Suddenly sick and freaking out after thyroid results

[yellowcourgette]

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I was called in to the doctor about an abnormal blood test. It turns out I have very low thyroid. The results are pretty severe and the doc sounded concerned. My TSH is 25 and my T4 is 7.4. It makes sense because I have many of the usual symptoms, my depression has been AWFUL and my ADHD completely unmanageable.

Today I have 'woken up', i.e. morning has arrived with very little sleep, with horrendous body aches, a fever and nausea. My lower back is super sore and my skin is so sensitive. I am so worried. I feel so poorly and can hardly get out of bed. Last week I had flu which floored me and I didn't imagine getting sick again so soon. I can't keep food down but I've managed some paracetamol.

Can anyone reassure me that I don't need to go to the hospital and it isn't because of the thyroid thing? Is this my weird brain magicking up more symptoms?

Also, is that it for me now taking medication for life? Could this be a false reading? Should I get another test? My mum was just told she had low thyroid but it turned out to be incorrect. This was a different doctor though.

Please help, I am super worried and feel alone.

Between the recent UTI and the back pain I think you should try to be seen ASAP to rule out kidney infection. Maybe call 111?

Levothyroxine will be prescribed & you will feel so good. very very fast, & a check up once a year, that’s all. It’s over active thyroid that would cause concern

Typically you don't see results "very very fast". As I said in my post, it can take 6-8 weeks for the replacement hormone to make a noticeable difference.

If it’s reassuring at all, my TSH was 181 when I was first diagnosed and I’m still alive to tell the tale 😀

Try and think of this as a positive thing - now you know what’s wrong, you can fix it and feel better!

Please don't panic! 25 is high and needs treatment, but you are going to be ok and don't need to go to hospital or anything, mine was 75 once! You will start to feel better gradually once thyroxine is started, you need to take the tablet 30 mins before breakfast, some people take it before bed though. My underactive thyroid is caused by hashimotos disease and i will be on medication for life, ask for an thyroid antibodies test, or pay privately for one(medichecks is good) With regards to you saying you feel ill, it sounds more like a bug rather than thyroid related. X

@yellowcourgette

stop panicking. I have just had to go onto thyroxine, it’s one tablet a day, taken with water but no food or other medication for 30/45 minutes after and although it’s for life now it’s no hassle

I had blood tests because of fatigue, B12 was also extremely low, both now sorted and I feel much better, as I am sure you will once you have taken it for a while

i think the fever is just a coincidence and you may have picked up a virus

im on Levothyroxine & the worst part about it is, well for me anyway you have to take it on s empty stomach, wait for 1/2 hour them you can have a cuppa. I take mine first thing in morning & that wait is AGONY but tastes sooo good

I have a daily pill box next to my bed. Otherwise I can't remember if I've taken it or not.

It's fine. Don't worry about drinks and breakfast- ideally you don't eat or drink coffee straight away, but it's a marginal benefit.

I program an alarm/calendar note to tell me when to reorder the prescription.

What else... oh, maybe eat a Brazil nut occasionally. They contain something we can be short of! Selenium? Iodine? Can't remember!

It's fine, honestly. And yes, free prescriptions! Yay!

I have had an underactive thyroid for years now. Mine too came on suddenly and was found unexpectedly during other tests. Honestly, I take levothyroxine daily and have blood tests twice a year to check my dose is correct. It's honestly nothing to worry about and you will feel better after a few weeks on the medication.

The GPs are really good at monitoring it. I barely think about it now. Good luck OP x

Thanks guys, 25 sounds like nothing next to 50 and 181!! My partner has come to rescue me and has a shopping list of grapes, mashed potato and a pomello which will sort me right out 😂

@yellowcourgette turn it on its head - drs have found a reason for you feeling rubbish and there is a medication that will make you feel well.

That's good news!

Ask your Dr to check for Hashimotos too some don’t because it can open the door to many other autoimmune diagnosis like rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Keep an eye on your BP and heart rate too and buy a cheap BP machine. You have to keep on top of these readings and do them regularly. Once you start taking Levothyroxine you’ll feel better. Do you smoke or vape? If you do give up.

That's a high result. But your illness won't be because of your thyroid.

As in the fever. The rest will be!

It's highly highly unlikely it's a false result. The uk don't treat thyroid till you're nearly dead. The US have much better ranges. My friend had a TSH over 100 and the endocrine dr said he's never had one person with it at that range and wondered how she wasn't dead

The pituitary foundation have great resources and have someone you can chat too. I volunteer with them and I'm more than happy to PM you my number so you can have a 'buddy'

Just so you know, you have to wait 4 hours after your thyroid medication (and lots of other medications) to eat pomelo or grapefruit.
Grapefruits and pomelos block an enzyme in the liver that breaks down many medications. Blocking this enzyme means there will be higher levels of circulating medicine in the body which can be dangerous.

With a recent UTI, lower back pain and fever, it sounds like you now have a kidney infection and need to get checked ASAP.

That would have nothing to do with the thyroid results.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism approx 25 years ago, when I was 42. I was fucking pissed off, tbh, not because I had it (I expected it, my mother and both her sisters had it), but because a silly old fart of a GP had dismissed my fatigue, joint pain, muddle-headedness, feeling cold, dry skin etc as "normal for a woman of (my) age" a couple of years earlier, despite me telling him about the family history of hypothyroidism. During the next couple of years, I really struggled: constantly knackered, aches and pains, brain fog, forgetfulness, low mood etc.

A different GP ordered bloods which showed that my FT4 was low, my TSH was high and put me on thyroxine straight away. I started off on 50mg, which improved things somewhat, but tests showed I needed more, and it was increased to 100mg. Once I hit menopause, that wasn't enough and I've been on 200mg for over 15 years now.

I take mine at night, because I drink tea constantly so am never caffeine free during waking hours, and my levels have been constantly within normal range ever since.

I don't know if it's connected, but I'm told I look much younger than my 67 years. A new colleague was completely gobsmacked when I mentioned having my "old fart's bus pass" the other day, and a friend of a friend thought she was winding him up when she told him I was a pensioner.

Getting my diagnosis was life-changing, and all for the better.

My experience was very different,@Kindofcrunchy . I started to feel better within a few days of starting on thyroxine.