Newbie

[higgy66]

Hi. I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid last summer which came as a bit of a shock as I was gaining weight and to be honest I've spent my whole life being tired!

I had originally gone to the GP thinking I might have arthritis as my feet were really painful but after tests they said it was down to my thyroid?

I've been on Carbimazol for 10 months and my T4 cells have reduced from 40 to 11, and my TSH was 0.002 at the last test. I've been told I'll be on these meds for a another year and then they will take me off them and see how my results are then.

Since being diagnosed I've gained more weight and acne! Joy!!

I keep my condition very quiet as when I first mentioned it people laughed and doubted me as I wasn't skinny and full of energy!

The frustrating thing is my feet still cause me pain especially when getting up and it's embarrassing at work when I've been sitting at my desk a while!

Hopefully joining this group I might get a better understanding of the condition!

[Jazzw]

I have to admit, I'm always slightly dubious that doctors always know what they're looking at when it comes to blood test results. Oh ok, very dubious.

Do you know what all of your blood tests actually were when you were first diagnosed? I'm hoping your doctor tested TSH, FT4 and FT3 to ascertain that you really were hyperthyroid. Oh, and antibodies too. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case. (I know, shocking...). To be hyperthyroid, you'd expect to see at least FT3 way over the top of its range and for TSH to be low. You'd expect both of those things, and often for FT4 to be overrange too. But it could be that you have a condition called Hashimoto's, where your thyroid activity swings - sometimes quite violently - between overactive and underactive.

If you haven't got those results, I'd suggest you ask your surgery for a printout of them

[higgy66 in reply to Jazzw]

Many thanks for your reply. I'll see if the Drs will send me the results since my first diagnosis

[Raventhorpe in reply to higgy66]

Hi higgy66 being hyperthyroid doesn't necessarily mean that you lose weight or are full of energy, you can feel quite fatigued. Although I lost a stone in weight before diagnosed I soon gained that back and more besides once on carbimazole. Have they checked your antibodies for graves desease as if your overactive then it could be due to graves if you don't know might be worth asking gp. Also I would get your vitamins checked as we need them at least half way through levels suggest you have ferritin, folate, b12 and vit D. pain in your feet could be caused by low vitD and also take vitamin c as this is good for thyroid health.

[Gretna99]

I just been diagnosed with Graves and hyperthyroidism having complained about aching joints. Saw a rheumatologist yesterday and she said she didn't think it was arthritis and is convinced I have a vitamin d deficiency. She told me being deficient can cause painful and aching joints as well as being hyperthyroid. She sent me for a blood test and I will take supplements if it comes back that I need too. I think she is right though, I never sit out in the sun, I'm either in the house or shopping (indoors). It's also said that vitamin d deficiency is linked to hyperthyroidism too.

I'd get your levels checked