nausea and stomach problems a symptom of hyperthyroidism?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Last year i was told my thyroid was slightly overactive but didnt go on any medication eventhough i had symptoms such as hair thinning, weight loss, nervousness. A few weeks ago i had another blood test and was told its gotten a lot higher so have been now put on levaxin.
I was just wondering if hyperthyroidism can also cause nausea, stomach aches and occasional vomiting. The past year ive had tests done to try and find out what is causing my nausea and vomiting but all tests have come back normal. I had a gastroscopy and xray of my stomach which were fine and doctors dont know whats wrong. I only vomit occasionally and this is after i eat, and sometimes the nausea can be very overpowering and can last sometimes a few minutes up to a few hours. I was thinking my thyroid could be causing my belly problems also?
I know hyperthyroidism can cause restlessness and alot of energy which i can experience but ive noticed one day i can be very restless and the next day i will feel completely drained and fatigued. Is this another normal symtpom of an overactive thyroid?
Will my thyroid go back to normal or will i have to take medication for a long time? How long does it usually take for things to get better? ive only been on my medication for a few weeks now but would really like to start feeling better again
0 likes, 12 replies
pat99554 indigox11
Posted
lynds214 indigox11
Posted
My thyroid was very overactive for about 5 weeks due to a virus. My GI symptoms were terrible. Extreme nausea, diarrhea and belly pain. And yes same with the energy. I would have very brief bursts of energy then I would be in bed for days. That's partially because your heart rate is elevated. Your body thinks it's working really hard.
But nausea after you eat may be a gallbladder issue. My doctor told me that the contraction of the gallbladder makes people nauseated. If you have stones or inflammation, maybe that's what it is.
linda187 indigox11
Posted
The drug Levaxin is used for HYPOthyroidism, not HYPERthyroidism. The confusion may be the Thyroid stimulating Hormone test (TSH). When you are hyper, the lab value is very low and when you are hypo, the lab value is very high which is the opposite for the thyroid tests Free T3 and Free T4. Levaxin is a thyroid hormone replacement drug so right now you are hypo. If you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, (an autoimmune disease) it often happens that patients swing from hyper to hypo, especially with treatment with meds. Other posters here who have this condition and were hyper were able to control their disease with Regular L-Carnitine, although I don't think people with HYPOthyroidism use it unless they are deficient in this amino acid and there is a blood test to document this. If you are HYPOactive, many doctors do not look for the cause of this but just treat it with thyroid hormone replacement. At one thyroid talk I went to the Endocrinologist said he searched for the cause of hypo but many physicians do not. So you may have Hashimoto's and there are blood tests to determine this. You may have a disease of the adrenal glands called pheochromocytoma which often affects the thyroid is well. There are tests to determine this. Regarding the stomach issues, have you been tested for the stomach infection H. pylori? I had that with no stomach symptoms. There is a blood test for that as well. You may want to raise all these issues with your doctor.
indigox11 linda187
Posted
Thanks for your response. Im a bit confused. My doctor hasnt given me much information but just wrote a letter to say my thyroid was overactive and prescribed these meds, so i assumed that was what i had. So am i actually hypo? Do you think i could be alternating between the two? I do tend to have more symptoms of hyper. Obviously i will need to ask my doctor now, do you think its a good idea to get tested for Hashimoto's?
linda187 indigox11
Posted
You said, "A few weeks ago i had another blood test and was told its gotten a lot higher so have been now put on levaxin." He didn't say you were more hyperactive. He said your blood test had gotten a lot higher. I am guessing the blood test he is referring to is the TSH which as I said before - low equals hyperthyroid, high equals hypothyroid. The fact that he prescribed Levaxin which is a thyroid hormone replacement drug makes me think you were hyper before but now have gone hypo. This happens a lot with autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's. In order to get control of your disease, you need to take responsibility to become educated about specific thyroid conditions, about blood tests and what they mean and always ask for a copy of your blood tests when they are done and keep your own file on them. It helps when posting to boards like this if you have your lab report to post your actual values along with the ranges for normal right beside your actual result. I hope my response has helped to clarify things for you. If you still need more information, you can private mail me by clicking on the envenope under my name.
Anachr indigox11
Posted
I agree with 6Linda. I have found that often times physicians don't take the time to educate their patients. I'm assuming they leave that responsibility to us. I've been keeping copies of my blood work years even before my diagnosis of Graves. There are many good books and organizations dedicated to certain diseases that will probably answer a lot of questions for you.
linda187 indigox11
Posted
Sorry Indigox I missed answering some of your questions. I would say almost with certainty that you are now hypo which was why you were given Levaxin. It is a good idea to get tested for Hashimoto's with the anti-TPO test and TGAb test. What you may find now that you have been given replacement thyroid hormone is that you will go hyper again as I have seen this happen to many posters on this Board who have Hashi's. It is extremely difficult to control Hashi's with prescribed meds, either the thyroid hormone blocking meds or the thyroid replacement meds because the thyroid in Hashimoto's seems to be too sensitive to the meds. One lady posted to this Board how she finally got control of her disease using the supplement Regular L-Carnitine as well as other supplements and only had to use prescribed meds very minimally like a few days in 6 months to keep on track and stable and she has her life back now. She monitors her body by taking her temperature every morning and knows what to do to keep her disease in check. Keep the faith. I am sure you can recover as well if you tell your doc you need clarification about the cause of your thyroid disorder.
Anachr linda187
Posted
Finding the cause of the hyper or hypothyroidism is key in your treatment plan. The blood doesn't lie but you need to have a medical professional knowledgable enough to interpret these results. Good luck.
linda187 Anachr
Posted
I would imagine most Endocrinologists are trained and knowledgeable enough for this part. But an empowered and informed patient can get the best from them by asking the right questions and a disempowered and uninformed patient might even suffer as I have seen by people's posts to this Board.
Anachr indigox11
Posted
I feel blessed that I didn't have your terrible nausea, at least not yet. I do, however, feel at times full of energy and then totally drained. I have also heard of quite a few people with hyperthyroidism that experience gastrointestinal complaints. I have had my share of other symptoms.I can only say to hang in there. It's a tricky disease that can effect many aspects of physical well being.
evergreen indigox11
Posted
linda187 evergreen
Posted
I think Indigox11 has to establish a good working relationship with her doctor about obtaining the information she needs so she understands her disease and is well informed, but I don't think she needs to get alarmed about him making a mistake in that direction. She may swing from hypo to hyper and back again on prescribed meds if she has Hashimoto's because this disease is too sensitive to the prescribed meds but I doubt a doc would make a mistake in treating her for hypo when she is hyper. I work in Medicine and that would mean the doc does not know what his lab work means. I very much doubt that.