Hypo or Hyper thyroid

[Kenntess]

hi, I am being treated for a hyperactive thyroid, I take 20mg of carbimazole a day, my issue is I have no symptoms of a hyper thyroid only blood tests are coming back high. I am over weight by 2.5 stone, I am tired, constipated, my hair has thinned, my eyebrows have thinned and when I look these symptoms up they are more in line with hypo not hyper. I had chemotherapy in 2021 and while on the chemo I developed a goita and hyperthyroidism. I am convinced something other than hyperthyroidism is causing my thyroid levels to go high. Could I be right or do the blood tests tell the correct diagnosis

[TiggerMe]

Welcome aboard

If you add your latest results along with ranges we'll be better able to help, could be you are on too much carbimazole which would make you Hypo

Also if you have any results for B12, Vit D, folate and ferritin...

Have you had antibody levels tested any mention of Graves disease or scan results?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

what were results BEFORE starting on Carbimazole

What are results now

Before starting on Carbimazole your GP/endo should have tested TSI or Trab antibodies to confirm Graves’ disease (autoimmune hyperthyroid)

Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once to see if have Hashimoto’s (autoimmune hypothyroid ) Hashimoto’s frequently starts with transient hyperthyroid results and symptoms before becoming increasingly hypothyroid.

We see small steady stream of hashimoto’s patients misdiagnosed as hyper if tested in early stages and antibodies not tested

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change in Carbimazole

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

Low vitamin levels are extremely common especially with either Graves or Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroid disease

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high TPO and/or high TG thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

Significant minority of Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG antibodies (thyroglobulin)

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

Post all about what time of day to test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing

thyroiduk.org/testing/

Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/testing/thyro...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

support.medichecks.com/hc/e...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

[pennyannie]

Hello Kenntess and welcome to the forum :

The blood tests only tell us so much :

Hyperthyroidism is generally caused by an overactive thyroid which usually presents as high over range T3 and T4 readings with a TSH stuck down at around 0.01.and under the range.

A goitre could be constricting the thyroid and causing either hyper or hypo type symptoms -

if blood tests show low T3 and T4 levels you could be prescribe T4 - Levothyroxine - thyroid hormone replacement to try and offset the symptoms of hypothyroidism that are being tolerated.

If blood tests show over range T3/T4 an Anti Thyroid drug is prescribed - Carbimazole or Propylthiouracil ( PTU ) - to semi-block own, new, daily thyroid hormone production so to off -set symptoms being experienced -

too high a level of the AT drug can block too much thyroid hormone production - and then your T3 and T4 levels fall too far through the ranges with you suffering with the equally - if not more disabling symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Since your symptoms read more like hypothyroid - presume the AT drug is at too high a dose and blocking too much of your own, new daily thyroid hormone production.

Obviously the next step is to get a copy of the blood test before starting the AT drug - and any since so we can try and track what has happened and what steps you need to take now to restore your best health and well being.