Anyone out there suffering from subacute thyroiditis

[doodlebug426]

This is all new to me But 8weeks ago i started feeling a soreness in my throat and noticed a lump and it has all gone downhill from there.  Had a ct scan that showed nodule in left side of thyroid and an ulta sound that did not show anything but an enlarged thyroid, had uptake scan that show no activity in the thyroid Dr believes it is the painful subacute thyroiditis I have suffered with severe pain in my neck, jaw and ear, I feel like i cannot get out of bed in the morning I have no energy and my body aches from head to toe. I am either freezing cold or burning up I just feel like i have had the flu for 8 weeks now.  Guess im asking is there anyone else out there that has or have had these symptoms and does it ever come to an end?

[Jackslam]

Hey!! I just got diagnosed to subacute Thyroiditis a week ago. How are you feeling now

[susan400]

Yes.  However mine was caused by the treatments I was on for Hepatitis C.  My thyroid was always normal before 4 yrs ago,  Then, about 3-1/2 yrs ago, I did a treatment for Hep C that had Sovaldi in the triple treatment.  During the treatment my thyroid was still normal. When the meds were stopped at 3 mon., my thyroid turned HYPOthyroid. My doctors rushed me into the Synthroid(but it made me feel horrible), so, with the endocrinologists consent, I was able to wean off of it. Then, my thyroid was normal for 3 mon. After that, it swung back to HYPERthyroid.  It stayed like that for another 4-5 mon.  The endo wanted to have me take an anti-thyroid medication, but I refused and said I wanted to do nothing and wait it out.  Eventually, everything went back to completely normal.  Until the next Hep C treatment.  This was started back in NOV 2017 and this treatment again, contained Sovaldi as part of the new cocktail treatment.  During this course, my thyroid went HYPERthyroid about 1 month into the treatment.  I have been off the meds now for 2 mon and it's still on the HYPERthyroid side of things.  My GI doctor who treats me for the HEPC, wants to get all nervous about it and send me to the ENDO.  I'm like, "no".  Just wait it out it will be fine on it's own if you just give me more time out off of the meds.  I know it will eventually normalize. My T4 is in the normal range. I just have no TSH.

[Barb135]

Hi Susan, you've attached to a very old thread and none of the previous posters are currently active on the forum at this time, so it's unlikely you'll get a response to your comments.  

It's important to note that the treatments for Hep C are notorious for causing thyroid conditions.  It's also important to note that Hep C can be a trigger for the autoimmune condition known as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and you should ask your doctor to order the antibody tests to determine if you have it.  It's very common with Hashimoto's to swing from hyper to hypo as well as having periods of normal in between before the thyroid goes completely to the hypo side.  

You can also have "normal" Free T4 levels and suppressed TSH and be hyper if the Free T4 is too high.  What about Free T3?  Is that being tested as well?  Free T3 is the active hormone that's used by individual cells, whereas Free T4 isn't used directly; it must be converted to the active Free T3.  

The antibody tests required to determine if you have Hashimoto's are Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb).  You might also want to get tested for Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI), which is the definitive test for Graves Disease since it is possible to have, both, Hashimoto's and Graves Disease at the same time.  Graves Disease is always associated with hyperthyroidism, while Hashimoto's can be associated with both, hyper and hypo in the early stages.

[stella5349]

Thanks for posting those labs however the "thyroid panel" is not complete here if you want to determine Hashimoto as you state you were told.

The TPOab and TgAb test would determine if you have that autoimmune disease and if positive - the thyroiditis would be explained.

Now, looking at the thyroid labs  that you do have for record - A doctor should see possible hyperthyroid in these and really in the thyroid world - that would lean to a Graves speculation more than Hashimoto. I would think running a TSI graves test with the Hashi TPOab and TgAb would be good to have done.

If by chance your labs for autoimmune thyroid come back negative the "hyper" thyroid also alone ( w/out Autoimmune issues) could also cau.se subacute thyroiditis

[Seven21]

I had pretty much the same thing.  Started out 5 weeks ago, woke up with a swollen tongue then got bump in floor of my mouth, primary doc thought it was viral but didn't go away after several days so he sent me to oral surgeon, who diagnosed me with swollen sub-lingual gland, he then referred me to allergist who sent me for thyroid ultrasound after it mainfested into swelling in my neck and upper chest.  I went to an ENT 2 days before my ultrasound because I was having such a hard time breathing, he said I looked fine and to come back in a month.  I was hospitalized last week for strydor after my ultrasound revealed a complex, enlarged,  multi-nodiluar goiter (by the way my thyroid levels were "Normal") .  I have been on sythnthroid for 2 weeks to try shrink it with no change.  My thyroid is enlarged so much it is pushing on my trachea and making it very hard to breath at times.  I feel like I am going to pass out and get the chills and sweats all the time.  Doc says it is my thyroid going crazy.  3 Endo's and 2 ENT's in Hospital suggested Total Thyroidectomy, I have an appointment with a Micro-Surgeon on Monday who specialized in thyroid diseases to see what my next move is.

I thought I was going crazy too.  I think the prednisone they put me on didn't help.  One thing is that I had to be persistent with the doctors that something was wrong.  It wasn't till I got to the Allergy & Immunologist that I started to get some answers.  

[doodlebug426]

Labs: 8-17-10 TSH 0.02, T4 1.5

Labs: 9-17-10 TSH 0.015, T416.0, T3 8.75

Labs 9-29-10 TSH 0.015, T4 free 7.36, T3 free 7.36

[stella5349]

any steriods in after effect will aggravate a ragin thyroid. Steriods will not support the immune system and when the signal of the steriods leaving the body starts to happen - things go right back into what they were.

If you can get those labs - please post them.

[doodlebug426]

I did have thyroid profile done and that ruled out Hashimoto and my labs i believe my TSH was .0002 t3 was 7. something I dont have them with me right now and no the Dr. has not put me on meds as of yet.  I did do a Methylprednisolone pack and that did wonders for me until of course that ended and the pain and swelling returned.  The Dr. says that subacute thyroiditis has to run its course and I will go hyper then hypo before it begins to level out.  I am awaiting a call to see how he is going to procede after my uptake scan.  I have not talked to anyone who has had the symptoms that i have had.  It has lasted for approx 8 weeks now and there have been several occasions I have contiplated going to the ER.  Im afraid my family thinks im losing my mind lol, but i assure you there is nothing slient about this.  It has been the the most painful thing I have ever been through

[stella5349]

Really in your words I don't believe this is just subacute thyroiditis... More really, Hashimoto silent thyroiditis.

Are you on thyroid meds?

Have you had labs?

Motrin and a supplement selenium may be helpful for you but there is a reason for this and a bit of things need to be done to identify and fix the issue.