Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) Please Help !

[MEFMARK]

Hi, I’ve just had a Thyroid test and it’s come back overactive, the GP as booked me in with the Endo.

I was on carbimazole 8 years ago with the same problem and was doing OK until I went in hospital with another problem a slipped disc and one of the Doctor’s said you don’t need carbimazole your bloods say so and took me off them going against my GP, and to be honest I was all over the place but didn’t know it was my Thyroid hi.

If I could get some help somewhere if what to do I would be very grateful, I’m so down and upset and having bad thoughts, these are my results please could you tell me if they’re pretty bad and the reason I’m all over the place please 🙏🏽

These are my results my GP told me over the phone, I’m not the best at listening and writing at the same time at the moment so you might work it out 🙈

My T3 levels are 11.6 they should be less than 6.0

My T4 levels are 29.9 they should be 9 to 19

My TSH levels are 0.01 they should be 0.35 to 4.94

Any help would be very much appreciated, and if the readings are alarming.

Kind Regards Mefmark.

[PurpleNails Administrator]

Welcome (back) to the forum

I’m sorry you have become hyperthyroid again.

Were you ever told the cause of your hyper? Graves is an autoimmune condition which can go in remission & relapse so it’s likely the doctors assume you have this but medics do not always confirm & there are other causes of hyper.

Ensure TSI or TRab antibodies have been tested to confirm cause.

The carbimazole is stopped when levels become stable at very low doses. Do you remember what doses you took previously?

Overrange FT4 & FT3 and suppressed TSH confirms hyperthyroid. If you add the lower range we can calculate % over range. These are high levels & you must be experiencing symptoms. Especially if the level have risen very quickly which often happens with Graves. It’s not unusual for levels to reach 3x the normal range.

My levels were FT4 fractionally elevated & FT3 nearing double range when diagnosed. My levels had risen very gradually over years & I had adapted to changes & not realised symptoms develop. I have hyper from a nodule, not autoimmune.

So it not a case of saying these results are “bad” the results are abnormal & need treatment if this is not transient, Everybody experiences symptoms in varying forms and differing severity.

Has Dr arranged referral to specialist? Has any medication been arranged eg carbimazole or propranolol to help with symptoms?

As well as TSH, FT4 & FT3. It’s import to test folate,ferritin, B12 & vitamin D. Ask for these to be tested as often low when thyroid dysfunctional. As well Antibodies.

[MEFMARK in reply to PurpleNails]

Thank you very much for the reply, I’m going to look into this, I find it difficult to keep up with all of the names of different things levels meds etc, when I get some more info I’ll be back, and thanks again that was very helpful. Thanks 🙏🏽

[pennyannie]

Hey there Mefmark :

There are 2 auto immune thyroid diseases and the only way to tell them apart is through knowing which antibodies were over range and positive at diagnosis.

For Graves Disease we are looking for positive and over range TSI or TRab antibodies :

Graves can wax and wane for years and long term anti thyroid medication Carbimazole / PTU is just one treatment option and usually a better option than loosing your thyroid to surgery or RAI thyroid ablation.

The AT medication block your own T3 and T4 levels rising, when an attack from your immune system drives your T3 and T4 levels too high and you experience " hyper type " symptoms.

For Hashimoto's we are looking at positive and over range TPO or Tgab antibodies.

Hashimoto's is transient, erratic, swings in hyper type symptoms where your T3 and T4 levels do not rise as high as Graves and they fall back down by themselves but your thyroid becomes damaged with these ' swings ' and you will likely experience symptoms of hypothyroidism and need a prescription for T4 - Levothyroxine.

The above T3 and T4 levels are not that high - have your antibodies been run to determine the cause of your current health issue ?

Can your doctor not just reinstate the prescription for the Carbimazole until such time as you see an endocrinologist and likely also prescribe a beta blocker if your heart is racing ?

[MEFMARK in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you for your expertise, it’s so difficult understanding everything when it’s all new but I’m just going to persevere because this thyroid problem looks like it’s going to be hounding me for the foreseeable.I’ve not seen the endo yet so I’ve not been approached about removing my Thyroid, after reading your reply pennyannie you seem to be against it, are most people against having it removed or is it personal preference, sorry to sound a bit dim but as I say it’s all new to me and I’m already suffering chronic pain and sometimes bedridden with slipped discs, a new problem that came with the thyroid is sore swollen feet and ankles I don’t know if it’s interlinked, I’m on a lot of heavy pain medication such as Oral Morphine, Morphine Sulfate Tramadol, Pregablin, etc, so I thought it may be due to the medication but it’s unlikely because I’ve been on the same medication for a few years and never had swelling in both legs, I’m really pissed of with this new thyroid problem I could have done without it, I can’t put my footwear on and as I say all I think about is pain all day it’s tiring me out and plus all the meds and now this blummin Thyroid palaver !! 🙈

Thanks again and sorry for the little outburst. 😞

[pennyannie in reply to MEFMARK]

I have lived with back pain through various periods my life and have some understanding of your situation, and yes, I saw your previous post and that you were with several other drugs, and in all honesty I do not know of the contra implications to all this medication.

What I would say is that if you found life tolerable on the AT drug ask for the prescription to be reinstated and see if that puts you back on an even keel and play for time.

If you do have Graves Disease there is no cure and all that happens is that you loose a major gland, the thyroid, which is likened to the body's engine and responsible for fully body synchronisation, including your physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing, your inner central heating system and your metabolism.

You will still have Graves but then hypothyroid and considered more easily managed in primary care by your doctor.

If you have Hashimoto's - there is no cure and you will eventually become hypothyroid and then be prescribed T4 medication for the rest of your life.

You were going on ok for around 8 years so try and get back to what you know and play for time until you will be in a better head place to actually find your original diagnosis and read around your thyroid health issue.

You are not dim, and we are here to help if we can :

There are a couple of links you might like to look at:

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/338...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/306...