Anyone with hypothyroidism had covid?

[OneMoreForExtra]

My household all got covid over Xmas (brought home from school by DS). We all had the mild, flu-like version, wouldn't recommend it but never felt like we needed medical help. 4 weeks on everyone apart from me is out the other side. I went back to work as normal but found the fatigue, brain fog, lack of concentration and muscle weakness and shakiness on the slightest excertion too much. Still have lung pain and a slight lingering cough, but actually they aren't the debilitating things. I've been put on antibiotics and told to rest.

What this feels most like is uncontrolled hypothyroidism. I haven't found any info about the effect of catching covid on hypothyroidism (some the other way round), and wondered if fellow travellers wanted to share?

A close family member has hypothyroidism and had Covid earlier in the year, but was fully recovered within a week. What you describe does sound like accounts I've heard of long Covid though - it sounds like the symptoms are similar to hypothyroidism.

Hope you feel better soon

I've not had Covid but DO has Hashimoto's (hypothyroidism) but the symptoms you describe are exactly how I feel when my thyroid is out of wack. I have a couple of other autoimmune diseases (Pernicious Anaemia and Psoriasis plus allergies) and I've wondered a few times how I would fare if I caught Covid. Thyroid problems don't put you into the vulnerable category but I've read that it is often the patients overreacting immune system that causes death from Covid. As my immune system seems to overreact to literally everything, it does make me wonder. I'm interested to read any responses on this thread.

I maybe had it in apr very mild hypothyroidism and pcos
I had chille
Cough
Fatigue
Insomnia
Pain in chest
Difficulty breathing
Rib pain
Pain in upper back
I was sleeping on front

The rib pain wow took months to go. I
I felt hyper so stopped thyroxine (also because i knew i would run out and couldnt get more) it was the insomnia and rapid heart etc
But since then ive had numbness in my little fingers and muscle twitches mainly legs and still insomnia.
So i did restart in jul for a blood test and my level was 1. Something so fine. And the symptoms almost stopped
However gp decided i wasnt taking it took me off it and the above restarted. So im stuck with them.

Anyway it can cause thyroid issues though i think it's hyper. There are a few articles.

I have an underactive thyroid and had Covid last summer. I had mild flu like symptoms and thought I had made a full recovery. In fact, it wasn't until I had a positive antibody test did I put 2+2 together.

I am getting my thyroxine levels checked as my hair has been falling out the last couple of months.

Interesting stories. I've wondered about the immune response to covid affecting other autoimmune conditions too - and also whether part of long covid is a big increase in rT3 or similar given the overlap in symptoms.

I've got the pounding heart and shakes thing - putting it down to adrenaline released in response to the fatigue.

I'm waiting to get my levels checked, but the doc at Medichecks advised waiting 6-7 weeks as covid is likely to have sent all my levels haywire. Sounds like yours should be accurate by now if you had it last summer AnyFucker , and also that you're a bit undertreated if your hair is thinning, which suggests it can depress thyroid function... I'm incredibly tempted to increase my dose as I can't get back to work with my brain like this, but will give it at least another week and see whether I come out if it naturally.

I literally just posted on Long covid thread. Before referral to post covid clinic had bloods done.
My controlled hypothyroidism of 15 years T3 60mcgs a day.
Since covid my TSH is 20!! And F4 is 4. So now severely hypothyroid after years of being well.
I feel awful sleeping 14 hours a day so now until thyroid sorted no more clinic support.
I been very depressed for months and kept telling people it felt chemical? Despite walking, yoga, vitamins limiting stress I just feel shockingly tired and almost suicidal. When diagnosed 15 years ago my TSH was 14.5 and I felt like a zombie then put on 4 stone in 4 months. I put it done to long covid but wondering if virus has whacked my thyroid. Waiting for results of new blood results.

Hmm. I have been stable on 100mcg thyroxine for decades. Will be interested to see how my bloods are in a few days time.

@AnyFucker if you dont mind could you let us know? Hope you feeling better soon

I will. Thanks for your interest.

I’m pretty sure that’s just how covid gets some people, and can develop into long covid. Don’t think the hypothyroidism is a factor.

@OneMoreForExtra

Interesting stories. I've wondered about the immune response to covid affecting other autoimmune conditions too - and also whether part of long covid is a big increase in rT3 or similar given the overlap in symptoms.

I've got the pounding heart and shakes thing - putting it down to adrenaline released in response to the fatigue.

I'm waiting to get my levels checked, but the doc at Medichecks advised waiting 6-7 weeks as covid is likely to have sent all my levels haywire. Sounds like yours should be accurate by now if you had it last summer AnyFucker , and also that you're a bit undertreated if your hair is thinning, which suggests it can depress thyroid function... I'm incredibly tempted to increase my dose as I can't get back to work with my brain like this, but will give it at least another week and see whether I come out if it naturally.

I'm hypothyroid/have hashimoto's. I had covid in March in the weeks after, i was quite unwell but avoided being hospitalized. In the weeks after I rang the GP convinced my thyroid had gone haywire or I was anaemic as was so breathless, severe fatigue and had palpitations but everything was normal ish in bloods. I have struggled to recover since but do have some other conditions which might be impacting also.

@AnyFucker

I am getting my thyroxine levels checked as my hair has been falling out the last couple of months

Hair loss can occur after a viral infection, so it may have to do with Covid rather the underlying hypothyroidism.

^Which types of hair loss can be triggered after a period of ill-health, including viruses and infections?

Telogen Effluvium is the usual cause of hair loss in this situation^

www.alopecia.org.uk/news/hair-loss-after-illness-including-covid-19

OP please don’t increase your thyroxine without a blood test, if you’re already hyper you will make yourself worse. Palpitations and shaking sounds likes hyper. But could be something else. I always lose hair when hyper, it’s not just a hypo thing.

mintypylon that's startling! No wonder you felt hideous. Interesting that athinginitself had no thyroid response and you had a big one. One more on the covid is an unpredictable bastard evidence pile.

funkythighcollector I will have a test first. Palpitations and shakes can be caused by being hyper i agree - but also by being anaemic, hypo, and having breathing issues - I've had them for the latter 3 issues at various times (asthmatic) and this does feel more like that- not present when I'm well rested, start after mild excertion or late in the day, etc.

I had covid in November. I’ve been stable on 100mcg thyroxine for years, but last 2 blood tests since Nov show tsh raised and I’ve to increase dose. I’ve put on weight, tired, joint pains, feel cold when I’m usually always too hot! I think covid has messed with thyroid. I’m hoping increase will help me feel better!

there's been some interesting research in the past couple of years on CFS and low thyroid T3, not classic hypothyroid

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5869352/ Higher Prevalence of “Low T3 Syndrome” in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case–Control Study

I'm Hypothyroid and I had a positive test in the middle of November. Was in bed for a week and recovered fairly well but cough and breathlessness lingered and still comes back even now.

Had my thyroid checked last week, I've been fairly stable for years on 150mcg of thyroxine, my TSH was 25! I had all the symptoms of being hypo but thought it was just post viral shenanigans.

I'm also Type 1 Diabetic and my blood sugars have been all over the place since I had Covid.

I'm sorry to hear people have been struggling.

The party line is there are no higher risks of death with hypothyroidism but of course that doesn't exclude issues with controlling it.

And there does seem to be issues with hyper thyroidism associated with Covid.

I've also wondered if it impacts other systems eg female hormone cycles which can impact thyroid hormones, eg oestrogen surges etc. I've certainly been experiencing that in peri menopause and post a baby in my 40s, breastfeeding etc.

Interesting about the t3 link and cfs.

AF, obviously viruses and other things cause hair loss but another problem with continued hair loss in hypothyroidism can be zinc levels.

If zinc isn't adequate hair won't grow back. I've had ongoing issues with that since baby (now 2.5) but started extra zinc in sept and it's sprouting all over.

I found this; I suppose we have no way of knowing if there's any sort of extra antibody issue going on post Covid longer term interfering with things.

www.markvanderpump.co.uk/blog/posts/possible-link-between-covid-19-and-subacute-thyroiditis

@TrashedWarrior

Useful link, thanks

Zinc link

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746228/

Interestingly zinc is part of the conversion process from t4 to t3

www.boostthyroid.com/blog/2018/4/12/hashimotos-thyroid-and-zinc

I have had chronic fatigue syndrome[diagnosed] after long covid[undiagnosed as back in March last year].

Your symptoms sound very like mine[I never had the cough].
I slept for up to 17 hours, for 3 months before I started to feel a lot better. Along with having various other minor and not quite so minor health issues. It is only now that I feel virtually back to normal.

I was diagnosed with under active thyroid after having Covid. Only very mild I'm on 25g Levothyroxine. I don't know if I had it before but I have never had any symptoms.