Is it possible to go from Hyper to Hypo w/ no treatment?

[Rlr412]

For the better part of 3 years I have not felt "right".  At the end of 2014 I started losing weight and had all of the classic symptoms of being hyperthyroid but had no idea.  During my routine physical in my doctor found my TSH levels to be very low so did all of the other classic tests, including the scan where you have to take the iodine.  All results indicated Graves Disease.  But, by January 2015 my bloodwork was back to normal so no treatment was ordered.  My hyper symptoms subsided but I still felt terrible, with all over body aches, my periods became erratic, even with an IUD inserted; I went to every "-ologist" under the sun to try and figure out what was wrong.  By mid 2016 my PDP handed me a bottle of antidepressants and told me to take them, they'd help with the pain and I'd be fine.  Needless to say I knew this wasn't the answer but I held off on any more doctors until the beginning of 2017 because by then my periods had become pretty much non-existent, I'd gained more than 40lbs and still felt like crap.  With a history of early menopause in my family I went back to my gynecologist to ask if that's what was happening and was told "No." I then went to the Endo who said that could absolutely be a possibility and he did a bunch of tests that showed I was in fact, menopausal (at 37 yrs old) and my TSH levels were subclinical.  So, he started me on Levo, 5mg I think.  Fast forward to now, still no periods, now 50lbs overweight, terrible joint pain (mostly in my hands but also my ankles and hips), bloodwork showing post-menopausal...and TSH of 15, Free T4 of .6.  Has anyone else encountered being from one extreme to another first without treatment and then having the doctors struggle to believe when you know you've gone in the other direction?

[Red_Star]

Yes I was both hyper and hypo from leakage symptoms from Hashimoto's thyroiditis and also was very hyperthyroid for two months due to Graves antibodies. They call this Hashitoxicosis. This was before I started treatment.

[Barb135]

Yes, it's possible. Have you ever had antibodies tested to determine whether or not you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?  Hashimoto's is an autoimmune condition in which the body, for some reason, determines that the thyroid is foreign and produces antibodies to destroy it.  

It's quite common for one to be hyper in early stages, as the thyroid spurts hormones; in addition, we often have nodules that produce hormones independently of the thyroid that can cause hyperthyroidism.  As the disease progressively destroys the thyroid, it produces less and less of its hormones and we eventually become hypo.  

Rarely, one can have, both, Graves and Hashimoto's at the same time.

Although it's not unheard of to go through menopause at age 37, it's possible that you aren't really in menopause, as being hypo definitely affects the menstrual cycle.

Please post the reference range for the Free T4.  Ranges vary from lab to lab and have to come from your own report.  That said, if you have at TSH of 15 and Free T4 of 0.6, you certainly need your dose of Levo adjusted.  Your TSH is way too high and depending on the reference range for the Free T4, your FT4 is, most likely, way too low.  

Aside from that, has no one ever tested Free T3?  That's the hormone that's used by nearly every cell in your body and correlates best with symptoms.  If you've ever had it tested, please post the result(s), with reference ranges.

The symptoms and labs you've noted indicate that you may still be severely hypo. If your doctor won't increase your dosage, find a different doctor asap... Levothyroxine is dosed in mcg as opposed to mg; is it possible you're on 50 mcg Levo?

To test for Hashimoto's, ask for Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb). You need them both, as some of  us have one or the other and some of us have them both.