When Hypothyroid & Hyperthyroid Signs Present Together

when hypothyroid and hyperthyroid signs symptoms present together

From the traditional medicine perspective, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism sit at opposite ends of the thyroid spectrum with entirely different clinical presentations and polar opposite symptoms. While this model holds true often times, I would like to make the case that the line between symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism is not so pencil sharp but rather blurry.

Is it possible to have both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism symptoms at the very same time?

Absolutely. I have a mix of both. How about you?

Hypothyroid vs Hyperthyroid Symptoms

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) and hyperthyroidism (high thyroid hormone) have profound effects on every cell, every tissue, every organ, and every organ system of the body. Thyroid health is a lot like the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears – not too little, not too much, just the right amount.

COMMON HYPOTHYROIDISM SYMPTOMS

Hypothyroidism is a state in which the level of thyroid hormone is too low to meet the body’s needs.

  • Fatigue
  • Weight gain
  • Swelling
  • Cold sensitivity
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Constipation
  • Depression
  • Muscle cramps
  • Headaches
  • Dry, coarse skin
  • Frizzy, thinning hair
  • Loss of outer eyebrows
  • Brittle nails
  • Low libido
  • Numbness & tingling
  • Hoarse voice
  • Brain fog
  • Slow heart rate
  • High cholesterol
  • Heavy menstrual periods

COMMON HYPERTHYROIDISM SYMPTOMS

It would make sense to think that more of a good thing is always a better thing, but that’s not the case with thyroid hormones when it reaches the point of excess. Hyperthyroidism is a state in which the level of thyroid hormone is too high. Just as hypothyroidism puts the body in a state of danger, hyperthyroidism also has a far-reaching impact on the body especially with increasing severity.

  • Heart racing
  • Heart palpitations
  • Fatigue
  • Shaking hands
  • Tremors
  • Nervousness
  • Irritability
  • Weight loss
  • Muscle wasting
  • Increased appetite
  • Anxiety
  • Panic attacks
  • Facial flushing
  • Red palms of the hands
  • Increased sweating
  • Heat sensitivity
  • Hot hands and feet
  • Persistent thirst
  • Sweaty palms
  • Diarrhea
  • Insomnia
  • Hyperactivity
  • Thinning of the skin
  • Brittle hair
  • Concentration difficulty
  • Exaggerated reflexes
  • Bulging of one or both eyes
  • Light or missed menstrual periods

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) slows down our bodily systems. Signs include low body temperature (feeling cold all the time), low metabolism (weight gain even when you follow a healthy diet and regular exercise routine), slowed digestion (indigestion, bloating, constipation), reduced blood flow (dry, pale, itchy skin), slow brain function (brain fog and memory problems), and slow heart function (below normal heart beat).

Contrast this with hyperthyroidism (high thyroid hormone) which speeds up the body with symptoms including high metabolism (unintentional weight loss), increased body temperature (hot, sweating, and flushing), fast bowel movements (diarrhea), increased nerve conduction speed (hand tremors and shakes), and hyperactivity (anxiety, nervousness, insomnia) and it all fits this picture perfectly.

hyperthyroid versus hypothyroid symptoms

The medical world places hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in two separate silos with separate lists of symptoms very much like the ones that I created above. While placing diseases at opposite poles can be very helpful especially to make them more easily recognizable for diagnosis and treatment, this can also cause confusion for patients and their doctors when they present all at the same time.

Hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms can overlap.

Hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms can present as a blend of both.

Hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms can even swing back and forth.

These cases are not “rare”. They occur far too often to be sheer coincidence. Just ask the one million followers of my website Hypothyroid Mom and you’ll hear countless cases just like these.

OVERLAPPING THYROID SYMPTOMS

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can present with some of the exact same symptoms. Here are some common examples.

FATIGUE

If you’ve ever fallen down the rabbit hole of severe hypothyroidism you know that wretched fatigue that weighs you down so low that you struggle to stay awake to make it through routine tasks of life. Fatigue is a classic symptom of hypothyroidism that has been well-documented for over a century. Here’s the thing. Do you know that hyperthyroidism often presents with fatigue too? Since hyperthyroidism tends to speed up metabolic processes full throttle, many hyperthyroid people initially have a lot of energy. However, as the hyperthyroidism progresses, the body breaks down and the fatigue sets in.[1-2] Just take a look at the American Thyroid Association website and you will see fatigue listed as a symptom of both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.[3-4]

BRITTLE, THINNING, GRAYING HAIR

When researchers presented the first evidence that human hair follicles are direct targets of thyroid hormones, they expressed confusion over the fact that the same hair abnormalities can present in both a hypothyroid and hyperthyroid state.[5] I’m not surprised because I’ve personally experienced hair loss at both extremes – hair loss when I was in a state of severe hypothyroidism and then again when I swung temporarily into an over-medicated “hyperthyroid-like” state near the start of my thyroid medication roller coaster nightmare.

In humans, hypothyroidism can be associated with telogen effluvium (hair shedding), along with the presentation of dry, brittle, and dull hair shafts. Confusingly, hyperthyroid states can also lead to effluvium, together with thinned hair shaft diameter and brittle, greasy hair, despite an apparently increased hair matrix proliferation. Hair shafts of patients with hyperthyroidism also show substantially reduced tensile strength. Early graying has been claimed to be related to autoimmune thyroid disease, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism.

~Van Beek, N., et al. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2008

INSOMNIA

Insomnia is a classic symptom of hyperthyroidism. Given the general speeding up of the body in a hyperthyroid state, it makes sense that the body would struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep. What patients and clinicians might not expect is insomnia associated with hypothyroidism. I cannot tell you how many Hypothyroid Mom followers have reached out to me at all hours of the day and night in every time zone in the world all struggling to sleep. Coincidence? In the first study to investigate the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and sleep quality based on a large general population, researchers discovered that subclinical hypothyroidism was significantly associated with an increased risk of poor sleep quality, specifically to longer sleep latency (a longer time to fall asleep), shorter sleep duration, and increased sleep disturbance.[6]

HOT THYROID NODULES

Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules (also called “hot” nodules) produce thyroid hormones, similar to the thyroid gland, but they do not respond to the body’s hormonal feedback loop that normally stops that thyroid hormone production when sufficient levels have been reached. This uncontrolled production of excess thyroid hormones can lead to overt or subclinical hyperthyroidism. Thyroid nodules are classified as cold, warm or hot, depending on whether they produce thyroid hormones or not. Cold nodules do not produce thyroid hormones. Warm nodules act as normal thyroid cells. Hot nodules overproduce thyroid hormones. Most of the literature on these hot nodules refers to the state of hyperthyroidism, but I present to you the possibility of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules in the case of hypothyroidism.

I was intrigued in 2021 when I read this case report in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. A 62-year-old female with a history of hypothyroidism on levothyroxine prescription medication presented to an outpatient health clinic with complaints of fatigue, constipation and a 37-pound weight loss in one year. The fatigue and constipation are classic symptoms of hypothyroidism, but hypothyroidism tends to come with weight gain not weight loss. This confusing presentation of both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism is something that I hear about time and time again from my Hypothyroid Mom readers so I know this happens more frequently than one would expect. She was found to have an enlarging hot nodule. Researchers concluded:[1]

Although uncommon, hyperfunctioning nodules in hypothyroid patients can create a confusing clinical picture with overlapping symptoms of underactive and overactive thyroid disease. It has been reported that patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can have hot nodules and coexisting hypothyroidism but the prevalence of nodules in hypothyroid patients without Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, as in this case, is not well-documented. Patients with hypothyroidism are treated with Levothyroxine but if coexisting hyperfunctional nodules are not detected, the patient may develop thyrotoxicosis. Clinicians should be aware of this rare but potentially life-threatening clinical condition.

~Purewal, T., el al. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2021

Cases like these are “rare” from the view point of researchers but tell that to all of my Hypothyroid Mom readers that have a confusing mix of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms from toxic nodules and even have regrowth of the nodules after treatment.

If the increased thyroid hormone production is coming from one single nodule (or lump) growing on the thyroid gland, this is called toxic ademoma. If there are many toxic nodules, this is referred to as multinodular goiter.

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the front of the neck located below the larynx (voice box) and in front of the trachea (windpipe). Most thyroid nodules don’t cause symptoms. However, if you have several nodules or large nodules, they may press against your trachea, and/or esophagus (food passageway from mouth to stomach) which run down the throat near in proximity to the thyroid gland.

THYROID NODULE SIGNS

  • Difficulty taking a deep breath
  • Chronic cough
  • Breathlessness
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Hoarseness or voice changes
  • Pain in the front of the neck
  • Enlarged neck

Thyroid nodules are very common, occurring with a prevalence of 4% by neck palpation[2], 19% to 67% by ultrasound examination[3,4], and 50% on autopsy[5]. While the vast majority of thyroid nodules are benign, thyroid nodules should always be evaluated by your healthcare provider. As with all cases of cancer, early detection is key. Request a thyroid neck check and thyroid ultrasound from your doctor. You can also do a thyroid self-check with steps in this article here.

signs of thyroid nodule, goiter, thyroid cancer

HASHIMOTO’S TSH GOES UP & DOWN

Imagine looking into the mirror, but instead of seeing your sweet self, you see a threatening intruder and you start kicking and punching yourself in an effort to defend yourself. That’s autoimmune disease. Your immune system mistakenly sees its own body part as an enemy and creates antibodies to attack it. In the case of Hashimoto’s disease, also known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, that body part is your thyroid gland and antibodies destroy it, little by little.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is characterized by elevated levels of Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb) and/or Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb). These antibodies attacks your healthy thyroid tissue in small pieces over time. As each piece is destroyed, it releases the thyroid thyroid hormones stored within it in intermittent bursts into the blood stream. Those short-term bursts of excess thyroid hormone make TSH drop unexpectedly creating a confusing mix of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms.[7]

Here’s the scenario that I hear all too often from my Hypothyroid Mom readers. Their TSH erratically rises and falls from one lab test to the next even with no change to their thyroid medication dosage and they have a mix of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms that no one can figure out. Doctors begin chasing their rising and falling TSH. Their thyroid medication dosage is raised then dropped then raised again like a yo-yo with little to no relief in symptoms.

Does this sound like you? Have your thyroid antibodies been tested? Ask for them specifically by name – Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb).

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis TSH up and down with low thyroid hypothyroid and high thyroid hyperthyroid signs

TISSUE SENSITIVITY TO THYROID HORMONE

Certain parts of the body are more sensitive to thyroid hormones than others. Some tissues can be over-stimulated and others under-stimulated at the very same time.

The heart, for example, is highly sensitive to thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone receptors are present in the muscle layer of the heart. That muscle, termed the myocardium, is responsible for the pumping action of the heart which explains why heart rate is highly sensitive to thyroid hormone changes. Cardiology researchers report adverse impact on the cardiovascular system by even subtle changes in thyroid hormone levels.[8]

When people first learn at Hypothyroid Mom that there are alternatives to T4 levothyroxine thyroid medications, they search for doctors in their area who will prescribe the T3 and natural desiccated thyroid that I describe. Many will write to me that they are feeling wonderful thanks to their new treatment. However, others will say that they felt terrible on T3 or NDT because they immediately experienced hyperthyroid symptoms especially racing heart and had to stop. Mainstream doctors will refuse treatment with anything but T4 with a number of outdated reasons including that T3 will always be dangerous to the heart, but let me explain.

Remember that thyroid receptors are located right in the heart muscle. Well those receptors have a greater affinity for T3 thyroid hormone than T4 so the heart is highly sensitive to T3.[8] There is an art to dosing T3 and the very best thyroid doctors that I’ve met describe it as a low and steady approach. They start at a small starting dose and increase incrementally every few weeks until the person’s symptoms alleviate. A high and fast approach with a mega starting dose may hyper-stimulate the sensitive tissues like the heart and can result in those unwanted hyperthyroid symptoms.

Now of course over-medication with thyroid hormone replacement medication no matter the type of thyroid medicine can have dangerous effects on every part of the body including the heart so over-medication is not what we’re talking about. Here is the story of a hypothyroid woman who developed heart palpitations because of over-medication. We’re talking here about your doctor using a systematic gradual approach to tweak your thyroid medicine with each titration to find that optimal dosage for you. Finding a doctor who understands this art of treating with T3 and NDT can be life-changing. It was for me.

If you are taking thyroid hormone replacement medication, taking too much makes you feel hyperthyroid but taking too little makes you feel hyperthyroid. It’s about finding that sweet spot of just the right amount.

I’ve been compiling lists of thyroid doctors open to alternative thyroid treatments based on recommendations from my Hypothyroid Mom readers for the last ten years. My total list is now well over 2,000 doctors and there are doctors included for every single U.S. state, as well the UK, Europe, Australia, and Canada. If you struggle to find a good thyroid doctor in your area, book a virtual consult on my calendar and let’s talk. I provide a list of doctors for your region for every person that I meet.

THYROID REGROWTH & GRAVES’ DISEASE RECURRENCE

When I wrote about toxic nodules that produce hyperthyroid symptoms above, I mentioned how I’ve heard cases of nodule regrowth over my years as Hypothyroid Mom. The thyroid gland is considered a “non-regenerative” organ. Regrowth is considered very rare, yet time and time again I hear from people that have experienced a regrowth of their toxic nodules and multinodular goiters. I’ve also heard plenty of stories of thyroid regrowth after thyroidectomy as well as RAI (radioactive iodine) for Graves’ disease.

The thyroid autoimmune disease known as Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. In contrast to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the body’s immune system creates different antibodies in Graves’ disease. Doctors will typically test for TSH receptor autoantibodies that stimulate or, in some cases, block the TSH receptors. TSI (thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin) is the main name of the test run in patients suspected of Graves’ disease. TSIs complete with TSH to bind to the TSH receptors on the thyroid gland and stimulate an unregulated production of thyroid hormone in excess.

Why do I mention this here when Graves’ disease causes overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)? What does this have to do with a mix of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms. Let me explain.

I have many Hypothyroid Mom readers who are hypothyroid now following treatment for Graves’ disease. The treatment, whether it was antithyroid medicines, RAI or thyroidectomy, destroyed their thyroid gland and rendered them hypothyroid. The patient is left reliant on thyroid hormone replacement medication to supply their body with the thyroid hormone their missing thyroid gland (or partial thyroid gland) cannot produce and their symptoms are primarily hypothyroid. However, I also hear from people with Graves’ disease who are now hypothyroid post-treatment but who still have some of their original hyperthyroid symptoms including the classic TED (thyroid eye disease) together with their induced hypothyroid symptoms. The recent scientific literature includes cases of thyroid tissue regrowth post-RAI and post-thyroidectomy (partial and total) with a recurrence of hyperthyroid symptoms.[9-14]

It’s also possible for patients with Graves’ disease to have both TSH receptor stimulating antibodies and TSH receptor blocking antibodies that alternate between a hyperthyroid state and hypothyroid state depending on the dominance of the particular antibody type at any given moment. While we cannot be clinically hypothyroid and hyperthyroid at the very same time we can flip back and forth and in those transitions it is highly possible to have a mixture of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms.[15]

SIMULTANEOUS HASHIMOTO’S/GRAVES’ DISEASE AND SPONTANEOUS CONVERSION

There are even cases reported by researchers of concurrent Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease in the same patient. The patient has elevated antibodies for both Hashimoto’s (TPOAb and/or TgAb) and Graves’ disease (TSI) with a combination of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms.[16-19]

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Grave’s disease are viewed as two separate disease processes. However more and more cases are revealing a far more complex situation in which Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease are not separate processes but parts of the same autoimmune spectrum and that antibodies for both can exist in the same patient.

The literature includes cases, for example, of Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease existing within different members of the same family. There are also cases of identical monozygotic twins where one twin has Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and the other twin has Graves’ disease. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis can also spontaneously convert to Graves’ Disease in the same patient and vice versa, even up to 18 years later.[20-27]

To give you a sense of the confusion these types of cases create for medical professionals and their patients, here is what researchers wrote in 2020.[28]

Patients with signs of both hyper-and-hypothyroidism with positivity to these two Abs (TPOAb and TSI) can pose a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma, as their course is often unpredictable.

Penaherrera, C.A., Rodriguez, V. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2020

CONCLUSION

I wonder just how many doctors are aware that these cases of combined hypothyroid and hyperthyroidism symptoms can occur including when the pendulum swings back and forth between the two? And do they know what to do about them?

Rare. Unusual. Unique. Uncommon. Confusing. These are the words researchers have published in their journal articles about this topic. From where I stand, however, the cases of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms presenting at the very same time are not so rare, after all.

Thyroid Consultation with Hypothyroid Mom

REFERENCES:

[1] Ruiz-Núñez, B., et al. Higher Prevalence of “Low T3 Syndrome” in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case–Control Study. Front. Endocrinol. 2018;9:97.

[2] El-Haddad, B., et al. Fatigue and TSH Levels in Hypothyroid Patients. Kansas Journal of Medicine. 2012;5(2):51-57.

[3] American Thyroid Association. General Information/Press Room. Retrieved from: https://www.thyroid.org/media-main/press-room/

[4] American Thyroid Association. Hyperthyroidism (Overactive). Retrieved from: https://www.thyroid.org/hyperthyroidism/

[5] Van Beek, N., et al. Thyroid Hormones Directly Alter Human Hair Follicle Functions: Anagen Prolongation and Stimulation of Both Hair Matrix Keratinocyte Proliferation and Hair Pigmentation. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2008 Nov;93(11):4381-4388.

[6] Song, L., et al. The Association Between Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Sleep Quality: A Population-Based Study. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2019;12:369–374.

[7] Mincer, D.L., et al. Hashimoto Thyroiditis. National Library of Medicine. 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459262/

[8] Razvi, S., et al. Thyroid Hormones and Cardiovascular Function and Diseases. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2018 Apr 24;71(16):1781-1796.

[9] Salman, F., et al. Recurrent Graves’ hyperthyroidism after prolonged radioiodine-induced hypothyroidism. Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Jul;8(7):111-115.

[10] Gaschen, P., et al. Recurrent thyrotoxicosis following near-total thyroidectomy. Proc. (Bayl Univ Bed Cent). 2020 Jan;33(1):36-37.

[11] Jakibchuk, K., et al. Recurrence of Graves’ disease in ectopic thyroid tissue. BMJ Case Rep. 2018 jan 23;2018.

[12] Vaz-Pereira, R., et al. Recurrence of Graves’ disease in the thyroglossal duct after total thyroidectomy. BMJ Case Rep. 2022;15(2):e248166.

[13] Park, S.I., et al. How to Monitor and Manage Nodule Regrowth after Thermal Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules. Korean J Radiol. 2021 Feb;22(2):293-295.

[14] Techathaveewat, P. et al. Regrowth of Thyroid Gland: Is This Possible???? Journal of the Endocrine Society. 2021 Arpil-May;5(Supplement_1):A951–A952.

[15] Wong, M., et al. Alternating hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in Graves’ disease. Clinical Case Reports. 2018 Jul 09;6:1684-1688.

[16] Zayas, F., et al. SAT-577 Managing Patients with Contrasting Thyroid Dysfunction: Is Definitive Treatment Necessary? Journal of the Endocrine Society. 2019 Apr-May;3(Supplement_1):SAT–577.

[17] Starrenburg-Razenberg, A.J., et al. Four patients with hypothyroid Graves’ disease. Neth J Med. 2010 Apr;68(4):178-180.

[18] Schaffer, A., et al. Recurrent Thyrotoxicosis due to Both Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis in the Same Three Patients. Case Reports in Endocrinology. 2016 May 31;2016:6210493.

[19] Solaimanzadeh, I., et al. Alternating Thyroid Status Between Thyrotoxicosis and Hypothyroidism In A Patient with Varying Antithyroid Antibodies. AACE Clin Case Rep. 2018 Nov 1;5(2):e112-3118.

[20] Furqan, S., et al. Conversion of autoimmune hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism. BMC Research Notes. 2014;7:489.

[21] Smyczńyska, J. et al. Persistent remission of Graves’ disease or evolution from Graves’ disease to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in childhood – a report of 6 cases and clinical implications. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2014;35(5):335-41.

[22] Umar, H., et al. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis following Graves’ disease. Acta Med Indones. 2010 Jan;42(1):31-5.

[23] Baral, N., et al. SUN-560 Thyrotoxic Hashimoto’s Disease: Is It Graves’ Thyrotoxicosis or “Hashitoxicosis”? Journal of the Endocrine Society. 2019 Apr-May;3(Supplement_1):SUN–560.

[24] McLachlan, S., et al. Thyrotropin-Blocking Autoantibodies and Thyroid-Stimulating Autoantibodies: Potential Mechanisms Involved in the Pendulum Swinging from Hypothyroidism to Hyperthyroidism or Vice Versa. Thyroid. 2013 Jan;23(1):14-24.

[25] Gerges, R., et al. Hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism: An immunological pendulum swing from two extreme poles – A case series. BMJ Case Reports. 2019 Apr;12(4).

[26] Maksoud, R., et al. Switching of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis into Graves’ Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review. Disease & Diagnosis. 2021;10(2):82-85.

[27] Sukik, A.A., et al. The Unusual Late-Onset Graves’ Disease following Hashimoto’s Related Hypothyroidism: A Case Report and Literature Review. Case Reports in Endocrinology. 2020. 2020:Article ID 5647273.

[28] Penaherrera, C., et al. SAT-482 Simultaneous Hashimoto/Graves Disease or Prolonged Hashitoxicosis? A Diagnostic Challenge with Therapeutic Implications. Journal of the Endocrine Society. 2020 Apr-May;4(Supplement_1):SAT–482.

blank About Dana Trentini

Dana Trentini founded Hypothyroid Mom October 2012 in memory of the unborn baby she lost to hypothyroidism. Hypothyroid Mom LLC is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for consulting your physician regarding medical advice pertaining to your health. To keep the website up and running, Hypothyroid Mom LLC includes sponsored guest posts and affiliate links including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Get Healthy by Healthy Life Enterprises, Inc. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Comments

  1. blank Shirley Brydalski says

    Why won’t Drs at least try some t3 ?

    • Shirley, It is like pulling teeth to get doctors to try T3. It is hard to change a mainstream medical model that is etched in stone that focuses on TSH and levothyroxine alone. This is why I created Hypothyroid Mom. Good to have you here.

  2. Thank you for this great article. I’m one of the people that deals
    with symptoms of both low and high thyroid at the same time,
    much too often. I was treated for Graves’ Disease (hyperthyroidism) in 1975
    when I was eleven, with RAI–although some of my symptoms for years
    before that may have been low-thyroid. I did pretty well for six years after
    Graves’ treatment until Synthroid changed formula and some other things
    about it in 1982-83…and ever since, no medicine or dose has been able
    to help me right with the symptoms. With the Old Synthroid, the
    symptoms WERE more clear-cut. Too high a dose would give me hyperthyroid symptoms and too low a dose–low symptoms.. But every drug since has left me with low and
    high-thyroid symptoms together at the same time, even with careful dosing,
    and spreading out the meds during the day, and trying things like natural
    thyroid meds or adding T3 to synthetic T4….it has been terrible!

    A Dr. recently ran an ultrasound on me and said, “Your thyroid looks lumpy & bumpy, as
    is consistent with Hashimoto’s.” And I said….”What the heck?” I was treated
    for Graves’ with RAI, where they said they destroyed much of my gland.
    And he said, this happens sometimes. He also ran a blood test that showed
    I have some Hashimoto’s antibodies, but not enough to officially call it
    Hashimoto’s. My general doctor said maybe that’s why I have so much trouble
    tolerating these thyroid meds….because I had Graves & now have Hashimoto’s
    antibodies. The Endocrinologist was doubtful about her analysis of this. All I know is that when Synthroid changed formula all those
    years ago, it disrupted the stability & good health I had while being on thyroid meds,
    and I haven’t gotten it back, since. My late mom had a similar situation;
    her downfall came with the changes in Synthroid, and she also never achieved
    better health again with the meds that were left. Thank you for writing about
    those of us who deal with both high and low thyroid symptoms at the same time.
    It’s a topic I’ve never really seen discussed that much, if at all, on thyroid sites.
    Even after all these years, I still can’t get used to it….no one should have to.

  3. Hello! I can attest clinically and symptom presentation, I have/had both Hashimotos and Graves antibodies. I could not tolerate Synthroid or Liothyronine or Methimazole and was working closely with my endocrinologist but I was not getting nowhere. I had to do the research and realized there are options but it requires a lifestyle change. Now, I am off all those medications and only on vitamin supplements but it took work: getting active, appropriate nutrition, and decreasing stress. The funny this is I went to medical school and was taught prescription medications are the treatment for thyroid dysfunctions. After personally battling with this, I learned there is a different way and better for some not responding to medications or want to be on a lower dose or off medications.

    • I lost one gland to a multi-nodular goiter in 2005. Been on Armour thyroid meds ever sense. Do you think I could wean myself off meds and will my other gland carry on?

  4. blank Jason Tucker says

    Hi.
    Had Hashimoto’s for years(in my mind since 14,diagnosed at 32,now 51 no meds work).
    I never really feel cold,no constipation.
    But as i think now is genetic as Levothyroxine,NDT and Liothyronine don’t do anything at all.
    TSH now over 11. Even tried Thyroidinum(homeopathic treatment),and nothing!

  5. Great point. We are all unique in our symptoms. I’m hypothyroid and have had heat intolerance as a major issue. I listed all of my symptoms recently to show to my employer. It made me realise just how complex hypothyroidism is. I also found weight loss (66 pounds to date) has led to over medication and the return of lots of thyroid issues.

    • Hi Christine, While cold intolerance is the classic presentation of hypothyroidism, I hear from plenty of people with heat intolerance and others that experience both which can confuse doctors. Be sure to have your thyroid antibodies tested for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis – Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb). Great to have you at Hypothyroid Mom.

Speak Your Mind

*