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Graves / Hyperthyroidism

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Sanober

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Not really knowing what's going on inside my Endocrine system!!!
Hello because of excessive sweating in recent months (amongst others symptoms) I got my Thyroid retested.

Last year my TSH was 1.7 vs range 0.35-5.0
Now it's 0.79

My T4 both times is 15 vs range 9-21

I know no on is able to diagnose, and I will take the results to my Endo on 21st Sept at my routine check up. But I wonder if the above should be accepted as OK (as per my local GP) or if it merits further investigation I.e Thyroid antibody test?
 
Hi Sanobar,

I was hyperthyroid about 10 yrs ago so I cannot remember the exact numbers for T4. However I do remember that my TSH was 0.01. As you probably know there is whats called a negative feedback where if your T4 is high then TSH hormone switches of and goes low. Visa Versa for hypo thyroid.

Out of interest what other symptoms do you have?

I had a slight tremor, sweating, rapid pulse ( over 100, 125 at worst ), unsatisfiable hunger, lost 1stone in weight despite eating ridiculous amounts of food, diorreah, extremely tired even after sleeping ( caused by my heart going so fast ), emotional, at one point I thought I was having a nervous breakdown, all because of the symptoms and menstruation every 2 weeks but virtualy nothing.

I did'nt however have a goitre or bulging eyes. Your Endo will probably look at both the blood test results and your symptoms together, and if I remember correctly I dont think my T4 was massively over the normal numbers but my TSH was virtualy non existant so that is what he went off together with the symptoms.

I was treated with pills which eventually worked, but it came back after a year and then I had radio iodine treatment which made me go hypothyroid. You mention graves disease. Strangely I was tested for this in the early stages and my endo said it was negative. But then not tested again later, weird how I then went on to have T1 another autoimmune condition only 6 years later.

I hope you get it sorted as it can make you feel lousy

Lucy xxx
 
So appreciate your response! Thank you.

Interesting that you mention your T4 was not too bad, because mine is smack back in the middle of the range.

However my TSH has slid further down the way, and this is where am suspicious. Also my testosterone is out of range (low) and my SHBG? Which I still down know is 450 , the max end of the range is 155 - this can also suggest hyperthyroidsim but am on the pill continously to control my Endometriosis and have been since Jan so this is clouding things somewhat.

These tests were done because of the excessive sweating, even just walking to the bus stop. Sometimes waking up at night, drenched in sweat. I feel over heated from the inside out, my boss gave me a fan for my desk today because I was fanning myself with a calender, stress also brings on this sweating, I stopped running as I used to sometimes get swollen hands, nausea and light headedness but ok with other forms of exercise.

Any other odd symptoms:

Random rapid heart rate when resting, sometimes wake up in the night with it (this used to happen a lot before insulin started last year) but it still happens now and again and certainly in recent months.

Odd you mention tremour, my right hand has a very slight tremour.

I also seem manic at times, family members and husband have asked if I'm ok as I seem so rushed and panicky - this is out of character. Other times, shattered, but no real reason, when sugars are fine and I've not done anything extrenous. My husband said I tend to gaze off into the distance at times too and this has been recent, saying that, my sugar levels have become unstable so adjusting basal etc which hasn't been fun and contributing to all sorts of mood/fatigue etc

No weight loss (not like when I was DX with LADA in Nov).

I get diorreah but not very badly every 3 - 5 days for a few months now but just ignored it.
 
Hi Sanober and shop I had my Thyroid blood test on Wednesday. My 'symptoms' if they are symptoms, is weight loss,( but could be associated with the gut problem, palpatations, feeling as though my heart is going ten to the dozen, very irritable as times and out of breath very easily, but the main thing I noticed is for the past 3 weeks or so I have a feeling that something is in my throat that shouldn't be there. It doesn't hurt, but I feel as though I want to gulp the thing down, but it doesn't go away and its still there now, its an odd sensation. So I will find out the results sometime next week.

I have a Thyroid book at home because when my daughter was 7 she was tested for Thyroid because she kept saying she was tired. Her result was in the normal range but at the lower end and so she didn't have any medication. Our Dr said it might come back in her teenage years and her half sister, age 30, has an overactive thyroid. It does seem to run in families. With best wishes RRB
 
Hi Sanober and RRB,

Sanober. My T4 was over what it should have been but the Dr said he had seen higher. I was very manic too, on my day off on a Saturday I was rushing around the house ( absolutely no need to. ) I had a high pressured job at the time and just thought that I was having trouble coping. One of the problems is that some of the symptoms are also similar to anxiety symptoms so Thyroid probs are only detected once Bloods are done and everything is evaluated.

The thing with an overactive thyroid is that not everyone will have all of the symptoms. My tremor was very slight. Also people assume that if you are exhausted then it must be underactive as that is also one of the symptoms for an underactive thyroid. Don't underestimate how tired you can feel when your heart is working harder than normal even when you sleep. ( My Gp said no wonder you feel so tired when your heart is going twice as fast as it should ( I said originaly over 100, it was 120+ the majority of the time the more I remember, In between times I was told to report it to my Dr if it was above 100.)

RRB, the throat thing could be a goitre ( did you mention this to your Dr? ) and it can run in families. My Auntie has hypothyroid. My MIL has been hyper and had the excact same treatment as me and is now Hypothyroid, unfortunately he eyes were affected as they were bulging and she was left with double vision. Her 2 Sisters have had probs too.

You will find that If you are hyper then they prefer to refer you to an endo for it as ( my endo said to me ) it is not an exact science!
Whereas hypothyroid can be treated by a GP.

The good thing is that once treated successfully it is monitored regularly. Hope you both get it all sorted and treated soon.

Take care both

Lucy xxx
 
Sanobar,

Also wanted to mention that during my treatment and investigations I had to get a second opinion from another GP. I had been referred to the Endo and was waiting for a follow up appt. When I aproached 1 GP he suggested that I go for counselling as I was obviously stressed!!! My friend pursuaded me to see another Dr who took my pulse straight away and said that if he had been walking around with a pulse of 125+ for the past month he would feel tired and tearful. At that stage I was on betta blockers not yet on Carbimazole ( the drug with is used to treat an overactive thyroid. ) He gave me a different type of betta blocker ( one that covered the whole day.) until I saw my Endo, this made a difference to my pulse and helped alot. I then went on to carbimazole.

What I am trying to say is if you feel your not being listened to, see another DR. All the first Dr had to do was take my pulse and he would have seen why I was feeling so lousy!

Lucy.
 

Thanks Lucy I will let you know the outcome next week. It may not even be Thyroid after all :eh: RRB
 
Good news, my Thyroid blood test result came back normal which is very good news, but I still have the sensation that something is in my throat and since yesterday i can'feel' something on the left side, so will make an appointment to see my doctor about it. Best wishes RRB
 

RRB glad that your thyroid is Ok :thumbup: Hope you find out whats causing the feeling in your throat and get it sorted. Keep us posted and take care,

Lucy xxx
 
That's great news on the results RRB

My GP is going with the notion my results are in range so I'm ok, but I'm questioning it.

I've been here before, when my C-peptide result was closer to the lower end of the range but I was told normal and it took nearly 6 more months for me to demand the anti-GAD test to confirm my LADA diagnosis.

Also I was closer to the lower end of the B12 range and after 5 months of taking B12 supplements I have less neuropathy and lethargy in general and after my retest although not a big jump up, at least I'm absorbing the B12 to an extent.

Do you mind me asking what your TSH and T3/T4 levels were? It's ok if you don't wish to share, it really is



I got the Endo on Monday so will take the restults to him and ask whether I can get Thyroid anti-body test done, or rather I will remind him of the hell I endured last year whilst 4 Endos were scratching their heads whilst I became iller and tell him to get them tests done :twisted:
 
Hi Sanobar,

I remember my TSH being something like 0.01 or even 0.001 but cannot remember what my T4 was. I know it was outside the normal range but my Endo said he had seen worse. My initial period of investigations he said the antibody test came back normal. I had carbimazole for 12mnths and came of them, and was within normal range for another 12 months. Then It came back, this time I was given carbimazole and then he decided that radio iodine treatment was the next thing. Which worked. ( I dont know if he tested for antibodies second time round or not!) I am now on thyroxine as the radio iodine sent it too far ( which he warned me it might. )

Hope you get it sorted,

Lucy xxx
 

Thank you, I'm glad that the B12 is working. I'm so glad you are questioning your GP, it is our bodies after all and 'normal' range can be different to lots of people, but we are SO different.

I need to go back to see my doctor because I still have a sensation of 'something in my throat' feeling so when I see him I will ask for the figures and type them up for you, then you can compare your results with mine. It saddens me when we have to go through hell with pain and feeling so unwell for months and months Keep your chin up, you will get there in the end, with best wishes RRB
 

Hi Sanober ahd shop :wave: I went to see my GP this morning and I asked him for the results he said my TSH level was 1.4 and the range. he said, is 1.35 - 4.5. So mine seems to be right near the edge, didn't get any other figures though. I told him I still have the sensation of something attached to my throat and he said it could be Globas ? ( I will have to google this) and that can be caused by anxiety!!!!!!!!! I take a low dose of Ramipril and this medication can also cause a cough and changes in the throat area, even though I have been taking it for about 18 months now. My doctor said to give it a month and if there is no change I will go back and see him. I do think my 1.4 result is a bit close :?: what do you guys think, just out of curiosity? Hope you had a good day with best wishes RRBx
 


Hi RRB, I see what you mean about your TSH being on the low side. Its difficult for me to say as the goitre was one of the symptoms I was lucky enough not to have ( and bulging eyes. ) From what I remember I think a goitre is also visable. The only other thing in relation to tyroid that I am aware of is nodules on the thyroid but know very little about this. I do know though that my cousin had what you say is Globas and had all sorts of tests as she was convinced that she had something stuck in her throat. She was so anxious about it that she had convinced herself that she had throat cancer She did suffer with anxiety and found it very distressing It was very real to her. I cannot remember what the treatment was as it was a while ago.

Hope you get it looked into and sorted, physical or other I imagine it must be very distressing.

Take care and speak soon

Lucy xxx
 
Hi there

My Endo, probably the worst one of the 5 I've now seen since last March said my TSH was fine.

He also indicated that a reading of 3-4 mmol wasn't really a hypo (I actually asked how about 3.4, how about 3.1?) despite the fact it's because I've got enough awareness to treat before it gets lower...

Oh well, what I'll do is just accept all the weird symptoms until they get worse (hopefully not) then ask for full bloods test in a few months time, I may go private.
 
Hey Sanober!

Sorry you didn't really get your answers. It's funny that your endo told you 3-4 isn't reall a hypo - mine tried to convince me I should consider 4.5 as a hypo :crazy: You can't win with them sometimes can you?

Smidge
 
It was awful Smidge, I ended up fighting back tears afterwards and cried in my car. His approach was just weird asking questions but not listening to me, I don't even know why I bothered going.

He did mention I may be a contender for the pump which can be fine tuned better than adjusting Lantus but didn't go any further. He also remarked that my morning readings were very tight and really I shouldn't be trying to get tight numbers at this early stage (confused? Me too).

I told him it's not a numbers game really but I feel genuinely ill if I go above 8 and feel horrendous beyond 10/11s... he thought this was unusual.

I also queried the lack of hypo symptoms and he questioned that this happens to people who have D for years (so he didn't believe me...?) But the fact he suggested 3-4 wasn't really a hypo, I pointed out I was able to test so frequently so was catching them, he also scrutinised why I was testing 12-14 times a day. I said it wasn't for fun and to be honest I can test anywhere between 4-10 times a day normally.

He's booked me for a follow up on 17th Dec (as my last appointment was overdue 3mths...I should be getting follow ups at the D clinic every 6mths apparently) taking hubby who is ready to punch the next Endo!
 
Hi Sanobar,

Sorry to hear about your poor experience with your Endo. My Endo is great but my GP a few months back was very unhelpful. So I know how horrid it can be. I went back to the Dctrs and saw a different one and he sorted me and was really helpful. Also How does he know what a hypo feels like and what number your sugar needs to be before you feel hypo or hyper. Is he T1 daiabetic and it is very individual. Surely as an endo he should know this. Hope the next one you see is more understanding

Sending Hugs

Lucy xxx
 
Thank you for being so understanding.

I truly believe that the care for newly diag T1 in adults should be given the same level of care and sensitivity as children really.

Just because we're adults doesn't mean we can't feel frustrated, angry and depressed as anyone diagnosed in their younger years.

There is a severe lack of emotional support missing, but don't get me wrong the vast majority of medics with over the years have been lovely just every single Endo seems to have an attitude - are they bored of dealing with too many Diabetics or something??? Well they better get used to it as it's getting more and more prevalent :evil:
 
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