Effect of Covid on the Endocrine system

[Musicmonkey]

I am sharing this study I found today. If true it's not good news:frontiersin.org/articles/10...

[TiggerMe]

Looks like there will be a whole lot more people joining us in our struggle for correct treatment 😕

[seveneleven]

Yep. And given the way thyroid is currently treated (or more accurately, not), there's going to continue to be a big increase in people with untreated thyroid disorders experiencing 'mystery' chronic illness, fobbed off to ME/CFS clinics or put on antidepressants. I had COVID last month, and it absolutely played merry hell with my thyroid (and I think also cortisol) levels, having only been a few weeks on T3 - first much less sensitive to T3 and then feeling overmedicated on T4, cycling through crazy HR and then really hypo. Only just now over a month later are things settling down and I'm not shaking like a leaf all day. Won't know what's happened with bloods for another couple of weeks, but expect things will still be out of whack for a while. Apparently some clinicians are saying a lot of their patients' levels have never recovered after COVID.

[TiggerMe in reply to seveneleven]

It does make you wonder if the seemingly general malaise after the initial pandemic really is because people are physically slowed down due to the virus... 🤷‍♀️

Everything just seems to take a little to much effort these days for everyone... we all know what that feels like 😕

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to TiggerMe]

There are far too many other issues which seem to occur in long Covid to ascribe everything to endocrine changes.

[TiggerMe in reply to helvella]

Oh yes, I'm sure you are right... thankfully I have yet to experience it 🙏

[Hedgeree in reply to seveneleven]

Hi seveneleven,

My endocrine surgeon did say that she's seeing some of her patients thyroid levels not recovering after them having had Covid.

Not sure if she was referring to FT4 or FT3 levels. My FT4 had just crept into range (as titrating up levo) before I got Covid so will be interesting to see if it lowers it again on my next blood test.

[Hidden]

Very interesting. This could account for the cases of what has been diagnosed as ‘long Covid’. I would doubt very much that these people have been tested for thyroid abnormality.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hidden]

I don't think it can account for long Covid - other than as just one element of that.

There are several features of long Covid which are way outside the experiences of those who have suffered with thyroid issues over the years.

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

Sorry for the crossed wires. My point was badly put. One wonders how many patients with ‘long Covid’ have actually developed thyroid issues which they didn’t have previously - ie just one element of long covid

[diogenes Remembering]

Rather than being thyroid-specific, I would rate this finding as showing a type of ongoing nonthyroidal illness. However, whether or if it eventually resolves, there's no doubt of the harmful effect of covid in a general sense. One just hopes that it will eventually resolve.

[Dandelade]

I am absolutely convinced my hypothyroidism was triggered by covid. And ongoing symptoms have been put down as long covid so no other treatment than levo and levels of t4 tsh within range. Dizziness/ balance/ tipping over, slowed speech, fatigue, brain fog. Not many long covid with that presentation. Some people on this forum similar. Don’t need t3 people now moved to long covid instead of me/cfs ? Maybe, maybe it is actually long covid. Either way nobody willing to find a way to help. Sorry, your post resonated and I’m feeling sorry for myself!

[Musicmonkey in reply to Dandelade]

That sounds tough. I am very sorry that's been your experience.

[thyr01d in reply to Dandelade]

Dandelade, I feel sorry for you too, I have those same symptoms and am exploring B12 deficiency but made the mistake of supplementing before being tested. I do hope you find a cause and a cure.

[Dandelade in reply to thyr01d]

Thank you thyr01d. I hope you do too! Maybe we can share if we do find something that helps, I’m holding out hope.

[thyr01d in reply to Dandelade]

Yes, good idea Dandelade, I will see if I can follow you otherwise I will forget your name when wanting to make contact! Apologies MusicMonkey for this interruption of your post.

[Dandelade in reply to thyr01d]

I totally didn’t realise you could do that followed back!

[Musicmonkey in reply to thyr01d]

No problem! Glad it has helped you connect with each other.

[thyr01d]

Thank you Musicmonkey, although not good news it makes sense for me. I had a horrid virus at Christmas, didn't test for covid but have just had covid and the symptoms were exactly the same. After the Christmas virus I did not return to health and it left me feeling as I did when hypothyroid and undermedicated. This article seems like a good explanation, though I don't know what can be done.