Hyperthyroid and brain fogginess

[KurriKurri]

For want of a better description !

I have Graves disease, had my thyroid zapped with RAI several years ago and am now on levothyroxine. My levels can be quite variable and I have regular blood tests and go back in between tests if I fell unwell - or that's the plan anyway.

The trouble is for some reason when I start getting symptoms, for some reason I can't connect them and it takes ages for it to dawn on me that it is my thyroid playing up, even though I have been dealing with this for 7 years. Last night after getting up at 2 am to make myself a big doorstop sandwich, a cup of tea, an apple and orange and a slice of cake. It dawned on me at last that the extreme hunger but no weight gain, the sore eyes, the six poos a day, the crazy itchy dry skin and the insomnia mean I need my medication adjusted.

Every time this happens - I simply can't recognise the symptoms when I am experiencing them until they get very bad, I find concentrating hard as well and am very jittery - can't settle to anything. Now I've cottoned on this time of course I can deal with it, but I wish it didn't take me so long - it's like my brain isn't processing sensibly, when I am well I have no problem describing or discussing the symptoms of my disease.

Does anyone else with Graves/hyperthyroidism get this kind of mental blankness? And are there any practical solutions so that I don't let it go on so long in future before I get my meds sorted?

Hi I have hypothyroidism but recognise the same situation of not recognising symptoms.

The only thing I have experienced that is similar is that I've recently had varying levels up and down due to dose issues, but I became extremely foggy headed after my levels were corrected- this turned out to be borderline ferritin, and since it was raised to a very good level this has stopped.

I have seen some research info that ferritin levels can be affected by thyroid issues both hyper and hypo.

To clarify, I briefly was hyper but was foggy headed as my iron was low (ferritin not hb)

Thank you Clarella - that is very interesting and not something I had ever considered, - I will definitely ask the doctor to test my iron levels and see if there is a problem there.

It might be worth saying - could it be improved ? My level was borderline, not initially addressed though both an endo and gp said it was a 'bit low' and gp only described it as 'normal'
When it was over 80.

But, many on mn and health unlocked say for thyroid stuff it needs to be over 70.

The only reason it ended up being addressed in me was as I had muscle issues, restless leg syndrome all over (itchy bones). But I think I was an odd case. However, the really foggy head was notable.

Yes, I have Graves and struggling to get it under control for the past 15 months.

The brain fogginess can be very disconcerting, like you, the neurological symptoms associated with going hyper, forgetfulness, confusion, inability to focus are a bit more difficult to pin down for me too, and I guess that is the nature of those type of symptoms.

However, now I can tell that things are beginning to go out of whack again when I struggle to climb the stairs in our house, that is my benchmark. I realise that and the palpitations are the first sign and then the insomnia and weight loss will kick in.

I have been reducing my carbimazole and now realise that things are going out of whack, so I need to get the bloods done to confirm.

I am also noticing a spontaneous cough, do any of you have that? I think it could be my thyroid enlarge pressing on my wind pipe, but not sure, or maybe the palpitations causing it. I also notice my voice changes when I go hyper.

Fed up of it now.

KurriKurri, I am nervous to remove / kill my thyroid, I keep hoping for remission, but I think it is looking very unlikely. I have been reading about life without a thyroid and there is a lot of evidence that going the natural route after RAI/thyroidectomy (rather than thyroxine) is far superior, have you considered that?