THYROID DISEASE

Read and learn more about high thyroid symptoms. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: How do I fell on a low Thyroid? How do I feel on a high Thyroid, and what are the Symptoms to both?

A: If you have Hypothyroidism (low thyroid) You usually feel sluggish, tired and put on weight without even eating. If you have hyperthyroidism (high thyroid) You usually have alot of energy, hyperactivity and lose weight without even trying (this is the one I want lol) But if you feel you have one of these get to a doctor and a simple blood test can let you know. Sometimes with the hyperthyroid you feel like your heart is racing and almost beating out of your chest. Hope this has helped.

Q: Blood test says I have a high thyroid (hyperthyroidism), but I seem to fit the symptoms of hypothyroism!?
I’m a female in my late 20’s who went to the doctor and got tests back confirming that I have a high level thyroid (hyperthyroidism). However, I have not lost weight and have not lost any of my hair and I don’t seem to fit any of the signs of hyperthyroidism. On the other hand, I am tired a lot and can sleep practically at any time, have dry skin, am usually cold, and while I’m at an average weight, I don’t have much muscle tone and never have. Could the test and/or symptoms be wrong??? For those with a thyroid problem, did taking medication really yield a change and if so, how?
1 day ago – 3 days left to answer.
my tsh levels were low (which I understand means I have hyperthyroidism)

A: Your doctor could of got the wrong diagnostics

Q: What are the symptoms of overactive Thyroid? Can somebody actually die from it?
Please help; I know someone that had very high Thyroid and I want to know what could happen to this person, is this an emergency?

A: It’s probably not an emergency. Symptoms include fast heart rate, weight loss, nervousness, sweating, feeling tired, and not being able to sleep well. Technically, yes, there is something called thyrotoxic crisis that a person could die of, but it’s very, very rare (and overactive thyroid is pretty common) and usually only caused by an injury to the thyroid such as from having surgery on it.

Q: High/Elevated thyroid?
I received some results from my doctor and was told my thyroid level was slightly high….she said it should be 2.0, mine is 2.3…hmmm….so obviously i have know idea what this means, so I’m going to see the doctor this week, but until then, can someone give me some insight. What are the symptoms of high thyroid and how can this problem be resolved? and one more….is this considered hypothyroidism or hyper?? Thanks.

A: Do you know what test the doctor is referring to? Usually a TSH is done and the range as recommended by AACE is 0.3 to 3.0. There are many doctors who believe a TSH over 2.0 is not normal and considered subclinical hypothyroidism.

seeing you didn’t mention what the test was, I will list symptoms for both underactive and overactive.

Symptoms of underactive (hypothyroidism) fatigue, weight gain, depression, dry skin, dry thinning hair, headaches, constipation, low body temp, ridged fingernails, vertigo, high cholesterol, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, sensitivity to light, menstrual problems, fertility issues,

Symptoms of overactive (hyperthyroidism) headache, weight loss, diarrhea, fast heart rate, increased sweating, nervousness, anxiety,

Q: what symptoms would a 16 old girl high performance tennis player if she had thyroid problems?

A: * Palpitations, fast pulse and irregular heartbeat
* Trembling and twitches
* Heat intolerance
* Hot flushes and increased sweating
* Increased appetite (or loss of appetite)
* Weight loss (especially if eating well)
* Diarrhoea
* Anxiety, nervousness and/or panic attacks
* Restlessness
* Irritability
* Thin, moist skin
* Soft, thinning hair
* Shortness of breath
* Muscle weakness
* Insomnia
* Enlarged thyroid gland
* Eye complaints (especially gritty or bulging eyes)
* Fatigue, exhaustion and lack of energy
* Menstrual cycle disturbances (intermittent and light)
* Depression and mood swings

I hope that you don’t have any of them!! It is not too common, so I hope that you are all clear.

Q: is anyone suffering from high levels of thyroid antibodies in their system?
My daughters TSH levels come back normal however her thyroid antibodies are extremely high. She is not underactive or overactive yet and the dr says there’s nothing they can do until it goes either way. What symptoms do you have?

A: I have high anti bodies. But i’m under care. I have double vision because of hyperthyroid. I used to pass out in my music class. My body temprature changes alot and i loose weight easily. I am now 13 i take carbimazole to keep my thyroid under control. I also suffer from chronic bronchitis.

Q: what happens when doctor cuts down on thyroid medicine, can you have symptoms worse?
I have hypothyroid and the last blood test for thyroid showed that the roxine (T4) was high. What does that mean and the doctor cut me down on my pills to 1-a- day for only five days and now I seem to have symptoms that are not right.Should I be concerned?

A: I also have hypothyroidism…your doctor should schedule a follow-up visit to determine if the lowered dosage is adequate. If you’re having symptoms, I would contact your endocrinologist and ask for another thyroid panel. Best of luck…it can be a frustrating road to travel while you’re finding that perfect dosage.

Q: what is the cause for high thyroid hormone. anyone know?
the doc told me that my thyroid hormone is a little higher than norm. free T3 was 3.83Pg/dl which is about 0.3 above the higher end of the norm. free T4 was 1.62 which is just 0.02 above the higher end of the norm. my TSH level was normal and it was 2.75UIU/ml. I am wondering what could cause slightly higher free T3 level and TSH still staying in the normal range. I have symptoms that could be associated with high thyroid hormone. My heart beat feel so fast after a little excersise and shortness of breath appear at the same time with fast heart beat. its hard to sleep sometimes when the symptom appears. This is very bothering me and I wonder if anyone have some idea what should i do to cure these and what could be the cause. Because my heart beat sometimes is very uncomfortable and it makes me anxicious. I really would like to be fine like before.

A: Stay away from high iodine foods and salt. See if it helps. Cant hurt.

BTW don’t smoke.

Q: what symptoms would a 16 yr old high performance girl tennis player have if she had thyroid problems , what ?
help?

A: For hypothyroid (low thyroid) – fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, constantly cold, puffiness, decreased reflexes, weight gain, mood changes/depression, constipation

Hyperthyroid (high thyroid) – anxiety, constantly hot/sweaty, diarrhea, fine tremor, weight loss, big appetite.

Both can also present with troubles with periods (too many/too few).

Q: How to treat High Thyroid? My TSH is 6.33 mU/L High ,Free Thyroxine is 12.9 pmol/L.?
My TSH is 6.33 mU/L High ,Free Thyroxine is 12.9 pmol/L
I do have shortness of breath, especially when exercising,abdominal pain,depression; and elevated blood sugar,hair falls out easily, is often oily and straight,bulging eyes, having more frequent bowl movements or diarrhoea, fatigue, feeling like you can never rest enough, insomnia sore,increased appetite, intolerance to heat, feeling like someone is choking me and difficulty swallowing foods. weight loss despite increased appetite.Can someone out there please let me know how I can get rid of this symptoms and how I can treat my High Tyroid.Did anyone had thyroid removed?How feels like without it? Can you do all activities like before and if you are healthy without thyroid?Thank you

A: I’m a biochemist and do a lot of research with the thyroid gland. Actually the endocrine system as a whole. Anyway, typically what happens when you have hyperthyroidism (high thyroid hormone levels) is you get a sort of radiation treatment. They give you a radioactive isotope of iodine which kills part or all of the thyroid gland. This means the thyroid can no longer produce thyroxine and triiodothyranine (the two main thyroid hormones). You would then have to take synthetic thyroid hormones for the rest of your life. The dosing at first can be tricky to get right, so you may still experience some of the same symptoms, or the complete opposite of the symptoms for the first few weeks. Just keep in contact with your doctor and let him make adjustments on your dosages. Surgery isn’t used too much because the radiation treatment is far less invasive (swallowing a liquid as opposed to the obvious steps involved in surgery). The radiation therapy has been used safely for decades, so don’t worry about radiation poisoning, it’s not a factor at all here. Sorry, I’ve never had this treatment, but I know lots of patients who have and they say the change is almost instantaneous (once they get the dosage of their synthetic thyroxine correct).

*Additional Information* Okay, apparently my answer confused some people. It’s true that when your TSH levels are high your problem isn’t with the thyroid itself. The problem is with the pituitary gland as others have said. The problem doens’t lie with the thyroid gland at all, it’s just doing what it’s told to do by the pituitary gland. However, the usual treatment for this doesn’t have anything to do with the pituitary gland. It’s the thyroid that gets treated as I described above. I’m not a medical doctor and I don’t diagnose diseases, so you need to talk to your doctor about this first.

Q: high thyroid levels…. ?
i took some blood tests to see why i am tired, like all the time!
it came back that i have high thyroid levels and i looked up the symptoms. i have almost all the symptoms for low thyoid levels ? … so why is mine high ? it doesnt make sense..

A: The confusion comes from the fact that you didn’t have your thyroid tested. You had a pituitary hormone called TSH tested. Testing TSH is an indirect, second hand way to guess at what your thyroid hormone levels are. Chances are, if your TSH is high, your thyroid hormone levels are low. And conversely, if your TSH is low, your thyroid hormone levels are high.

So your doctor didn’t say that you had high thyroid levels. He said that your TSH was high. This means that you probably have hypothyroidism.

You need free T3, free T4, and antibody tests to confirm and diagnose.

Q: I have high levels of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) what will this do to me?
I have just been told I have an underactive thyroid, according to my Dr my brain is making my body produce too much thyroid stimulating hormone to combat this. Why is my brain/body doing this? What symptoms can i expect from this condition, I feel tired occasionally, both physically and mentally. I sometimes feel mentally confused and get pressure in my head. Is this a symptom? I have heard that tingling/numbness in the hands/face can also be a symptom of this condition, is this the case? Any of your experiences would be welcomed, to give me an insight into thsi condition and how best to manage it.

Thanx

A: Hi Mark, dont worry too much. Your GP can prescribe medication to regulate the production of hormones until it settles down again. This may cause a racing heart, panic and anxiety. This is called Hypothyroidism.
Approximately 1 in 50 women and 1 in 1000 men will develop symptoms of hypothyroidism at some stage in their lives. Once diagnosed, treatment is usually straightforward.

The thyroid gland is found in the neck. It lies in front of the wind-pipe (trachea), above the level of the collar-bones and measures approximately 2 by 4 cm. It secretes hormones, which are chemicals produced by the body to help regulate how cells, and the organs made up of groups of cells, work. Hormones are sometimes called chemical messengers.

The thyroid hormones are thyroxine (also called T4 because it contains four iodine atoms) and triiodothyronine (also called T3 because it contains three iodine atoms). These are released into the blood stream.

T3 speeds up the body’s metabolism by encouraging the cells, in the muscles or the skin for instance, to work faster or to grow.

Q: EXTREMELY high thyroid…?
I went to the dr. with some weird symptoms recently and it turns out my thyroid level is 315, when a normal level is under 5. she said she doesnt think shes ever seen one that high!

I go back in the am for a full thyroid panel, so ill have a chance to ask more questions then, but has anyone else had levels so very high?

what is likely to happen next? shes going to refer me to an endocrinologist, just wondering what everyone elses experiences have been… esp since my levels are so extreme.
its not hyper, its hypo. my thyroid is underactive.

A: I’ve heard of levels that high, as I am a member of many thyroid support message boards. I suggest you join a few as well. JUst search under groups on yahoo and use the seach word hypothyroidism.

Most likely you will be placed on thyroid medication and tested every 6 weeks to 3 months until the TSH goes down. Remember to always test first thing in the morning, as this is when TSH will be higher. Basically, you want the morning TSH around 1.0.

If you have any large nodules on your thyroid, the doctor may order and ultrasound. Many times, thyroid meds can reduce the size of the nodules.

Below is a good thyroid forum to star reading up on the condition. If you have any questions I can be contacted through yahoo questions.

Q: My T3 level of thyroid hormone are high but I experience cold intolerance, fatigue, and weight gain.?
My T3 level of thyroid hormone are high but I experience cold intolerance, fatigue, and weight gain. My doctor said I have hyperthyroidism but my symptoms are more like hypothyroidism. Anyone have this situation before?
Note: I can’t see a endocrinologist for a month.

A: Sorry Rosie but most of that is simply untrue. TSH is by far the most sensitive test of thyroid function. The only rare exception is in people who have a tumour in their pituitary gland, (in which case thyroid function is the last endocrine system to be affected anyway so you should not be diagnosing pit. tumours with TFTs), which I presume is not the case here.

Kat – T3 is not a very reliable test – the assay used to measure it just isn’t that great. It is more important to look at the TSH level, which is what I presume your doc has done. Very low TSH suggests hyperthyroidism. High TSH suggests hypothyroidism. Normal TSH and high T3 probably means the T3 result is wrong. The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are very variable, a lot of people are surprised by the diagnosis. Wait until you see the endocrinologist.

Q: i have high thyroid levels?
im 13 and i was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism or somehting like that a few days ago. i dont get what it is though.. can you explain it for me
she said that my body is making lotsa antibodies and they are killing my thyroid. then how come the levels are getting high not low? and can you just explain everything like symptoms and stuff about it

btw she put me on 50 mg or something like with the number 50 of medicine in a tuny pill the size of a tic tac for once a day in the morning

A: Hi
Hyperthyroidism means your thyroid gland is putting out way too much thyroid hormones.. If your body is making antibodies your doc means that they are ATTACKING your thyroid. It is an auto immune disease.
Some symptoms -heart beating way too fast, muscle weakness so you cannot get up, fingernails separating from the nail beds, shaking legs and body, shortness of breath and more. You do not have to have all the symptoms.

I am assuming you are taking an Anti-Thyroid Drug aka Tapazole or PTU. That drug has put people into remission so it’s a good thing. Your doctor will monitor your hormone levels and adjust the dose up/down according to your blood tests so keep those appointments and keep track of your symptoms so you can keep him/her informed.

I had the radioactive Iodine which has done really bad things to me. Should have gone on the ATD (Anti-Thyroid Drug) pills.
Some doctors believe the thyroid malfunctions because of an Iodine Deficiency. Here are some links for you. Take care of yourself and keep informed. Read up on all this. Had I known then what I know now.. there is NO WAY I would have let them con me into nuking my Iodine Starved Thyroid with the RADIOACTIVE Iodine.

Good luck and hang in there. I am hoping you achieve remission eventually. l preferred the HYPER symptoms over the HYPOthyroid symptoms.

-Katz

http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/19330/2903
http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/19330/2902
http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/iodine.htm
http://www.qfac.com/articles/august/iodine.html

http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/19330/2897/2