New Hyperthyroidism Diagnosis

Hormones
1

Hello UK! My general practitioner found a lump on my thyroid, sent me to Endocrinologist who found a 10cm lump via an ultra scan. Then she ordered a thyroid scan and a bunch of blood work and said the lump is not cancerous, my hyperthyroidism is mild, does not require treatment, just wants me come back in 90 days to check on it.

I don't know about the UK, but here in the colonies we just get a pithy call from the nurse with little explanation, so I get to wait 90 days before I get to try to cram a few questions into my 2 minutes with the doctor.

Anyway, mother has type 2 diabetes and my fasting blood sugar was 110. Does anyone understand the correlation between these thyroid problems and type 2 diabetes that you can explain to me like I am a 9th grader?

Thanks! -Jeff

2

I had the same thing - except my 'lump' was the size of an orange and the surgeon said he was mystified how it fitted in my neck and I could still breathe ! I had an 'on the spot' biopsy that scared the &%^%(^% out of me and then a 2 week wait. Thankfully benign and it all came out with the thyroid anyway. Thyroids do tend to grow lumps so its probably more of a hassle than a problem.

3

Hi Jeff,

I don't have any lumps on my thyroid, but I have hyperthyroidism and when I was first diagnosed I was found to be borderline diabetic, which is a common symptom of hyperthyroidism (maybe hypo -- not sure). My doctor (a very skilled chiropractor who does a lot of other things involving nutrition, blood test analysis, etc.) advised me to get the hyperthyroidism under control right away or I could progress to full-fledged diabetes. I'm sure you're doing some research on your own -- and I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE it! I saw that there are several articles on the internet you can read. I included excerpts from two of them here:

Website: besuretotest.com (article titled "Diabetes and Thyroid Disease: Understanding the Connection" ) --

About one-third of type 1 diabetics have thyroid disease. Studies suggest a tendency for diabetes and thyroid disease to co-occur in patients: Diabetes and thyroid disease both affect the body's endocrine system, which regulates metabolism.

Thyroid gland malfunction is typically categorized as hypothyroidism, which occurs when the thyroid gland produces less thyroid hormone than the body requires, or hyperthyroidism, which occurs when the thyroid gland produces excess levels of thyroid hormone.

Type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease are auto-immune disorders. Auto-immune disorders occur when the body's immune system attacks the body instead of defending it from disease and infection. Patients suffering with auto-immune disorder are likely to have more than one type. For example, a patient may have Addison's disease and type 1 diabetes, or a type 1 diabetic may also have rheumatoid arthritis.

The link between type 2 diabetes and thyroid disease is less conclusive, but both conditions are associated with aging, so co-occurrences of type 2 diabetes and thyroid disease can be expected.

_______________________

website: http://journal.diabetes.org/clinicaldiabetes/v18n12000/pg38.htm

Diabetic patients have a higher prevalence of thyroid disorders compared with the normal population (Table 1). Because patients with one organ-specific autoimmune disease are at risk of developing other autoimmune disorders, and thyroid disorders are more common in females, it is not surprising that up to 30% of female type 1 diabetic patients have thyroid disease. The rate of postpartum thyroiditis in diabetic patients is three times that in normal women. A number of reports have also indicated a higher than normal prevalence of thyroid disorders in type 2 diabetic patients, with hypothyroidism being the most common disorder.

Table 1. Prevalence Rates for Thyroid Disease

Thyroid disease in the general

population: 6.6%

Thyroid disease in diabetes:

Overall prevalence: 10.8­13.4%

Hypothyroidism: 3­6%

Subclinical hypothyroidism: 5­13%

Hyperthyroidism: 1­2%

Postpartum thyroiditis: 11%

How Thyroid Dysfunction May Affect Diabetic Patients

The presence of thyroid dysfunction may affect diabetes control. Hyperthyroidism is typically associated with worsening glycemic control and increased insulin requirements. There is underlying increased hepatic gluconeogenesis, rapid gastrointestinal glucose absorption, and probably increased insulin resistance. Indeed, thyrotoxicosis may unmask latent diabetes.

In practice, there are several implications for patients with both diabetes and hyperthyroidism. First, in hyperthyroid patients, the diagnosis of glucose intolerance needs to be considered cautiously, since the hyperglycemia may improve with treatment of thyrotoxicosis. Second, underlying hyperthyroidism should be considered in diabetic patients with unexplained worsening hyperglycemia. Third, in diabetic patients with hyperthyroidism, physicians need to anticipate possible deterioration in glycemic control and adjust treatment accordingly. Restoration of euthyroidism will lower blood glucose level.

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Do lots of research and listen to your intuition. Use doctors for guidance, but take your health into your own hands. What I've found with thyroid issues is that everyone is different and that thyroid issues are very complex and may have many different causes/combinations of causes. It's overwhelming! But it's great to have a forum like this to vent and to get ideas and suggestions from others with similar challenges so that you can have a little more armor -- become a little more powerful in taking control of your own health.

My personal opinion -- should you ever get to this point and have to choose whether or not to get invasive procedures such as radioactive iodine or removal of the thyroid -- don't get them if you don't have to! There are many other less-invasive treatments. And don't forget the mind-body connection: emotional healing from the past; removal of current stressors; meditation; dietary changes; taking supplements; and a host of other holistic treatments will help you tremendously in conjunction with any conventional treatments you decide to do.

It may be a long journey of trial and error, but hopefully you'll figure it all out and feel good about your choices! Be powerful!

Best of luck,

Veronica

4

Thanks guys, and especially Veronica! I read the article on Thyroid disease and diabetes. I feel stuck because my doctor says my hyperthyroidism is too mild to treat but it is driving my high glucose level. I have cut back on sweets so hopefully that will help. I get my glucose checked again in 90 days so hopefully it will be lower.

5

There are some good supplements on the market. I purchased "ThyroSoothe". I ordered online. High quality supplements. It is a liquid and you can use the dropper to put in water or other drinks. Maybe because your condition is mild, something like this alone will help. T

I took it by itself for a month or so, prior to being put on medication. I resisted the conventional meds, but my condition was pretty bad and so I've been taking Methimazole for the past 4 months and I don't take the supplement as much. I feel only slightly better, even though my blood test showed I'm within normal ranges.

I've started taking the "ThyroSoothe" more regularly and I always look for natural things I can take that may help or foods I can eat. Maybe the combination of all the things I do will eventually help! Healing, unfortunately is usually a long trial and error process when the condition is moderate to severe.

Another option may be the herb Lemon Balm (formal name Melissa officinalis) that I just read about today in my internet research. There are several articles on the internet about how it may help an overactive thyroid.

Consider yourself fortunate. I often have debilitating symptoms, and so do many others who have moderate to severe thyroid issues. If my condition was mild and natural remedies were enough to heal my thyroid, I would be ecstatic! I guess it's all relative, huh? smile

Also, try using stevia instead of real sugar or artificial sweeteners. Stevia comes from the leaf of a Brazilian plant. It is as "strong" as artificial sweeteners, but is actually HEALTHY for you and it has been PROVEN to stabilize blood sugar levels. It is also pH alkaline, which is good (not acidic). I use it all the time. I especially love herbal teas with a packet of stevia and lemon juice added. YUM!

Ok, I'll let you continue your research now!

6

Thanks much Veronica. Reading the ThyroSoothe endorsements is therapy in itself. I'm 53 and fit and I see people my age with so much energy and I've wondered why I am different. I take naps in the afternoon because of the fatigue. It's good to see I'm not alone and to know the cause. I think I will try the ThyroSoothe and see if it works.

7

I can relate! It's so frustrating. I'm 47 and used to exercise a lot. I lived in AZ for 8 years until I moved back to MI a year ago. I used to hike and bike and be very active. Now I sometimes can't even get dressed because my legs are so weak and I can't lift them high enough! And an afternoon nap is almost a necessity. I feel like I'm 90 years old! My muscle tone has dropped considerably due to not being able to exercise. I can't even go for longer than a 15-minute walk and my legs start wobbling. When I look back on my past, I realize that I have felt fatigued for many years, but I think I just ignored it and it wasn't so bad that it was debilitating. So I'm thinking my immune system has probably been on the brinks for most of my life. I had constant, chronic stress in my life the last few years which I think just put me over the edge. Now it's truly affecting my quality of life. Thankfully, my fiance is understanding and supportive. It's hard to explain that you can't walk and feel like crap and don't want to do anything when you look totally fine! Oh, I have the Epstein-Barr virus...very interesting reading on that, too. About 90-95% of people have it. It's part of the herpes strain. When it is dormant you don't know it's there -- no symptoms. But when it's active, it can be heck. And they say that hyperthyroidism can be caused by a viral attack on the thyroid. That's what I feel happened to me -- I think my stress sent the virus on a rampage!

I hope the ThyroSoothe works for you. Keep me posted...

8

Wow, thanks for the briefing. Makes me really want to get on top of this early. I just ordered the ThyroSoothe, will probably go by the Whole Foods today and see if they have some Bugleweed or Lemon Balm. I eat broccoli like it is going out of style, but it looks like I will be snacking it raw now.

9

Awesome! Hope it all starts doing its job for your thyroid!