Feeling Tired All The Time?

Seunga (Jasmine) Han, PharmD Candidate

Constant Fatigue and Cold Intolerance

Do you often find yourself so tired you can’t even stay awake to get anything done, even despite sleeping eight, maybe more, hours a night? Or are you that one person that always seems to be cold while everyone else is just fine? Feeling tired or cold is something everyone experiences at one point or another; however, if this happens to you frequently or starts to affect your daily life, your body might be giving you a sign. In today’s article, we’ll discuss a potential cause and solution for these issues.

Hypothyroidism

If the symptoms mentioned above sound all too familiar to you, then you may have what’s called hypothyroidism, also simply known as low-thyroid. Hypothyroidism is a condition where your body lacks thyroid hormone due to various factors such as:¹

• Inflammation of the thyroid gland
• Removal of the thyroid gland
• Radiation therapy to the head or neck
• Family history of low-thyroid 
• Certain medication use

Medications that can cause hypothyroidism include: lithium, methimazole, thalidomide, interferons, sunitinib, propylthiouracil, iodine, and amiodarone, to name a few.¹ Now, of course, these medications don’t always lead to issues with your thyroid – in fact, many people can safely take any one of these without any issue. However, if you suspect there’s a connection, consider following up with your healthcare provider.

What Does Thyroid Hormone Do?

Thyroid hormone is very critical in regulating the function of every organ system in the body. It plays a critical role in the growth and development of children and the metabolism of adults.¹

What Are Some Symptoms of Hypothyroidism?

Because thyroid hormones are involved in keeping our metabolism and organ function up and running, the symptoms of hypothyroidism can be quite varied. While classic symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue and cold intolerance, one may also experience some of the following:¹

• Constipation
• Weight gain
• Poor memory
• Muscle weakness/cramps
• Dry skin and hair loss
• Irregular menstrual period

The Bottom Line

The good news is, low-thyroid can often be treated easily and effectively with prescription medications. Synthroid^® and Eltroxin^® and even Desiccated Thyroid derived from animals are commonly used products for hypothyroidism, which are available in small, convenient pills that are often taken once daily. Thyroid medications often have little-to-no side effects and are easy to take, however, users should avoid taking them within two hours of any vitamins, minerals, or dairy to ensure the body properly absorbs them.²

Of course, many other reasons could contribute to symptoms like the ones we’ve discussed, including iron or B12 deficiency anaemia. Therefore, before taking any action, it’s always important to bring your concerns up to your healthcare provider so that they can make a proper diagnosis. Additionally, it’s important always to try and incorporate adequate sleep, an appropriate diet, and frequent exercise in your lifestyle to ensure that your body is healthy and functioning properly.

We hope you took away something valuable from this piece. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this article or others, feel free to reach out to us on Instagram, Facebook, or at ask@orbishealth.ca with your feedback. We’d love to hear from you.

RESOURCES

1. Dynamed
2. Lexicomp