High Thryoid

[rita890]

I'm 41 just found out my thryoid is high 10.569 . If they wouldn't found this could a person die ? I'm on medicine now 50mcg. till I get it straight.


This discussion is related to pregnancy and thyroid disease.

[goolarra]

It is possible to have both Hashi's and Graves', but it's also very rare.  

Ordinarily, elevated TPOab and TGab, like yours, indicate Hashi's, but they can both be elevated with Graves' as well.  I really don't know how they come to a diagnosis of both.  Hashi's is usually hypo, and Graves' is always hyper, so perhaps the diagnosis depends on TSH and FT4 levels.

You have had a TSI, correct?  Your doctor has diagnosed Graves'?

[Chuntz]

Hi Goolarra,

Posted my labs and someone said it sounds like i have Hashimoto disease.  Is this possible?

[goolarra]

If you go to the top of this page, you'll see an orange "Post a Question" button.  Just click it and follow instructions.  That will create a new thread all your own and anyone who comes on the forum can comment.

Hashi's is another autoimmune thyroid disease.  In initial stages it can swing from hypo to hyper., but it eventually becomes permanently hypo.  

Thanks, I feel good.  I hope your increase helps with your tremors and glad to hear your symptoms aren't terrible.

[Chuntz]

The doc recommended I up my dosage.  I'm feeling fine hey?  Think that's why i was so confused cause i don't feel ill at all.  Just fine tremors now and then?
I did ask the doc to check for graves and he said he did in the beginning and i had it???  Aaa i don't know!  Will just have to up my meds and see.  Where would I post my results for others to take a look at them?

Well, i hope you feeling ok?  Please explain what H's Is?  

[goolarra]

Are these labs on neo-mercazole?  Have you seen your doctor since these labs?

I still think it's worthwhile to have the TSI test.  It's the definitive test for Graves'.  I agree with you that it most likely is, but I'd confirm it.

I'm hypo (Hashi's), so beyond diagnosis of Graves', there's not a lot I can tell you from experience.  Right now, I'd think your doctor would want to increase your meds.  FT4 is still way too high.  Graves' can usually be controlled for a while with meds (sometimes many years), but a permanent solution often becomes necessary, either RAI or surgery.  

Maybe this would be a good time to post a new question.  You could put your latest labs up and people with experience with Graves' could give you more input than I can.  

Are you feeling any better?

[Chuntz]

Hi Goolarra

Got my results back, here there are:

TSH             <0.1                        (Should be between) 0.3-4
Free T4           65                        (Should be between) 10-24                              

Antithyroglobulin  315                   (Should be) 116
Antithyroid Perox  245                  (Should be) 35

I know it's Grave's.  Could you possible give me a run down on it and what to expect?

Thanks
Chuntz

[Chuntz]

Last time I saw the doc, he wanted me to have my thyroid scanned. Not a bad idea. Going to the doc today cause my baby is still sick :( so will ask him to give me the lab forms so i can go have everything tested again.

Thank you so much for all your input and advice, really really appreciate it :)

[goolarra]

Glad to hear he has you on meds.  Are you feeling better yet?  

When are you scheduled for labs again?  When you have them, ask your doctor to order FT3 as well as FT4 and TSH.  It would also be a good idea to have him order TSI to see if you have Graves'.  If you know you have Graves', you won't have to worry about going hypo.

[Chuntz]

He's put me on neo-mercazole.
Same meds last time when my t4 was 50.

[goolarra]

Thyroid disease tends to run in families.  I don't think it's been proven to be hereditary, but I think there's a strong suspicion that it is.  Many of us have relatives who also have thyroid disease.

I don't know if alcohol or meth addiction can contribute or not, but I wouldn't be surprised since they both compromise your general health, and poor general health can precipitate the onset or worsening of thyroid disease.  What are you treating your addiction with?  Could that possibly be impairing your thyroid function?

Are you taking thyroid meds and or been tested for TSH, free T3 and free T4?

[jessica_fireyes]

My mother has hypothyroidism so I imagine that was passed on to me. Also I have had a history with alcohol and meth addiction. I have been sober now for 9 months and been treating my addiction disease. I am wondering do you think that my addictions could also be a cause of my hypothyroid?
Jessica

[goolarra]

Your FT4 is extremely high, so high, in fact, that if I were you I'd repeat that test to verify that an error wasn't made at the lab.  Your doctor should also have ordered FT3.  What did the doctor who ordered these labs say when he got the results?  Are you on meds yet?

[Chuntz]

Ok here it is:

Thyroid Function:                                Reference Range:

tsh <0.1                low                             0.3 - 4.2 miu/l
free t4 76              high                            10 - 24 pmol/l

Hope this helps

Thanks
Chantel

[goolarra]

Do you have any test results to post yet?

[Chuntz]

Hi, no it wasn't related to childbirth.

[goolarra]

It is typical of postpartum thyroiditis to start out with a hyper phase.  After that, it can go back to normal, or there can be a hypo phase.  

Have you ever had TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin) tested?  That's the test for Graves' disease, which is an autoimmune disease.  In Graves', antibodies attack the thyroud and cause it to produce too much hormone so that you are hyper.  Once you have antibodies, you have them for life, but they can go into remission.  I'm wondering if you have Graves' since this is your second episode of hyper and were in remission for a couple of years.

It's really impossible to predict whether or not there will be a hypo phase, so you shouldn't base your decision about meds on anticipation of that.

When you were hyper before, was it related to childbirth?

[Chuntz]

Hi, thanks for the quick reply. I feel good but do have tremors, shortness of breath, headaches and sometimes quickening heart rate. Two years ago I also had an overactive thyroid (which apparently is worse this time round) and i took meds and within 2 months it corrected itself. Will get the results from the doc and post them up for you to take a look. I'm just worried of taking the meds and then it goes hypo? Is it common for it to go hyper to hypo after child birth?

Thanks alot, i appreciate all your advice

[goolarra]

Postpartum thyroiditis often acts as you describe.  There's an initial hyper phase, followed by a hypo one.  Usually, everything normalizes on its own, but thae hypo phase on ocassion becomes permanant.

Please post yourTSH and the range on your T4.  Ranges vary lab to lab so have to come from your own lab report.  Also, is that total T4 or free T4?  If your lab report doesn't specifically say "free T4" or "FT4", it's total.

How do you feel?

[Chuntz]

Hi Goolarra, my name is Chantel.  I had a baby 8 months ago and now have hyperthyroidism. I read somewhere that you can get an overactive thyroid after childbirth which will then turn into an under active thyroid? Is this true and should i let my thyroid fix itself out or should i be taking medication? My TSH is low and have a high T4 = 76

Thanks Chuntz

[goolarra]

It's most likely that it's your TSH that is high.  When TSH is high, it indicates that your thyroid function is low (hypothyroid).

You're probably taking 50 mcg of Synthroid or Levoxyl or generic levothyroxine, correct?

You can die if hypothyroidism goes undetected for a very long time.  However, thyroid degeneration is usually slow enough that this very rarely happens in otherwise healthy people.  A TSH of 10.569 is high, but not terribly so.  Just to give you a point of reference, my TSH at diagnosis was something like 67, and we have seen people here on the forum with TSH in the hundreds.

You should make sure that your doctor is testing FREE T3 and FREE T4 every time TSH is tested.  Ask for FREE on both those tests, or they will test total T3 and total T4, not nearly as useful.  T3 and T4 are the actual thyroid hormones, so much more important than TSH.

Do you have symptoms?  Do you know the cause of your hypothyroidism?