Swinging Hyper????

hsrunningmom

I just had blood work done with my doctor. With the results, my doc thinks I might be swinging toward being hyper. I’ve been hypo for over 9 years. This is a totally new area for me. I was wondering how symptoms differ from being hypo and hyper. I still have hypo symptoms. Can that mimic hyper symptoms? I am so confused.

debbylee22

Oh, I'm so sorry! I swung slightly hyper when the Dr put me on a large dose of synthroid. What happened to me was I got "heat-intolerance"... and night sweats (soaked the bed several times a night). Its way worse then being cold all the time!
Other then that, I've read that the symptoms are the same on a lot of things. I guess googling it would help.
Blessings!
Debby

hsrunningmom

Debbie - That's just it, I did google hyper symptoms. Those symptoms don't seem to fit. I'm still tired. My weight won't budge. I guess I just need to do more research.

x4mygirlsx

ive just recently got my blood work and im apparently hyper (TSH 0.01). but to be honest i havent noticed a difference. Wish i had one of the symptoms of being hyper, weightloss, but no such luck lol. My sis went hyper and lost 9lb in 2 weeks. But anyway had my dose lowered as its not safe to be hyper for too long. x

tecallahan

It depends on what your levels are whether you are really hyper -- if he's just counting TSH, he could be wrong.
Does he test your Free T3 and Free T4? Your T3 should be on the high end of normal and your T4 should be on the low end of normal. If you still have hypo symptoms, it's likely that your T3 is too low - but if he's not testing for it, then you are in trouble.

I believe I remember that you take synthetic T4 - is that correct? If so, here's what sometimes happens -- TSH goes up (what doctors call hypo) when you don't have enough T4. TSH goes down (what doctors call hyper) when you have enough or too much T4.

They are frequently assuming that your body is converting the T4 (inactive hormone) to T3 (active hormone)... but it's possible that your body is not converting it correctly. So, you could have plenty of T4 and low TSH, which the doctor could call hyper -- but not enough T3 -- so you still have hypo symptoms.

Ask him to test your T3!!

tokataro

How often do you get these other tests done- free T3 and T4? And how much do the labs cost? My insurance won't kick in til the start of next year, and even then I have no idea if they'll be covered. I just see a GP, not an endo, but so far he's been pretty accommodating.

hsrunningmom

It depends on what your levels are whether you are really hyper -- if he's just counting TSH, he could be wrong.
Does he test your Free T3 and Free T4? Your T3 should be on the high end of normal and your T4 should be on the low end of normal. If you still have hypo symptoms, it's likely that your T3 is too low - but if he's not testing for it, then you are in trouble.

I believe I remember that you take synthetic T4 - is that correct? If so, here's what sometimes happens -- TSH goes up (what doctors call hypo) when you don't have enough T4. TSH goes down (what doctors call hyper) when you have enough or too much T4.

They are frequently assuming that your body is converting the T4 (inactive hormone) to T3 (active hormone)... but it's possible that your body is not converting it correctly. So, you could have plenty of T4 and low TSH, which the doctor could call hyper -- but not enough T3 -- so you still have hypo symptoms.

Ask him to test your T3!!

Hey Tecallahan,

I am very fortunate to have a doc that treats according to symptoms and tests more than just the TSH. He has me on Nature Throid which is very similar to Armour. My Free T3 was 4.5 so it was just outside the high range. My Free T4 was at 1.25 which falls in the middle of the range. My TSH was at .004 which had jumped from the last time it was measured at .01. From my numbers, it looks like I have enough T3 and T4. I was dealing with the PA when I was in cause my doc was out for a few weeks. She is going to follow-up with my doc when he gets back in. She even suggested that we may look into adrenal issues. I'll get a better idea where we are headed once my doc is back in town.

hsrunningmom

How often do you get these other tests done- free T3 and T4? And how much do the labs cost? My insurance won't kick in til the start of next year, and even then I have no idea if they'll be covered. I just see a GP, not an endo, but so far he's been pretty accommodating.

I usually have the T3 and T4 checked with my other bloodwork every six months. Not sure what the cost is, since my insurance covers most of the cost. My doc is a GP too and very thankful he's my doc.

tecallahan

Glad your adrenals are being checked... that's another reason why you may feel hypo even though your levels are good.
If you have adrenal fatigue and not enough cortisol, then the T3 cannot properly enter the cells - and virtually every cell in our body has T3 receptors - they can be blocked by Reverse T-3 or they can not have enough cortisol to properly engage.

shvits

I was hypo for 40 years and then suddenly became hyper. It came on with a BANG. You will know you are hyper with a resting pulse of 110, jittery, nervous, irritable, exhausted from so much going on. Do you have a nodule that is suddenly producing more hormone? Have you had a scan? a biopsy if you have nodules? It is not an easy time. Sending hug.

hsrunningmom

I stopped taking my energy suppliment which also supports adrenals a week ago in preparation of having my cortisol checked. I felt halfway decent until I did that. I am totally and completely exhausted to the point I'm barely functioning. I'm going to push to have my adrenals checked. I've got one more week to go before I can have a cortisol test run.

debbylee22

Ah!! Sounds brutal! But it will be worth it to get the right treatment.

sometimes_blondie

How often do you get these other tests done- free T3 and T4? And how much do the labs cost? My insurance won't kick in til the start of next year, and even then I have no idea if they'll be covered. I just see a GP, not an endo, but so far he's been pretty accommodating.

I also don't have insurance, and I think they did two different tests, one was $130 and the other was$88. You can call the billing department at your clinic and they'll tell you. It wasn't as exorbitant as I thought. My husband's workplace offers insurance, but it is very expensive and they have a very high deductible.

trimom10

For over 25 years I've been hypo and on Synthroid. Suddenly this past summer I was out of breath while running, could hardly open a door, resting heart rate was fast, was eating everything in sight because I was so hungry, warm all of the time, hands shaking... the list goes on. Turns out I had gone hyper, and after three dose reductions, I am now on Methimazole to suppress the thyroid. I'm finally feeling better with most of my hyper symptoms disappearing, but have now gained like seven pounds and quite tired. My doctor only ran TSH and free T4 tests for the first three visits, until the last time he added a TSI to see if I had Graves disease. Confirmed. Going in next week for another visit and tests.

I've seen some people here that have gone between the two a couple of times. Regulating the thyroid takes time, and that combined with your body changing the rules, it can be a difficult road. Another friend said that tests are only part of the story and to listen to your body. I think that's great advice.