overactive thyroid

Hi Richard

I, too, suffered a whole range of symptoms before being diagnosed with sub clinical hyperthyroidism.   I go again the grain because I have put weight on (which indicates hypo) but I definitely have hyperthyroidism.  Unfortunately for me my bloodwork was nearly always normal and I felt I was going mad (plus thyroid troubles in women mirror menopause) so for 10 years I was fobbed off.  However, it turns out I have a very large multinodular goitre on my thyroid which presses on the windpipe.  I had radioactive treatment to no avail and am now having surgery.  I will be glad to see if this makes any difference to my symptoms which are similar to yours except for the weight gain.  My endocrinologist says not everyone loses weight!   I would say to you to be persistent (even if your bloodwork reads normal) because they can be wrong.   I have fought and fought for a diagnosis and spent years/months trawling internet sites looking for similar illnesses.  Also I developed Atrial Fibrillation which means I am now on warfarin, beta blockers etc.   Again there is a link between hyperthyroidism and irregular hearbeats.   Don't give up, don't be afraid to pester your doctor.  You are not alone and far too young to be suffering.   I was 49 when I was diagnosed and still suffering at 60 but hoping the surgery might improve things.  If it doesn't even I don't know where to go after it.

Lindsay

Richard, I'm so sorry to hear you are feeling so bad. I would certainly go for more permanent treatment at your age or you will be juggling your meds all your life. Sometimes it does go away forever, as I presume you have Graves, but mine has come back three times now. Good luck whatever you decide.

Hi Richard,

I was diagnosed with Graves approximately 8 years ago and am doing really well with regards to it.  It was triggered by stress (I had an abusive coworker for 6 months and suffered from a lot of anxiety because of it) and it is known that stress often triggers it.  Most endocrinologists will institute antithyroid meds initially but will push for radioactive iodine ablation or thryoid removal by surgery.  However, I knew I did not want to give up my body part.  I also had dry, red, irritated, gritty eyes.  My opthalmologist put collagen plugs in my tear ducts to keep more moisture in my eyes and that helped a lot.  I was started on Propranolol while I was waiting to complete the tests for diagnosis but I did not have to take it after I was started on Methimazole 10 mg (same as Carbimazole in England).   The tests they use to diagnose and follow Graves are thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), Free T4 and Free T3.  My Free T3 and T4 normalized immediately upon starting Methimazole but my TSH remained at less than 0.001 for two years until I read a research article by an endocrinologist in Italy who found that hyperthyroid patients benefitted greatly from the addition of the supplement L-Carnitine at a dose of 3,000 mg to 4,000 mg a day.  Carnitine is an amino acid that is naturally produced in the body but gets lost from the muscles of hyperthyroid patients thru urination.  I also found out I was deficient in Vitamin D and Magnesium as are many if not most, hyperthyroid patients.  So I started taking these supplements along with a few other ones for inflammation as well as my Methimazole and my TSH began to rise and I was able to gradually decrease my dose of Methimazole.  Currently I take 2.5 mg a day but my antibodies have normalized and my Endo says I can go off the Methimazole any time.  You need to do a couple of things to become an empowered patient.  First make sure of your diagnosis.  Some patients have Graves disease only, some have Hashimoto's that sometimes starts initially with hyperthyroidism and others have both Graves and Hashimoto's together.  So the antibodies to check for Graves are TSI and in Canada TBII but in the States they check for TSI and TRAb.  Also anti-TPO (which measures the amount of inflammation) and I believe they need an ultrasound to diagnose Hashimoto's.  So ask your doc if he has done or is willing to do these antibody tests.   Always, always, always get a paper copy of your lab results and keep your own file on them.  They will show your result and the range for normal right beside your results.  You can chart your progress this way.  Avoid the artificial sweetener Aspartame.  Try and eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein, and avoid gluten and sugar.  The more proactive you are and the more you speak to patients who are successful and let you know what worked for them, the more likely you will also recover.  If your eye disease becomes more pronounced with eyeball bulging, you may need to see an ocular surgeon or ophthalmologist to treat that aspect of Graves (called thyroid eye disease or TED for short).   

Hi Richard, Sorry to hear you are still feeling unwell. I too had a whole range of issues for ages before being diagnosed and like you had put it off as I work in an A&E dept and see people a lot sicker all the time. When I collapsed at work the thought I was overdoing it or had a panic attack even though I wasn't panicking. Fortunately they did bloods which showed I had a very overactive thyroid. I had put on half a stone though and was very breathless and fast heart rate 160+. I have been on medication now for 1 month and finally I am begining to feel better. So my point is just give it time. The meds have to build up on your system bdfore you het any bendfit. Hope you are soon feeling better.Try not to worry too much. Hyperthyroidism is fairly common and well researched so most Drs know what they are doing.

Hi Richard, don't despair, I'm sure now you've been diagnosed and on treatment you will learn to manage the symptoms, but it takes time.  I was diagnosed 18 months ago with a lot of the same symptoms as you and prescribed 20mg carbimazole daily and told I would probably need to have radio-iodine treatment in the future. Now I am down to 10mg a day and feeling so much better and doing as much as poss to avoid needing radio-iodine.  My advice is to do lots of research and try some complimentary/holistic therapies to support conventional treatments, because they work on treating the whole person/root causes not just the physical symptoms.  I have found homeopathy very helpful. Also remember that hyperthyroidism is an auto-immune disease so focus on improving your immune system through diet and strees relief e.g i take a rosehip supplement which is a powerful antioxidant and a probiotic from a health food shop.  Lastly expect to have good days and bad days and on the bad days allow yourself to rest and relax and put yourself first.  Get some epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) for your bath and have a long soak once a week, this is also very good for your immune system not to mention very therapeutic! Take care. 

Dear Richard

I have just opened up your posting. I too have and still am experiencing everything that you have written about here.

I have fluctuated between hyper and hypo. I find the mos condition is the fact that the anxiety, depression, muscular stiffness and pain so overwhelming.

My TSH has fluctuated between normal and 0.16.

I need treatment but the problem is in getting a dr to commence the appropriate treatment.

Jean