I am a 55 year old woman with no other health conditions apart from the usual menopause issues, I had been having problems for about 9 months, being warm but different to hot flushes, terrible heart palpitations, and very irritable and a strange twitching feeling all over, I thought it was menopause, but one night the palpitations were so bad I went to the doctors next day and had blood tests which showed mild hyperthyroidism, they offered me beta blockers, now 3 weeks later and another set of blood tests still showing the same diagnosis, they have put me on 30mg of Carbimazole and I’m not seeing a specialist until the 12th Nov. I have only had one conversation with the doctor about all this and that was on a very rushed telephone appointment! My question is should I take the carbimazole? Or wait to see the endocrinologist?
I am a bit confused about why this is happening. My TSH is 0.01 on the first test and 0.02 on the second. My T3 and T4 is higher than my range should be as well.
thanks
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Ros05
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I think many of us would advise you that you really need to get the blood test results that these decisions were made on. For many in England, you might be able to see them through some sort of NHS or other app. For the rest, you should be able to ask for a printout. (I can just walk in and ask - not a problem getting recent results).
Then post them here. Make sure you include the reference intervals. E.g. FT4 15 (12-22).
We'd expect TSH and FT4, hope for FT3, and possibly some antibody tests.
(By all means include others but we won't get far without these.)
helvella - Splitting Carbimazole Doses
A short discussion about Carbimazole primarily focussed on splitting doses but containing some other information.
Thank you for the reply, this is all I have on my app, these are the only tests I have had. Apologies as I have had no family with any Autoimmune issues so this is a bit of minefield for me, so I may be making a mountain out of a molehill! 😀
The doctors texted after the second blood test, it just said confirmed diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, please take 30mg of carbimazole daily and have a blood test in 6 weeks time, i only started the tablets yesterday, i have been feeling less irritable but the feeling hot and palpitations are still there. Thanks
I need to be sure I understand, these tests were without having taken any Carbimazole?
If so, it appears that you might have had some sort of transient hyperthyroidism. FT4 has fallen a lot and is now within the reference interval. FT3 has fallen a bit and is only a little over the top of the reference interval. Might be enough to make you feel bad but going in the right direction.
TSH - with any form of hyperthyroidism, TSH is likely to hit the floor - and then take time to recover. Possibly weeks or months.
I hope that you can get three antibody tests:
TGab - thyroglobulin antibodies
TPOab - Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies
TRab - TSH-receptor antibodies - or the very similar TSI
It would make so much sense for these tests to be done ahead of an endocrinology appointment - so you and they have them available! If your GP won't do them, maybe it would be possible to call the endo people and try to get them to issue a blood test request? (Yes, ideally do TSH, FT4 and FT3 as well so everyone can see how they are going.)
Which beta blocker were you prescribed? And what dose are you taking?
Thanks, for this reply, yes all tests before the Carbimazole, I chose not to take the beta blockers as I was given no information about them. I will contact my doctor and ask about the other tests but I’m not confident they will agree😒
Have you been prescribed propranolol? That will help with symtoms especially palpitations. Always reduce slowly when stopping this medication.
Do you remember the times the tests were taken? TSH tends to be highest in morning then lowers through the day. TSH is from pituitary and can be unreliable for many reasons. FT4 & FT3 are the thyroid hormones.
Carbimazole reduces production of new hormone but your levels have already naturally dropped between the 1st & 21st of October. Your FT4 has dropped back into range.
I suspect the hyper levels could be transient, which occurs in early stages on autoimmune thyroiditis. Also known as Hashimoto’s. The immune system attacks thyroid & the damage causes hormone release. The elevated levels are temporary. Over time the damage results in low thyroid funtion.
Carbimazole is used if the hyper is continuous. Graves disease is a different autoimmune condition where the immune system continues to stimulate thyroid. This is confirmed with positive TRab or TSI antibodies.
Id expect 30mg carbimazole to be used with higher thyroid levels.
I think you need thyroid antibodies testing & confirmation of what you are dealing with.
Thanks for this information, tests were done at 12pm and 2pm, I chose not to take the beta blocker as they gave me no information and I couldn’t be seen face to face and found it difficult to understand what the doctor was saying on the phone, not great I know but I think I just wanted to see the endocrinologist to try and get some answers.
you need to get TSI or Trab thyroid antibodies tested via GP to definitely confirm that cause is Graves’ disease (autoimmune hyperthyroid)
Hashimoto’s (autoimmune hypothyroid) disease frequently starts with transient hyperthyroid type symptoms and results before becoming increasingly hypothyroid
Testing both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once for hashimoto’s. (Can also be mildly raised with Graves’ disease)
Has GP tested vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 levels?
Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
Low vitamin levels are extremely common with autoimmune thyroid disease
Lower vitamin levels more common as we get older
Approx how old are you?
What vitamin supplements are you taking …..if any
Also VERY important to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 together
Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test
This gives highest TSH and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing
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