Thyroid conditions

[DeusXM]

Anyone know if there's a correllation between having diabetes and developing thyroid problems? I've seen some sites that suggest it, but most resources don't appear to make such a connection.

[am1977]

Deus, I believe there is. I have even asked my endo. aout this and he has said that there is a correlation. He told me people with diabetes, particularly women, tend to have thyroid issues as well.

[Harold]

Found this under Hypothyroidism (http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/10866.html)

Thyroid hormones regulate the body's energy. When levels of thyroid hormones are abnormally low, the body burns energy more slowly,

So it would seem that it may contribute to developing Type 2 diabetes. I've heard some people with thyroid problems claiming that the meds they were put on caused their diabetes. Maybe a case of hperthyroidism taking too much medication or for too long. Yet others are unclear which came first.

[lilly]

when i was dx'ed,my doctor asked me if there was anybody in the family with thyroid disorders as he said the 2 conditions can go together.My mother and grandmother has hyperthyroidism,i got diabetes.Theres many people on my other forum that has both conditions and by looking around online,most sites are of the opinion that both conditions are related.This is a NZ site that has info on the 2 conditions.
http://www.diabetes.org.nz/thyroid.html

[Teresa]

yea, i think there is... ive noticed from my blood test forms the docs always seem to test my thyroid so i figured they must be related

[Dewey]

Deus,

I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes in 1982, and was later diagnosed in 1996 with Hypothyroidism. I truly believe there is a correlation, and my doctor stated that there is (or can be) a connection. However, results may vary depending on the patient.

An :topic: question...has anyone been put on ace inhibitors (such as Mavik or a low dose BP med.) to reduce chances of future kidney complications? Just curious...

[Katjic]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism two years after being diagnosed with diabetes.
All of my doctors said "that's nothing unusual"..

[gettingby]

Deus, I believe there is a connection. the only difference with me is diabetes came in 1984, hypothyroidism in 2003. I go back to the Dr. in July. I'll ask his opinion.
Cin:-

[SunniD]

Deus I also believe there is a connection. There is a Statistic for how many diabetics come down with hypothyroidism but I don't know it offhand but I remember it being fairly high.

I believe in Chinese?? philosophy that the thyroid and pancreas are sister organs and when one is not operating fully it puts more strain on the other organ so that always provided me with a sufficient explanation of why so many diabetics have problems with thyroid.<smile>

Also wanted to mention that the bgs were extremely hard to control when I wasn't being given enough thyroid medication.
Don't know if anyone else has noticed this but I did for sure.

SunniD

[SunniD]

Forgot to mention that my pharmacist and I also checked out
and found that coffee (decaf and reg) interfere with thyroid meds and can cause systolic bps to increase by as much as 20 in me.
Thought this was an interesting fact to know if you are on thyroid meds also.

SunniD

[DeusXM]

Hmmm...thanks for your help guys. Not quite what I was expecting (I'm a bit concerned about hyperthyroidism rather than hypo- at the moment), but if so many people with diabetes also have problems with hypothyroidism, it still suggests there's a very strong link.

I think I'd better pay the doc a visit this week.

As if I didn't have enough on my plate as it is. :(

[lgvincent]

I've also heard that diabetics have a greater tendency of having thyroid problems. I developed grave's disease in 1994. I can remember when they brought in the radioactive iodine for me to take, it was in what looked like a lead box with the radioactive warning signs on it. I couldn't help but laugh but I know people working around it each day need to avoid prolonged exposure. Now as I recall, I glowed green for a few weeks after taking it, and the steering wheel of the car melted while I was gripping it (wasn't a steering wheel I especially liked anyway).

[Shalyndria]

Why the concern Deus?
My mom has Grave's Disease (hyperthyroidism) and my T4 is checked regularily because they do think it's hereditary. Also I've seen studies that suggest a genetic disposition for immune deficiencies.

Just a simple lab test on a venous draw Deusy, no big deal :)

Shy

[Willow]

I'm type 1 & have just been told I have an overactive thyroid. Now about to start taking Carbimazole Tablets. My doctor said that thyroid conditions are strongly linked to diabetes.

[Lorna]

The doctor checks my thyroid everytime I put on weight, but nothing conclusive yet- in my case at least.

[Katjic]

What are your symptoms Deus? Why do you think you may have problems with your thyroid gland in the first place?

When I developed hypothyroidism, I was feeling very tired, exausted and weak. I couldn't concentrate on anything and didn't want to do anything; go to school, get out of the bed, or even move my body...
I guess the hyperthyroidism symptoms must be different:confused:

[DeusXM]

Basically I always feel like my body temp is a couple of degrees more than everyone else's. I sweat really bad when it's warm (even if I'm wearing nothing but those unlucky boxers :)). Plus in the last few weeks I've been really hyperactive - my heart is constantly pounding. Used to have a pulse of around 62 but now it's rare day when it goes under 90. I've also got genetic hypertention which I'm treating with ACE inhibitors but that's suddenly spiked recently too. I'm constantly hungry and eat loads, and although I have put on some weight, it's only been about a kilo in the last year. I also get trembly hands sometimes and find it really hard to concentrate. Also I'm lucky if I manage to sleep more than 4 hours a night because I'm so awake, and then I get really tired in the afternoon but still can't sleep then

I must point out that I don't constantly feel those symptoms, they come and go depending on the time of day.

[Katjic]

Omg!! I can't believe what you just said! I have the same symptoms even now, when I'm geting treated for hypothyroidism. Now I'm confused. O.k I admit, I don't take my hormons regulary, but still, I should have underactive, or not working thyroid...:confused:
Btw Deus, my heart rate is 110-115 beats in a minute, all the time - even when I'm not active. I went to see cardiologist about it, he just said it's unusual, but there's nothing he can do about it. Also, he said It could be from prednisone (5mg) I'm taking, even though he doesn't think such a small dose could be the reason;
The sweating thing - that can be a pain in the butt! I get that really cold sweat just out the blue,even though I feel hot.
I wouldn't call it "regular sweat" but something really strange.
And no, not one doctor has been able to figure logical reason for that either...
Maybe my undies are unlucky too?:confused:
I think we should swap !

[lgvincent]

I had similar symptoms with the grave's disease but I lost weight.

[gettingby]

Hey Deus. Looks like you started a good thread here. Very educational.. (yeah I know the big words).
Cin:-

[gettingby]

Hey guys. I spoke to my Dr. today and he said there is a connection between diabetes and thyroid disease. He said that approx. 1 in 10 diabetics have a thyroid condition also. Just thought you would want to know.
Cin:D

[JasonJayhawk]

Yes! Most certainly (as everyone else has said). I was dx'ed with Type 1 diabetes March 8, 2004, and dx'ed with Hyperthyroidism (Graves') in May, at my next Endo appointment.

I suspect that I had Graves' for several years... just thought it was nice only sleeping for 2 or 3 hours a day... hee hee...

Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's) can also occur.

Autoimmune disorders suck!

[zookeeper671]

Hiya Kat~

About having hyperactive symptoms while being hypothyroid and on meds... happened to me once. My med dosage (Synthroid)turned out to be too high. It was winter in Wisconsin and I felt like I was burning up from the inside out. After adjustment, all was ducky. The only time I feel like I'm going to spontaneously combust these days, is after I get out of the shower. Takes 2 hours to cool off, and I take cool showers. Wild.


Angie
(Diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 25; diabetes at age 32)