Hyperthyroidism

The opposite of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism means that you have too much thyroid hormone in your body. It results from having an overactive thyroid gland.  Hyperthyroidism is usually caused by autoimmune thyroid disease, thyroid nodules, some medications, pregnancy, or other factors. Because hyperthyroidism speeds your body up, symptoms can include: fatigue, weight loss, increase in appetite, anxiety, nervousness, heat intolerance, palpitations (racing heart), increased heart rate, etc. Untreated hyperthyroidism can lead to atrial fibrillation, bone loss, and heart disease. 

Like hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism can be confirmed with blood work. We usually test for TSH, free T4, free T3, blood count, hepatic function, and TSH receptor antibody. The TSH receptor antibody is the antibody for Grave’s disease.  Grave’s disease is autoimmune hyperthyroidism.  Short-term treatment of hyperthyroidism includes antithyroid medications such as PTU and Methimazole.

Once your levels have normalized, there are more permanent treatment options such as Radioiodine treatment and surgery to have your thyroid gland removed. These two procedures will leave the patient with hypothyroidism. About 20-30% of patients can develop remission. This means their thyroid gland can normalize and the antithyroid medication can be stopped. These patients are at risk for relapse. If you are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, you should tell your family members because thyroid disease runs in families.  

For more information on Hyperthyroidism:

Visit the Hyperthyroidism section on Thyroid.org website

Visit the Hyperthyroidism section on the Mayo Clinic website