What happens to your thyroid levels

[Batty1]

Question of curiosity. If someone is having a seizure and they take bloods for thyroid levels would your labs show a low level of thyroid hormones or would it show a higher level of hormones?

I thought I read that if it you fall ill like have a seizure that your levels will drop to protect you??? Is this correct?

[greygoose]

I don't know anything about seizures, but if you have an infection, it will down-grade your conversion, so your FT3 level will drop.

But, are you talking about someone who is taking thyroid hormone replacement? Or someone who has a healthy, working thyroid?

[Batty1 in reply to greygoose]

No this person wasn’t officially diagnosed until they took bloods just after her seizure (she never had a seizure) and the results said she had low TSH and T4

[greygoose in reply to Batty1]

Well, it sounds like she needs a lot more testing to find out what's going on. But, pretty sure a non-seizure (if I'm understanding correctly) wouldn't cause that. Sounds more like a pituitary problem.

[Batty1 in reply to greygoose]

I don't know really ….. I just thought I read this here or some place else about severe illness naturally dropping thyroid levels … maybe Im wrong🤷‍♀️

[greygoose in reply to Batty1]

Well, yes, you did. As I said, it will affect conversion of T4 to T3, so T3 levels will drop. But I don't think anything specific has ever been said about seizures. And, anyway, in that case, the TSH would rise in response.

[Batty1 in reply to greygoose]

No Im not saying seizures were said anywhere Im just talking in-terms of a serious illness this person just happen to have a seizure.

[greygoose in reply to Batty1]

OK, so she has a serious illness?

But, anyway, having a serious illness can reduce levels of Frees, but unless there's a problem with the pituitary, the TSH will respond by rising. If your friend had low TSH and low FT4, that suggests she may have a problem with her pituitary - and maybe that was why she had a seizure? But, in any case, such a scenario warrents a lot of further investigation. More testing than just TSH or FT4. Hope she manages to get the help she needs.

[Batty1 in reply to greygoose]

I agree more testing.