Under active to over active?

[SarahB09]

Hi all

I think I've flipped from under active to over active (I'm currently going through a separation which has caused me a huge amount of stress) as I've lost so much weight (my diet has been poor in that I'm not eating much). I know this may be a stupid question but can I get back to normal thyroid function without medication? I have an appt tomorrow with my gp who I think will reduce my medication (currently on 75 T4 and 20 T3) and I'm wondering if with a healthy diet could I slowly reduce the medicine and be well without any medicine? Has anyone managed this?

Thanks in advance

[SmallBlueThing]

Healthy diet and hope for the best -- not much chance of remission, but you'd be giving your system as a whole what it needs.

You don't want to be hyper with the risk to heart health, so you should ask if you should reduce before the test results are back. Hyper episodes may make the body resistant to T3, as a protective measure.

There was a patient on Channel 5's "GPs: Behind Closed Doors" a couple of weeks ago, who'd lost 7kg since her husband died and was having trouble sleeping. No thyroid test offered

[Clutter]

SarahB09, a thyroid blood test will show whether you are overmedicated or not. Stress and not eating properly may be making you *feel* hyper even though you may be biochemically optimally medicated. I get palpitations (which many consider to be hyper symptoms) when I'm stressed and when I skip meals or leave too long between meals.

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I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[shaws Administrator]

I am sorry you are going through extra stress due to your separation which you could do without.

You might feel hyper due to your current situation but your blood test may show differently.

The answer to your question if once diagnosed, hypothyroidism it doesn't revert to 'normal' unless it has been thyroiditis you've had..

nhs.uk/conditions/thyroidit...

Has your doctor tested for antibodies. If you have antibodies you can swing between hypo and hyper.

Did you have the earliest blood test and fast? Did you leave about 24 hours between your dose of levo/T3. If not, ask if you can have a new test and follow this method. It can mean a more accurate blood test as the TSH is at a higher point and wont necessitate the GP lowering dose if it's not necessary.

[faith63]

yes..but do you have hashimotos disease?

[SarahB09]

Thank you all for the replies - faith63 no I don't. Full blood count getting done in 6 weeks - will the results show an indicator for this?

[greygoose in reply to SarahB09]

If they test antibodies - which they usually Don't! If you want them done, ask : TPOab and TgAB. They will probably only do TPOab!

If you do have Hashi's, you can sometimes go into what seems like remission. It might last a few days, it might last a few years, but eventually you are going to become more hypo than you were before, because you have less gland to make hormones.

It all dépends why you became hypo in the first place, and a lot of us never find out. There are so very many reasons that the gland becomes Under-active that doctors Don't even bother to try and find out why.