a connection between low glucose and thyroid, and I am hoping to someone can point me toward resources? A lot of the overall info on glucose levels I've found is also absurdly basic and not helpful, so resources in that direction would be great too.

For the record, I am female, 32, normal weight, and take zoloft, but this fatigue is different than depressive fatigue.

posted by miss tea to health (8 comments total)

You're slowly gaining weight and feel tired in the evening. How much exercise do you get?

I get up at 6:45 or so and I usually start to feel like going to bed around 9 or 9:30 (although I don't get there until later). I don't think there's anything unhealthy about that.
posted by rxrfrx at 12:26 PM on April 6, 2006

You don't mention if you've any other symptoms, but I was pretty zonked all the time until I was diagnosed with PCOS. I've since started taking Metformin (though I am not diabetic; it is becoming a common treatment for PCOS), and I noticed within a few weeks that my energy levels were improving, and I was hardly napping (before, a nap was a daily thing).

It's worth a check: it's believed that 5 to 10% of women have PCOS, but it's not widely known about outside of academic medical communities -- mostly because women are more apt to keep little irregularities to themselves and chalk it up to "just how they are." I was thyroid-tested multiple times, and each time the levels came back within a normal range. I even had a doctor refer me to a psychiatrist because he thought I hated myself and was trying to find a physical way to explain away my emotions (as if presenting that I got my period only about four times a year was all in my head). Even if it's not PCOS, if your doc comes back empty handed but you know that something's not right, get a second opinion. Or a third. Or a tenth -- because if I hadn't, nothing would have been done about my condition (which, when untreated leaves me more prone to Type II diabetes, heart disease, and endometrial cancer, to name a few, and will make it incredibly difficult for me to conceive if I choose to). In short, the fact that someone finally gave me an answer has sort of changed my life.
posted by penchant at 12:31 PM on April 6, 2006

am waiting on the results of my thyroid test (although my doctor thinks it's not thyroid based on the absence of any lumps in my neck).

I'd be a little concerned if your doctor really thinks he/she can dismiss the problem as thyroid based solely by the absence of lumps in the neck. You can have no thryoid lumps and still be hyper- or hypothyroid; equally, you can have thryoid lumps and not be either hyper- or hypo-. The primary suggestion that you may be hypothyroid is by bloodwork measuring your thryoid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels -- broadly speaking, the higher your TSH, the lower your thyroid function is. (There are other tests that measure other thryoid ranges but first and foremost, your doctor will want to look at your TSH.)

In other words, it's good that you don't have any thryoid lumps, but in and of itself that doesn't rule out thyroid problems till you get the bloodwork back. As for the blood sugar/thyroid function connection, here's something from about.com.
posted by scody at 12:35 PM on April 6, 2006

that's what I get for posting and writing an unrelated email at the same time. for "the primary suggestion that you may be hypothyroid " read "the primary indicator blah blah blah."
posted by scody at 12:37 PM on April 6, 2006

Thanks, scody, that was an interesting article. I did wonder about my doc's assuredness about the thyroid thing, it seemed really odd. She did order the test though, and also an iron test. Interesting in that article is that I am the opposite with cholesterol levels-- very low overall and LDL.

I don't have any of the other symptoms of PCOS, thank goodness. One of my best friends has it and it's a very difficult disease-- I am glad that at least you finally got a diagnosis, penchant.

And in terms of excercise, I get about 1/2 hour of brisk walking and recently I've added rollerskating, replacing my previous indoor rock climbing. So not really much change in my activity levels.
posted by miss tea at 12:46 PM on April 6, 2006

What scody said. Consider another doctor. Fatigue is a very difficult thing to place, though. As mentioned, you're likely to be told it's all in your head. I wish you luck.

Things to rule out right off the bat: are you eating a healthy diet (i.e. nutritious with appropriate caloric intake), staying hydrated, getting your exercise (on preview I see you are), and getting your rest?

As for your blood sugar being so low after your breakfast - that's a very, very low carb meal, and if you're active at all afterwards, the low sugar makes sense, especially two hours out. You may want to consider an extra slice of toast or something while you're waiting on some sort of diagnosis. (Speaking of which, has your doctor scheduled you for an actual glucose tolerance test?)

For what it's worth, I've been a diagnosed hypoglycemic for several years now, and currently have gestational diabetes. My thyroid tests always come back with normal levels, but I do have a family history.
posted by moira at 1:02 PM on April 6, 2006

What's your stress level like?

For some solid medical info on the interplay of various hormones, I like "Hormonal Balance: Understanding Hormones, Weight and Metabolism" by Scott Isaacs, MD.
posted by selfmedicating at 1:52 PM on April 6, 2006

If the medical tests are all negative you may want to consider if it is a side effect of the Zoloft. One's response to SSRIs will vary over time. You might try another SSRI or augemnt the Zoloft with a SNRI or other antidepressant.
posted by rmhsinc at 2:04 PM on April 6, 2006