What can I expect?

[Joy333]

Hi, I was diagnosed as hyperthyroid in the middle of May this year and was instantly put on propranolol which has helped a lot with my full body tremors and can now speak without my voice shaking and body rattling. My Gp got in contact with endo who advised I start on 20mg of carbomazle which I've been on now for about 6 weeks and can't see much difference. I was reasonably fit before this and now I can bearly walk with being so out of breath, is this normal? I've also got a huge lump on my throat (goitre.) which I'm getting a scan on this week - how does this get treated.? I also have my first endo appointment in 2 weeks, can you tell me what to expect please? Apparently my bloods showed I am borderline toxic???

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

A story we see so very often is someone having high levels of thyroid hormone, then starting carbimazole, and ending up with low levels of thyroid hormone.

This is a recognised problem - a doctor cannot do anything other than guess, hopefully based on experience, how much carbimazole will be required initially, or longer-term in any individual case.

Hopefully your endo will assess where you are and consider adjusting dose to improve your state.

Goitres tend to be treated in two ways - often they shrink somewhat in people who start thyroid hormone treatment, and, if that is not sufficient, I am afraid it is likely to be surgery.

If your endo is good, you will come away feeling much better and being on a more appropriate treatment. There are options such as switching from only carbimazole to so-called block and replace where they suppress your own thyroid (possibly by increasing carbimazole dose) and give you levothyroxine tablets as your source of thyroid hormone.

I do suggest hat you start to make sure you collect all blood test results - not "OK" or "high" but the actual numbers and the reference ranges. In time you will be glad that you did and it will start to make much more sense.

Rod

[Joy333]

Rod thank you so much for your reply, it's appreciated. I will start to collect all my blood results as you suggest. This is all so new to me.

I've heard of treatment options of block and replace, radio iodine or surgery. Would you say that block and replace should be tried first.?

Thanks