Can a cold make you swing from Hypo to Hyper? - Thyroid UK

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Can a cold make you swing from Hypo to Hyper?

Rkstarkey profile image
27 Replies

I've not been able to sleep for the past 4 nights, except I took Nyquil last night for congestion, dealing with a head cold. I had my thyroid checked last Friday, and I have not heard back from my Endo regarding them yet. I had my right thyroid removed 7/13/17, and I am taking 100mg of levothyroxine.

TSH range (.45-5.10) 7days ago .06 7/28: 11.56 6/12: .460

T4Free range (.6-1.6) 7 days ago 1.3 7/28: .60 6/12 .80

I also had the high antiobodies indicative of Graves, and why that isn't an issue anymore, I don't know.

My platelet count range (150-400) 7 days ago: 617 1yr ago 507

Absolute Moncytes range(.0-.8) 7 days ago: 1.0 1yr ago .5

Co2(22-30) 32

Calcium (8.5 - 10.2) 10.6

Albumin (3.5-5.0) 5.2

B-12 (247-911) 10/24: 356 9/24: 483

Folate( >=5.9) 10/24: 16 9/24: 14.3

I had alot of other results from labs ordered my my neurologist and they all fall into range. I don't know if you want me to list them also, so I just listed the ones that seem to be off. I am seeing the Neurologist because of bad pain in my left fingertips that comes and go in waves of intensity, and when it's gone my fingertips feel like they've been burnt a week ago -

I just found this lab from 9/11/17

T3,free (2.0-4.4) 3.9 on 9/11/17

t3 ICMA (80-200) 134 ON 9/11/17

Thank you very much, Roberta

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Rkstarkey
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27 Replies
greygoose profile image
greygoose

Having a cold is more likely to make you more hypo - if you are hypo. Although I don't see how you could be if you have Graves. Did you have a TT or RAI, or something? Which antibodies did you have tested, exactly?

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to greygoose

Thyroid Stim Immunoglobulin (<0.10) 10.30 and this was a month ago. I can't find my first testing, but it was over1400 when the range was 0 -1. They took my right thyoid out 7/13/17 and after 2 weeks, I tested hypo, then the Endo put me on the 100 levo.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Rkstarkey

Then how did your TSH manage to go up to over 11? Do you have Hashi's at the same time? Or are you on antithyroid drugs?

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to greygoose

not now, I was before the surgery - methimozle

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to Rkstarkey

Maybe I've not ever been tested for Hashis, and I did have weight gain with being hyper. I still have 1/2 of a thyroid.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Rkstarkey

Well, it is very strange. But I don't think any of it has anything to do with the cold

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to greygoose

My results from last week, do show I am hyper again right? Did you see where I edited my post with my 9/11 results,?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Rkstarkey

T4Free range (.6-1.6) 7 days ago 1.3 ?

An FT4 of 1.3 in a range of 0.6 - 1.6 is not hyper. Your TSH is low, yes, but your FT4 isn't over-range. Pity they didn't do your FT3.

Nor was your FT3 from 9/11/17 hyper.

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to greygoose

Thank you Grey Goose for yoru time. I forgot that I'm not suppose to look at the the TSH now, right? And thyroid-wise, I'm good to go, correct? And do I just don't think about the Graves antibodies anymore?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Rkstarkey

You should never just look at the TSH by itself, no matter how low, but in conjunction with the Frees. If they are well in range, then you are not hyper.

The Grave's antibodies will always be there, they're just not doing anything at the moment.

SilverAvocado profile image
SilverAvocado in reply to greygoose

Greygoose, I think she's had a partial thyroidectomy and that's when the TSH got high.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to SilverAvocado

Yes, I realise that, but then it came right down again. Does it usually do that? I don't think she's on thyroid hormone replacement. It's all very confusing.

Sorry, Rkstarkey , to talk about you as if you weren't there! But it is confusing. :)

SilverAvocado profile image
SilverAvocado in reply to greygoose

I think what happened is that she had a thyroidectomy, then shortly afterwards a set of results that showed low thyroid hormone, and is now on 100mcg of Levothyroxine.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to SilverAvocado

ok It would be nice if people could mention minor details like that.

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to greygoose

I just rec'd communication from my endo, "Hi Ms Starkey- Your thyroid function tests from 10/20 show you are getting too much thyroid hormone replacement. Let's reduce the dose to 88 mcg daily. To use up the 100 mcg tabs, take one full tab of 100 mcg x 6 days per week and skip the 7th day. When the bottle of 100 mcg tabs are done, please start 88 mcg daily x 7 days per week. Please check thyroid function tests in 2 months and see me afterward."

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Rkstarkey

What a clown! He's only looking at that low TSH! Your FT4 is not even at the top of the range, let alone over-range. You do not need a reduction in dose.

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to greygoose

Here are my labs from 8/16/16, they are almost the same today.

Free T4 1.30 ng/dL 0.70 - 1.48 ng/dL

TSH <0.004 uIU/mL 0.4 - 4.7 uIU/mL L

Could it be I was never hyper? My Endo diagnosed me with Graves due to the results of the radiation uptake tests "Hi Ms Starkey- Your thyroid uptake and scan shows that you have Graves' disease as the cause of the hyperthyroidism. This would mean that your entire gland is overproducing hormone and not just the one nodule. "

I can't understand being diagnosed with Graves, then it doesn't matter anymore. It's not like I don't have any antibodies anymore. And nowhere in my chart does it say I have Graves. I just have an email saying I do.

I have an appt with a bone specialist at the UW in Seattle next month. I think it is wise at this point that I inquire about switching to them for my endocrine care also.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Rkstarkey

I'm afraid I don't know anything about radiation uptake tests. And, as he hasn't tested the FT3 in either that test, nor your latest test, it's really difficult to comment. All I can say is, although your TSH is very low, your FT4 is not over-range, whereas in full-blown Grave's it would be.

I would also say that you wouldn't be the first to be diagnosed with Grave's when you didn't actually have it. The tests they should be doing for Grave's are the TSI and TRAB. But, it's not too late. Grave's antibodies never go away. If you have it, the antibodies will still be there.

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to greygoose

Ok,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Rkstarkey

You're welcome. :)

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

Rkstarkey,

There are several Nyquil products. Which one(s) did you take? What are the active ingredients?

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to helvella

I only took it last night, and I finally slept - that's why I mentioned it...not before the labs. acetaminphen, dextromethorphan and doxylamine.

BadHare profile image
BadHare

I found this when I had a cold, earlier this year. I think the body’s natural defence of increasing temperature when we have a cold or virus, makes us need less TH. It lasted 4 nights with me, too.

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to BadHare

I didn't have any symptoms til 10/25 and my labs were 10/20...I don't know if my immune system was already gearing up for a fight then or not.

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7

I was wondering if it was cold medication rather than the cold itself.

Rkstarkey profile image
Rkstarkey in reply to silverfox7

Either way, I didn't like the way I felt when I woke up, so I only took it the one night.

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7

Did that solve the problem?

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