Diabetes and Thyroid Disease

[LonghornLady]

Who else has dealt with this?

[Gunnie]

I have had hypothyroidism for probably 20 years, and take synthroid. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic 12/04.

[Pitzi]

What are the symptoms???

[HeatherP]

I'm borderline hypothyroid. There's a strong link between T1 Diabetes (I am) and thyroid problems.

Hypothyroid (http://www.endocrineweb.com/hypo1.html)

[Gunnie]

The only symptom I really had was fatigue. A blood test was done, and that was that.

[christie]

i too am hypothroid, i take synthroid since 1994.

[Amanda_Jo22]

I am hypothyroid as well. My mom and aunt are both hypothyroids as well (although neither have T1). I noticed it when my hair began falling out! Some other symptoms are fatigue, intolerant to cold.

[LonghornLady]

Yeah, they called it 'Graves Disease'. I was Insulin Dependent for some 8 yrs.....all of the sudden I go to see my doc for a sinus infection...he feels of my glands around my throat, (apparently swollen) and its off to Nuclear Medicine for tests. Sure enough, I had Graves Disease. Treatment was interesting....and continues to be.

[archimeech]

I was diagnosed with Graves about 3 years ago, however, I suffered from Hyperthyroidism. My heart was about to beat out of my chest and I felt like I was on speed all the time. they gave me a pill that killed my thyroid and now I take Synthroid to keep my levels in check. No one ever really explained to me what was going on, and all involved were pretty non-challant about it. I feel better now, but it still worries me.
BTW, it surprizes me that I'm the only guy to reply to this thread. Or have I missed one of the names on here?

[duck]

I was diagnosed with Graves about 3 years ago, however, I suffered from Hyperthyroidism. My heart was about to beat out of my chest and I felt like I was on speed all the time. they gave me a pill that killed my thyroid and now I take Synthroid to keep my levels in check. No one ever really explained to me what was going on, and all involved were pretty non-challant about it. I feel better now, but it still worries me.
BTW, it surprizes me that I'm the only guy to reply to this thread. Or have I missed one of the names on here?

I have hypothyroidism as well...We had a pretty good thread about it as well, where were you Meech?

(giggle)

[archimeech]

I can't remember! lol, I think I missed that one. :)

[twocute64001]

I have Graves disease (HypER thyroid) and had a complete thyroidectomy 4/20/04. I now take 250 synthroid a day and feel just fine.

The following is the symptoms list for both HypO and HypER thyroid. Diabetes and thyroid issues are not uncommon. In fact, both are autoimmune diseases, and in many cases if you have one autoimmune disease, you will eventually contract two or more. There are several sites that are dedicated to thyroid issues and two that are specific to autoimmune issues. So you might want to check them out.


Extended Symptoms List – Full Version
used with permission from Jody

If you want to compare this to the short lists that most doctors rely on you can see them at www.mayoclinic.com or at the Johns Hopkins website.

HYPER SYMPTOMS

Anxiety
Bladder problems - increased urination or polyuria
Blotchy itchy patches without rash - Pretibial myxedema, hives
Brisk reflexes

Congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrhythmias

Depression
Difficulty breathing, rapid shallow breathing, shortness of breath
Dizziness

Emotional disturbances, emotional lability
Eye changes, proptosis

Goiter
Graying hair, premature graying

Hair and nail changes, increased growth
Hair loss
Headaches
Heartburn
Heat Intolerance
High systolic blood pressure

Hyper brain, trouble concentrating or comprehending

Hyperdefecation - up to 8 movements a day, steatorrhea (increased stool fat due to malabsorption)

Hyper immune system and less of a susceptibility to other diseases, except for other autoimmune diseases, which if thyroid disease is of autoimmune nature does make us susceptible to get other autoimmune diseases.

Hyperpigmentation of skin

Inappropriate feelings of rage
Increased heart rate, palpitations
Increased perspiration
Increased digestive motility
Infertility, impaired fertility
Increased appetite
Increased bone resporption, bone loss
Increased drug metabolism
Insomnia, sleep disturbances
Irritabilty and Agitation
Irritable leg syndrome due to nutrient deficiencies – patient may describe ‘bouncy legs’.

Loss of muscle mass
Low cholesterol level which rises with treatment
Lowered stamina, weakness

Menstrual Cycle Changes - Absence of flow when normally expected is called Amenorrhea. Scanty flow is known as Oligomenorrhea
Mood swings
Muscle weakness and fatigue

Nail margins uneven, nails split, nails weak, cracking
Nausea, vomiting
Nutrient deficiencies

Onycholysis (separation of nail from it’s bed)
Overactive libido is more common in hyper, change in libido

Panic

Restlessness

Skin tags though not supported in medical literature, many of us have these, though may be more of a symptom of autoimmune disease than directly related to thyroid disease.

Tremors, increased movement (hyperkinesis)
Tremors of hands, lips, tongue

Vitiligo (patchy loss of pigmentation in skin)

Weakness in muscles of shoulder girdle and large muscles of the thighs

Weight loss or gain (rapid) 10% of people are reported to have weight gain, usually younger people.


HYPO SYMPTOMS ONLY

Abdominal pain and distention
Anemia
Aversion to cold (Cold intolerance)

Brain Function problems which include:
Confusion,
Disorientation,
Mental fog,
Memory loss - Brain fog

Carpal tunnel syndrome
Constipation – the more hypo we become, the more severe this becomes

Decreased body temperature
Depression which worse if patient moves into myxedema coma
Dry coarse skin and hair

Edema
Emotional lability unable to control one’s emotions
Enlarged muscle fibers with muscle weakness (Hoffman's syndrome)
Eyebrows stop growing, outer 1/3 of eyebrows stop growing or have limited growth

Fatigue
Feeling of being overwhelmed

Goiter

Headache
Hearing loss, deafness
Heavy menses & cramping
High cholesterol and lipid levels
Hoarse voice

Impaired blood clotting
Impaired digestion
Impaired skeletal growth

Increased capillary fragility (bruising)
Increased creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level
Increased diastolic blood pressure
Increased fertility problems
Increased menstrual cycle

Irregular heart rate (bradycardia)

Joint pain
Lack of motivation
Loss of initiative

Muscle pain
Myxedema (waterlogged appearance of skin) puffy eyes, face, hands, feet

Nails changes, nails split, break, get thickened
Nasal stuffiness, dry throat
Nocturnal paresthesia (hands or legs falling asleep)
Nutrient deficiencies

Palpitations

Severe hair loss
Severe weight gain even when not eating much
Sinus problems and or infections
Sleep apnea
Sleepiness, lethargy, insomnia, interupted sleep
Slow speech

Thickened, dry tongue,( dry mouth

[twocute64001]

here are a few links that explains a little about thyroid issues


http://goodhormonehealth.com/Hypothyroidism-final.pdf

http://www.notovertillthefatladysings.com/

[Starlight]

Is there any way to prevent this? I really dont want anything more than what i have..

[twocute64001]

There is no prevention that I am aware of. There are some great books on thyroid by Elaine Moore's

Elaine Moore is the author of Graves' Disease, A Practical Guide (McFarland, 2001), Autoimmune Diseasees & Their Environmental Triggers (McFarland, 2002) and The Enclyclopedia of Alzheimer's Disease (Jan 2003), and Thyroid Eye Disease, Understanding Graves' Ophthalmopathy (Sarahealth, 2003). Elaine is a Medical Technologist, MT (ASCP), with more than 30 years experience working in hospital laboratories.

She is also the host at about.com's hyperthyroidism support board and Mediboard's Graves' support board.

her web site is
http://www.elaine-moore.com/gravesdisease/index.htm

I did a lot of research before I decided on surgery, Ms. Moores books and web site were very informative and helped me understand a lot about what was happening to me.


Thyroid boards or info centers are all over the web, apparently this is a common disease. For you men though it is mainly us females that get this, so that would be why only a few of you have responded to this thread. But diabetics do seem to have a higher incident of thyroid disorders.

[duck]

Starlight, as diabetics we are prone to thyroid issues and adrenal gland issues and also have a propensity to develope celiac sprue. I had hypothyroid first and then diabetes.

The about.com site on hypothyroid/hyperthyroid is very informative. They basically convinced me that there is a lot more to this disease than I have ever given it credit, and now whenever a doc or insurance company tries to switch from one brand of synthroid to another, I will demand to get my thyroid levels re-tested, because each formulation is different--something I did not know and would not have known otherwise.

[twocute64001]

Armour, synthroid, thylor ect are all different formulations of thyroid medications. Each will react diffently in your system. If your doctor has you on Synthroid for instance and your pharmacy fills your prescription with say the generic version, it could really screw up your system and leave you hypO once again. So be careful to take exactly the brand your doctor prescribes.

[Starlight]

Starlight, as diabetics we are prone to thyroid issues and adrenal gland issues and also have a propensity to develope celiac sprue. I had hypothyroid first and then diabetes.

The about.com site on hypothyroid/hyperthyroid is very informative. They basically convinced me that there is a lot more to this disease than I have ever given it credit, and now whenever a doc or insurance company tries to switch from one brand of synthroid to another, I will demand to get my thyroid levels re-tested, because each formulation is different--something I did not know and would not have known otherwise.
Could you please explain celiac sprue abit more for me duck? I always avoid this issue and push it to the back of my mind but im going to have to face the consequences of this disease one day. :(

[duck]

Could you please explain celiac sprue abit more for me duck? I always avoid this issue and push it to the back of my mind but im going to have to face the consequences of this disease one day. :(

It's an intolerance to gluten, which is found in breads, candies, etc. The intolerance seems to range from mild to severe, with mild symptoms ranging from feeling a bit ill to getting nauseous or gassy after eating gluten foods...severe can be as bad as feeling like your guts are exploding out of you minutes after eating... :toilet: It's actually a fairly common phenomenon, not beholden only to diabetics. As you age, it can get worse. Or it may never happen at all.

Armour, synthroid, thylor ect are all different formulations of thyroid medications. Each will react diffently in your system. If your doctor has you on Synthroid for instance and your pharmacy fills your prescription with say the generic version, it could really screw up your system and leave you hypO once again. So be careful to take exactly the brand your doctor prescribes.

I want to get on Armour so bad. Mary Shomon at About.com has convinced me it would be better for me, but me and my doc are playing the necessary game of adjust the synthroid and retest...We'll see.

[Pitzi]

**** I suffer from a dozen of those symptoms listed but my blood was tested last year for thyroid problems and all was ok???

*edited to add*

Regarding the Celiac's- Gluten intolerance. I became gluten intolerant 3 years back, and thought it was linked to my T1, lo and behold my Dad became Gluten intolerant last year, at the mighty old age of 69!!

We are both so badly intolerant that we get bad skin rashes and not to mention the bad stomach cramps/diarrhoea/gas that comes as a result of eating anything that contains even a trace of gluten!
To top it all i am also lactose intolerant :dontknow:

[KickStart101]

I was dxd. 8 yrs. ago with hypothyroidism, was on drugs for 1 1/2 yrs.,
didn't like that Endo much so I left him, looked for a different GP also,
found one, got tested, he said I was in okay range, figured it was gone
for good, no one told me different. Got checked by the Doc recently and
sure enough Hypo again, back on drugs. :rolleyes:

[LonghornLady]

My experience is that thyroid is a tad trickier than most endo's let on. It took two radioactive iodine treatments to completely nuke my hyper state, then a few years to determine my thyroid supplement dosage correctly.

What's a pain is that the supplements have such a long half-life, that it takes 6-8 weeks for the adjusted dosage to show any effect in your bloodwork. So it's a constant issue of "take a test, its not right yet, adjust the dosage and come back in two months" till they get it right.

[LonghornLady]

Oddly enough it was my retina eye doctor who told me that it's quite common for diabetics to develop thyroid problems and vice versa. Guess its just a whole endocrine system thing? :dontknow:

[zookeeper671]

I want to get on Armour so bad.... but me and my doc are playing the necessary game of adjust the synthroid and retest...We'll see.
Oh so ditto! It was discovered my thyroid was hypo when I was 25... 6 years before I was dxd T1. http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/fighting/fighting0089.gif

[Eri's mom]

My stepsons mom was dx'd w/ graves disease last year. She was gestational diabetic w/ all 4 of her pregnancies...and now, I believe she said, she is diabetic. I know she doesn't take insulin, so I believe she said she is T2...will have to ask her.

[HeatherP]

Anybody else have menstral problems on synthroid?

[Dewey]

Hypothyroidism for 9.5 years, here. I had the Diabetes before the thyroid troubles, though.

Anybody else have menstral problems on synthroid?
I used to be on Synthroid (now on Levoxyl), and didn't notice any problems then, but through the years (especially now in my 30s), I've found cramps to be a real issue (at times). The funny thing is, sometimes my cramps and/or sickness will be really bad, & sometimes, I'll experience little or no troubles at all. Overall, I just wish I didn't have that extra annoyance (menstrual cycles) at all...LOL :frown:

[ontheway]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 8 yrs. old! Been on the little pill ever since.
Was on 100mcg for most of my adult life, until a few years ago when the doctor dropped the dosage to 75mcg (I forgot the reason). I recently asked if he would please up at back up to my old dosage because I had signs that my thyroid was working sluggish again, and just COULD NOT drop any weight.
That was about 3 weeks ago, and I feel a little better already. But I wonder if that has any bearing on the heart palpitations I went to the ER with on Monday morning. The ER doctor seems to think I should cut out all my caffeine and that will take care of it, and that my thyroid tested out fine.
A little part of me wonders, though. :bike:
Has anyone had any experience with this?
Marye

[bluesgirl102]

I also have thyroid problems and diabetes. Specifically Hashimoto's disease and LADA. I suspect I got both around the same time if that is possible. After some extensive research I also am now wondering if I have celiac disease also. It seems I have some symptoms that could indicate that. Tomorrow I am going to call my Dr and request a Celiac Blood Panel. The thought of celiac disease really frightens me. What do you eat for crying out loud??? Also, you run the risk of cancer ..scary thought that is for sure.

[gettingby]

Anybody else have menstral problems on synthroid?
I am hypothyroid and on Levoxyl (75MCG, now) and I have found that I have heavier periods at the beginning. Not sure if it's related to the Levoxyl or my age (34). :dontknow:

[LonghornLady]

Anybody else have menstral problems on synthroid?

I'm on Levothroid (generic equivalent). And yes, heavy to start, heavy cramps, lasts longer, etc.

In my 20's I was on the "pill", but my GYN was accustomed to diabetics. He put me on MICRONOR (Ortho-Novum, progesterone based). The beauty of that was I never suffered a period for the several years I took it, and it was completely normal (per all my docs), and I LOVED not meeting my monthly friend for so many years! Not to mention, it kept BG's perfectly level!

Enter 37th birthday, time to quit the pill, already on thyroid supplement due to other developing conditions. And here comes the monthly friend I thought I said good-bye to....and she came back with a vengence. Not sure if its the thyroid supplement, or that I had several years 'grace period' from taking MICRONOR.

At any rate, my same GYN did a biopsy just to make sure, and all appears to be just fine!

Either it's thyroid supplements, or I'm making up for lost time....just glad to know all is OK.

[gettingby]

Does anyone know what the correct range is for the TSH level?? Found out that my last test showed 7 but the doctor that looked at my results said that was still too high and upped my Levoxyl to 88mcg (from 75mcg's in June). :hmpf: :banghead:

[Dewey]

Does anyone know what the correct range is for the TSH level?? Found out that my last test showed 7 but the doctor that looked at my results said that was still too high and upped my Levoxyl to 88mcg (from 75mcg's in June). :hmpf: :banghead:
This info. came from the About Thyroid levels (http://thyroid.about.com/cs/newsinfo/l/bltest_values.htm) site.
Test / Name Normal Range Interpretation
"TSH" Test -- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone / Serum thyrotropin 0.4 to 6
0.3 to 3.0 (as of 2003) Under .4 can indicate possible hyperthyroidism. Over 6 is considered indicative of hypothyroidism. Note: the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists has revised these guidelines as of early 2003, narrowing the range to .3 to 3.0. Many labs and practitioners are not, however, aware of these revised guidelines.

On another site, I found ranges of .5 to 5 as normal values as well. I also discovered that fasting can cause values to vary somewhat. It's not too high of a reading (if .4 to 6 is the proper norm), but that would explain why your dosage was upped.

All in all, I found varying "norm" values on different sites, so I wouldn't take one over the other as "gospel." I'd probably say the "truth lies somewhere in between it all..." Just wanted to share what I found. Hope this helps. :shakehand

[gettingby]

Thanks Dew. When I was diagnosed, I just received a letter from my docs office with the result, a perscription for Levoxyl, and a return appt. No one bothered to explain anything to me.

[jen_slc]

I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease (hyperthyroidism) three years ago, and yes, felt like I was on speed and that my heart was going to explode out of my chest. Also had headaches 24/7 and was stuffing my face constantly but not gaining any weight. Took a while for my docs to catch it, but for some reason it was the velvet-like smoothness of my palms (smooth like a baby's butt were the doc's words) that tipped him off.

My question to all out there is, has anyone's Graves' Disease gone into remission? After I was diagnosed, I was put on Tapazole for a year, instead of killing off my thyroid, with the hope that it would go away. A year later, the Tapazole made my hypothyroid (yeah, that was even more fun....), and it turned out my Graves' did go away! Everything's been normal since, but I wonder what the chances are that it will come back? Has that happened to anyone?

[duck]

Thanks Dew. When I was diagnosed, I just received a letter from my docs office with the result, a perscription for Levoxyl, and a return appt. No one bothered to explain anything to me.

I am tinkering around with my synthroid right now. My new doc has tested me and cut back my dosage from .35 to .2, I am due to test again next month. I am dying to get put on Armour! I am curious to see the results of switching to another thyroid replacement regimen.

[Dewey]

I am tinkering around with my synthroid right now. My new doc has tested me and cut back my dosage from .35 to .2, I am due to test again next month. I am dying to get put on Armour! I am curious to see the results of switching to another thyroid replacement regimen.
I've heard of Armour, but am not too keen on it yet. Is it a new pill? Or has it been on the market for a while? Thanks. :)

[duck]

I've heard of Armour, but am not too keen on it yet. Is it a new pill? Or has it been on the market for a while? Thanks. :)

It's old, from what I can tell. It's basically dessicated pork thyroid, but it contains T3 and T4, as opposed to synthroid which is T4 only (in theory, the body can make all the T3 it needs from T4). The about.com site has a writer who is a big advocate of T3 supplementation, and there is annectdotal evidence that those on Armour and Thyrolar "feel" better. Lord knows I have never felt 100% since being diagnosed with hypothyroid, I thought it was par for the course with this thing. So I am willing to take my chances on another therapy.

[Dewey]

Life has a way of being ironic, LOL. I went to an endo here in Seattle, as I wanted to do a checkup and solve my Humalog issue. Well, the last visit (in July) showed a slight issue with the thyroid levels (cause I wasn't taking the meds "religiously"). Well, since I found "religion" (by taking the thyroid pills everyday...lol), my counts have improved to the point that they went the other way. The doctor called and said that I didn't need to decrease the Levoxyl, but he was going to have me take one pill per day for 6 days, and 1/2 a pill on the 7th. I'm happy to hear that things are working out, as these tests have not been done in quite some time now. It's good to get and keep a handle on things. Don't be afraid to ask your doctors, endos, CDEs for tests if you feel they're necessary. Next on the agenda.....a 24 hour urine (been well over a year, maybe 2, since it was done).

[cherokee_psh]

I am on synthroid 112 mg. I was diagnosed I think way back in 1997. HAHAHA. My dose has been stable for the past 2 years. I am not on meds for my prediabetes. I am trying to do the exercise and diet plan. I have noticed several posts of low blood sugars, and this thread has me going hmmmmmmm. My average bg is 113, not bad. But in reality I run a wider range that number represents. I've recorded as low as 64 and as high as 196. I have an endo appt next week.

I love a PPO just go where you want when you want! My primary thinks its overkill but I told him I have a PPO and I know how to use it!