Help with Hyperthyroid Diagnosis

[sheenah]

Hello One and All,

Not had much to say recently -plodding along with Nature Throid and seem to be okay. Today I want to ask you about a friend who does not have internet access yet. She has been increasingly ill for about 18 months - for some reason Doc did not do a blood test. (!!!!****!!!!) Until last week when she was practically at deaths door. Turns out she has hyperthyroid biochemistry.

TSH -0.04 in a range of 0.34 - 5.60

T3 - 11.2 in a range of 3.80 - 6.00

T4 - 34.1 (no range shown).

She has been promised an emergency Consultant appointment, but that was a week ago and nothing yet. She wanted me to ask your thoughts on taking iodine, as I said there were mixed views on it. Anybody got anything to say on the matter and blood test results?

Much Love to All

Sheenah

[rsae56]

This is an extract from thyroid.about.com

'Iodine is an essential element that enables the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones, and you need the proper amount of iodine for optimal thyroid function.

A severe iodine deficiency can cause hypothyroidism, goiter (enlargement of the thyroid), and even developmental problems like cretinism. Less severe deficiency is linked to hypothyroidism, goiter and hyperthyroidism. At the other end of the spectrum, excessive iodine intake is associated with hypothyroidism and goiter as well..'

[Fruitandnutcase]

I'm not medically qualified - just in remission from Graves Disease which is overactive thyroid with antibodies - but I don't think if I were her I would start taking iodine at the moment.

I'm surprised her doctor hasn't started her on carbimazole while she is waiting to be seen. When I was diagnosed the waiting time to see an endocrinologist was about three months but my GP got me started on carb straight away, my GP and hospital file share though. I had a blood test after four weeks on 20mcg carb and got a letter back from the endo telling me to increase the carb to 40mcg. because while my T4 had changed a bit, the TSH was still the same.

Your friend could call her doctor tomorrow and tell him she hasn't heard anything from the hospital, she could always say she is feeling very ill and ask if he could start her on some sort of treatment - some people are given beta blockers to help with the pounding heart etc ( I have asthma which ruled that out )

Not surprised she feels awful though.

[greygoose]

If I were her, I wouldn't take iodine. The results are unpredictable. It could lower her thyroid production, or it could increase it further. Or, it could trigger Hashi's. Not really something to play around with, IMHO.

[sheenah in reply to greygoose]

Thank you all. The GP has put her on beta blockers which have stopped the shakes. I don't know how she has been functioning. I will report on her Consultants appointment which will hopefully be soon!

[Silver_Fairy in reply to sheenah]

She also needs to have an antibodies test.