Thyroid question

[Anonymousxo]

I've been getting dizziness for a while now and recently developed palpitations so I was told by 111 to go to the hospital, I had my bloods done and my thyroid checked which came back normal for two hormones and it came back high for the t3 hormone.
Doctor in a&e told me it isn't enough to cause symptoms (my mum has thyroid and told me that she had symptoms before she was put on medication) anyway, he said that I will need to be monitored now as I'm high risk for developing the condition so he says.
My question is, anyone gone through a similar scenario? Could this really be causing these symptoms for me or is it a separate issue do you think? I did look at dr google and it did say the t3 hormone alone can cause a few symptoms but I just wanted peoples opinions and experiences really, I'm a bit shocked that it came high for thyroid and wondering what will happen now, he did say he's going to write a letter to my doctor explaining the results and things.

I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis which is an autoimmune condition and at the start it can cause fluctuations in levels, palpitations, fluctuations in weight, and more.

Did the Dr check your antibodies?

Check your symptoms compared to the two types of autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto's, and Graves.

@OhLordyWhatNow

I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis which is an autoimmune condition and at the start it can cause fluctuations in levels, palpitations, fluctuations in weight, and more.

Did the Dr check your antibodies?

Check your symptoms compared to the two types of autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto's, and Graves.

He didn't no, he said that the t3 hormone is high so I'm not sure if that means overactive however I do have more symptoms of the overactive thyroid rather than the other one from research and my own personally symptoms currently

30 years ago my thyroid went potty and basically burnt itself out over a 3 month period. I went down to 7st 10 (5'6") and couldn't sleep, my heart raced and I had panic attacks. The doctor medicated me and within weeks the situation was reversed as it burnt out - now 12st but I blame a lot of that on menopause and pigging out and I've been on thyroxine ever since. It sounds as though they are keeping an eye on you but do push for more tests if you feel your situation changes as it could happen quite quickly.

@Billandben444

30 years ago my thyroid went potty and basically burnt itself out over a 3 month period. I went down to 7st 10 (5'6") and couldn't sleep, my heart raced and I had panic attacks. The doctor medicated me and within weeks the situation was reversed as it burnt out - now 12st but I blame a lot of that on menopause and pigging out and I've been on thyroxine ever since. It sounds as though they are keeping an eye on you but do push for more tests if you feel your situation changes as it could happen quite quickly.

Could my symptoms be related to this high thyroid hormone do you think? They told me it's not but after speaking to my mum who was being monitored and had symptoms for months before they decided to put her on medication, I'm wondering whether this is the case.

It could be, OP. My breakthrough came as an appt with an endocrinologist at the local hospital who wouldn't sign me off until he was sure I'd stabilised about 18 months down the line. Might be worth a try if your GP will refer you?

Did they check your iron levels ?
I was getting palpitations with low ferritin.

@Billandben444

It could be, OP. My breakthrough came as an appt with an endocrinologist at the local hospital who wouldn't sign me off until he was sure I'd stabilised about 18 months down the line. Might be worth a try if your GP will refer you?

They said they have emailed gp to monitor my thyroid levels so not sure if they will contact me or not, I also had slight tachycardia so been referred for an ecg monitor for that aswell

@GoodnightGrandma

Did they check your iron levels ? I was getting palpitations with low ferritin.

Yes they said my iron was ok it was just the thyroid that came back abnormal

Watching with interest.
I have what I think is a goiter and my symptoms are:
Anxiety
Heart thumping
Digestive issues
Eye problems
Insomnia
Trembling

I can't get a GP appointment so I'm just muddling through. I have B12 deficiency already. DM had overactive thyroid but I'm not sure if it can be passed down.

Do let us know how you get on op, good luck x

@DazzleDrops

Watching with interest. I have what I think is a goiter and my symptoms are: Anxiety Heart thumping Digestive issues Eye problems Insomnia Trembling

I can't get a GP appointment so I'm just muddling through. I have B12 deficiency already. DM had overactive thyroid but I'm not sure if it can be passed down.

Do let us know how you get on op, good luck x

jeez, you need to see a GP. You should not be 'muddling through' with those symptoms.

That's what I had and I had surgery after it could not be controlled by drugs.

It's serious and it could get worse. Insist on seeing a GP or go to A&E?

I'm no doctor but my thyroid has been going haywire over the past 6 months- started as slightly overactive, then very over active, then plunged to underactive in the space of about 2 weeks and I started on thyroxine, and within 3 weeks it was showing as over active again, and get getting more overactive even as they reduced my dose so now I am off all meds to see what the story is. I was referred to an endocrinologist as it was so all over the place and he told me that non specialists really don't understand the thyroid and basically only understand the most text book of cases, but they are often not text book!

I also know from anecdotal evidence that different people can be more or less sensitive to thyroid fluctuations. I know for me, I was able to predict completely accurately what my blood tests would say based on my symptoms and I was right every time. When I had "subclinical" hyperthyroidism, so basically borderline, I had heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia and muscle twitches and my resting heart rate went from low 60s to mid 70s (I happen to wear a fit bit and noticed!) In fact, if I look at the graph of my resting heart rate over the last 6 months it basically is a map of my thyroid function! I would push to get tested again in 4-6 weeks to see how it is looking. At the end of the day, your T3 shouldn't be high so there is something going on with your thyroid! I hope you feel better and get some answers soon.

@DazzleDrops

Watching with interest. I have what I think is a goiter and my symptoms are: Anxiety Heart thumping Digestive issues Eye problems Insomnia Trembling

I can't get a GP appointment so I'm just muddling through. I have B12 deficiency already. DM had overactive thyroid but I'm not sure if it can be passed down.

Do let us know how you get on op, good luck x

Yeah I agree with the others, you need to get that checked ASAP. I don't know if it helps but if you have the means to you can get private tests where you fill a little tube at home with a finger prick thing and post it away and you get the results really quickly. Thriva have a thyroid one, (but it is almost £80).

@DazzleDrops

Watching with interest. I have what I think is a goiter and my symptoms are: Anxiety Heart thumping Digestive issues Eye problems Insomnia Trembling

I can't get a GP appointment so I'm just muddling through. I have B12 deficiency already. DM had overactive thyroid but I'm not sure if it can be passed down.

Do let us know how you get on op, good luck x

See your GP ASAP. I f it is your thyroid and you re having symptoms of thyroid eye disease you need to be referred urgently.

@deathnotquitewarmedup

I'm no doctor but my thyroid has been going haywire over the past 6 months- started as slightly overactive, then very over active, then plunged to underactive in the space of about 2 weeks and I started on thyroxine, and within 3 weeks it was showing as over active again, and get getting more overactive even as they reduced my dose so now I am off all meds to see what the story is. I was referred to an endocrinologist as it was so all over the place and he told me that non specialists really don't understand the thyroid and basically only understand the most text book of cases, but they are often not text book!

I also know from anecdotal evidence that different people can be more or less sensitive to thyroid fluctuations. I know for me, I was able to predict completely accurately what my blood tests would say based on my symptoms and I was right every time. When I had "subclinical" hyperthyroidism, so basically borderline, I had heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia and muscle twitches and my resting heart rate went from low 60s to mid 70s (I happen to wear a fit bit and noticed!) In fact, if I look at the graph of my resting heart rate over the last 6 months it basically is a map of my thyroid function! I would push to get tested again in 4-6 weeks to see how it is looking. At the end of the day, your T3 shouldn't be high so there is something going on with your thyroid! I hope you feel better and get some answers soon.

I think it's t3, they said it's the thyroid function in the brain that is high on my blood test results

You need a proper workup, antibody tests in particular. This needs to be started by your GP I think, not sure if they would organise it all or need to refer you to an endocrinologist; but they are definitely the next person to discuss your symptoms with.

I had an episode of hashi thyroiditis diagnosed after a racing heart rate. Monitored ever since but haven't yet gone permanently hypothyroid (25 years!). Treatment for graves at the start would have been a mistake!

@Pythonesque

You need a proper workup, antibody tests in particular. This needs to be started by your GP I think, not sure if they would organise it all or need to refer you to an endocrinologist; but they are definitely the next person to discuss your symptoms with.

I had an episode of hashi thyroiditis diagnosed after a racing heart rate. Monitored ever since but haven't yet gone permanently hypothyroid (25 years!). Treatment for graves at the start would have been a mistake!

I'm not sure if I need to contact my doctor or just wait for them to reach out as a&e doctor said he will email my results and everything to the doctor and they should go from there

Hashimoto's does not = under active thyroid.

It more complex than that, and you can have Hashimoto's and be over active for months at a time.

You need tests to work out exactly what is influencing your symptoms.

With your symptoms of tachycardia I think it wise to contact your GP surgery on Monday and ask for investigative blood tests including thyroid antibody tests.

Thats interesting @OhLordyWhatNow @Pythonesque I didn't realise that. Could hashimoto's cause a fluctuating thyroid then? My TSH went from .06 to 50 in the space of 4 weeks in the summer, and then thyroxine worked for a few weeks but then seemed to be too much even with a reduced dose and my TSH went to .05 and then

@deathnotquitewarmedup

It sounds like you experienced an antibody attack.

Your thyroid will respond by producing more TSH to cope, then when the attack is over either naturally or helped by levothyroxine the TSH will plummet because the thyroid no longer needs it.

TSH levels are a meaningless measure when you have an autoimmune thyroid disease. You need to look at T4 and T3 levels to get a better view of how your thyroid is working.

@OhLordyWhatNow thanks for responding! They have been quite good at testing for everything- in May I had low TSH high T3 and T4, then june was very high TSH and quite low T4, then last month (whilst on thyroxine) very low TSH, normal T4 and high T3. So I'm hoping that it was just a case of post partum thyroiditis that has now resolved, and once the thyroxine is out of my system it will go back to normal!

Really interesting that Hashimotos flares can cause those "over then under" spells too, I didn't know that!

My understanding is that in the earlier stages of Hashimotos, antibodies trigger inappropriate release of thyroxine hence episodes of excess. These episodes may or may not cause noticeable symptoms. Excess thyroxine in your system causes the pituitary to back off (hence a low TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone), so that the thyroid stops producing enough thyroxine. When thyroxine goes low the pituitary goes, oops, and TSH goes up till things are right again.

These cycles may happen one or more times until the thyroid gland stops being able to produce enough thyroxine, and you become permanently hypothyroid. That is often the first point at which the problem is realised and diagnosed, and is long term, so most people with a Hashimotos diagnosis will be in this group. [hope this helps; I was a medical student when I had my episode so obviously had the urge to understand it as well as I could]

@deathnotquitewarmedup yes I think your situation could be consistent with Hashis, but definitely sounds complicated enough to warrant an endocrinologist. Working out what to treat and when to treat may need careful thought in your case I suspect. Hope you get seen soon, and yes continued intermittent monitoring of your TSH and T4 is probably needed until things settle one way or another.

Ah yes, postpartum thyroiditis is known for that too :) Good prognosis for it settling down I believe, though haven't kept up to date on this sort of stuff.

@deathnotquitewarmedup

I'm not a medical practitioner so can't offer medical advice, but...

I recommend you get referred to an endocrinologist who specialises in thyroid diseases.

My experience is the endocrinologists who's specialty is diabetes and tinker in thyroid either hold a wet finger in the air and do 'watchful waiting' because they don't know what they're doing or go in all guns blazing - both types cause more problems.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's as a teenager and have lived with the ups and downs for a looooooong time now. The best advice I had from an endocrinologist was that I should try to keep my TSH to 1 or below as this will prevent the huge fluctuations and the horrible symptoms that happen if it goes too high.

@OhLordyWhatNow oh that is very good advice it hadn't even occurred to me that of course all endocrinologists aren't necessarily thyroid specialist. Thank you for taking the time to reply, and you too @Pythonesque

@OhLordyWhatNow and yes, I'm actually really anxious about my TSH sky rocketing again- it was the worst I think I've ever felt!