Hyper Thyroidism

[megumic]

Tell me everything.

I was just diagnosed. Not sure what the cause is in my situation -- my understanding is that it could be a virus and a fluke spike in levels, Graves disease, nodules, cancer or an array of other things causing it. More blood work and ultrasound to get a better idea next week. In the meantime, I'm trying to learn about it.

Please share your experiences, how you've managed it, side effects, etc. Thanks in advance.

 

[Autumnovember]

Hi!

I have HYPOthyroidism and the symptoms are definitely different but the medical treatment is similar. It took several months of blood work to get diagnosed because there is something called thyroiditis that the docs needed to rule out. After I was diagnosed, I started medication for my hypo and things started to become much more normal again. While your symptoms may have presented nervousness, difficulty withstanding heat, weight loss with increased appetite, mine was the opposite. I was always tired, didn't wanna do much, and had gained lots of weight...the medication worked wonders. The risk potential for other diseases definitely vary between the two but lifelong treatment for both is key and making sure you stay compliant. Electrolyte imbalances for both diseases could be a potential problem but as far as I go, and any other hypo or hyper patient I've met...its not something to be overly worried over if you just stick with your meds. Hope this helped a bit. I can give more info tomorrow when I'm wide awake and its not 5 am

P.s. have you been officially diagnosed? My docs wouldn't diagnose me until the were positive it was not just a spike in levels (aka thyroiditis).

If its Graves, there are definitely "key" characteristic features of it. What have your symptoms been? What made you go to the doctor to get blood work?

 

[Phoenix]

DH had hyperthyroidism but had treatment which tipped him towards hypothyroidism. I have Hashimoto's which is borderline hypo. Regardless of what the treatment will be (and you may need to try a few - kind of like trial and error - before you find out what is the most appropriate treatment for you), you may want to go see a couple of endocrinologists to get second and if necessary third opinion. There are some tests you can take to help you and yr endocrinologist determine what you have and what stage it is.

Below is the thread about my Hashimoto's. As AN said, the symptoms of hyper and hypo/ Hashimotos are opposite (like I feel extreme cold all the time whereas you should have intolerance to heat, I have propensity to gain weight whereas you'll find - if you haven't already - that you'll tend to lose weight, if not treated/ not properly treated) etc. Regardless, a good endocrinologist should be able to help you control the symptoms and help the condition from progressing. The thread had some good infor, which might be applicable to you.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/just-found-out-i-have-hashimotos-thyroiditis.75239/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/just-found-out-i-have-hashimotos-thyroiditis.75239/[/URL]

Take care.

 

[Lottie]

I have Hypothyroidism which was diagnosed after my daughter was born, treatment is really simple and as long as I remember to take the tablets to supplement my thyroid I feel 100% fine. It does take a while to sort your levels out and I did have a couple of miscarriages which my doctor thought may have been because my levels dropped a lot in a short space of time. My mother has Graves and therefore is Hyperthyroid however she was treated a long time ago when they used to remove part of the thyroid and then treat the patient for Hypothyroid. Have they discussed treatment with you?

 

[megumic]

Hm I'm surprised there are not more responses to this. Thanks to those who have responded thus far.

I went to the Dr. b/c my heart would race when I worked out to the point where I felt like I'd pass out. She ran blood work and that showed the hyperthyroidism. Increased/racing heart rate is a symptom of overactive thyroid. She is running more bloodwork and has ordered an ultrasound of my thyroid to see exactly what is causing it to be overactive. So we're in a waiting pattern now until we know more.

Anyone else with experience? I'm curious about the benefits/risks of treating it with betablockers versus killing the thyroid and supplementing for life. Anyone??

 

[Autumnovember]

Hm I'm surprised there are not more responses to this. Thanks to those who have responded thus far.

I went to the Dr. b/c my heart would race when I worked out to the point where I felt like I'd pass out. She ran blood work and that showed the hyperthyroidism. Increased/racing heart rate is a symptom of overactive thyroid. She is running more bloodwork and has ordered an ultrasound of my thyroid to see exactly what is causing it to be overactive. So we're in a waiting pattern now until we know more.

Anyone else with experience? I'm curious about the benefits/risks of treating it with betablockers versus killing the thyroid and supplementing for life. Anyone??

Honestly, first I would do the least invasive method. Try treating it with the betablockers (there are other types of meds they give besides betablockers...Propylthiouracil  and  methimazole...Sodium  or  potassium  iodine  solutions ....Dexamethasone). If that is not working for you, then start looking into the subtotal thyroidectomy. The reason I say this is because your body COULD relapse and have disorder again so I think it is best to try the medications first because that really may do the trick for you. Why have surgery if it is absolutely 100% not necessary yet? Know what I mean?

 

[jstarfireb]

I think there are few responses because hyperthyroidism is a lot less common than hypothyroidism. I don't have it, and I'm not a thyroid specialist, but I can tell you what I know from med school. It's difficult to recommend a course of action without knowing exactly what you have. Luckily, hyperthyroidism isn't commonly caused by thyroid cancer (most thryoid cancers show up as nodules that are hypoactive rather than hyperactive). I think what AN said is all reasonable. I'd first start by treating they symptoms (beta-blockers) while you and your doc figure out exactly what's wrong with your thyroid, then make plans for more definitive treatment. It's hard to know what to recommend without knowing what's wrong (for example, subacute thyroiditis, also called de Quervain's thryoiditis, often resolves on its own). If you have Graves' disease, your options include suppression with meds (propothiouracil or methimazole), radioactive iodine ablation, and thyroidectomy. Drugs and radioiodine may fail to suppress the thyroid or you could have a relapse, so surgery is never off the table even if you start with another method of treatment. However, as a singer (and, well, someone who likes to talk a lot), I would be concerned about thryoid surgery because there's a substantial risk of laryngeal nerve injury. Hope that helps!

 

[Autumnovember]

I think there are few responses because hyperthyroidism is a lot less common than hypothyroidism. I don't have it, and I'm not a thyroid specialist, but I can tell you what I know from med school. It's difficult to recommend a course of action without knowing exactly what you have. Luckily, hyperthyroidism isn't commonly caused by thyroid cancer (most thryoid cancers show up as nodules that are hypoactive rather than hyperactive). I think what AN said is all reasonable. I'd first start by treating they symptoms (beta-blockers) while you and your doc figure out exactly what's wrong with your thyroid, then make plans for more definitive treatment. It's hard to know what to recommend without knowing what's wrong (for example, subacute thyroiditis, also called de Quervain's thryoiditis, often resolves on its own). If you have Graves' disease, your options include suppression with meds (propothiouracil or methimazole), radioactive iodine ablation, and thyroidectomy. Drugs and radioiodine may fail to suppress the thyroid or you could have a relapse, so surgery is never off the table even if you start with another method of treatment. However, as a singer (and, well, someone who likes to talk a lot), I would be concerned about thryoid surgery because there's a substantial risk of laryngeal nerve injury. Hope that helps!

Jstar, great info--thanks for sharing! Always nice to hear extra info that I didn't know about!

 

[megumic]

Thanks all! Great advice and info.

My concern, as per my dr, is that I cannot take certain meds to manage it when pregnant and trying to get pregnant. But that hyperthyroidism can also prevent ovulation...Will know more this week hopefully!

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks AN and megumic! Happy to help.

Regarding anti-thyroid drugs, methimazole is usually the preferred one, but it causes birth defects, so it's not recommended during the first trimester (and I would also guess while TTC). I was taught that pregnant women should be switched to PTU. However, take a look at this article (Up To Date is a very reputable source that docs use all the time):
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-antithyroid-drugs

"Antithyroid drugs during pregnancy — PTU used to be the drug of choice during pregnancy because it has a lower risk of causing birth defects. But experts now recommend that PTU be given during the first trimester only. This is because there have been rare cases of liver damage in people taking PTU. After the first trimester, women should switch to methimazole for the rest of the pregnancy.

For women who are nursing, methimazole is probably a better choice than PTU (to avoid liver side effects).

If you take antithyroid drugs, you should discuss your treatment with your doctor before becoming pregnant. Having radioiodine treatment at least six months before becoming pregnant can eliminate the need for antithyroid treatment during pregnancy. (See "Patient information: Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)" and "Diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy".)"

I would ask your doc about these things, because as noted above it may be a good option to hold off TTC for now, get a diagnosis, do the radioactive iodine ablation, then start TTC again after 6+ months.

 

[megumic]

Ugh, thanks. Really helpful info but not what I want to hear in terms of TTC...

 

[jstarfireb]

Well, again depending on what you have, it may be possible to go on PTU and continue TTC. Like I said, I'm not an endocrinologist! Just presenting you with some basic options.

 

[Arkteia]

My advise is, as you are discussing options, consider getting started on Propranolol. It blocks many effects of hyperthyroidism, and consultations and weighing pros and cons may take a while. Also, hyperthyroidism affects mood in a very negative way. It causes irritability and mood swings. My friend had an episode that was akin to psychotic, several doctors "fired" her because it all sounded so odd, and during all this time she was, in fact, severely hyperthyroid.

 

[megumic]

My advise is, as you are discussing options, consider getting started on Propranolol. It blocks many effects of hyperthyroidism, and consultations and weighing pros and cons may take a while. Also, hyperthyroidism affects mood in a very negative way. It causes irritability and mood swings. My friend had an episode that was akin to psychotic, several doctors "fired" her because it all sounded so odd, and during all this time she was, in fact, severely hyperthyroid.

Wow, very interesting re your friend. I haven't had the mood/personality side effects (yet?), but I have lost weight, get very hot instantly and often, constant hunger, and the key thing I noticed was the racing heartrate, particularly when working out. The racing heart is kind of scary b/c I also have a history of panic attacks so it feels like a panic attack coming on but it's not at all. LOL. Should hopefully have bloodwork back today.