Does anyone know what Acute diffused thyroiditis is and how it is likely to be treated?

[Colettet45]

Does anyone know what Acute diffused thyroiditis is and how it is likely to be treated? Had an ultrasound scan on my neck and my doctor has given me a copy of the results which conclude a diagnosis of Acute diffused thyroiditis.

[Clutter]

Collete, it usually describes painful swelling of the thyroid caused by bacteria or virus. Treatment may be antibiotics if it was caused by bacteria, bedrest and painkillers. Look at De Quervain's and Silent thyroiditis in this link endocrineweb.com/conditions...

[Colettet45 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for the response, I have read something similar but it doesn't really apply as I'm not in any pain but have all hypo symptoms in particular fatigue and joint pain, normal TSH but raised antibodies. Seen GP several times but he won't prescribe anything, keeps telling me to wait until I've seen endo.

[Clutter in reply to Colettet45]

Colette, post your thyroid blood results with the lab ref ranges (the figures in brackets after your results) and it will be easier to advise. You can get a print out from your GP receptionist or practice manager.

If you have elevated thyroid peroxidase or thyroglobulin antibodies you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) but many doctors will not diagnose subclinical hypothyroidism until your TSH is >5.0.

Dr A Toft, consultant physician and endocrinologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, has recently written in Pulse Magazine, "The combination of a normal serum T4 and raised serum TSH is known as subclinical hypothyroidism. If measured, serum T3 will also be normal. Repeat the thyroid function tests in two or three months in case the abnormality represents a resolving thyroiditis.2 But if it persists then antibodies to thyroid peroxidase should be measured.

If these are positive – indicative of underlying autoimmune thyroid disease – the patient should be considered to have the mildest form of hypothyroidism.

In the absence of symptoms some would simply recommend annual thyroid function tests until serum TSH is over 10mU/l or symptoms such as tiredness and weight gain develop. But a more pragmatic approach is to recognise that the thyroid failure is likely to become worse and try to nip things in the bud rather than risk loss to follow-up."

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Colettet45]

I haven't had T4 tested, TSH was 2.83 don't know the ranges and antibodies were 520 again don't know the range. Seeing an endo on 20th August.