Diabetes and thyroid disease

[thomasb]

Just came rom the doctor again. He told me that
A. My A1c was 5.2
B. My thyroid was giving up.

They told me that the thyroid issues can affect my diabetes and as it starts gettign better( i am on medicin now, Levaxin) my insulin resistance should increase.

Anyone else who has this or knows more about it and what to expect?

[SueM]

I read an article ages ago saying that an under active thyroid caused your A1 c to increase slightly.

[duck]

Thomas, I don't have time tonight to get into my feelings on my stupid thyroid, but if you are so inclined you can do a search on my username and "synthroid" and "thyroid" and I think it will all come up. I find my thyroid management issues to be much more maddening than my diabetes management. However, you can forget to take your thyroid pill and live for weeks...You cannot forget to take your insulin, so it is more forgiving than diabetes.

BTW, diabetes and thyroid issues go hand-in-hand.

[JasonJayhawk]

I totally agree with Duck. And yes, thyroid and diabetes issues are linked. There are a lot of us who mention thyroid in our messages--a forum search of the word "thyroid" will give you more than enough reading material.

My own experience... I keep alternating between hyper- and hypo-thyroidism since the discovery back in March 2004. My endocrinologist thinks that zapping my thyroid would be the best solution, and then just treat me with thyroid pills for the remainder of my life, but I keep hanging on to what my thyroid can do for me. (My thyroid has never been enlarged, which I guess is rare for both of the extremes I've shown).

[duck]

I totally agree with Duck. And yes, thyroid and diabetes issues are linked. There are a lot of us who mention thyroid in our messages--a forum search of the word "thyroid" will give you more than enough reading material.

My own experience... I keep alternating between hyper- and hypo-thyroidism since the discovery back in March 2004. My endocrinologist thinks that zapping my thyroid would be the best solution, and then just treat me with thyroid pills for the remainder of my life, but I keep hanging on to what my thyroid can do for me. (My thyroid has never been enlarged, which I guess is rare for both of the extremes I've shown).

Do NOT zap your thyroid...Too many endos and docs poo-poo T1, T2 and T3 and are beholden to Synthroid (T4). Ask them about any of the other three known thyroid hormones and they'll say they are not as critical as T4, which means "Um, I dunno".

[JasonJayhawk]

Thanks, Duck. I've resisted, and my endo has been kind about getting me tested for free T4 and T3 (and TSH) every 3 months.

It drives me bonkers -- I really have a slow-cycling bipolar thyroid. The thyroid gland has never shown any physical indications. I've never had any thyroid test done beyond the blood tests... after reading about people who have thyroid ultrasounds and iodine imaging done.

Do you think any additional tests could reveal anything useful?

[duck]

Thanks, Duck. I've resisted, and my endo has been kind about getting me tested for free T4 and T3 (and TSH) every 3 months.

It drives me bonkers -- I really have a slow-cycling bipolar thyroid. The thyroid gland has never shown any physical indications. I've never had any thyroid test done beyond the blood tests... after reading about people who have thyroid ultrasounds and iodine imaging done.

Do you think any additional tests could reveal anything useful?

The internet thyroid pariahs would advise Free T3, T3 uptake and Free T4. Your doc will probably tell you those are a waste of time and money.

Keep in mind that I have ZERO thyroid function--if I stopped my pills, I would be TSH 20 or 30 in a matter of weeks. So, even when I take my pills diligently, my readings are NEVER consistent when tested. It's maddening. And I never feel like all the symptoms are gone, whether my TSH level comes in high or low. So this is why I say you may find managing diabetes easier than your thyroid. But also, I don't think your fluctuations have ANYTHING to do with your thyroid kicking in or kicking out--I think it's kinda the nature of this silly game.

(I hope I'm not depressing you) :o

[Lloyd]

So, even when I take my pills diligently, my readings are NEVER consistent when tested. It's maddening.

Just like with diabetes, with thyroid problems everyone is different.

My thyroid problems started 27 years ago, dosages of synthroid kept going up gradually, until my thyroid quit completely about 10 years ago.

My readings have been very stable since then.

For me, synthroid has been as much of a wonder drug as insulin.

-Lloyd

[duck]

That's very reassuring. I am pretty sure though that Synthroid won't do it for me...But trying to get a doctor to prescribe Armour is harder than getting a doc to prescribe Marijuana...

[jen_slc]

It drives me bonkers -- I really have a slow-cycling bipolar thyroid. The thyroid gland has never shown any physical indications. I've never had any thyroid test done beyond the blood tests... after reading about people who have thyroid ultrasounds and iodine imaging done.

Do you think any additional tests could reveal anything useful?Excuse if I'm asking questions you've already answered somewhere, I'm coming off the tail-end of a hypo right now... but are you currently being treated for either your hypo- or hyperthyroidism? And how often does your thyroid cycle through its highs and lows... monthly, every 3 months, every 6 months, every year? What is its 'seasonality'?

[Angelique]

I read an article ages ago saying that an under active thyroid caused your A1 c to increase slightly.


I have never heard of that happening, it has never happened to me since I was diagnosed with a hypo-thyroid. I'll have to ask my dr about it the next time I see him.

[thomasb]

thans for all the replys. well, i have just started on levaxin, so we will see how it goes. Kinda makes me wonder though since depression is one of the most common effects of a poorly functioning thyroid and i have been crappy for a long while, was it cos of pre diabetes or thyroid or something else. oh the fun of self diagnosis.
So, hm, my doctor seemed convinced my levels would be fine after i have started medicin. i hope so too, dont really need anything more that can push me into a depressive state.

[Lloyd]

For me, synthroid has been as much of a wonder drug as insulin.



I should have added Flint, not generic. Generic is Lthyromimine or something like that. Twice I have tried generic, it is uneven and unreliable. I take 12 prescriptions, that is the only one where generic won't do the job.

-Lloyd

[duck]

I should have added Flint, not generic. Generic is Lthyromimine or something like that. Twice I have tried generic, it is uneven and unreliable. I take 12 prescriptions, that is the only one where generic won't do the job.

-Lloyd

Agreed with that. If you HAVE to go generic, you'll need to be diligent with lab testing to make sure your blood levels are at the target ranges. Also, it is not helpful to switch from one brand to another, in my experience, or from generic to brand-name or vice versa. They are not necessarily compatible.

[SugarLESSlie]

I was just diagnosed with Grave's Disease, severely overactive thyroid. Doctor wanted to A. give me radio active iodine and killl the thyroid and have me take hormone replacemetns forever, I opted for choice B : Meds for 1.5 yrs, hoping that the disease will go into remission.

If not, THEN, I guess I can zap it. All pretty depressing though..except for the fact that since going on the medicine, my sugars have been unbelievably good. No swings, no low/high, high/low...

[Lorna]

I don't really know much about this, even though I suffer from the condition.

At a hospital appointment in September I was asked if my thiroid problem ran in the family. Reply: What thiroyd problem.

I've had an underactive thyroid for about the last 3 years, but it's not bad enough to prescribe anything for it at the moment so they hadn't said anything.

He did say that most daibetics develop thyroid problems eventually though.