This is post one of two tonight - they are different questions so didn’t want to do one post!
Is being constantly thirsty an under active thyroid symptom? I have had this on and off for a number of weeks. I could drink water all day and still be thirsty. Consequently I’m peeing all the time.
Thank you!
Have you checked blood sugar? Ive heard of increased thirst and urination as signs of diabetes. I think that’s one of the first signs. Sure it could be other causes too, but that comes to mind.
I have ordered a kit to check but wondered if it could be thyroid related. Hopefully it isn’t diabetes! I don’t think it is somehow. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking.
Thank you
Being proactive to rule things out or lead you to answers is a step in the right direction. Best of luck!
Thank you!
You can get those kind of symptoms with blood sugar dysregulation long before it gets to diagnosable diabetes or even pre-diabetes levels. I was having the same as you and it stopped when I went gluten free. My HbA1c dropped quite a bit. But it was never high enough for anyone to tell me that was the problem, although my new neurologist says it may well have been. I bought a glucose monitor, so I can keep an eye on it. So don't panic, but don't assume if you aren't diabetic that blood sugar isn't a contributory factor! You'll find a whole chapter about blood sugar in Datis Kharrazian's book on the thyroid. Best wishes
Thank you for the information. I have bought a testing kit and it’s arriving today. It’s interesting you say that you can have dysregulation before it can be picked up in a test.
The thought I might need to be gluten free isn’t great! I did do it once before many years ago but I didn’t find it helped with anything.
I’ll definitely keep an eye on things.
Weirdly today I don’t have it. Yesterday I drank all day and it still wasn’t enough.
For blood sugar I wouldn't recommend going gluten free as lots of gluten free products are higher in sugar than the standard products. Would recommend avoiding highly processed foods instead or low glycemic index.
I can hardly imagine having to go gluten free again now I have kids! I’ll see what the test says and go from there. Thank you
I'd agree with what you say. In case my reply was misleading, I went GF for entirely different reasons - the reduced HbA1c and loss of those symptoms was a happy 'extra'. I only found some time after when I got hold of old results and did some reading that mine would have been considered a bit high by some, and was now ok. But as I have small fibre neuropathy and have probably had it for 20 years, I suspect it was doing more damage than we realised and of course if I overdo it, I get more neuro pain. Cheers
It can take time with GF to know if it is helping. I was lucky and got clear and quick signs that it was right for me. But I agree with SecondAngel in that to begin with I started using bought GF stuff and a lot of it is full of junk. I found after a little while that I was also reacting to corn and potato and rice starches which are in many GF products, so I stopped using all grains and just make my own food. It may be that gluten is not a problem for you, although it is common - maybe you tried GF because of the thyroid problem? Not sure if you have Hashi's or how long you've been dealing with this. Might be worth keeping a food/symptoms diary as you seems to be changeable (thirst-wise).
I was desperately thirsty with covid but it eased off and now I just need normal (for me, which is still quite a lot) plus salt, as I have dysautonomia/possible POTS which seems to have got worse post-virus. Have you had covid by any chance which might have triggered this? Diabetes UK suggest that numbers of diabetes diagnoses are higher post-covid, so may be if a bit borderline, it is pushing people into full-blown diabetes.org.uk/about_us/ne...
Thanks for the link! I know it was meant for AppleOrchard but I've recently noticed that my blood sugar control has gotten worse. I got covid over the new year and was wondering if it had made my relatively well controlled prediabetes worse.
My pleasure. Makes you think doesn't it. I read some papers suggesting covid may affect methylation (like ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... and methylation changes are also possibly linked to diabetes development (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl.... My B12 and folate need certainly went up and neuro symptoms that I thought I'd got rid of have returned, although not as badly. I'll be keeping a check on blood sugar (in fact I'll go and test right now!). Cheers
More a sign you need blood glucose levels checked especially if there is family history of diabetes age related or lifestyle related. Increased thirst if it continues should be looked at by a GP but definitely not common with Thyroid issues.
Thank you - I’m glad I know that now so whatever it is, it isn’t thyroid. I have a kit arriving today. If it shows anything, I’ll go straight to the doctor. Thank you very much. That’s really helpful.
If the thirst symptom keeps up, prob best to mention it to the doctor anyway🙂
In some people taking T3 raises blood sugar levels
Ah, I didn’t know that. I’ll find out later when I do the test. I also take a steroid inhaler and I think that can do it too.
I don’t think it’s diabetes because it comes and goes. Some days are terrible, like yesterday, and others are no so bad.
Thank you again.
It would come and go depending on what you eat. If you eat a lot of sugar and carbs (bread, pasta, rice, cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks, juice, etc) then this is what could be contributing to your symptoms. And because every day is different with what you eat, your symptoms might be better or worse day by day. As you’re testing your blood glucose levels, that’s a good start, but as others have said, you should talk to your doctor as well.
Yes, of course. That makes complete sense. I don’t eat much in the way of sweets and sugary stuff because since covid I don’t have a taste for it any more. I’ll keep an eye on what I’m eating and definitely do the test.
For the thing I eat that’s fast acting carbo, what would you recommend?
Thank you very much again.
I recommend learning about counting your carbs - it means you can still eat what you want, but less of what might spike your glucose levels. For example, I know pasta, bread and potatoes in larger quantities affect me (mad thirst, wanting to sleep after eating, tingly hands and feet - I’m diabetic btw) so I eat smaller amounts of those. Have a look at Carbs & Cals (book or app) which really helps to visualise portion sizes. Personally, I load up on proteins (chicken/turkey or non meat alternatives) and loads of veg with smaller quantities of carbs. Good luck!
This is interesting, since I started taking T3 I have dropped back from being very close to pre-diabetic in June (40) to 33 within 3 months, previous test 2019 at 36
The other variants in that time being improved B12, Vit D and Iron levels and I started eating biscuits again... oh how I have missed biscuits 😆
I like the blood sugar 101 site
Self testing for diabetes bloodsugar101.com/am-i-diab...
How to lower blood sugar by testing meals & finding which foods spike your blood sugar bloodsugar101.com/how-to-lo...
You can also ask for HbA1c to be tested.
Thank you for the info. I’ll look at the website you suggest.
Is the test you are suggesting a blood test? What’s it for?
Thank you again.
Hba1c is a blood test that measures the amount of glucose that gets stuck to red blood cells. Knowing that RBC live an average of 3 months or so, they can determine your average glucose levels over the 3 months with this test. If it's trending high, then you know you're entering (pre)diabetic levels. A few caveats: low iron or b12 can cause false lows/highs because they can distort red blood cells. So the home testing is still the most accurate to see exactly what your blood sugar is doing. Still, the Hba1c is very useful and is slowly entering use as a diagnostic test rather than just for diabetes followup. It's a good first line test.
Here's another page that explains 'normal' blood sugar levels including hba1c: bloodsugar101.com/what-is-a...
Thank you!I went back to see my tests that I had done on 1st Feb 2022. I had it done then. It was 33 and the range was 21-41. So then it didn’t seem particularly high.
My B12 was 309 and the range was 145-569.
RBC was 4.81 and the range was 3.80-4.80.
Thank you very much again.
Yes it's not high, so that's reassuring. It may very well be normal for you, but in my case it was prediabetes territory. It depends if you're having spikes.
Home testing will be the way to go then. Easiest is the 2nd link i sent - measure before and 1 and 2 hours after several typical meals. If it stays below 140 after 1 hour then you are fine (see the link above for more details and converting units, i don't use mmol). Maybe there are certain things, or quantities, that spike yours. For example 2 potatoes are fine for me, but more and BG spikes.
B12 is also starting to trend low. Has it gone up at all after starting supplements?
I don’t know if my B12 has gone up. I think I’ll have to do that test privately as I don’t think the doctor will do it again.
My fasting test was 6.5, one hour after food it was 6.5, two hours it was 6.2 and three hours was 5.7I think that’s fine, isn’t it?
Thank you!
I have just had a quick look. What an interesting website. I’ll do the test tomorrow. Thank you
That site has saved me from going from prediabetes into full blown diabetes. And it's all backed by science. She's a lady that had similar experiences with diabetes as we do with thyroid. Good luck!
Write back if you need help interpreting. (I'm not medically trained.)
I should add, the definitive test is a glucose tolerance test (GGT), done at a clinic. They feed you a fixed amount of glucose and see what happens to your blood sugar over several hours.
So do the home test, ask if they can add Hba1c to your test next week, and depending results you will need to work with your doctor to get the GTT test.
They did the test in Feb. It seemed okay. I put the result above or below. Thank you so much
Thank you! These sites are so helpful and very necessary. I’m glad you didn’t fet full blown diabetes.
Defo do a blood sugar test. That was my first major symptom as a type 1...
Thank you for replying. Was it there all the time or did it come and go? The kit has arrived so I hope I can do it tomorrow, failing that, I’ll do it on Tuesday.
Thank you again
Ooo goodluck! Let us know the outcome. My thirst was pretty constant and totally unquenchable. It's your body trying to eliminate all the sugar that has built up in your system. Another symptom was that my eye sight went blurry.... and increased fatigue.
I don’t think it’s that. My fasting test was 6.5, one hour after food it was 6.5, two hours it was 6.2 and three hours was 5.7. So I don’t think that’s too high.
That's great news!!
I’m very pleased! Thank you
This looks like a strange result to me - I assume you ate a sufficient amount of carbohydrates during your meal? If so, I find it a bit strange that your levels didn't go up at all. Did you do the simulated glucose tolerance test or a standard meal?
Was the fasting one after an overnight fast? If so, it seems a bit high, and that in itself can be worrying.
At least it doesn't like look like type I diabetes, and the falling levels afterwards is also a good sign. 
You don't take any metformin/glucophage, right?
Thank you for your response. I had one white roll with half a banana and a glass of orange juice.
I don’t take the medication you mention.
I don’t know what the simulated glucose tolerance test is.
Should I do it again? The first one was done as I woke up so I hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink since the night before.
Thank you very much again.
Hi AppleOrchard.. I tried to reply to you last night but lost my post. So trying again!
The simulated glucose tolerance test is what I mean by eating 60g carbs in the morning and measuring BG (blood glucose) after. Sorry for the confusion.
I added up the carbs in a standard roll and half a banana - and that's more than 60g carbs. So I find it really even more strange that your BG level didn't go up at all. It dropped very slowly in the first two hours, and then was fine in the 3rd - so your insulin reaction seems OK at least - doesn't look like type I diabetes. Or perhaps it did go up in the first half hour but came right back down?
The fasting morning BG level of 6.5 looks too high. According to the NHS "Normal blood glucose ranges for people without diabetes are 3.5 – 5.5 mmol/L before meals" : diabetesmyway.nhs.uk/resour...
I assume you washed your hands before taking doing the finger prick? Any residual sugar or food on your hands can mess up the test.
If I were you, I would do several things. First I would measure several typical meals including dinner, the same way: before eating, and 1 and 2 (and up to 3) hours after. I would also test at bedtime and do another morning test.
If you still see these strange patterns, or your morning levels remain above 5.5, I would ask on a diabetes forum. I am not familiar with any but this one is on healthunlocked: healthunlocked.com/drwfdiab... .
And of course show your readings to your doctor. Depending on the doctor, they may or may not take it seriously if it's not overt diabetes. But there is such a thing as pre-diabetes. I hope this helps!
Thank you very much - that really does help a lot.
I will do several meals and then another morning one too.
I thought the test was 60-70g of carbohydrate. So I thought it was within that but obviously not. I’ll have to look again at what I have. I did look things up but must have miscalculated.
I forgot to wash my hands before the second one. I did wash them for the first one in the morning. I will ensure that my hands are washed whenever I do a test. I didn’t realise it was so important but I guess it would be!
Thank you again and I really do appreciate your advice and suggestions. I’ll keep you posted.
That sounds like a good plan Also pay attention to any sleepiness or groggyness after eating carbs or any other symptoms.
Yes 60-70g of carbs so what you did in the morning was perfectly fine. I calculated 63 grams, excluding the orange juice, so that's quite alright, sorry if I confused you.
And the suggestion to test after before/after dinner and at bedtime to see what it's doing in the evenings, maybe that would give some indication of your high morning level.
You're welcome and I look forward to any news
I think doing the test at the different meals is such a good idea. I’ll take one meal a day. I will do it on Thursday. Tomorrow I have my thyroid blood test. So the meal I did for the test was okay?
I’ll definitely start looking at the carbs I’m eating. I’ll try counting to see what I’m eating. It’s not something I think about usually. I think the reason I had the thirst is because we were away and I was eating rubbish. It didn’t used to affect me but it does now. Thankfully I don’t do it often at all. I eat healthily on a day to day basis. I’ll post the results on Thursday for the test I do that day.
Thank you very much again.
Hello again, I think your readings are a little on the high side. A good reading 1-2 hours after eating should be 4-5. And the roll, half banana and orange juice are all packed with carbs (if jade_s is saying these add up to 60g carbs, that’s extremely high for one meal). If you exercise regularly, this might be ok. As a guide, I aim for approx 30g carbs per meal (and 10g max for snacks). This would be considered low-medium carb.
Moonglo I don't know if AppleOrchard normally eats like this but the idea was to simulate a glucose tolerance test, thus the high amount of carbs. I agree the readings are high. Thanks for the carbs tip.
Ah ok, thanks! I must have missed that test when being diagnosed- I went straight to extremely diabetic (120 hba1c 🙈)
😳 Oh goodness that's high, no need to bother with a GTT there. Do you follow a Dr Richard Bernstein-like diet? i.e. low carbs or whatever you can tolerate based on testing?
That was around 8 years ago and they put me on insulin as well as a low carb diet. I went down to 36 hba1c within a year at my lowest and I’ve been in the high 40s for the last few years - still following low carb and mild exercise. Xx
Sounds like you have it under control. I've just downloaded a carb counter app, thanks for the suggestion!! I'm shocked at how much carbs i got today from just cheese & yogurt! Very eye opening and i shall definitely be using this as my BG has gotten a bit out of control recently. Thanks!
That’s so high! And clearly no doubt about being diabetic. I hope it’s not too hard keeping track of what you eat.
Thank you for your reply. I would never normally have a while roll and orange juice etc for breakfast. I don’t have a sweet tooth since covid so don’t eat puddings etc. But I do eat rice and pasta. I eat whole meal bread but I love baguette! I’ll need to start looking at what I’m eating and cut back on the carbs.
Thank you!
I’ll be honest, it can be a challenge when you start but then it should become second nature. I started by logging everything I ate (I use the Carb Manager app) because it adds up all the carbs for you.
I love the idea of a carb counter! I’ll download it. I might actually do a test tomorrow,. I’ll be having a late breakfast because of my blood test. I’ll see how it goes.
Thank you for the app suggestion.
You’re welcome!
In my case very thirsty and peeing all the time happens when I'm underactive. My blood sugar is completely normal, I use glucometer for it. It is a good idea to check blood sugar and thyroid labs.
I’m having the thyroid checked on Wednesday. That will tell me something, I hope! It’s interesting that you get it when you are under active. Perhaps that’s what it is for me too. I have no idea!!
Look into aldosterone too!
I have never heard of it so I’ll look it up. Thank you
Constant fatigue and depression. 
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The constant blood tests
Constant sore throat...
