Thyroid Overdose

I was diagnosed 5 years ago.  I was diagnosed when I was having some numbness in my arm.  I have been on Avonex ever since.  I have not had a relapse since I was first diagnosed.  I am on thryoid medication.  In Sept. after a blood test my doctor upped my dosages from 88mcg of Synthroid to 175 mcg Levithyroxine.  The pharmacy questioned the large increase and called him to verify the dosgage he confirmed.  He also raised my other thyroid medication from 30mcg of Armour Thyroid to 20 mcg of Liothyroxine because they are not producing Armour Thyroid any longer. I have been on this new dosage for a month and a half.  I have been noticing my heart racing, skipping a beat, hot, sweaty, gittery.  I went in to see the prescribing Dr. this morning and told him all of this and he said he over dosed me.  

Ok.  3 weeks ago I went numb on the right side of my body from my waist to the bottoms of my feet.  Front and back.  I had a MRI and it showed a new lesion on my spinal cord.  Luckily it was on the sensory side of the cord and not the functional side. I had 5 days of steroid infusions.  I have not seen any improvement of my symptoms.

My MS Dr. said it is possible the over dosage of thyroid could have triggered this but probably not.  What do you think?

He also thinks that maybe I have become immune to the effects of Avonex and am going to be tested for that.  If I am he thinks Tysabri.  What do yo uthink about that?

What do you think my chances of the numbness going away?  Anything I can do for it?

[slightlybroken]

Boy Oh Boy...I just want to say that I was thinking of you.

I can't be much help on your questions.. I imagine anything that stresses your body out could cause a relapse, including an overdose of your thyroid hormone, but this would be a simple guess on my part. It's a wonder your heart was not strained. By the sounds of it, the medication took you from Hypo to Hyper, instead of the level you should have been. Thank God your ok.

Take Care

[biowham]

Good Lord, what was that doctor thinking with that huge boost? That is NOT how thyroid med adjustment is done.

That said, I don't think it would cause a spinal lesion. That's coincidental. But it would definitely cause those hyperthyroid symptoms you were experiencing. I'd think that any sensory symptoms from thyroid imbalance would resolve with restoration of appropriate levels.

Bio

[JamieMT]

omg. I havw MS, too. In the middle of october of this yeat, my doctor upped my thyroid dosage without medical justification. three weeks of that, and my neurologist was definately freaking out and saying that I was going into an MS episode. I kept getting worse, until my best friend (she is an rn) spent the day with me, and after six hours said 'sweetie, I dunno what is wrong, but it is not the MS'. Well,.... I am helpdesk, and whatever touched it last probably broke it. The thyroid medication was the last thing to touch it. I stopped taking the thyroid medicine, and noticed a definite improvement. I need exercise, I know it. I broke the treadmill, though, while 'under the innfluence' of the thyroid medication. roflol. I will get it fixed, and am just making do, right now.


My best friend is blaming herself for the MS, though. I had never thought of it, but I have been overdosed on thyroid medication before. The last time it happened,... I started becoming symptomatic with MS.

I am seeing a pattern here,.... aren't you?

I truly do hope that everything works out all right for you. I know my problem, now, is the cold weather and that I need that gawd-forsaken treadmill working again. It will help, it has helped before with symptoms. It will again, I know it. Good luck, and thank you for posting. I do appreciate it.

[JamieMT]

I hope that you are doing well. I am shakey (shaky), get tired easily, and am very frustrated by the whole thing. I can see that I am doing better, but I feel like I am back at the very beginning. I am going to work on getting the parts for my walking machine. Once that is fixed, I truly feel that 'that' will help.

good luck, my prayers have been with you

[essdipity]

I sure agree with Bio that that was a crazy way to medicate you. Your reaction was classic hyperthyroidism. In your shoes I'd deep-six that PCP.

However, I don't know of any connection between that and MS, other than the stress reaction. Did your neuro give any details? Have you been checked for antibodies to Avonex? At least there's a good blood test for that. If it's positive, you might try Copaxone before Tysabri. But if you've had only this relapse since starting Avonex, it may well be helping you, so I wouldn't be too quick to change meds.

I'm sorry the steroids didn't work. There's no way to tell whether the numbness will go away, but it certainly could.

Sending best wishes,
ess

[JamieMT]

How are you doing??????  My thoughts and prayers have been with you. If you are not seeing an endocrinologist for the thyrod overdose, go see one. The reason I am saying this is.......

my best friend's fiance is a paramedic, and he went to a medical seminar about MS. He told the instructor about my symptoms with the hand and neck tremors that were so bad that I look like I have parkinson's. The doctor confirmed that I have been diagnosed with MS (I have). Then he said that he has been treating MS patients for over 45 years, and has NEVER seen tremors like that be a part of MS. That something else is going on.

That works for me!  And,... guess what is at the top of tthe list for thyroid overdose? Tremors. Plus a nice long list oof other stuff that I can give personal testimony to. The only solution given was to get to an endocrinologist and treat the symptoms. I am taking medicine to lower my already low bloof pressure, and parkinson's medication to deal with the tremors. They are definately helping me. I see my endocrinologist next week, and will be discussing all this with her.

As for your pcp, you should do what you are comfortable with. As for me,.... I cannot stand to be near my doctor. He does not have the cojones to be man enough to admit that he might have made an error. I just do not trust him. How can I go back to him?

I pray that you are doing ewll. I hope that you are. This winter has been a misery for me. Good luck with whatever you do

Jamie