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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Are Constant Tiredness And Night Sweats Symptoms Of A Thyroid Dysfunction?

I m a female, 32 years old, exercise regularly (crossfit) eat a balanced, healthy diet -- no exclusions or excesses to speak of. I have been having night sweats for about 6 months and it smells awful , like vinegar/ammonia? Hard to put my finger on. I m not jaundiced, urine isn t particularly darker than usual, nothing seems to be out of place. I was diagnosed with Reynauds syndrome at 13 years old so I thought the night sweats maybe were caused by microshivering during the night, but that doesn t explain the odd odor. I m cold all the time, constantly tired, and suffer from anxiety (sounds like a thyroid issue? But also sounds like I m naturally anxious, cold because of reynauds, and tired because of life circumstances). Help!?!
Fri, 29 Jun 2018
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Endocrinologist,  's  Response

Hello and welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.

Sweating and body odor are facts of life for most people.
Heavy perspiration and body odor can happen when you exercise, when you're too warm, or when you're nervous, anxious or under stress.(in my opinion ,this last element is determinant in your case.)

About the body odor i can say that your sweat will smell like ammonia only if an excessive amount of amino acids are being used for energy(when you exercise regularly but you don't take enough carbohydrates in your diet, for example), or you are not receiving adequate water(dehydration).

The key to avoiding that ammonia smell is to ingest sufficient carbohydrates. If you eat an ample amount of carbohydrate with every meal, then you should have plenty to fuel your exercise activity.

At the other side excessive sweating and body odor can be caused by an underlying medical condition, such as an infection, diabetes or an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).

Infection and Diabetes can be excluded in your case(considering your medical history.

So,to resume my answer:Yes,Your symptoms can be caused by a thyroid issue.
My advice is to do the thyroid testsTSH,fT3and fT4 to clarifie if you ahve any thyroid condition that can explain your actual problem.

Hope this is helpful.
Let me know if i can assist you further.

I find this answer helpful
Endocrinologist,  Dr. Elona's  Response
Hello and welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.

Night sweats can be causes by stress, anxiety,pregnancy,hyperthyroidism,menopause,some infections like endocarditis and tuberculosis and certain medication.

Change in body odor can be a sign of lack of carbohydrates in your daily diet and dehydration.

Yes,it is tru,your symptoms can be causes by a thyroid issue and for this reason i suggest to do the thyroid tests TSH,fT3 and fT4 to confirm or exclude this diagnosis.

My advices for you are:-Try to manage stress
-Drink plently of liquids,
-increase your carbohydrate intake throughout the day
-Consume a nutritious meal immediately after exercising ( a balance of lean protein and whole, unprocessed carbohydrates )
-add a small "snack" prior to your next workout.

An apple a day can help keep the ammonia smell away!

Hope this is helpful.
Let me know if i can assist you further.






I find this answer helpful
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Are Constant Tiredness And Night Sweats Symptoms Of A Thyroid Dysfunction?

Hello and welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. Sweating and body odor are facts of life for most people. Heavy perspiration and body odor can happen when you exercise, when you re too warm, or when you re nervous, anxious or under stress.(in my opinion ,this last element is determinant in your case.) About the body odor i can say that your sweat will smell like ammonia only if an excessive amount of amino acids are being used for energy(when you exercise regularly but you don t take enough carbohydrates in your diet, for example), or you are not receiving adequate water(dehydration). The key to avoiding that ammonia smell is to ingest sufficient carbohydrates. If you eat an ample amount of carbohydrate with every meal, then you should have plenty to fuel your exercise activity. At the other side excessive sweating and body odor can be caused by an underlying medical condition, such as an infection, diabetes or an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Infection and Diabetes can be excluded in your case(considering your medical history. So,to resume my answer:Yes,Your symptoms can be caused by a thyroid issue. My advice is to do the thyroid testsTSH,fT3and fT4 to clarifie if you ahve any thyroid condition that can explain your actual problem. Hope this is helpful. Let me know if i can assist you further.