Link between smoking and hypo/hyperthyroidism

[ThePearlWolf]

Hi all,

I quit smoking several years ago for almost a year and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (the opposite of hypothyroidism).  I went to an endo and was given a pill to take for a fairly long time and it got things back to normal.  All bloodwork readings were fine after I finished the pill.  Unfortunately, I started smoking again.  I've quit smoking again (three weeks now) and I've been feeling like crap.  I was initially diagnosed with a sinus infection and was given antibiotics.  I started feeling better in terms of congestion, but am now having other issues (can't sleep, dizzy, antsy, racing heart, etc) so the Dr. decided to do bloodwork.....and, I'm waiting for his office to call me back, but I've got the results & just like last time, my thyroid numbers are off enough to suggest hyperthyrodisim again. As a side note, I also have a lump above my left collarbone that I'm going to have to have a CT scan for, but I don't think it's related to quitting smoking because I had it before I quit.  You can get a swollen thyroid or a tumor in your thyroid, but I believe that swells up in the front of your neck, and this swelling is not on my neck, it's on the front of my shoulder, right above the collarbone.

Has anyone else noticed a correlation between quitting and thyroid issues?  I know smoking can mask thyroid issues, but the meds made my hyperthyroidism better.  I don't know whether starting smoking again caused my thyroid issues to come back and the smoking masked it, or quitting smoking messed up my system enough that it messed up my thyroid again.  If it's my body in shock from quitting, maybe it will level itself off by itself?  I know from last time when I mentioned to the endocrinologist that quitting smoking kicked it off, he looked at me like I had two heads and said smoking/not smoking had nothing to do with it, but I knew better since I had blood work just a few months before I quit and it was fine.  That was close to 10 years ago though so maybe they are more aware now of the connection between smoking & thyroids.  Anyway, has anyone been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism twice?  Were you able to take the meds both times, or did they press you to have your thryoid removed the second time?  I would much rather take a risk and take the meds again.

[YoungAtHeart]

Smoking does screw with your body chemistry.  Seems anecdotally that there is a link.  I would do whatever it takes to avoid surgery - unless there is no alternative.  I think you would have to take medication after a surgery, anyway.

Let us know what you find out.  I have found over the years that doctors are not the "be-all and end-all" we make them out to be.  If your common sense disagrees with a diagnosis - seek another one!

Nancy

[ThePearlWolf]

Yes, I much prefer to take the meds again.  I'll insist on it unless they tell me taking the meds a second time will destroy my liver or something sinister like that.  I just remember last time they said they always start with the meds but if the meds don't work, or if the hyperthyroidism comes back, they remove the thyroid, but when you have your thyroid removed, you have to take thyroid medicine for the rest of your life, just like if you had hypothyroidism, so I just don't want to go there.  I think the body needs it's thyroid, lol.

[elvan]

I have two daughters, a sister, a brother, a late mother and aunt who all have or had hypothyroidism.  My youngest daughter was diagnosed when she was 14 and was prescribed low dose thyroid medication, she has been on the same dose as she was when she started and she is 28 now.  My oldest daughter was a smoker who quit smoking over two years ago, she was diagnosed with thyroid issues shortly before she quit and she has been on a roller coaster of adjustments of medication...they have just recently been able to adjust it so it is at the right level.  My brother had to have increasing doses of medication and eventually had to have his thyroid removed because he was taking such large doses and his thyroid was not responding.  My mother, sister, aunt, and brother never smoked, nor has my youngest daughter. I believe that my oldest daughter researched the connection between smoking and thyroid but I am not sure what she found out.  My brother is a natural food believer who adopts a diet and sticks to it with absolutely no exceptions.  He is currently gluten free and he also takes iodine drops that he gets from Amazon...along with synthetic thyroid medication.  He says he has never felt better.  The thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly and it is in front of the neck.  My daughters both had enlarged thyroids when they were diagnosed.

I don't know if this gives you any answers but keep in mind that your thyroid also plays into your hormones.  

I hope you feel better and can get answers that DO help.

Ellen

[Tammyzhere]

Google - TEDS - Thyroid Eye Disease

Smoking with hyperthyroid / graves disease 

can cause the marty feldman bulging eye thing

marty feldman eyes song - Yahoo Video Search Results    

Smoking is generally considered to be a cause of Graves

It is one of many stress factors that can set off the disease.

[ThePearlWolf]

Last time I was diagnosed with it, I went on meds for awhile that worked & I went in remission.  Although at the time, they told me I was cured, not that I was in remission.  They never mentioned it could come back. I found that out later when I moved & switched Dr's. 

Unfortunately, I sitll haven't heard from my Dr.'s office about my bloodwork results showing my thyroid is all out of whack.  I called yesterday morning (Thursday) and was told this particular Dr. and his staff are out until Monday, even though they left a message Wed night saying my blood work is back & we need to discuss thyroid & other things and I should call them Thursday morning to discuss the results.  When I mentioned that my bloodwork shows I'm hyperthyroid which likely means my Graves disease is back and that I'll need a CT scan (like last time), the office person told me to go ahead and do the CT scan for the lymph node and they can schedule a second CT for the thyroid.  I told her I'm cancelling the CT for the lymph node until I talk to the Dr. since they cost several thousand a piece to do and my thyroid and lymph node are in the same area, so I'd prefer to see if they can do one CT scan to get images of both.  I also told her that I've felt like crap for four weeks, which the Dr. knows, and I've been waiting for answers but now I know my irritability, anxiety and stress are all symptoms of my thyroid and their indifference isn't helping. I just want to start doing what needs to be done to start feeling better right away.  She said 'well, the dr. or his staff should call you on Monday.'  I know I'm especially sensitive to stress right now, but I think that's a little over the top for a clinic to brush off their patients.  It's not a Dr. office with one Dr., it's a full clinic under one organization and this isn't even my regular Dr., it was another Dr in the clinic because my regular wasn't available, so this Dr could've gone over my results with another Dr and they could've talked to me about it.  I believe I'll change where I go after this, but for now, I have another weekend to wait until I start making more calls on Monday:(

I'm so glad I quit smoking, but it's just a really cruel process.

[Posamari]

A month before I quit smoking, I had a CBC with thyroid tests drawn. Thyroid levels were normal at 2.8.  9 months after I quit smoking, another CBC and thyroid levels were very high..in the 8.+ range.  Was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have been on medication. So far, approx every 10 weeks my medication has been increased (Levothyroxine) in an attempt to bring my thyroid levels down to normal. I go back in 2 weeks for another blood test to see where my values are with this current dose.  My physician feels this will probably be a life-long issue I will have. Does not run in my family, so genetics are ruled out. It has made me depressed that I have to deal with this and get blood tests the rest of my life.  Do I think smoking cessation is the cause? I have no idea but I did question it with my physician and she feels it is not to blame.  I still question it tho. I do know that smoking DOES mask a host of health issues.

- Posamari

[Tammyzhere]

Ironically smoking and quitting smoking are both stressful to your body.

I've been getting blood work every 6 weeks for 10 years and they have yet

to get my numbers in range.  I have a hard time tolerating the hypo meds.

They make me feel tachy, nervous, edgy, etc.  The doc told me - I need that dose. 

I'm post RAI but still have TSI aka graves antibodies above 330 with TSH around 4.  

[ThePearlWolf]

When I got in to see my Dr., he admitted that smoking was stressful on the body and since Graves is aggravated by stress, it's likely that that stress knocked me out of remission and caused it to come back.  The first time I had it, it was caught early with a routine blood screening for a random health check I had.  My numbers were just barely off but the uptake scan showed it was caused by Graves.  I didn't really have any symptoms.

This time, it seems all the symptoms I've had since I quit smoking are related to Graves.  My numbers are really bad and I'm back seeing an Endo.  Unfortunately, I feel pressure behind my eyes, they are puffy, watery and my vision is more blurry, so I'm going to an Eye Dr. to have a test my Endo wants done to see if my eyes are affected yet (they don't appear affected) and next week I'm having an ultrasound and another radioactive iodine uptake scan, which means my CT scan was cancelled.  We'll have to wait on that issue until we get the Graves under control. 

Since my symptoms weren't bad last time, I didn't even think about hyperthyroidism or Grave's when I started smoking again.  It wasn't on my mind.  I wish it had been ingrained in me that smoking really could be a huge factor in this and that the symptoms can be horrible, even though it was kicked off by stopping.  I doubt I would've ever had it if I'd never smoked. 

My symptoms this time were only getting worse until yesterday, when the Endo put me on beta blockers to temporarily bring my heart rate back down to normal (it's been between 110 and 115 for at least a week now, so no sleep, horrible emotions, all kinds of yucky stuff).  That's really helped, but it's just a helping with the symptoms, it's not stopping Grave's. Once the uptake scan is done, I can start on the thyroid med and hopefully it won't take it too long to start helping. Hopefully, it'll be like last time and I'm not an unfortunate soul like so many other people who have trouble getting it under control because the meds just don't help.  I really hope I can go back into remission w/o having to kill or remove my thyroid.  Fingers crossed.  I also really hope there is no eye damage.

I will never smoke again......This has been the worst and I am sure that smoking either caused it or made it as bad as it is.

[Posamari]

Same here with the meds. Gives me horrible heartburn,  edgey feeling, bowel issues(ugh) and heart palpitations.  I exercise religiously at least 5x per week, eat mainly a plant based diet, (I DO eat too much chocolate probably lol) but keep gaining weight. It's depressing. But it's one of those dam%ed if you do and dam&ed if you don't situations.