Anyone else suffer badly with cold & virus's etc - Thyroid UK

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Anyone else suffer badly with cold & virus's etc

joey82 profile image
15 Replies

Hi,

Does anyone else find when they got a cold or flu alongside their hypothyroidism it affects them really bad?

I've got my 3rd cold / virus in as many months and I'm sofa bound today. I feel gutted to be honest.

The last week has been really tough with having another virus. I try my hardest to do what I can to get my self to a good place but just feel like I'm going backwards.

Hope everyone is well.

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joey82 profile image
joey82
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15 Replies
greygoose profile image
greygoose

I used to be like that, until I got my FT3 up high enough to make me well. Is your FT3 low?

joey82 profile image
joey82 in reply to greygoose

68% at my last test. My TF4 is around well up in the range.

I've increased my levothyroxine by 25mcgs every other day. A small increase to get me into the top 75% of the range. But thay was only 3 + weeks ago so I dont expect any changes yet.

I'm currently on 175 / 200 alternating days.

I have concerns about my conversion. Awaiting Di02 results and going to book a thyroid scan and get an RT3 test ordered.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to joey82

No point testing rT3, it's a waste of money. It won't tell you anything you can't tell from looking at your FT4 and comparing it with your FT3. If your FT4 is 75% and your FT3 is 68%, there's little wrong with your conversion, anyway. And, if your rT3 is high, it won't have anything to do with your thyroid. Many, many things can cause high rT3, even without having a thyroid problem. And a test will tell you IF it's high, but not WHY.

joey82 profile image
joey82 in reply to greygoose

Just checked, my ft4 is 78% of the range

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to joey82

OK, so you could possibly benefit from taking a little T3 with your levo because any further increases would probably send your FT4 over-range. But, you don't need an rT3 test to tell you that.

An FT3 68% through the range would be fine for some people, but you could be one of those that needs their FT3 right at the top of the range - or even slightly over. Do you have any hypo symptoms?

joey82 profile image
joey82 in reply to greygoose

Yes, riddled with them. Tiredness & fatigue, severe brain fog, poor cognitive function, red itchy spots, tinnitus, can't focus properly, depression....

I've had periods of colds & virus's before, especially in the winter, even before I had hypothyroidism. It's odd, I don't really show massive symptoms but feel absolutely exhausted.

Salvaged some of the afternoon and spent some time with my son so the day wasn't a complete waste.

I heard on a podcast the other day, for hashimotos patients, a virus or infection can increase RT3 binding to the cells instead of the FT3, which is why you feel so tired etc. Or something like that...

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to joey82

Yes, a lot of people talk about that, but it's not true. rT3 does not bind to T3 receptors, it has its own receptors. That is an out-dated theory. In any case, if it were true, there wouldn't be much you could do about it except go onto T3 mono-therapy.

But, it really does sound like you need a higher level of FT3. You sound as if you're still hypo.

Regenallotment profile image
Regenallotment

yes I did, caught everything and took weeks to recover, until I sorted my vitamins and optimised thyroid meds. Gave up sugar etc. Now I don’t seem to catch what is going around. (I do however rattle with supplements) 🤣

joey82 profile image
joey82 in reply to Regenallotment

I've been bang on the supplements the last 2 months as advised by the good people on this forum. Thus current cold virus has me absolutely shattered. It's not covid by the way....

Regenallotment profile image
Regenallotment in reply to joey82

well done, it was about 4-5 months when I really saw a difference, keep on it 🌱

joey82 profile image
joey82 in reply to Regenallotment

Thank you, I hope it works.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I am convinced that my Covid vaccinations, as well as having Covid (twice), have damaged my immunity, and I'm getting more colds and respiratory ailments.

My husband is much healthier than me and doesn't have a thyroid problem and seems to shrug off vaccinations and Covid far more easily than me.

Regenallotment profile image
Regenallotment in reply to humanbean

ditto

lolajone profile image
lolajone in reply to Regenallotment

ditto too

McPammy profile image
McPammy

I’ve had a number of cold, flu and confirmed covid infections. I get my bloods checked 3 monthly which also includes a full blood count. Since my thyroxine levels have increased when I added liothyronine T3 to my usual levothyroxine T4 medication I’ve noticed since then that my white blood cell count is always abnormally low. There is only one other time this happened on my records and that was in 2013 when I was over medicated on levothyroxine. When my levels were reduced the white blood cells increased again until I started T3 in 2019 combined with T4 levothyroxine. Since then now always abnormally low. White blood cells help you fight off infections. I’ve never had so many colds, flu and now covid. I’m putting it down to high levels of thyroxine I now need. I’m just getting over some respiratory infection once again that’s lasted 2 weeks so far. I’ve looked up thyroxine and low white blood cells. It states people with Graves’ disease or high thyroxine can have abnormal low white blood cells. So it all seems to fit. Not sure what I can do about it really. I need the T3 and T4 but don’t need the virus’s that I now find hard to shift each time. Other than viruses I feel pretty good, fit and healthy. My TSH isn’t suppressed and never is on T3 luckily for me. But maybe the higher thyroxine levels are poor for my white blood cells which are made from bone marrow. And what Drs warn about T3 are bone and heart issues. This is just my own interpretation of why I’m catching and find it hard to rid viruses.

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