Over active thyroid anyone?

[Letitgoletitgo]

So, just been diagnosed by Dr as having over active thyroid. I'm 34 with 2 DCs. Pre dcs, I was always around a size 12 or so, probably a little heavy for my 5"3 frame but fine. Never had "weight problems". After dc2, my (now ex) husband announced an affair and walked out. Left me with a 3 week old baby and 2yo ds. Needless to say, stressful time - I lost a lot of weight, down to just over 8 stone. Lots of people worried about me, but I was eating lots, and breastfeeding a very fat baby, and hardly sleeping, so just put it all down to the stress. Within a year, weight settled around 9 stone mark where it has stayed for past 2 years. Never really worried about it, generally eat healthy, think about losing a few pounds in bikini seasons, etc etc.

So, about 3 months ago, started getting a sore "neck" - the outside of my throat, like glands froing up and coming down with something. First Dr fobbed me off, but after recent blood test with 2nd one it has cone back as saying my thyroid is over active. I have had a second blood test and awaiting appt with specialist at hosp to see what meds/what to do.

Just posting really to see if anyone else gas experienced this and had any words of wisdom? Having googled, I'm wondering if I developed a post partum thyroid disorder after having dd? But also, wondering what will happen now? Dr didn't give me meds immediately (leaving the specialist to decide!) because other than the side neck thing, I don't have any symptoms. My weight is level, I don't eat ridiculously, I don't get the shakes, anxiety, etc etc. I do feel tired a lot but tbh put this down to being a working single mum of 2dcs under 5!

Anyway, sorry for the essay, any chat and thoughts welcome :0)

Hi there, sorry you've been through such a stressful time.

Over active thyroids can be a bit complicated.

I'd thoroughly recommend getting the book by the British medical association; understanding thyroid disorders. It gives a really good explanation of all things thyroid, the meds etc, and underactive thyroid too. Further down the line its a possibility that you could become underactive due to treatment.

Sometimes hashimotos starts as overactive then eventually swings to underactive. There can be other things going on too. If you ever become underactive, this book is invaluable as it emphasises the blood results to aim for to feel well. As its a BMA book, it's helpful to discuss with gps if ever needed.

Either way, its really really worth getting your head around what all the terminology is, the hormones involved, and varying treatments.

The other really excellent resource is the British thyroid foundation, the charitable wing of the British thyroid association. There's other charities also though the BTF is backed by endos.

There's also Thyroid UK too.

Thank you, will definitely look that book up. No more info still, just awaiting apt with hospital now.

Hi, discovered I had an overactive thyroid earlier this year (feb I think) gp phoned me in a panicky state, spoke to endocrinologist and started me on carbimazole and propranolol (my resting heart rate had almost doubled) that same day, it was 4 weeks before I saw the endocrinologist during which time I had a radioactive iodine uptake scan and more blood tests (checking for antibodies etc) they think I have Graves but I am not convinced

I had noticed various things - unusual aches or pain after any sort of exercise, a feeling of everything being much much more effort than usual, fairly constant sense of apprehension - but attributed them to other things

so anyway have alternate appointments with endocrinologist and thyroid nurse, from very first appointment they insisted the only cure would be radioactive iodine or surgery which sounded drastic but the carbimazole is working now and they are willing to think about reducing it within just a few months and apparently almost half of people can come off it without having surgery (my uptake scan didn't work so am not a candidate for radioactive iodine)

it's an annoying but fixable and temporary problem, there's probably quite a bit of repair eg have lost muscle and bone density but it's all reversible, am about 7kg heavier already (so over a stone) but I look and feel better for it

I got the book Clarella recommended and it is v helpful!

sometimes it can resolve itself without treatment, I think Paula Radcliffe had that, thyroiditis