Overactive Thyroid?

[SugarLESSlie]

I got my routine blood work + a thyroid test done for my endo visit on Wed. (tests done yesterday)

I get a call this AM - from a concerned doctor, about a severely overactive thyroid.

The test was repeated today, and he'll confirm tomorrow if a true issue.

Does anyone else have this with type 1??

[kel4han]

I have a slightly overactive thyroid, but do not require any medication.

[SugarLESSlie]

I have a slightly overactive thyroid, but do not require any medication.

Any symptoms from it? I read through the symptoms on webmd, and was surprised that I had 9 out of 10 of them.

I'd originally told my doctor that i can't sleep thorugh the night b/c of these night sweats -- which prompted the test.

[kel4han]

Oh, yes. Thats why I am surprised it is only "slightly" high....I have the lack of concentration, fatigue, hot/cold flashes, weight loss, MAJOR irritability,nervousness, insomnia alternating with wanting to sleep all the time, Shortness of breathe is sometimes really bad, irregular, lighter periods..muscle weakness. Most of the symptoms I have had forever! Very weird.

[blacklightmike]

Not a type 1, but I have Hypothyroidism. I've been on a hormone supplement for eight years now, Levothyroxine, 300 mcg.

[SugarLESSlie]

Oh, yes. Thats why I am surprised it is only "slightly" high....I have the lack of concentration, fatigue, hot/cold flashes, weight loss, MAJOR irritability,nervousness, insomnia alternating with wanting to sleep all the time, Shortness of breathe is sometimes really bad, irregular, lighter periods..muscle weakness. Most of the symptoms I have had forever! Very weird.

Geez -- it certainly DOES sound like you have most symptoms!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only thing that I don't have is the weight loss, I've LOST 25 lbs, but with very very very hard work and excercise - unfortunately - hee hee :)

[princesslinda]

My sister is hypoglycemic and has overactive thyroid. She had symptoms of racing heartbeat, night sweats, irritability, irregular periods, dry itchy skin and thinning hair. She had to have her thyroid irradiated and now is on daily meds and doing well. Once the thyroid was under control, her problems resolved.

[confuzed]

Oh, yes. Thats why I am surprised it is only "slightly" high....I have the lack of concentration, fatigue, hot/cold flashes, weight loss, MAJOR irritability,nervousness, insomnia alternating with wanting to sleep all the time, Shortness of breathe is sometimes really bad, irregular, lighter periods..muscle weakness. Most of the symptoms I have had forever! Very weird.

Major irritability? Ugh, try more like imagining a hungry raging b***h, LOL. Additional symptoms include:


BP Systolic ranging from 130 to 178
BP Diastolic ranging from 96 to 110
Resting Pulse ranging 96 to 110


If left untreated, it may lead to congestive heart failure. Overactive thyroid increases metabolism so be careful that you do not become hypoglycemic. Also if you do have an overactive thyroid, be extra aware to monitor your BG when the doctor puts you on medication as your metabolism will slow down, thus consuming less BG.

[jen_slc]

I had an overactive thyroid (Graves' Disease) but it went into remission after treating it for ~1.5 years with anti-thyroid medication. And yes, I experienced most of the symptoms but didn't realize it at the time, only when I thought back to how I'd been feeling for the past several months. What I remember being the most significant was a constant headache, 24/7, eating a TON but not gaining anything, super rapid heart rate that felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest, out of breath all the time, and extreme fidgetiness/inattentiveness.

Did you just have blood drawn? Or did you have a radioactive iodine uptake test done (swallow a radioactive pill and see how much radiation your thyroid absorbs)?

If you haven't had the radioactive uptake test, that might be something your doc might suggest to confirm the overactive state. Then, if so, my understanding is that your doc could suggest one of two treatment options:
1. irradiate your thyroid to kill it, making you hypothyroid and you'll have to take thyroid medication forever. Or
2. treat it with anti-thyroid medication to see if this kicks your thyroid back into normal functioning (what I did).
There are several things to consider in choosing which treatment (there might be others I don't know about?). I was given a ~60% chance of remission b/c of the results of my uptake test (I guess it didn't show huge overactiveness, and it wasn't horribly enlarged), and it worked.

Best of luck to you and please keep us updated after your appointment!

[ladytaz]

You can also have your thyroid surgically removed. My baby sis opted for that one. My mom had the irradiation. They both have Graves Disease. Also btw, you don't neccessarily lose weight, neither my mom or sis did. Also another symptom is mental instability. Took until my mom, in the middle of a surgery (she was a Surg Tech for 25 years) "lost it" and curled up in a ball on the floor against the wall, for them to finally figure out what was wrong with her, they truly thougth she'd completely lost her mind at first!!!!

[SugarLESSlie]

I had an overactive thyroid (Graves' Disease) but it went into remission after treating it for ~1.5 years with anti-thyroid medication. And yes, I experienced most of the symptoms but didn't realize it at the time, only when I thought back to how I'd been feeling for the past several months. What I remember being the most significant was a constant headache, 24/7, eating a TON but not gaining anything, super rapid heart rate that felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest, out of breath all the time, and extreme fidgetiness/inattentiveness.

Did you just have blood drawn? Or did you have a radioactive iodine uptake test done (swallow a radioactive pill and see how much radiation your thyroid absorbs)?

If you haven't had the radioactive uptake test, that might be something your doc might suggest to confirm the overactive state. Then, if so, my understanding is that your doc could suggest one of two treatment options:
1. irradiate your thyroid to kill it, making you hypothyroid and you'll have to take thyroid medication forever. Or
2. treat it with anti-thyroid medication to see if this kicks your thyroid back into normal functioning (what I did).
There are several things to consider in choosing which treatment (there might be others I don't know about?). I was given a ~60% chance of remission b/c of the results of my uptake test (I guess it didn't show huge overactiveness, and it wasn't horribly enlarged), and it worked.

Best of luck to you and please keep us updated after your appointment!

Hi -- well, i had my regular 3 mo. blood work done + a thyroid test cuz I'd complained about night sweats........doctor called me the next morning -- asking me all these questions - then repeated the test yesterday @ noon -waiting now for the docs callback. (nervous)

[SugarLESSlie]

So, I started Proplanolol on Friday -- and I have to say that after ONE day, I could totally tell the difference. Didn't realize that I'd been feeling so bad.

I go for my iodine test tomorrow- anyone else had this, i'm kinda nervous.

[jen_slc]

So, I started Proplanolol on Friday -- and I have to say that after ONE day, I could totally tell the difference. Didn't realize that I'd been feeling so bad.

I go for my iodine test tomorrow- anyone else had this, i'm kinda nervous.What is the propranolol for? Is it an immediate short-term treatment to get your heart rate down until the iodine test? Because (and maybe I'm just not aware of this as a treatment for hyperthyroidism?) it doesn't appear to treat the underlying problem, just one of the symptoms.

As far as your iodine test - did your doc call it a test or a treatment? If it's a test, I imagine they will give you a small dose of radioactive iodine to swallow - either in pill or liquid form - and then hours or days later they will scan you to see how much radiation was actually absorbed by your thyroid - if it absorbs a lot, that would confirm the hyperactivity. This is the test I had done. The radioactive dose is pretty small, so don't be nervous about that. It won't harm anything.

[JasonJayhawk]

As Jen said, the propranolol (a beta blocker) is just treating a symptom of hyperthryodisim (Graves'). It's typically given to people who are at a higher risk for having a high heart rate -- sometimes the heart rate is so high that the beta blocker will be helpful at slowing it down a bit.

One bad thing about beta blockers, though, is you lose your hypoglycemic awareness. You're more likely to go hypo, so it's probably used less with Type 1's or people on insulin!

Beta blockers are also used for people with hypothyroidism that may have taken too much thyroid hormone, thus having a "temporary" form of hyperthyroidism. The nice thing is that it works quickly. People experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath from hyperthyroidism get a more immediate relief from those issues, but it doesn't treat the root of the problem -- but it sure is a good darn start! (You'll stop the beta blocker once the thyroid levels are normal).

Tapazole or PTU (shorter half life, used when tapazole has side effects) are the usual meds for lowering thyroid levels. This is the usual approach before going as far as removing the thyroid. Once the thyroid is gone, it's gone for good -- and people sensitive to meds levels will have to get used to the idea of being dependant on a thyroid replacement hormone for the rest of their life. Thus, if it were me, I'd suggest trying to go with the medication route (tapazole or PTU) for several months, as you might find that your hyperthyoridism goes into remission.

Sometimes it even turns into hypOthyroidism -- the thyroid's last "sputters."

Your doctor will decide if iodine tests are needed based on if you have inflammation or your age (or their desire to run more tests).

It's a common thing (about 10% of Type 1's have thyroid problems, I *think* -- it may even be higher?). Gotta love autoimmune stuff!

Be sure to post your thyroid levels (T3, free T4, TSH) when you get them -- as well as the lab's reference range. I'm sure we'd all like to gander at them!

It's likely that you just had TSH levels checked initially; the re-check is probably including T3 and free T4... if your TSH level was unmeasurable (or near 0.0), you're very hyperthyroid, but the additional hormone levels will give a better picture of what to do. The dynamics of how the checks-and-balances of the thyroid are Google-able if you care to read about it!

My advice: be patient for 6-12 months with meds before considering removal or destruction of your thyroid with radioactive iodine, *if* it can be done... in the case where you have questionable nodules in your thyroid, then by golly, take the good doctor's advice!

[SugarLESSlie]

My advice: be patient for 6-12 months with meds before considering removal or destruction of your thyroid with radioactive iodine, *if* it can be done... in the case where you have questionable nodules in your thyroid, then by golly, take the good doctor's advice!


Question then - so, i was diagnosed with Graves - and been on 2 different pills since March - but no improvement to the swings in my blood sugars. Still having swings from 300 down to 60 within 25 minutes, on a regular basis. So, I want to do the radioactive iodine - but Jason, why do you say to wait 6-12 mo?

[jen_slc]

Question then - so, i was diagnosed with Graves - and been on 2 different pills since March - but no improvement to the swings in my blood sugars. Still having swings from 300 down to 60 within 25 minutes, on a regular basis. So, I want to do the radioactive iodine - but Jason, why do you say to wait 6-12 mo?I think it's because there's the possibility that your Graves' Disease will go into remission after treatment for several months. Mine went away after about a year of treatment and I'm so so so grateful I did not zap my thyroid into death! From what I hear about hypothyroidism, it's worse than dealing with the hyperthyroid end of the spectrum (difficulty in getting treatments just right and never feeling normal). Actually, I did experience the beginnings of hypothyroidism at the end of my treatment regime because the pills I was taking for Graves' ended up working too well - they took me from hyper to normal to hypo within a year. The hyper symptoms weren't great, but let me tell you, I felt absolutely horrid with the hypo symptoms.

How are you Graves' symptoms, are you seeing an improvement with those? Maybe the sugar swings are due to something else? It may take a little longer than a month or two to get leveled out...