Since we have seen some research papers regarding Covid-19 and thyroid disease, we have now updated our statement:
Can COVID-19 cause thyroid disease?
There does seem to be a link between COVID-19 and thyroid disease.
There has been a paper published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism regarding the case of an 18 year old woman who contracted COVID-19 and recovered but a few days later was diagnosed with subacute thyroiditis. The author has alerted clinicians about this case - academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...
The latest study comes from Italy and is entitled, “Thyrotoxicosis in Patients with Covid-19: The Thyrcov Study.”
It looked at 297 consecutive patients in non-intensive care units who were not on treatment for hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Fifty-eight patients (20.2%) were found with thyrotoxicosis (overt in 31 cases), 15 (5.2%) with hypothyroidism (overt in only 2 cases) and 214 (74.6%) with normal thyroid function.
The researchers concluded, “This study provides a first evidence that COVID-19 may be associated with high risk of thyrotoxicosis in relationship with systemic immune activation induced by the SARS-CoV-2 infection.” - eje.bioscientifica.com/view...
So it seems that once you have had COVID-19, you need to be aware that it may affect your thyroid.
Our advisers will be keeping us up to date periodically and we will be updating this statement when necessary.
I still think I had Covid-19 back in January because it went on for so long (7 weeks) and I ended up in A & E because my GP thought I was going to have a thyroid storm. I have filled in a couple of forms about my experience and they have asked me if I would like to be tested to see if I have the antibodies and I have told them that I do. The forms were filled in a while ago now and I have heard nothing yet which I am not surprised about seeing what is happening with the track and trace.
Did you see Good Morning today about the plasma trials? They are looking for people to donate their plasma if they have high antibodies as it seems to be really helping people. They said if you put Plasma Donation into google you will find their contact details....
I looked into plasma donation a few years ago - but they would only take me if I increased my weight to over 11 stone (I'm 5 foot 2) - which would make me obese under BMI criteria - so didn't fancy that. I understand they will now also accept you if you have had covid, are over 17 and have recovered.
My son, in his 20’s, had Covid a couple of months back. Luckily he had no symptoms whatsoever. He has been asked to donate plasma. It is for the antibodies I think?
Yes, that's the focus of this particular new drive - for which they seem to be much less prescriptive about weight. When I was looking at it - years before covid - it was for the plasma itself. I was just shocked that I needed to be so much overweight before they'd have me - especially as it's so difficult for us hypos to lose it!
The “Thyrotoxicosis in Patients with Covid-19: The Thyrcov Study.” study defined 31 patients as 'thyrotoxic' because they had low TSH and high fT3 or fT4 (always fT4!). There were two of these Italian studies and both only measured fT3, fT4 if TSH was outside its reference interval. So, patients with NTI could have low normal TSH, low fT3 and not be detected. The other Italian study thelancet.com/journals/land... reported patients as being 'thyrotoxic' even though most had fT3 below the lower limit of its reference interval.
It seems that many COVID-19 patients develop NTI, a smaller proportion also get subacute thyroditis which lasts a short time. There is a danger that patients who are hypo due to NTI are defined as 'thyrotoxic' because their TSH is low or because fT4 is marginally high for a short period.
This applies to the general population, as far as I know existing thyroid patients do not have increased risk of developing NTI. Indeed those of us on L-T3 are most unlikely to develop NTI or 'low T3 syndrome'.
All other issues aside, it begs the question whether a vaccine will be safe for the general public let alone those with auto-immune conditions, given the possible lack of thorough testing.
NTI affects the hypothalamus / pituitary so not having a thyroid doesn't matter although your supply of hormone will not be affected, peripheral deiodinase may be. For once you are better off without a thyroid!
I haven't read every last word of this but what I am concerned about is NOT the possibility of becoming hypothyroid in some way after catching Covid, rather the increased risk of getting more serious complications of the Covid whilst ALREADY being hypothyroid.
Whatever the case, I believe it is important to steer clear of EVERY avoidable possibility of becoming infected if you are on Levothyroxine monotherapy with unresolved hypo issues.
It is the immune system that is in trouble in this case and that has the potential to cause cancer as well, as I know to my personal cost, irrespective of whether anybody else believes my suspicions.
It costs nothing to follow my advice, it may cost you your life if you don't.
That's my plan too~ try Very hard not to catch it for as long as possible, while they hopefully figure out how to stop the blood clots killing you. Plus of course if you are not well/strong already, for whatever reason, (including thyroid hormone replacement not restoring wellness) then a nasty case of Covid will be a bad idea.
I'm open to the possibility that an immune system 'trigger happy' enough to start attacking my own thyroid, might well be an advantage in fighting off a virus......... but i don't want to find out by experimenting on myself.
but for similar reason, ie my immune system's already confused~ i don't fancy vaccinations either.
Looks like i'm going to have to carry o being an unsociable so and so . But that's ok , i already was.
I don't think the rest of the world will be interested in using it?! Russia is not exactly trustworthy and they seem to like poisoning their enemies ... sorry to any Russians on this site 😉 Just to add when I had some hair extensions because of my hair loss they actually used Russian hair because it is very similar to our hair.
I (and my GP) believe I had Covid just after lockdown. I haven’t been well since and in June turned in the worst set of bloods I have had in 20 years. All of my thyroid levels were subnormal. Not just at the bottom of the range but below range. My FT4 barely registered. My TSH was 0.02, yet my FT4 and FT3 were subnormal, below range. My weight has ballooned and my adrenals are playing up. My HbA1c is over range. My levels during the day have been all over the place and very high at night. I just had another set of bloods done and FT4 is below range still and TSH still at 0.02, but my FT3 is at 5.60, top of the range is 6.60. It needs to be a bit higher for me. But I am still retaining fluid like crazy. I’m sure it’s the bug I had whatever it was that’s caused it.
Yes also hearing a lot about long COVID. There’s a good guardian podcast. Listening to it you’d think many had been struck down with hashimotos!
One part interviews a doctor with long COVID - she’d joined a self help support group of survivors who are also doctors. She said they’re better informed than the public. It made me think - well you should be on our board then, we’re actually better informed than most of you doctors!! Am I right or am I right.
I don't blame you, my Dad and his wife are still not going out and I will continue to do all their shopping until they feel safe. However they did both go to the hairdressers which did surprise me a lot to be honest.
Ha ha .. they won't even let me inside their house I have to stand a metre away from their front door. I place the shopping on their doorstep and then have to step away while they collect it. Strangely I noticed their next door neighbour going through their back gate as I was leaving one day so she is allowed to go around the back but not me. 🙁
Have troublesome and very uncomfortable fluid retention and am not losing it around my middle at all. I can hardly walk sometimes, get barely into my clothes and can’t afford to buy more.
My GP has given me a new diuretic and said something about lymphoedema and diuretic resistance but there not a lymphoedema clinic that’s open within 50 miles of us.
He also said that as my early serum cortisol is within range he doesn’t think there’s a problem there - although I’ve shown him my private test results that show there is one. He also can’t guarantee I will get an endo that understands thyroid or adrenals. Or that I won’t get the same idiot that I had before.
The new diuretic isn’t improving matters.
I am now on a strict low salt diet. But I pretty much was before all this started.
He said my kidney results are normal and so are my liver.
So something must be causing it, but what? And why does nobody want to find out what’s happening? It’s making life hell.
We have no lymphoedema clinic that’s open within about 75miles. I think it was a case of if the new diuretics make no difference (which they don’t) it might be something to consider. They work up to a point and when I was prescribed them before they worked well, but T3 played a part there as well. So the parameters have changed. I have noticed that when I take a dose of curcurmin I pee afterwards.
There’s also the fact that I have a back injury of many years, and also was very short of B12 for years as a result of being on Zantac and omeprazole (I didn’t know at the time), so the foot pain and numbness may be related to peripheral neuropathy. However my present GP knows nothing about my back injury so the next step is make him aware
Just having a read through and was perplexed to read this on the ThyroidUK page
Hashimoto’s disease and Grave’s disease are autoimmune disorders that directly affect the thyroid i.e. the antibodies affect how the thyroid works. Thyroid disease autoimmunity does not mean that you have a depressed immune system. It means that your immune system is attacking your thyroid. These are two different things.
‘the antibodies affect how the thyroid works’ ???? How is this information on a reputable website that we all rely on?
Would it be more precise to say" there are several different antibodies , some of them directly affect how the thyroid works (Trab's~ Blocking and / or Stimulating), and some of them (TPOab's) do not affect the working of the gland, but rather act as 'markers' to help clear up the protien(?) that leaks into the blood from the gland once it has been damaged by autoimmune thyroid disease ".
Which is a bit more of more of a mouthful.
Perhaps they wanted to keep the thrust of the paragraph towards re-assuring about the difference between a depressed immune system , and an auto immune disease ?
Wow This is interesting! Tested positive covid 18 Dec. 3 weeks later had tachycardia up to 180 bpm. Attended A and E 4 times. Told heart rate no issue, felt stupid for attending. On 4th attendance on Monday diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis, hyperthyroidism possibly caused by Graves
You make the third person today who has been ill with overactivity/thyroiditis after Covid... I think they will be doing more research into this at some point.
I got a positive PCR test for Covid on Tuesday. My partner has now tested positive too. No idea how we got it as we have been sooo careful. He has no symptoms but I have been very poorly & am still too exhausted to leave my bed. I am on Armour. Should I be watching out for anything? (Sorry…too tired to read everything)
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