thyroid trouble

i just got my most recent lab results,previously my thyroid results have been normal, i am now into my 16,s week on tx. my most recent labs show my thyroid stimulating level was found to be quite low. he is saying this may indicate an overactive thyroid, does that mean i will lose weight. this sounds more like hypoactive thyroid to me . he is sending me for T3,T4,free T4, anti-thyroglobulin antibody and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody levels.

[medicmommy]

Hiya!
I've done the thyroiditis thing from txing! Mine hit about week #10 and continued for about 10 weeks until it "flipped" to hypothyroid.
So, here's a crash course in thyroid labs...The lower the TSH number, the more "hyper" (overactive) your thyroid is. Your "frees" (free-T-3, Free T-4) will be super high. This causes heart palpitations, rising blood pressure, headaches, hot flashes and night sweats. During treatment it also accelerates the hemolytic anemia (not correctable by iron supplements). You may or may not lose weight (I didn't). The ultimate danger is when the symptoms (the rapid heart beats and blood presssure suddenly rise out of control (Rare, but it is called a "thyroid storm" which is a true emergency as it causes a sudden spike in heart rate (over 130 beats -often 160), makes your body temp rise to fever levels (mine hit 102 F) and  can make your blood pressure go so high you have a stroke. the good news is, if your symptoms become severe, you can take a Beta blocker medicine (slows everything down until the thyroiditis is over) and you won't have to stop treatment...~MM

[medicmommy]

Hiya!
I've done the thyroiditis thing from txing! Mine hit about week #10 and continued for about 10 weeks until it "flipped" to hypothyroid.
So, here's a crash course in thyroid labs...The lower the TSH number, the more "hyper" (overactive) your thyroid is. Your "frees" (free-T-3, Free T-4) will be super high. This causes heart palpitations, rising blood pressure, headaches, hot flashes and night sweats. During treatment it also accelerates the hemolytic anemia (not correctable by iron supplements). You may or may not lose weight (I didn't). The ultimate danger is when the symptoms (the rapid heart beats and blood presssure suddenly rise out of control (Rare, but it is called a "thyroid storm" which is a true emergency as it causes a sudden spike in heart rate (over 130 beats -often 160), makes your body temp rise to fever levels (mine hit 102 F) and  can make your blood pressure go so high you have a stroke. the good news is, if your symptoms become severe, you can take a Beta blocker medicine (slows everything down until the thyroiditis is over) and you won't have to stop treatment...~MM

[banarep]

to add to what mm told you, my thyroid went from 2.7 normal to <.01 at week 8, back to normal at week 16, then to 6.7 at week 20 and now, 6 months off treatment, I am back to high normal   5.1.  currently, since I have no signs my doc is letting it ride.  

[stalion]

thank you for your answers, they were very helpful

[nygirl7]

MaryA-

The thyroid issues are most common with us women unfortunately and as you might have heard yes it is most common to start out as hyperthyroid and then flip flop over to hypothyroid.  I lost a lot of weight in the first 24 weeks of treatment that I didn't have to lose - I looked like skeletor.  Then when my thyroid flopped over to hypo somewhere in the next three weeks (between the blood work diagnosis and then the nuclear imaging scan where they were SURE I was hypo but nope.......flipflop) they put me on Synthroid, thank God because I started gaining weight pretty fast.  Since it was still so early in my treatment (I knew by that point i was doing 72 weeks) and I had another 48 weeks to go - my thyroid never recovered.

But some folks thyroid does so it could happen.

My TSH went from 0.0 to 6.2 so it was apparent I had to take the meds and I've been on them ever since.