I’m curious to know whether anyone has these two conditions and whether they’ve noticed symptom similarities? And how have their doctors and specialists dealt with this?
My hyperthyroidism treatment has so far been successful, so for now, and as long as my thyroid gland continues to work normally, I’ll not be on the horrible block and replace medication. I certainly feel better for it along with the B12 self-injecting.
I have both but the thyroid problem was 10 years before B12. I can’t say my symptoms for each felt the same.
From memory thyroid symptoms were higher heart rate, breathlessness, feeling jittery. My B12d symptoms were mainly exhaustion and digestive issues.
Breathlessness can be a key diagnostic B12 deficiency too. I’ve had anxiety and mental health problems from both as well. Not profoundly, but enough to recognise especially as I’d never had them before.
Hi, this is really interesting. I was diagnosed with B12d just over a year ago. Had the problems with getting the frequency of jabs I knew I needed, so decided to self inject. All was going well, until I (stupidly) listened when a GP suggested I lessened the frequency. I thought I'd give it a try, but within a couple of months I was at the doctor's again with symptoms. He ran more bloods and told me I was hyper. So I've been on Carbimazole for 3weeks now, had a jab less than 2weeks ago, but although I'm still getting really hot, I'm also going really cold. Plus I feel like I need another jab already. Do you think that B12d can actually cause your thyroid to misbehave?
Oh, and I agree that the symptoms are unbelievably alike - I honestly struggle to work out which symptom belongs to which bit of my messed up body!😂
Hi, I responded to your wider post just now.
Yes, the symptoms are remarkably similar, but now I have my B12 under control (SI x1/month), it is easier to differentiate.
With regard to the hyperthyroidism treatment, don’t make the same mistake as me and blame the carbimazole for feeling so bloody awful during the 18 months block and replace therapy (unsuccessful by the way), as it was far more likely to have been too low a dose of levothyroxine for the entire period. One lovely and useful consequence of the failure of the block and replace therapy is that I now have a statistical baseline for my thyroxin levels (with ongoing blood tests) from which I can measure rising levels against symptoms. At the moment, i’m symptom free and yet both T3 and T4 levels are reaching and in the case of T3, has reached the clinical limit (ask the endocrinologist to provide your blood test results to see the ranges). So at the moment, my condition is being managed without intervention, but with close reference to blood results. The next step is unsure, but either block and replace again and if so, i’ll want a higher artificial thyroxin dose, or removal of the gland and lifelong free prescriptions!
We’ll see.
I'm just on 20mg Carbimazole once a day (no Levo) been on them just under 3 weeks and palpitations are better, but still feel extreme heat and now alternates with extreme cold (since carbi). But fatigue is much worse. Feels like B12d symptoms 🤷
I had awful tiredness on Carbimazole which I now know was due to lower thyroxin levels.
So it's working then? That would be a silver lining! Thankyou. I'm going to increase B12 frequency, take vit C and keep everything crossed. I had more bloods done on Friday and GP is ringing me Thursday with results, so hopefully they will confirm. Thanks again 😊
It might well be!
Yes I have both. It is a double whammy because not only are you not absorbing B12, you’re also using it up faster when hyper (increased demand). It’s always difficult unravelling symptoms when you have multiple chronic conditions. Personally I just try and get the best treatment for what’s in front of me. I’ve been self injecting B12 alt day since about 2013 plus cofactors. So when I’m up and down with thyroid I know at least the B12 is covered.
This makes sense 👍 I think I will increase frequency of B12 and see what happens 🤷
If you do that make sure you’re getting enough folate/folic in line with injection frequency. I notice above you’ve only been on carbi for 3 weeks, at 20mg? It’s very early days for you, you could still be hyper, or you could now be going hypo, it can happen quickly. Make sure you get FT4 and FT3 tested and dose carbi by that, not by TSH. It’s a marathon not a sprint I’m afraid.
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