Hyperthyroidism-severe stomach cramps and retching

[PanicAttax]

Hoping someone can help as I've been suffering with this but doc not talking to me about it until a call on Fri.

Bloods last month showed hyperthyroidism but just on 10mg of beta blockers x3 a day for the racing heart when sitting. What can I do to avoid nearly passing out 1hr after eating anything? I was meant to have an abdomen CT yesterday which was cancelled because they lost my bloods which says I'm hyperthyroid and didn't want to fry the thyroid with contrast. I had my 2nd B12 injection this morning and the nurse kindly printed out the bloods results which were there all along showing hyperthyroidism diag used last month so no idea why they couldn't find them.

Struggling to focus, so tired and am ending up zonked in bed most days. Starving 1 min then in agony and sweating, retching in pain 1hr later if I do eat. What is going on and why haven't I had any medication for my thyroid? Anyone know or have advice?

These are the blood print outs I got. Can anyone help me figure out if something else is stopping them treating the hyperthyroidism?

Negative for intrinsic factor antibody.

I've asked ChatGPT!
Apparently hyperthyroid should be treated before B12 injections... Why would they not treat it?

1. Hyperthyroidism and B12 Deficiency:Metabolic Impact:

• Hyperthyroidism increases metabolic rate, potentially affecting the absorption and utilization of various nutrients, including vitamin B12.
• Elevated thyroid hormone levels can exacerbate symptoms and complications related to nutrient deficiencies, including those of B12.

1. Symptoms Overlap:

• Both conditions can cause symptoms like fatigue, weakness, and neurological issues. Managing hyperthyroidism first can help clarify which symptoms are due to the B12 deficiency and which are due to hyperthyroidism.

1. Treatment Interactions:

• Treating hyperthyroidism might normalize metabolic processes, improving the efficacy of B12 absorption and utilization.
• Medications for hyperthyroidism could potentially interfere with the treatment for B12 deficiency if not managed properly.

1. Recommended Approach:Assess and Stabilize Thyroid Function:

• It's often recommended to stabilize thyroid function first with appropriate anti-thyroid medications or other treatments.
• Monitoring thyroid hormone levels to ensure they are within the normal range.

1. Simultaneous or Sequential Treatment:

• In some cases, healthcare providers might treat both conditions simultaneously, especially if the B12 deficiency is severe and causing significant symptoms.
• However, ensuring thyroid function is under control can help optimize the effectiveness of B12 injections and overall health outcomes.

1. Monitoring and Adjustment:

• Regular monitoring of both thyroid function and B12 levels is crucial.
• Adjustments to treatment plans should be made based on response and any emerging side effects or interactions.
• Practical Considerations:Individualized Care: Each patient's situation is unique, and the approach should be tailored to individual needs and health status.
• Coordination of Care: Close coordination between healthcare providers, including endocrinologists and general practitioners, can ensure a comprehensive and effective treatment plan.

Conclusion:While treating hyperthyroidism before addressing a B12 deficiency is generally recommended to enhance the effectiveness of B12 injections and overall health outcomes, simultaneous management may be necessary in certain cases. It is important to consult with healthcare providers to develop a personalized treatment strategy.

Hi - I have had hyperthyroidism at least 3 times, currently being treated for the latest episode. While beta-blockers help with the racing heart beat, the only way to treat the other symptoms (like the bone-crushing tiredness) is with anti-thyroid tablets. In my experience, the symptoms ease within a few weeks on the tablets, then you gradually reduce the dose and stay on them for a year or so until the thyroid settles down. It's a simple treatment with tablets that have been around for decades (I was first treated about 30 years ago and have got the same tablets this time) - BUT a lot of GPs know very little about thyroid conditions and are scared to treat it, so they wait until they can refer you (or put off doing that if they know the waiting lists are long). I was lucky this time around and the GP who picked up my blood test results put me straight on the tablets and referred me to a doc at the hospital in the meantime. If you get no joy from the GP you speak to this week, keep trying to get an appointment with a different one.

Way back when I was first diagnosed, the GP told me how having an overactive thyroid can be dangerous, especially to your heart and your eyes, so it's really important to correct it, even if the symptoms feel OK. So, it needs sorting!

Thank you so much for replying! I've been so worried as when they wouldn't scan me yesterday I wondered if maybe the first GP had just suspected hyperthyroidism - because I can't see my results on the app at all I've been completely in the dark. I've seen about 3 different GP's now - the one who put me in for bloods was in a nearby village so I might see if I can get an appointment with her again as she also put me on the beta blockers.

I really don't know why the GP who has seen the results hasn't done anything - I don't know who he is but he's clearly on them so has seen them.

Did you get intense pain and sickness after eating? I've lost so much weight since September, down to 1% visceral fat my scales tell me! It's scaring me how I'm nearly passing out with the pain and feeling wiped and sick for hours if I eat (meat in particular for some reason).

I've not had stomach pains like you have, but certainly had severe runs and lost a lot of weight even though I was eating more. Each episode for me has come with a different mix of symptoms, which of course can make it difficult for docs to think about testing your thyroid, but in your case you already have the blood test results! Your stomach pain MIGHT be caused by something else, but in the meantime the thyroid needs treating. It's so difficult being passed from GP to GP, with each one maybe thinking that the last one to pick up your results has starting treating you, and locum GPs flit off to the next job and don't get a chance to follow up on patients - time to pin the next one down and get an explanation! Really hope you get it sorted this week 💐

Thank you. I've emailed in to keep it on record that I've been trying to get this sorted since September. I had an embolism so this is the likely cause and I can't understand why they aren't treating it! I'm too scared to eat more than biscuits and sweets at the moment which is not healthy but doesn't cause pain.

Fingers crossed someone calls on Friday 🙏

Anyone in the evening traffic have any ideas or can help with my blood results?

bumping in case anyone in the morning traffic can read my bloods and help me.
Dr I have tomorrow is a sodding locum. I don't want to be fobbed off!

My first symptom of Graves Disease was weight loss - about 1.5 stones in a month - and bad stomach pains, food just racing through me... I'd just finished cancer treatment so was worried it was that, so the GP referred me for a colonoscopy. I was pretty anxious and thought I had good reason to be.

But she also took bloods and, while I was waiting for the procedure, my TSH, T3 andT4 came back similar to yours, and the GP called me in straight away - like, the same afternoon - to start on antithyroid drugs. She referred me to Endocrinology who got straight back to tell her to quadruple the dose. I then saw them about 6 weeks later and was in their hands for the next 18 months, and they did the tests to confirm Graves. When I checked my resting pulse it was nearly 100 bpm. So that explained the anxiety!

I don't know about the rest of your results, but I would push for an Endocrinology referral, it's out of most GPs remit. Good luck!

Oh, and Elaine Moore's website and books are good for thyroid stuff.

Thank you so much. I also think Graves because of the B12 with it makes it most likely. I have been on another thyroid site today and they have given me a list of things to ask the locum when they call tomorrow. I also had another text for a further CT scan, so I hope this time they know they can't use contrast or it's just another waste of time and money when I cancel it.

It's so frustrating waiting and knowing I could have been treated sooner, or had other tests for whatever is happening in my stomach. I asked for coeliacs test for eg which hasn't been done. I'm so incredibly tired even reading through the advice on the other group is hard - my eyes are jumping and my memory is shot.

How have you found yourself now you have medication? Does it limit you in any way and do you have to have regular blood tests?

Keeping my fingers crossed that you get a good result today @PanicAttax ! My experience on anti-thyroid medication (carbimazole) has been good - no side effects that I can tell and it does quickly sort out the symptoms. Your descriptions of anxiety, not being able to concentrate, exhaustion, etc are so familiar, and the tablets really do help that. I go to the nurse for a blood test every 2 months, and the doc adjusts the dose based on that - the aim is to gradually reduce the dose while keeping the thyroid levels not too high and not too low. Last time, I was on the tablets for about 18 months, by the end I was on I think one low-dose tablet twice a week. My thyroid then behaved for nearly 25 years til this last episode. With hindsight, I had one or two attacks when I was younger that weren't diagnosed or treated, with my thyroid settling down for a few years by itself in between. Good luck! 🍀

Thanks @Compash for the recommendation on Elaine Moore! My doc is recommending radioactive iodine treatment - his rationale being that I was so poorly with it this time around I don't want it happening again, plus a lot of women end up with underactive thyroids and need thyroid hormone replacement as they get older anyway, so I'm not losing out if my thyroid becomes under-active as a result of getting it zapped. He's referred me to a more specialist endocrinologist at the 'big hospital'. I've read some of his research papers and, of course, he is positive about the procedure.

BUT - this last hyperthyroid episode was most likely triggered by having a hysterectomy last year. I still feel like I've not got my HRT on the best dose now I'm in surgical menopause and my instinct is I shouldn't be zapping yet another organ until I'm in better overall health. And the tablets are keeping the thyroid under control for now. From a quick look, it seems Elaine Moore is of a similar opinion having had the radioactive treatment herself - I shall order her book.

Thank you so much for thinking of me. I had to chase the call but finally got to speak to the locum (still can't understand why it took 2 days to get an appointment with a locum but that's another thread). He said I could start carbimazole but he noticed they hadn't done the full thyroid tests yet for function and antibodies. I said I was worried about Graves as if you google hyper with B12 deficiency it comes up as most likely, so they will do a bloods for that. He said he will also write an advice and guidance letter for the endocrinology dept as there is a 2 month wait (or more) to be seen at the moment, so I should hear back Friday of next week with an all clear for his dosage. I also asked for a coeliac test (am trying to stop the pain when I do attempt to eat) and a full ferritin/iron bloods as haemoglobin/haematocrit etc were all ! on the bloods but no one has done anything to support those deficiencies yet.

Feels like an uphill battle still but at least someone actually spoke to me about it for the first time since they found it in May! Thank you for your support and confirmation that the drug he has suggested has helped you! Off on my 4hr drive now - so at least I didn't have to take that call at the same time as driving!