The Effect of Aroma on Fatigue Scores Among Women With Hypothyroidism

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT03465176

Enrollment

Registered

2018-03-14

Start date

2017-07-11

Completion date

2018-05-31

Last updated

2018-08-01

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Fatigue, Hypothyroidism

Keywords

aromatherapy, fatigue, hypothyroidism, essential oils

Brief summary

This study evaluates the effects of an inhaled blend of essential oils on fatigue scores among women who have hypothyroidism. Half of the participants will receive an essential oil blend to inhale daily for two weeks while the other half will serve as controls and inhale a carrier oil.

Detailed description

The inhalation of certain essential oils has been found to increase stamina and reduce fatigue among athletes but have not been evaluated for the purpose of reducing fatigue among women who experience fatigue as a result of a hypothyroid condition. The essential oils used in this study are inhaled mid-afternoon, the time in which women with hypothyroidism typically experience the lowest levels of energy during the day, otherwise known as the afternoon slump. The essential oil is administered during this time to evaluate both the immediate effects on fatigue as well as the overall effects, with measurements at the end of both the first and second week of the study. Fatigue is measured on a multi-dimensional scale, a validated instrument that measures not only physical fatigue but also emotional and mental fatigue.

Interventions

OTHERAromatherapy Blend

The essential oil intervention is a blend of plant derived oils which have been distilled from crude plant matter and analyzed in a laboratory to identify chemical composition.

OTHERPlacebo

The placebo substance is an odorless vegetable oil derived from avocados.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Age

18 Years to 55 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* female * diagnosed with hypothyroidism * otherwise healthy

Exclusion criteria

• history of thyroid cancer

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
83-item Multidimensional Symptoms of Fatigue Inventory	2 weeks	This measurement collects self reported fatigue scores at baseline and at the end of each week of the intervention. Each item is scored from 0-4, with higher scores indicating greater levels of fatigue.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026