can thyroid issues cause a flair?

[trc1962]

So sorry to post yet another question the my neuropathic flare, but I have learned more on this forum and received so much helpful information I just felt I needed to ask more. I have had a high TSH since last August when my primary checked it at my physical - 8.67 but normal thyroid hormones so I wasn't referred to an endo (got lots of good help on here for sure). It continued to rise to just over 11 in February and then the primary finally agreed to refer, but no appointment until mid June and by that time I had flared and was on prednisone. The endo said to wait for any blood work until off prednisone for a month and then test, now he says lets do blood work now. Could a long term thyroid issue be causing my flare? Rheummy says they are not related, but many of my markers were climbing from HC-CRP to homocysteine levels too. I wear an estrogen patch (small) as I have had a bit of bone loss and I wonder if that affects the reading also. So many questions, but you have all been there and done that and have lived it all and thus I ask.

[trc1962]

Rheummy said the flare is unrelated to the thyroid issue. However, the endocrinologist called and said to go ahead with the blood work even though I am still on the prednisone as he needs to see all the numbers and kind of get an idea. He says if I am over about 6.0 TSH it can't be helping inflammation any. He said since I wear an estrogen patch it can inflate my thyroid hormone levels to be in the normal range even when they are low. Glad we are at least checking.

[trejonina]

Hi, please google TSH test by MedlinePlus and look under:Normal Results. You'll  see the new normal for THS could be 2.5   A doctor friend of mine said  TSH : anything above 3.5 the pitituary gland is working too much. Also google RHR :Subclinical Hypothyroidism- What you need to know, under heading:The Lab reference range for TSH by dr. Amy Nett. If you research under subclinical hypo. you'll see new info, so that I don't understand how your doctors diagnose and manage your thyroid. See my latest posts about thyroid in Re; No diagnosis as symptoms... on june 11 and 20 2016.

[trc1962]

My test results came back within range although the prednisone could have altered the TSH. TSH was 3.1 t4 was normal and t3 was a bit low at 72. I guess I won't have a big picture until I am off the prednisone, but at least in range.

[cccourt1942]

I do not know about prednisone altering TSH results.  I will share info which continues to amaze me.  When the vampire rheumy ordered liters of blood from me (okay....so it just seemed so) I informed him I had just completed a Medrol pack (4mg) within the week.  He said it would make no difference.  He was right.  He did NOT check my thyroid, so I can't attest to that one (which is the topic at hand).  I am just saying you might ask your blood letter if it makes any diff.

I will tell this story as we are hyPO and this is about hyperthyroid.  I have had a friend for over 40 years.  About 40 years ago she was advised to drink radioactive iodine (hope I am remembering this accurately) to "kill" her thyroid gland.  After many conversations, and much hand wringing...she did it.  For years she followed up.  She was fine.  But..that was the start of it.  She had Graves Disease.  The consumption did not kill her thyroid.  After a couple of decades checking it she was  told all was well.  And...then . I asked a cousin how she died.  Three autoimmune diseases.  The first and one described, Graves.  Then about 10 years ago, she was crippled by RA.    I was flabbergasted.  Her cousin told me among all her cousins almost every one of them has an autoimmune disease.  One of her two nieces (aged 43) had just been diagnosed with SjS.  Due to my friend's misfortune with AIs, all her relatives were advised to check them out. 

I had lost contact with this friend about 10 years ago. I learned about 9 years ago she went to a convalescent home.  She recovered where she could return home after about 6 months...but she was never the same.  And then, she died.  I never knew.
She was home bound and bed ridden most of that time.  I didn't know what autoimmune diseases were until I was dxed SjS.  I don't know if the AI label just weren't used back in the day. 

Just info,
Sjoldier c3

[aussie mum]

trc1962
Your initial numbers sounded terrible and it is good that they are monitoring you. Please ask your Doctors to run a full Thyroid panel of blood tests as the TSH alone does not give the full picture of what is going on. Also ask the Dr to actually feel your Thyroid to see if they notice any changes that need following up. (First hand experience there  )

cccourt1942
They still use the radioactive drink to treat Graves Disease. I think the aim of it is to only partly "kill" the thyroid so the patient can still get by without medication. I assume the Drs see this treatment as less invasive than surgery to remove the Thyroid.

To be honest, I still think the vast majority of Doctors know little about auto immune diseases. My guess is they must only have 1 lecture on it in all their years of study. I'm sure I have seen Doctors who missed that lecture. 

Seems our extended family hit the jackpot with auto-immune disease with Lupus, Thyroid Issues, Crohns, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Type 1 Diabetes and of course SJS. I read somewhere that Endometriosis could also be classed as auto immmune. I didn't realise all these diseases were related in any way until my daughter was diagnosed with SJS in her teens (9 years ago) and my subsequent research on line.

[trc1962]

So I saw the endo today and he says based on my lower levels of T3 and that I am still on 30 mg of pred and a small estrogen patch that I am hypothyroid. He feels that though the TSH is in the high normal range with the prednisone and that it will climb up where it was (just over 10) when the pred is dropped. He gave me a choice of starting on low dose levothyroxine now or waiting until the pred is out of my system and then retesting. Truthfully I hate to add yet another med to my system when I am dealing with what I think is anxiety and shaking from the cellcept. I might not be so constipated though if I tried the levothyroxine. Ideas and opinion are appreciated. I had my skin punch biopsy this morning and it will come back in a week or so, curious as to what they find. Happy Monday to all.

[eija]

Absolutely start treatment for hypo. Absolutely. The sooner the better.

For one, it will make you feel heaps better. Might even help your neuropathy symptoms - low thyroid causes the weirdest symptoms.

Then, secondly - untreated low thyroid causes nasty ogres. Like heart problems and stuff.

Medication for low thyroid is very unlikely to cause nasty side-effects, or even minor ones. It's the only med I have no issues about.