Thanks to the advice of the lovely people here I have realized I am over medicated for my hypothyroidism.
I have recently been observing MASSIVE blood sugar spikes in response to what is really a normal amount of carbs, eaten with fat and fiber.
I recently purchased a continuous glucose monitor and I observed my blood sugar spiking to as high as 11 or 12 due to a meal of oats, but better, fruit and Greek yoghurt.
This is very unusual for me and there is no history of diabetes in my family, type 1 or 2.
I’ve been researching and found some articles referring to the link between hyperthyroidism and elevated blood sugar levels.
Has anyone else experienced this when overmedicated or hyperthyroid?
I feel ok before I eat carbs, have mental and physical energy. But 1 hour afterwards I’m a shaking mess, basically army crawling around the house to do basic tasks. I’m 31, so this shouldn’t be happening 😢
I am slowly reducing my meds, and hoping I will be able to metabolize carbs again without feeling like I’m about to die, some time soon.
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Charlyemmalouise
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There is a link between taking thyroid hormones and blood glucose levels, however, it’s also just as possible you do have a form of diabetes or pre diabetes. Just wanted to put that out there before you made too many links.
You say you’re continuously monitoring—how long after eating the carbs did it spike? What were the levels at 1 hour and 2 hours after having those oats?
A drift towards diabetes could explain the exhaustion you’re experiencing. I’ve read your last post and it does seem your metabolism is probably a bit broken (technical term ) Diabetes is another metabolic issue. I think it’s clear you’re self medicating on way too much T3 but I wouldn’t cut it drastically too quickly—you’re probably going to need to decrease very gradually and it probably won’t be a lot of fun while your body gets used to life without it. Meanwhile, you may need to consider limiting the size of your carb portions (but I am wary you already have a low BMI so I’m definitely not saying cut it out!).
And after eating the oats, my BG would go from around 5 all the way up to 10/11/12(!!). But I appear to be insulin sensitive as after less than an hour, it would be back down to 5/6.
I am going to go low carb from tomorrow. But having dealt with an ED (eating disorder) since I was 31, almost 20 years, I am somewhat reluctant to start restricting food again.
As you can see I have a lot of intertwining and conflicting issues going on 😬😅🥲🥲🥲
If your blood sugar is coming down again in an appropriate time frame, that’s good and far less worrying than you seem to be thinking.
No need to go totally low carb—just consider lowering it a bit. I’d spotted the food issues thing which is exactly why I decided against suggesting low carb. Lower carb will do the trick. But if you do go down that road, raise your fat intake a bit so that you don’t end up eating so few calories you lose weight. I think I saw that you have a BMI of 17?
For what it’s worth, oats are known for raising blood sugar fast, especially if they’re the instant kind and even more so if you added sugar. I don’t think a blood sugar of 11 immediately after eating them is too much to worry about. If your blood sugar was still at 11 after an hour or two that would indicate there’s a bigger problem.
yes , there is evidence that taking large amounts of T3 can increase blood sugar levels. I think this is mentioned on the patient information leaflets for T3 but am not certain about this. It has definitely been mentioned in a few recent posts here, but i can't find them now 'cos the search facility here is not great.But from a quick internet search:
"....On the basis of our present understanding of T3 signaling, the effects of T3 on T2DM could not be predicted (Baxter and Webb, 2009). Hyperglycemia has been found in patients with hyperthyroidism due to an increase in hepatic glucose production (Crunkhorn and Patti, 2008). Treatments with a large dose of T3 have been shown to increase plasma glucose levels in humans (Dimitriadis et al., 1985). However, moderate doses of T3 have beneficial effects on plasma glucose levels in animal models (Levin et al., 1982; Bryzgalova et al., 2008). Dietary supplement with 0.03% powdered thyroid (equivalent to T3 25 ng·g−1·day−1) decreased plasma glucose levels in Zucker fa/fa rats (Levin et al., 1982). KB-141, an analogue of T3 (54–328 ng·g−1·day−1), decreased plasma glucose levels and increase insulin sensitivity in obese mice (Bryzgalova et al., 2008). The present data revealed that moderate doses of the thyroid hormone T3 ameliorated β-cell dysfunction and reversed insulin resistance, which may offer a new therapeutic strategy for delaying or preventing the development of T2DM......." journals.physiology.org/doi... (Dimitriadis et al 1985)
Hello Charleyemmalouise, I have been on a low carb/ketogenic diet for 3 years and after some time (started these type of meds in Jan 2021) of being on a combination of desiccated thyroid (NP 60mg - similar to Armour) + 25mcg liothyronine x3/day my fasting BG started to raise to 100 and at some point in the morning I started at above 110. This was so scary to me. Lately I quit taking T3 all together and my BG went down, my resting hear rate went down, my liver enzymes became normal (those too had all of sudden increased), my pounding headaches disappeared. So I kept NP Thyroid and I'm raising it slowly. But while raising NP, I am again noticing my BG slightly raising. In all this time on these medication I never considered myself as healed: I still have hypothyroid symptoms, maybe slightly reduced.
Ugh, well I am sorry to hear that you still have hypo symptoms and yea, it is scary seeing the sugars go so high! I dated a diabetic (type 1) for a while, and am very educated on the LONG list of problems brought about by high BG.
Not surprised - carbs are spiking your blood sugar. I’ve found that anything grain based and also most veg grown below the ground spikes my blood sugar.
Have a look at this book, I bought it and did exactly what it recommended - found the culprits that would spike my BS and some of them seemed surprising healthy - I cut them all out and ate my way out of T2D.
Reverse Your Diabetes: The Step-by-Step Plan to Take Control of Type 2 Diabetes Paperback by Dr David Cavan
Also found the DietDoctor.com website was very helpful, they used to offer a very good free six week course.
Or if you can persuade your GP to refer you to the Second Nature programme, that’s good for reducing blood sugar too.
Thank you for this. I appreciate it, but I don’t have diabetes. And I never had this reaction in the past from carbs. I have been keto/low carb for years, sand only started eating them again in recent months. I am sure this is tied to medication rather than t2D
I am hypothyroid, have insulin dependent diabetes ( following sepsis that wrecked my pancreas) and have fibromyalgia and about 4 years ago went down the DIY route of DrLowe’s protocol, to reduce pain and fatigue, with adding T3 to levothyroxin , then replacing it entirely with T3. The result was a doubling/ tripling of my fasting blood glucose levels, without a change in diet or exercise, which I posted as a query on this site. At that time I had not read of T3 potentially increasing blood sugar, though a few readers confirmed it could, I was certainly proof it could. Perhaps, unusually, I picked it up as an existing diabetic who was already taking daily, or more, glucose levels, and infact more hypothyroids get it but don’t know. Anyway I had to give up T3 alone, and back to a 15 mcg T3 with 100 levo.daily… but I still have the pain and fatigue!
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) Diabetes is another metabolic issue. I think it’s clear you’re self medicating on way too much T3 but I wouldn’t cut it drastically too quickly—you’re probably going to need to decrease very gradually and it probably won’t be a lot of fun while your body gets used to life without it. Meanwhile, you may need to consider limiting the size of your carb portions (but I am wary you already have a low BMI so I’m definitely not saying cut it out!). 
and yea, it is scary seeing the sugars go so high! I dated a diabetic (type 1) for a while, and am very educated on the LONG list of problems brought about by high BG. 
Latest bloods- GP thinks I may be overmedicated
Started NDT and increasing blood sugars
Blood sugar in the morning - HELP!
Blood levels and overmedication?
Low blood sugar symptoms 
