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I have been recently diagnosed (4days ago) with hyperthyroidism.

Posted , 5 users are following.

Mai1988
Mai1988

I have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism few days ago.  I didnt have any clear symptoms, just been itching before going to sleep for about four months. I did a blood test that shows,  

T3     5.67 (2.2 - 4.2)     T4  3.15 (.8 - 1.7)      TSH   0.01 (.25 - 5)

I went to see an internal medicine doc for it and he perscribed NeoMercazole 5mg twice and adviced to do an ultrasound. 

The day after I went to an endo and he also didnt see any symptoms but my blood test showed that I have hyperthyroidism, He said that I should do a Radioactive iodine uptake test, Then Radioactive iodin Therapy.

Today I went to another doc (Internal Medicine) he did an ultrasound that shows (Enlarged thyroid gland with hetergogeneous texture and increased vascularity. No retrosternal extension. Normal submandibular and parotid glands. No masses seen. Reactional Bilateral upper cervical enlarged lymph nodes seen, the largest 10 x 6 mm. and prescribes NeoMeracazole 5 mg 4 times a day, and Inderal 20 mg a day.

Question:

What is the difference between the Radioactive Iodin uptake and the ultrasound?

I'm confused on why did the endo doc didnt want to do an ultrasound and prescirbe pills instead he went to the Radioactive iodin option immediately?

Anyone didnt have any symptoms of hyperthyroidisim but their labs showed the opposite?

 

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • linda187
    linda187 Mai1988

    Posted

    I had similar results to you. I had no symptoms initially but my thyroid blood tests were followed for other reasons and it showed similar results. However, when I saw the Endo, it was approximately 2 months before she finished all her testing. I had the blood test results repeated, as well as blood tests for antibodies, a thyroid ultrasound, and a thyroid radioactive uptake test. The uptake test uses a small amount of radioactive iodine I believe to measure the uptake of this from the thyroid. A high uptake indicates Graves disease or hyperthyroidism. The radioactive treatment therapy is different and uses a much larger amount of radioactive in order to destroy the thyroid gland. I personally did not want this treatment or surgery as I thought that was rather drastic for the blood results I had. I opted to take the tablets. My T3 and T4 normalized immediately but my TSH remained at less than 0.01 for 2 years until I added L-Carnitine and then Acetyl-L-Carnitine to my treatment regimen along with the methimazole. It brought my TSH up into the normal range and it also lessened more of my symptoms including the eye irritation. The Acetyl-L-Carnitine especially was helpful for this at 1,000 mg. I took this on the basis of a study done in Italy but most docs don't know about this nor do they care to learn. So it is something you must research and decide for yourself if you want to do. Most people who have tried it have found it helpful. With hyperthyroidism you lose vitamin D and carnitine from your muscles and replacing this really helps you to feel better.
  • Sue1247
    Sue1247 Mai1988

    Posted

    Hi.think very carefully before you have radioactive iodine therapy.  It will probably destroy the thyroid gland and you will be on thyroxine for the rest of your life.  Doctors prefer this as its cheaper than meds to suppress the hyperthyroidism.  You may go into remission on meds, as I did until an infection set it off again.  It's very early days for you.  It's interesting you have mentioned your salivary glands as I've recently had the submandibular removed.  RadioActive iodine therapy can stop them working so another reason to think carefully about your next steps. I suggest you refer to some earlier posts on the site as Linda recommends L carnitine and acetyl L carnitine.  There are several patients giving it a try, including myself. 
  • stefania3
    stefania3 Mai1988

    Posted

    Hello Mai,  I'm hyper (Graves disease) and am on 'block & replace' again as my remission only lasted 3 years.  I'm quite sure that stress brought it back on again, as well as aspartame in my calcium tablets (which I'd started taking when my Graves flared up again)!  I'd be very interested in knowing if anyone else on this thread is taking aspartame knowingly or unknowingly, as I have a suspicion that it could be implicated.

    Coming back to you Mai, I was also advised to have radioactive iodine (it's the easy way option for doctors) but I am totally against it if other methods can work. I wouldn't mind taking it if they would tailor-make the amount to suit each person.  Here in Ireland there is just one standard amount, regardless if you're a tiny person or somehwat larger. 

    I do hope you get sorted, take care,

    Stefania

    • linda187
      linda187 stefania3

      Posted

      Yes I read one report of a patient who had read that aspartame really aggravates or causes the hyperthyroidism. She eliminated Aspartame from her diet and took a high dose of acetyl-l-carnitine only (about 4,500 mg) and her values all normalized, including her bllood pressure at 120/70. I don't know that I would recommend eliminating meds initially and taking only the Acetyl but I would definitely eliminate the aspartame and take Acetyl-L-Carnitine with the meds.
    • linda187
      linda187 stefania3

      Posted

      Just to clarify Stefania, I do not know about using the L-Carnitine supplementation on Block and Replace. For myself and many other patients on this Board, we are given a dose of medication that lowers the excess thyroid hormones, leaving a normal amount of thyroid homrones in our system so we don't have to replace and we don't take as high a dose of blocking meds that would render us hypothyroid. The medical literature I have read concerning supplementation with L-carnitine is for this patient population that only takes enough blocking medicaiton to lower the excessive thyroid in our system but does not render us hypothyroid.
  • Mai1988
    Mai1988

    Posted

    Thank you very much for you reply. I was really lost and didn't know what to choose. but thanks to you people I've decided to take the pills hoping everything will be fine again and not get any side effects.  I will search more on the L-Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine and ask my doctor about it. 
    • linda187
      linda187 Mai1988

      Posted

      Your doctor is not going to know about the Carnitine and will not endorse it. I say this with many years of experience working for doctors. My endo didn't know about it, didn't endorse it for his other patients even though he saw what a dramatic effect it had on normalizing my TSH and improving my eye disease. Doctors do not want to go against the herd. What they do in treating thyroid disease is "accepted standard of care" even though there are better answers and patients have to empower themselves enough to do their own research and make their own decisions about what is best for them.
    • stefania3
      stefania3 linda187

      Posted

      Hello Linda, thanks for clarifying that.  By the way, when you're just on carbimazole to lower the excess thyroid, for how long do you have to stay on that, or is that a life-long treatment?
    • linda187
      linda187 stefania3

      Posted

      That varies from patient to patient and is based on the improvement in your lab results. I am still on 2.5 mg daily of Methimazole but hope to discontinue it at my next visit if my lab results remain within the normal range. I have been on it since 2007 but never required an extremely high dose as my disease was found when my T3 and T4 were only slightly out of range. My TSH only got into the normal range in the last year or so with the addition of Acetyl-L-Carnitine to my treatment regimen.
  • Sue1247
    Sue1247 Mai1988

    Posted

    I think it depends on the patient.  I was diagnosed may 2009. Stayed on carbimazole for 18 months (my final dosage was 2.5mg every third day).  Then stopped and was fine until March 2013 when I had sepsis and the accompanying stress set it off again.  This time a lot worse.  I respond quickly to carbimazole and have no side effects so I'm lucky.  I'm now waiting to reduce my dose again as I stabilise.  I have had a few problems with the dose this time due to other health issues and went under active which was worse I think.  Getting back to normal again now.  
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