Just diagnosed with overactive thyroid!

Hormones
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Hi All

I have just recently been diagnosed with an overactive thyroid, apparently a womens thyroid level should be around 16 mine was 47! I have been prescribed carbimazole 40mg a day and propranolol 80mg a day. I just wanted some other sufferers thoughts on how to cope with this and the break up of a three year relationship. Its hard enough with the symptoms of an overactivve thyroid but with this addedd upset it is really hard. My partner and I broke up in July about 4 weeks before being diagnosed due to us arguing all the time, for no real apparent reason, which of course I realised was probably due to my illness although not aware at the time. He wont meet up with me to discuss anything.

Life is pretty miserable at the moment!

Annabelle

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Annabelle

Carbimazole takes 3-4 weeks till it starts to work. The propanolol will reduce the stress on the body till the carb kicks in.

The thyroid controls so much of what goes on in your body - I didn't realise this till mine became overactive. Everybody has a slightly different experience but in general t the good days will get more frequent and outnumber the off days. Once the thyroid is controlled it will take your body a while to get back into harmony.

My overactive thyroid was diagnosed 5 months ago. I started on 30mg of carb and 60mg of prop. Now I am on 10mg of carb. My thyroid seems to be functioning well but my body hasn't quite got back into harmony.

The worst symptoms of the illness for me were the panic attacks and the anxiety. Stress plays a big factor in this. I am sorry you have to deal with your current problems. Things must be hard. I agree that your thyroid probably played a part in it all. Some sufferers have wild mood swings.

wishing you all the best

Linda

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Hi, Sorry to hear of your problems this really is a shit illness. Thyroid levels depend what part of the country your from here in oxfordshire it is between 11 & 24 when i ws 1st diagnosed mine was 83!!!!! so i do understand how you feel (as does everyone else on this forum ) like Linda has said carbimazole takes around 6 weeks to kick in your body has to rid itself of excess hormones before meds work as carbimzole cannot do this. Hopefully you should start to feel some benefit in a couple of weeks but, as you have probarbly read everyone is different. I do hope that everything works out well for you. Take care. Elaine.

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Dear Linda and Elaine

Thank you so much for your words of reassurance. Yes, itt is a sh*t illness, no one can see it from the outside and no one can really understand how you feel. Just writing this makes my cry... will just have to wait until the pills kick in and hope. I know its a combination of the illness that makes me so upset and the the break up. An evil combination. I'm sure I could cope better if I had my partner to help me and to understand.

Thanks again

Annabelle

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I completely understand how you feel, I was diagnosed with overactive thyroid in June - but started loosing weight in April-May. At first it was the best thing ever, felt high on energy, thin, and wired for anything - like being on drugs!

From July things took a turn for the worse, since then its been horrendous and I feel like Im going crazy. In fact Im now off work as I cant face being around people, I cant control what I say or do, Im angry at the slightest thing, over-emotional, depressed, anxious, paranoid, sensitive, feelings of low self worth, but the worst is the racing mind, its like Im torturing myself with my own thoughts - cant shut things off and the only way to stop my mind racing is frankly with wine - or throwing myself into a book. Im reading a book a night as I hardly sleep anyway.

Im also suffering from major short term memory loss - Im like a goldfish doing crazy things like leaving the handbreak off my car - walking into a shop and forgetting why I am there - paying for my groceries and then walking off without them - as for work - everyone thinks Im an idiot lately, I pick up files and put them down seconds later on the next desk... return to my own desk and start looking for them.... I used to be smart - now I feel useless.

My boyfriend is doing his best, but he is living with a crazy person, even though Im 2 weeks into the medication (Carbizole or something like that), I feel worse than ever.

I completely see how this can break relationships, and nobody understands what its like - they dont even know what a thyroid is, and as a manager, how can I lead a team when I cant even manage myself right now? I hope your partner comes round, and reads these messages, apparently it takes time to get your life back on track - I just want to feel normal again.

I love being thin, but I'd take my big butt anyday over this.

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Hi Natasha. It sounds as though you're having a rough time. I was diagnosed in May. Lost loads of weight, thumping heart, very swollen legs. Couldn't sleep, couldn't get my words out properly. I didn't want to go shopping as I couldn't ask for things properly. I felt so silly.

It takes about six weeks for carbimazole to work, you have to use up the thyroxine that's stored in your body. Has your GP put you on betablockers? They calm you down until the thyroid drugs start to work.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, you will start to feel better very soon. I feel a lot better now, I'm still very thin as I haven't put any weight back on, and I'm not sleeping well. I'm fine when I first go to bed, but then I start to panic and feel as though I can't breath properly. I go over things in my mind.

You're right, not a lot of people know what it's like. It's a horrible illness, but we don't get a lot of sympathy.

I hope you feel better soon.

Take care.

Marigold.

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hi Marigold im just wondering i have been 85kgs forever i am 42 and since thyroid problem i went down from 85kgs to 78kgs in 3days yes 3days now its been a month i have gone from 78kgs to 93kgs and still putting on weight i cant understand why i eat good i am diabetic on insulin for 30years but now my whole life has been ripped from under my feet i cant fit my clothes anymore i cry alot i snap at anything said that i think people are saying to me im lonely my husband does not understand and does not take notice of anything i say bot my thyroid and wots going on !!!!!!!will i lose this weight???? i do zumba i walk alot i work from 230am til 430pm drive logging trucks and immmmmmm saddddddd!!!!!!!!!!

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Hi,

Sorry, I've just seen your post. I'm sorry you're having problems with gaining a lot of weight. I can't really help as I'm just the opposite - I lost a lot of weight when I was overactive and I haven't put any back on.

Marigold

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Hello,

I've put a lot of weight on this year since being diagnosed with graves. In total about 3 stones which is pretty devastating. I had Rai in APril and have only just started loosing it again, the endo says i will lose it all, i intend to help it along by joining WW.

I was an emotional wreck a few months ago and cried all the time. I thought that i was going stark raving mad which at times was quite scary.

Fortunately I seem to be getting more like my old self these days. So there is light at the end of the tunnel, just don't expect anything too quickly.

I used to kid myself I would be back to normal by whatever date and then beat myself up for not achieving it. The getting better is so gradual that you don't always notice it so keeping a diary may help.

Good luck

Jane

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HELP!!! SOME ASSURANCE PLZZZ :'(

Earlier this year February 2012, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I had a terribly fast heart beat, heavy sweating, shaking and a general low feeling and this is why I went in to get checked. 2 weeks after my results came back that I was hyperthyroid and I felt much better after that..my Labs were:

TSH Out of Range(0.00) Reference Values(.4-5.00)

Free T4 (FT4) Out of Range(27.26) Reference Values(9.03-19.09)

Total T3 Out of Range(162) Reference Values(58-159)

I was hooked up to an endo(who says I have Grave's Disease) by my GP @ school and she put me on 5mg of Neomercazole to be taken twice a day and 10mg of propanolol(betablocker), since I've been on medication I've felt terrible. Experiencing dizziness,feel like I have to get things done very fast and that I have to walk fast, I always feel like my body is ahead of me, I have terrible hand tremors when I extend them, having terrible head sensations, not headache just some weird head feelings and tingling,pressure and heaviness in my head, and my head feels like I'm out of it, I have hand cramping,neck discomfort, I also have times when I am breatheless, I feel heat inside my body, heat coming from both ears and now its June and I have been on medz from February and I am still having all these symptoms constantly and new ones: weakness in my hands, knees and ankles, there are days I don't know how I walk, and I'm having a general low feeling, no appetite, feeling sick (terribly sick). I did some new labs for my thyroid gland and my TSH is now 1.47, havent did my FT4 or FT3 yet..I did a CT Brain and an ultrasound of my thyroid and all is NORMAL.HELP! Are these ALL really symptoms of Hyperthyroidism ALONE from February till now July!!

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I have recently been diagnosed hyperthyroidism and have an appointment for tests at the hospital nxt month. I am so scared...i realy do worry. I have a long term partner who doesnt seem to understand my baddays and my no sex drive. To hear ur stories make me sy in relief as now i no im nt going mad or tht how i feel is normal bcus finally i no its not...the pumping chest feeling...the stress

..the sadness i feel

and im nt alone i jus cnt wait to get bk to myself...but i am scared for the tests can anyonee shine light on what the tests are at the hosp plzz? Xx

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Hi Everybody,

This all started about 2 years ago with me when I was 23. I started with obsessive thoughts and a panic attack in my office at work. Since then I have read up on anxiety and told myself that's what I have, I have basically struggled with this horrible feeling since then. Then about 6 weeks ago, my eyes swelled up and were very sore, went the hospital and they said I had sinusitis. They were wrong. Back and forth to the hospital with nasal sprays and antibiotics, nothing worked, I went to see a different doctor who sent me for blood tests and revealed that I had an overactive thryoid. My friend (who's mum is a pschyatric nurse) described all of the feeling I'd been suffering for so long, moody, paranoid, anxious, heart palpitation. I cried for half an hour happy tears and I felt so relieved that this was caused by a condition that could be treated,

The doctor gave me propanol 40 mg once a day, however I am thinking of taking this before bed also because it seems to wear off after a few hours. I also have the worst headaches you could imagine, I am thinking of being signed off work because it really is unbearable. Any advice please

Thanks xxxx

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Hey Marigold and everybody else ..I don’t know who remembers me and who does..but I posted here earlier mid this year…a few months ago. Was diagnosed with HyperT hyroidism in Feb…been on meds since..but they nt seeming to work..or maybe something else is wrong?

Since on meds (Propanolol 5mg per day & Neomercazole 15 mg per day) ..I haven’t felt better..have even developed new symptoms.weakness in legs..in some fingers, weird feeling in head…like pins and needles at times..terrible head tension, extremely excruciating weird head sensations, feeling like passing out my body feels weird like it aint mine..and my head always feels like I am in a fog…like I am living a dream…I feel terrible for months now (March till now constantly everyday)..I have a very fast heart beat, get tired easily..I’m essentially concerned about d way my body feels and weird head feelings..I barely function nowadays. My Drs think its my thyroid..but my endocrinologist thinks otherwise..I got back some results yesterday and they are T.S.H= 1.25 (.4-5.00)….T4= 11.48(9.03-19.01) & T3=3.66(1.45-3.48)…My T3 is clearly the only thing out of range. Can anybody help me please? What could be happening? I meet with my Endo tomorrow

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T.S.H= 1.25 (.4-5.00)….T4= 11.48(9.03-19.01) & T3=3.66(1.45-3.48 ) …My T3 is clearly the only thing out of range. Can anybody help me please? What could be happening? I meet with my Endo tomorrow

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Hi, I was diagnosed last year and have recently had an increase in meds. I am now on 200mg Levothyroxine, 1 gram Armour and 5mg Prednisone daily. Initially I felt amazing but then a week ago I started getting anxious, irrational, starting obsessively googling nasty diseases I don't even have symptoms of and getting paranoid. I have had something similar before where I have obsessed about leaving a tap on or a heater on to the point where I am physically sick. This time the paranoia and irrational thoughts are much worse to the point where I think I am going crazy. My heart feels like it is coming out of my chest, I have lost quite a lot of weight, my hands shake and I am hallucinating. I know that these things aren't real but I am becoming so anxious I cannot sleep or concentrate at work. Has anyone had anything like this when there meds were increased? I have started to decrease my Levothyroxine in case that helps. I know you shouldn't do that without consulting a doctor but I am desperate because I genuinely feel like I am going mad. Has anyone experienced this with Levothyroxine, Armour or even Prednisone?

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Do not let any doc push you into RAI or Surgery. I found an article on Graves and the use of L-carnitine and that really helped my recovery. It might be worthwhile to ask your doc to check your L-carnitine levels. They are known to be low with Graves patients. I took 1,000 mg of Acetyl-L-Carnitine along with my low dose of Methimazole and my results quickly became normalized. Unfortunately, it takes doctors a long time to change and my doc now believes me when I say this is very important to my treatment. I found regular L-carnitine did not work nearly as well as Acetyl-L-Carnitine as the latter is more easily absorbed by the body. This product is readily available in health food stores.

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Hi kerrylea, i dont know if you,re still discussing the problem, but i was interested in what you said about the weird head sensations.

i have just been diagnosed with overactive thyroid, and have been having these worrying things with my head for a month now, i even got the doctor to agree to me having an mri scan, i am waiting for results.

im not a headache person, so its prob why im worrying.

i have other symptoms, like anxiety, tiredness, dizziness etc, i may have a good day and think its gone, but no such luck!.

i am waiting to see an endo, hopefully soon so i can get medication to put me right and to feel normal again, its horrible.

i hope you or someone may see this and reply if this applies to you too.

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Are you still having same problems?i was diagnosed last October with under active and start of menopause but feel no better my head feels weird sort of racing and heavy and always worse at period time I'm normally a happy person but this is really getting me down anyone else feel the same 

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Hi Jane I have the same condition as you, the headaches are caused by congestion try over the counter medications.

Have you already had the operation - let me know how it went.  I'm not sure if I should have radiation or just a normal operation.  Hope all is well with you.

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Thats the symtoms that I get with my overactive thyroids and I am not on the same meds as you.