Thyroid - confused?

I just received my test results back from a blood draw done in late July. The doctor said that my thyroid is "suppressed" which may mean I have an overactive thyroid. I thought if thyroid was suppressed, it meant underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism. They also said that my blood sugar was 53, and that hypoglycemia is common in both young women and people with hyperthyroidism.

I have pretty much no idea what that means because the nurse didn't have more details, more numbers, or anything like that.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

I'm editing because I am really hoping someone will respond. I get very flustered with my doctors, no one has told me ANYTHING except the ambiguous. I am not sure what they mean by suppressed meaning Hyperthyroidism. I'm so exhausted today and I'm finding this all so frustrating. And all of the information about hypoglycemia is about diabetics, which I am not... but they're saying hypoglycemia in adults who aren't diabetic is abnormal.

I am a thyroid cancer survivor.  I struggled for years with my thryoid before my diagnosis and subsequent surgeries. 

You really need to get a copy of your test results if at all possible.  Your numbers are very important.  If you are hyperthyroid, you need to be medicated.  Too much thyroid hormone causes as many problems as too little hormone...just different problems.

As for the hypoglycemia, I think I am the only one in my family who doesn't have it - and NONE of them are diabetic.  So, don't stress about that...but you do need to eat right and get some clarification on your thyroid.

The LORD bless you & keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. - Num 6:24-26

God bless you in your recovery and I hope you keep strong. Thank you for responding.

The message was rather ambiguous as I think the nurse didn't understand how to infer the results. My understanding is that my TSH is suppressed and that when I go back for more bloodwork on Wednesday morning they will screen my Free T3 and T4.

My guess is that my blood sugar tested low because I had awoken early to go for a 5 mile speed run and had only just consumed a Marathon Energy bar - and that was it. I don't know, though. I'm sensitive to blood sugar.

What are the consequences of hyperthyroidism? I know that my thyroid acted up after the birth of my first child and my second child, but nothing official came of it because I didn't have the money for the endocrinologist whilst I was still breastfeeding (thusly ruling out the nuclear uptake test). Any insight is appreciated.

If your TSH is supressed, it makes sense that you could be hyper.  TSH is produced by your pituitary (sp?) to stimulate your thyroid into producing more hormone...if you are hyper, you would have plenty of hormone and the pituitary would not need to stimulate your thyroid further.

Since I was hypo, my knowlede of hyper is limited...but the problems that stuck in my memory were that it could contribute to osteoporosis, weight loss, fatigue, and eye problems.

The "normal" range for thyroid hormones is quite wide.  So, you need a doctor that will rely on your numbers AND how you are feeling.  I have chosen not to see an endocrinologist because I have an outstanding interal medicine doctor who specializes in thyroid conditions.  If your insurance or budget doesn't allow for the luxury of a endo - call around and see if you can find a doctor like mine.  As long as they are well versed in thyroid problems, you should be in good hands.  They can all order the same tests - they just need to be able to interpret the results! :-)  (I will spare you the horror story I have about a doctor who didn't get the whole "thyroid thing"...just be sure you trust them and do plenty of research on your own so you understand what they are telling you.)

Thank you so much for your well wishes!  I am now 6 weeks cancer free and feeling fantastic!  I pray you are feeling well soon and have a gifted physician helping you along.

Goodluck. I had stopped getting my period for about 5 months, and my lady doctor had some bloodwork ordered. My TSH was suppressed which could indicate hyperthyroid. I've had my thyroid tested many times before and this was the first time anything abnormal showed up. I think we have similar stats? I'm 5'7" and 115lbs. I went to my family doctor and had further tests (an ultrasound of my thyroid and some more bloodwork) All of that came back normal, and I have no real answers as to why my TSH levels were low, or why I stopped getting my period. I'm slightly underweight but I don't have an eating disorder, I've been this weight since my teens. Let me know what they tell you, if anything.

Why don't you talk to a different doctor?  Ask for a second opinion?  Or go back to your regular doctor and ask for a fuller explanation?   That's their job, after all, to inform and treat their patients.  If you want to know more about your specific circumstances, ask them to be more specific.  "What does that term mean exactly?" "If it means A or B then what is the next step in each case?"  "What can I do to influence matters?"  "How long before we can judge if there is any improvement?"  "What happens if there is no improvement?".... "What is 'normal'"?   

gi-jane, I had asked for more of an explanation so they gave me some more blood tests. Those came back, I've been harassing them for days and finally they left me a message (I was in a preschool meeting) saying "there's nothing exceptional in the tests and your doctor will talk to you at your next appointment." I talked to the phlebotomist who had confirmed that they were testing T3 and T4 so I did call back and ask them to call ME back with my levels and what they mean. I want to know now. And I'm starting to think my doc stinks.

Make the next appointment then... If the statement is 'nothing exceptional' maybe you have to take that on face value.  If there had been some cause for concern they'd be calling you straight in for treatment.  

Medicine is more often than not a process of elimination.  Patient exhibits symptom A which is associated with conditions X & Y, less commonly P & Q and very rarely F & G.  So they test for X, then Y and so forth down the chain until they get the answer. 

Go back to your doctor rather than harrassing the phlebotomist for the numbers.  They are usually not in a position to give you a diagnosis.

I'm sorry about my quick typing - when they were drawing the blood I confirmed that they were doing T3 and T4, I didn't ask her for results. I asked the doctor. I just want to know if my levels were normal now. That's all I want to know. I have an appointment for September 3.

Last year, I had a lot of appointments and the doctor was flipping out about my fluctuating thyroid hormones, so my frustration was born out of their constantly testing me and having nothing to tell me while I'm still footing the bill.

Low TSH, Normal T3 T4, waiting til Sept. 3 to talk it over, no idea what it means.

Bethanny-  Please read the following link! i am a registered dietitian and see pts with "subclinical hyperthyoidism" at the hospital fairly often. You should not let this go. The symptoms of stress, anxiety, and sleep issues that you describe in your journal are very consistent with this condition.  If your GP is not willing/able to treat you for this than you should consider getting a referral to an endocrynologist.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020201/431.html

Subclinical hyperthyroidism is a recognized entity that is defined as a normal serum free thyroxine (T4)  and free triiodothyronine (T3) levels with a thyroid-stimulating hormone level (TSH) suppressed below the normal range.

Patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism are at increased risk for cardiac abnormalities and bone loss, and strong consideration should be given to initiating treatment and restoring the TSH level to within the normal range.

Also, the hypoglycemia and the hyperthyroidism are most likely related. To learn more about treating hypoglycemia click on this link: scroll down to the section headed "Hypoglycemia in people who do not have diabetes". The type of hypoglycemia you are experiencing is known as "Reactive Hypoglycemia"

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypogly cemia/

gddrdld - thank you so much for the link! I had done a little googling after receiving the results and saw that this and mild hypothyroidism were a problem, but reading your response gave me hope and yes I WILL bring it up with the doctor. I'm glad I have this because I'll show him the article. Even if it turns out not to be related to me, I think that my doctor's office does a poor job of looking at test results if the results are unclear!!!

Thank you so much.

Oh - one more thing to add/edit in - My glucose at the time of the original test was 50 mg/dL AFTER eating and drinking. So I'll find out what my fasting glucose was as he didn't give me the results - I don't know if they weren't back. Just about one week and I'll be in.

You're welcome! 

Good luck to you! :)

I have hyperthyroid - Graves Disease actually (which is a severe form). PM if you need to talk :D