Does anyone know if Thyroid meds have any effect on blood glucose levels?

[Hannah13]

Hi

I have not been diagnosed as diabetic but am wondering if anyone knows whether Thyroid meds can have an effect on blood glucose levels. I do test my blood every so often as Type 2 diabetes runs in my family and I like to keep my eye on things. I have noticed that my levels have risen - especially on a fasting and after meals etc. I take my thyroid meds in the early hours of the morning.

Of course, it may be a co-incidence and I am truly heading towards that way but would like to know anyone's thoughts?

Many thanks

Hannah

[Hidden]

Hi Hannah

Have you been tested for thyroid antibodies? Type 2 is an autoimmune problem, and these things tend to go together....

L

xx

[Hidden]

Well, I haven't found Thyroid status doesn't relate directly to my very considerable problems in this respect, and found no real difference before or after becoming Euthyroid, although as with all hormone levels, there is lots of "feedback" between all of them. Low adrenals do cause hypoglycaemic symptoms too, and are hardly rare in connection with thyroid issues! They have caused me no end of problems in this respect. If you are in any doubt in this respect and are having other symptoms, then a 24 hour salivary test might not be a bad move.

I was suffering severe reactive hypoglycaemia and huge ups and downs of blood glucose, despite not being actually diabetic. Endo was absolutely useless in helping me sort it out, and it was as if I was the first person in the world this had happened to. It is classic pre-diabetes and Insulin Resistance. I was expecting to be prescribed Metformin like elsewhere in the world, but it doesn't really happen like that in this country

I now live on a low carb (low glycaemic Load) diet, and self treat with hydrocortisone, as despite dreadfully low cortisol the Endo was no help with this whatsoever and I was expected to accept flaking out as normal!

I am 100% symptom free now, and now my Insulin Resistance has improved a lot, so much so that I can even eat some degree of carbs now without symptoms, although I generally keep pretty low carb as it keeps my weight under much better control too. That aspect alone makes the chore of eating low carb well worthwhile. Hopefully I can keep the full blown diabetes at bay this way too, although I am not naive enough to believe this is a a guarantee.

Standard diets and even so-called "diabetic" diets which are carb packed are a fast way to insulin resistance and diabetes, especially for those of us with the genetics which makes us prone to this sort of thing & I only wish I had discovered low carb eating years ago and I might not have got into the sad state I was in less than just 4 years ago, God knows what damage it has actually done!

[Hannah13 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Picton for your insight to this and I agree wholeheartedly with the low carb thing and that is the way I am treating mine.

Very disappointing for you though when you have had no help from the 'experts' - it is amazing in this day and age.

Hannah