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From hypo to hyperthyroid fast

Nanni

Senior Member
Messages
148
I’m trying to figure out why, after years of being on the same dosage of thyroid medication I went into a hyperthyroid state, seemed like over night. I’m taking half of my thyroid medication right now until we get labs back. I want to figure out what happened. I’m not sure if it’s the testosterone that my doctor added to my other hormone replacement cream a few months ago. Or is it the culmination of adrenal support supplements, two months on T2, adding fermented green drink to my smoothie, and the methylation support kicking in, including blood sugar management using electrolyte powder daily. I’ve also been taking much more glutamine and feel it’s helped heal my gut. I know it’s never just one thing but can you have a pretty big change happen by just adding a little testosterone? Or was it a catalyst? I feel close to turning a corner of sorts but not sure how to evaluate this and come out with a new treatment.
 

Wonkmonk

Senior Member
Messages
1,006
Location
Germany
Do you have a lab test that confirms your hyperthyroid state or do you just feel hyper without knowing the fT3/fT4/TSH levels exactly?
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
What's your astrological sign? Maybe that's a factor too. :rolleyes:

It's really hard to figure out the active factor when you've been changing that many things at once. To identify it, you'd have to stop one or more of the treatments for a while to see if you go back to hypothyroid. If it's more than one factor working together, it's even more difficult. It might also be a hidden factor, such as a new bacteria on something you ate which has affected your gut ecology. If it was me, I'd also be worried about losing an opportunity for a long-term benefit by stopping whatever it is now.

I think that the actual thyroid tests aren't important, other than seeing if there's a new health problem. What's important is whether the change improves your quality of life. I think it's more important to feel better than to have my TSH match some doctor's idea of what's 'optimal' (for people without ME/CFS).

I suggest waiting a bit to see if the change remains. Then you can decide whether to experiment with discontinuing some of those treatments. I'd place priority on the most recent ones. My symptoms generally react quickly (hours or days) rather than after several months.
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
There are 2 things that I know for sure that mess up my thyroid (I have Hashi's):

Pink salt and coconut oil. I avoid pink salt like the plague and use tiny amounts of coconut oil every now and then for its antioxidant effects.

Apart from this I eat cruciferous foods and nuts very sparingly, and also avoid seeds.
 

Nanni

Senior Member
Messages
148
Do you have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid)? If so, you can sometimes switch from hypo to hyper from the Hashi's itself.
It didn’t come out in my blood work in terms of the numbers. The biggest clue I think is that for a number of years they started treating my symptoms not the numbers. I was taking 2.25 grains of several different brands of t3 t4 even though TSH was almost nonexistent.003. But never a hint of hypo, not even working up to that dosage. Just low level management of symptoms and acceptable Rt3 etc. Still had low blood pressure, weight gain,hair loss as well as fatigue. So the medication has never been absorbed properly or something. I remember antibodies getting tested but it’s been so many years since then. I’ve been able to get down to 1.25 grains because I think my work on my adrenals but I’ve never had totally in the range test results. I’m wondering if we have to test for Hashimoto and either interpret the results differently or in tandem of any thing else.
 

Nanni

Senior Member
Messages
148
Do you have a lab test that confirms your hyperthyroid state or do you just feel hyper without knowing the fT3/fT4/TSH levels exactly?
I don’t have labs back yet. I do feel better still on half the dosage I’ve been on for years. They’re going to test my DHEA and replacement hormones and t3rt3 etc. I’ll let you know.
 

Nanni

Senior Member
Messages
148
What's your astrological sign? Maybe that's a factor too. :rolleyes:

It's really hard to figure out the active factor when you've been changing that many things at once. To identify it, you'd have to stop one or more of the treatments for a while to see if you go back to hypothyroid. If it's more than one factor working together, it's even more difficult. It might also be a hidden factor, such as a new bacteria on something you ate which has affected your gut ecology. If it was me, I'd also be worried about losing an opportunity for a long-term benefit by stopping whatever it is now.

I think that the actual thyroid tests aren't important, other than seeing if there's a new health problem. What's important is whether the change improves your quality of life. I think it's more important to feel better than to have my TSH match some doctor's idea of what's 'optimal' (for people without ME/CFS).

I suggest waiting a bit to see if the change remains. Then you can decide whether to experiment with discontinuing some of those treatments. I'd place priority on the most recent ones. My symptoms generally react quickly (hours or days) rather than after several months.
I agree, symptoms before lab norms. Luckily i have a nurse practitioner who agrees. I didn’t think about my gut that much but I did have that Molvantik experience that I feel really damaged my stomach lining. Just about the most painful experience I’ve ever had and I had brain surgery lol. I don’t want to miss this opportunity either. I’m really enjoying the energy but I’m noticing a little more pain at times. I think I’d rather have the energy. I feel like I’m on a bad game show. I’ll give up one gallbladder for being able to eat again and I’ll give up less pain for more energy. I don’t react to changes in supplements that fast but I did put my supplements together over the last two months mostly checking for my stomach and anxiety levels. Everything seemed good except for my hormones, which was affecting gut and anxiety but you never know how things start working together. Supplements are tricky. For instance what combination may be boosting this or throwing that out of whack. So much to learn. BTW you asked about astrology. My husband told me about this configuration right now called Lions gate. Check it out. Interesting.
 

Nanni

Senior Member
Messages
148
There are 2 things that I know for sure that mess up my thyroid (I have Hashi's):

Pink salt and coconut oil. I avoid pink salt like the plague and use tiny amounts of coconut oil every now and then for its antioxidant effects.

Apart from this I eat cruciferous foods and nuts very sparingly, and also avoid seeds.
What happens when you have coconut oil. I don’t think I have had pink salt unless it’s a hidden ingredient? I don’t know about the foods you mentioned and Hashimoto.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
It didn’t come out in my blood work in terms of the numbers.
TSH was almost nonexistent.003.
I’m wondering if we have to test for Hashimoto and either interpret the results differently or in tandem of any thing else.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in Oct 2013 (but may have had it longer, we do not know). If I am understanding you correctly, you have not been tested for the two Hashi's autoantibodies which would be the required tests for diagnosis. They are called TPO and TGAb and an Endo can easily test for them (or any PCP if they want to).

In addition your TSH would usually be above the range showing hypothyroidism. Was your TSH ever elevated or was it always around .003 (hyperthyroid)? I just got my most recent blood test results today from my Endo and my TSH is normal at 2.39 (with Armour Thyroid) and the range used by Lab Corp is 0.450 to 4.5 (with above 4.5 being hypothyroid and below 0.450 being hyperthyroid).

Edit: As far as food, my Endo said back in 2013, that many studies have shown that being gluten-free improves Hashimoto's and I have been 100% gluten-free ever since. I have many foods I do not tolerate (some life-long) but in my case I suspect it is from MCAS vs. Hashi's.
 

Wonkmonk

Senior Member
Messages
1,006
Location
Germany
I don’t have labs back yet. I do feel better still on half the dosage I’ve been on for years. They’re going to test my DHEA and replacement hormones and t3rt3 etc. I’ll let you know.

I know from my own experience that the own feeling can be totally wrong, i.e. one feeling very hyper but lab is totally ok or vice versa.

I suspect that the CFS messes up some of the cellular functions regulated by thyroid hormones, and therefore the CFS can suggest to you your thyroid hormones are wrong, but they are actually ok and the CFS is the reason.

Also given that you have other hormonal adjustments, that all could be a reason that the thyroid hormones did in fact change because the hormones are all interconnected.

If you feel better on the lower dose, that's important, but looking at the lab test is always good.
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
What happens when you have coconut oil.
This is from my personal experience: it raises basal metabolism and stimulates thyroid. Following the advice of a nutritionist I started using only coconut oil for cooking and a few weeks later I had lost too much weight (I already was on my ideal weight at the start) had an energy boost followed by the longest crash of my life only repaired after months of T4/T3 replacement.
I don’t think I have had pink salt unless it’s a hidden ingredient?
Recently I started seeing it as an ingredient in some "healthy" paleo snacks.
I don’t know about the foods you mentioned and Hashimoto.
Goitrogens. I am extremely susceptible to them.
 

Nanni

Senior Member
Messages
148
This is from my personal experience: it raises basal metabolism and stimulates thyroid. Following the advice of a nutritionist I started using only coconut oil for cooking and a few weeks later I had lost too much weight (I already was on my ideal weight at the start) had an energy boost followed by the longest crash of my life only repaired after months of T4/T3 replacement.

Recently I started seeing it as an ingredient in some "healthy" paleo snacks.

Goitrogens. I am extremely susceptible to them.
Thanks so much for the information. I haven’t heard about these foods. I just recently started using coconut milk for my smoothies. I wonder...I’m going to do an experiment.
 

Nanni

Senior Member
Messages
148
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in Oct 2013 (but may have had it longer, we do not know). If I am understanding you correctly, you have not been tested for the two Hashi's autoantibodies which would be the required tests for diagnosis. They are called TPO and TGAb and an Endo can easily test for them (or any PCP if they want to).

In addition your TSH would usually be above the range showing hypothyroidism. Was your TSH ever elevated or was it always around .003 (hyperthyroid)? I just got my most recent blood test results today from my Endo and my TSH is normal at 2.39 (with Armour Thyroid) and the range used by Lab Corp is 0.450 to 4.5 (with above 4.5 being hypothyroid and below 0.450 being hyperthyroid).

Edit: As far as food, my Endo said back in 2013, that many studies have shown that being gluten-free improves Hashimoto's and I have been 100% gluten-free ever since. I have many foods I do not tolerate (some life-long) but in my case I suspect it is from MCAS vs. Hashi's.
My TSH has always been suppressed. The Free t3 rt3 all look good and within range. They aren’t doing the TSH unless I asked for it. The labs right before I felt hyper were still a little suppressed but acceptable. I’m going to ask for the Hashimoto test, thanks. We have to ask for everything. Seems like cfs is often about cellular activity just whacked. It’s been very frustrating seeing all the symptoms of hypothyroid, even the eyebrow thing but never felt like my body was using the medication.
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
Do you have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid)? If so, you can sometimes switch from hypo to hyper from the Hashi's itself.
I am curious about this , never been tested for hashi's but it seems like this is happening with my thyroid replacement. at a certain point in time I felt like it cured a lot of my symptoms but now i feel hyper thyroid

how do i test for hashimotos and how can it be treated?
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
how do i test for hashimotos and how can it be treated?

Any doctor could test for Hashi's but I'd recommend seeing an endocrinologist if you want the most thorough testing and interpretation. In addition to all the thyroid tests, they would test you for the two Hashi's autoantibodies (TPO and TgAb). If you have Hashi's, the medication is usually the same as for (non-Hashi's) hypothyroidism. My Endo also had me do an ultrasound scan of my thyroid when I was first diagnosed in 2013.

I take Armour Thyroid and monitor my thyroid levels every 3-4 months with my Endo. He also suggested being gluten-free, which I have done since 2013, since gluten can make Hashi's worse (I forget the exact mechanism but somehow the gluten molecule is similar to the autoantibodies and worsens the attack on the thyroid). I also avoid products with iodine.
 

Hope78

Senior Member
Messages
112
Location
Germany
There are 2 things that I know for sure that mess up my thyroid (I have Hashi's):

Pink salt and coconut oil. I avoid pink salt like the plague and use tiny amounts of coconut oil every now and then for its antioxidant effects.

Apart from this I eat cruciferous foods and nuts very sparingly, and also avoid seeds.
What did pink salt do to your thyroid?
 

digital dog

Senior Member
Messages
646
It's high in iodine too I think.
I have to avoid iodine in food; if I eat fish I go insane.
I'm not exaggerating.