NEWBIE... Confused, worried :-(

[wildpoppy]

Hello all... Please help, I am so worried

I'm hoping someone can help me chill out a bit!

Last week I went into hospital twice with a resting rate of 115. I'm 43 years old, coeliac, slightly overweight. So....Various blood tests later, they tell me my TSH is <0.01 and my T4 is 51. So apparently something is up with my thyroid. I've been given Carbimazole 40mg, and diltaizem for the heart rate. They checked my neck, and said they found no evidence of a swelling/goitre. They referred me to an Endo.

My symptoms are, heart rate, bad tremor, internal tremor, anxiety, muscle tiredness, spaced out (from meds??), generally wiped out, have lost 2kg in a week. And I find myself crying lots.

Last year I had an ultrasound of my neck that showed normal (due to an enlarged lymph node on my clavicle that also showed non suspicious). A&E assumed its Grave's as I am coeliac, so thought it would be autoimune.

My questions are...

Is Graves possible without a goitre?

What else could this be with no visible goitre?

I am worried about cancer, as I have had this 6mm lymph on my collar bone for over a year :-((

I had a a nasty little virus 5-6 weeks ago, real bad throat, eustacion tubes closed and gave me ear problems... I thought maybe this hyperthyroidism was due to a virus? But apparently you need a goitre and pain in the thyroid for this. Which I haven't had, just a pain in the jaw by the ears for a few days... The docs at A&E said that thyroiditis cannot be caused by a virus? They also said the recent massive stress that I have experienced the last 8 months would not have caused this or had a bearing on it? Really?

Is there anyone out there that could ease my mind, or at least tell me what is what... Dr Google is scaring me with 'C'... I'm not sure the Emergency docs knew enough, surely this a specialist area. I have been referred Urgently to Endo (which has also freaked me out)... Could this be to do with my heart rate?

I sincerely appreciate any ones experience with any of this. Thank you to any one that can take the time to answer... On this beautiful sunny day, and I am sitting in bed feeling so weary and worried :-((( Hugs to all

[jimh111]

Sounds like you have hyperthyroidism which is only sometimes associated with Graves'. The endocrinologist is the correct person to check this out. Even if it were thyroid cancer this is the least hazardous of all cancers. I would try not to worry about potential disorders which may not be there and are to a large extent treatable. Bear in mind that hyperthyroidism affects the brain and so some of your anxiety is biochemical, the excess thyroid hormones are the cause of some of your anxiety. So when you feel anxious bear in mind that some of this stress is coming from the hormones. It makes sense to prescribe something to protect your heart in the short term, I don't know whether or not diltaziem is the best option.

[wildpoppy]

Thanks you or replying you two lovely people... I will take the list to the Endo... See what he says! Except the gluten one , as I am coeliac! I also know my b12 and vit 'd' are low, and my CRP is 4.0... Which I have read is dangerously high

Yes, I think you are right about anxiety... I am normally an a bit anxious, but I have gone through the roof... Flipping hormones! I have tried to get a grip but the 'C; thing has made me feel sick... Stupidly I watched a womans diagnosis of TC (on youtube) from a collar bone lump like mine... And convinced myself that this must be what I have as I have a similar lump. Anyway... I hope they marked me urgent because of my heart, and not because they have seen something else in my bloods...

Again, thanks for answering... Never thought I'd hope for an autoimmune

[wildpoppy]

Thank you <3 So sorry to hear of all your troubles too, but fantastic that you seem to be doing so well... My resting heart rate, as I lie on the bed typing is 98... If I lie still in bed for 10 mins, it comes down to 93 ish... But as soon as I get up... Wooosh! The diltiazem has not helped except make me feel awfully ill, dizzy, really spaced out. I didn't take it today and it has not impacted my heart rate... So the Carbimazole must have done something??? I thought it took weeks to work?!

Do you know if it is possible to have hyperthyroidism/Graves with no obvious /visible swelling of gland??

May I ask if you are hyper?? Is your multi nodular goitre visible? And along with TSH, did you get elevated Free T4?

Sorry so many questions, I get confused, and most online sites don't illustrate the symptoms for each variation of thyroid problem... Thank you for taking the time to answer, sincerely appreciated