How long is a piece of string ..,,,

[Romilly2]

Sorry about the title but I think it’s probably the answer to my question! Hashimotos people , if you have a hyperthyroid episode with your Hashimotos how long does it usually last ? Days, weeks, months ? I seem to have started with hyper symptoms ( racing pulse, pounding heart , feeling hungry , agitated ) . I’m only self diagnosed Hashimotos at the moment after bloods and scan ,and digesting as much as I can from this forums support .Seeing GP next week to discuss her thoughts 😊

[Coachgeorge]

First and foremost, I’m new to this group and certainly not an expert or qualified to give advice. My thyroid has been doing flips for seven months. I haven’t worked since January. Folks here have been very supportive. I’ve learned that everyone is different and that it takes awhile to find the correct dosages and medications. Patience with lots of trial and error seems to be a common theme. Best wishes!

[Romilly2 in reply to Coachgeorge]

Yes it’s certainly not an exact science ! But it’s so good to see people sharing experiences on this forum so that we may be all different but not alone . Hope that you manage to get some stability!

[greygoose]

You're right, it's impossible to say. But I think it would be more weeks than days - or even years. But, unless you have a blood test every week, how can you tell how long the high levels last? As for symptoms, that's different for everyone. For myself, I never even had hyper symptoms, I just felt incredibly well: lost weight, hair grew, loads of energy. So, who knows how it will be for you.

[Romilly2 in reply to greygoose]

Yes the time frame is going to vary enormously I suppose as it’s not just thyroid action/ reaction but every other system in the body . We are very complex beings . I will have to adopt some techniques to deal with these new symptoms. Now where is that relaxation CD 😊

[Lora7again]

It could be up to 10 years.

[Romilly2 in reply to Lora7again]

Only 3 days in so that sounds a long time ! Will just have to take each day as it comes . It feels very strange to almost feel I’m on 6 batteries instead of 4 ( Usually i feel I’m running on 2 so these symptoms are very different )

[Hidden]

I asked the same question a while back but nobody replied. Probably because there's no definite answer! Interesting that it could be months or years. I'm almost sure that I had one in January or thereabouts - felt really well off and on for a week or more, but hot flushes (had them for over 20 years, so not likely to be thyroid connected!) seemed more intense, and felt different.

[Romilly2 in reply to Hidden]

Yes this feels very different but almost textbook when I read about the hyper episodes in Hashimotos, when the cells have been damaged and lead to a release of stored hormone. Everyone in the house has been ill so it could be that but it’s not feeling like a cold. It’s actually a bit easier today, less pounding heart and racing pulse . My son has just gone for his driving test so maybe it was stress induced mothering, but I’m not usually a stress anxious person. It almost feels like an elongated episode of the run up to a panic attack ( again not something I’ve suffered from in the past) I’ve seen some posts where people seem to have had full on episodes like a panic attack or even heart attack. That must be really distressing.

[Hidden in reply to Romilly2]

As I was undermedicated it just made me feel pretty good for a while, but a really high "Swing" must be bad. Maybe reduce medication for a little while? But because T4 lasts so long you would probably be playing catch up. It must be somewhat easier for someone on T3, as it has a much shorter half life.

Anyone here with Hashi's who is taking T3 and had a "Hyper" episode? How did you cope with it?

[Romilly2 in reply to Hidden]

I’m not on any medication . My feeling that I have Hashimotos is based on large multi node goitre and raised antibodies. Clinically I felt I had hypo symptoms ( sleeping lots, no energy , hair falling etc) and I seemed to fit the profile reading Izabella Wentz book.But my thyroid blood results didn’t show anything directly but low ferritin, low Haemoglobin, most of the red blood cell stuff low, so when I see the GP I assume she will say I’m anaemia. Which could be responsible for the hypo like symptoms. Maybe it’s not Hashimotos but something else . I did start following the protocol for a few weeks and started to feel some improvement , but these latest symptoms have swung to the opposite pole . It’s a minefield !

[SilverAvocado]

This isn't discussed very much on the forum - the details of flares or how people cope with them. It would be nice if it would as lots of people seem to get them.

One thing I would suggest is taking pulse and temperature on a regular basis, which might give you a more accurate sense of exactly where you are with it. One method is to take them morning an night for several days in a row. Another method is to take them across the day.

[Romilly2]

Yes good idea, that would be a more objective measure. I almost have the feeling that I want to exercise or go on a brisk walk or something energetic to flush the thyroid hormone ( not very scientific I know) . But if it has to work out of the system physiologically I wonder if there is anything that can speed up the process . Eg exercise as possible, keep well hydrated . No scientific basis for these thoughts but that’s my subjective feeling !

[Hidden in reply to Romilly2]

Actually I think there could be a scientific basis. I read on here that hard exercise can lower your thyroid levels, so not usually recommended for someone hypo. Even too much mental exercise can do it for me. It's like there's enough energy for a certain amount of activity and then the plug gets pulled and I can't function any more. Fairly gentle exercise such as a relaxed walk is usually OK because it's pretty automatic - not much concentration needed.

Driving too far, concentrating on the computer too long, or especially social occasions when trying to chat with several people at once, can bring on an attack of "Brain freeze" if I'm not careful. The only solution is to rest somewhere quiet for an hour or so.