can subclinical hyperthroidism be reoccurring?

[fransports]

From March-August my tsh was always low .005-.002 but my T4 (free), T4 (Total) and T3 (uptake) were always normal. I was having symptoms of hyperthyroidism but no treatment was ever given. At the beginning of Sept I had another blood test. This time tsh was 1.02. T4 tests and T3 were again normal. I was actually starting to feel better and my hyper symptoms were going away. Now  I feel like my symptoms are coming back again. Iam starting to feel like I did when my TSH was low. Is it possible for my tsh to have dropped again? After my last blood test the doctor said everything was fine-no further blood tests were scheduled. Does anyone have an idea if the subclinical hyperthyroisim could reoccur? Thanks

[Reesie87]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2007 and in Novenber of 08 I was diagnosed with subclinical hyperthyroidim.  I have been having weight loss, brittle hair, fatigue, emotional lability, intolerance to heat and cold, paranoia, depression, fear, mood swings, pms, brain fog and moany others.  They took a sonogram of my thyroid and that was good but I am allergic to iodine so they failed to give me a thyroid scan.  My doctor said that my thyroid hormones were normal but my thyroid count was 0.377.  They put me on methalazine ( I think that is how you spell it) and I had a panic attack when I took it.  What should I do?  Is there anyone that I can talk to persinaaly about this?  I am so scared!!!!!  The shortness of breath is driving me crazy and I just feel like I will never get well.

[AR-10]

They might be assuming you have thyroiditis, which causes temporary hyperthyroidism.

When it clears up it reverts to hypothyroidism. If that is the case then an antithyroid drug may not be required.

They may be assuming it is some other transient type of hyperthyroidism.

Further testing and monitoring IS required.

Antibody testing is important to rule out or diagnose an autoimmune condition.

You may have Hashimoto's (hypothyroidism) with thyroiditis, causing transient hyperthyroidism.

You may have Grave's disease (hyperthyroidism) and need to be put on antithyroid medication to control it.

You both need a better diagnosis than "sub-clinical hyperthyroid".

A Free T3 test is the only way you are going to know if you have the proper level of Free T3 to be healthy. In a way, your Free T4 is irrelevent. The fact that it is in range does not mean your Free T3 is.

Antibody tests.
Free T3 test, along with TSH and Free T4.

There is no point waiting three months to find out you are still hyper, or have suddenly gone hypo. Ask for antibody testing, all three tests.

If antibody testing shows one or more varieties present, an ultrasound of the thyroid may be indicated.

[KimShun]

What were you hyper symptoms? My TSH in Aug was .005, Oct. it went up to .008 and I am physically whipped. I am semi retired and only work 4 hours a day, but by the time I get home, I'm falling asleep in my chair. The only thing that I can pin it to is the tsh. I am getting a full 8-9 hours asleep a night, but it does not matter. Were you tired all the time?

To your original question, my endo stated I to, was subclinical hyper. Funny thing was, in Aug my Free T4 was elevated, 2.56, but by Oct, that was normal and my TSH had gone from .005 to .008 so she told me she was going to just wait and follow up in 3 months. She gave me the impression, that subclinical hyper can occur more than once and it sometimes is just the start of more problems to come.   I am not taking anything for my thyroid.

[AR-10]

Your hyperthyroidism in the past was not sub-clinical. It was untreated. When your TSH falls into negative three digits, that is extremely hyper.

What caused that TSH reading was an abundance of Free T3, which you were not tested for.

A T4 Total test is inaccurate and a waste of money. A T3 uptake test is even worse, as it does not measure T3 at all.

The source of your thyroid problem has not been found, from the details you post.

It could be a temporary condition due to several factors, or it may be autoimmune hyperthyroidism, or possibly autoimmune hypothyroidism.

If you have not had thyroid antibody testing, you should request it. There are half a dozen thyroid antibodies, but tests for TPOab, TGab, and TSI should give you a diagnosis if you have an autoimmune condition.

The fact that your thyroid hormone levels are going up and down does not mean you are cured. It means you need tests to find out why it is going up and down.

Were you taking a drug that put your hormones out of whack that you have since stopped taking?

Did you have an illness that was severe enough to throw your hormones off for several months?

Are you post partum, or of an age that menopause may be messing with several of your hormones?

There is a reason this happened. Until the doctor can find a reason for a temporary shift (change birth control pills?), he/she should not pronounce you healed. They should be persuing a diagnosis, and planning to monitor you every six weeks for several months to see if your thyroid levels shift again.

Please don't wait six months and go back feeling awful only to find out you are sick again. You need close monitoring and more tests if they have not been run yet.