Pancreatitis & Hyperthyroidism

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

You wrote, " I have been put on thyroid meds and they make me hyperthyroid,

but my PCP doesn't feel the need to adjust the medication so that I have a

normal because I am overweight and this can help me lose weight. And despite now

being hyperthyroid I still can't lose a pound to save my life. "

When I was in to see my endocrinologist recently, she did a routine blood

panel, which, of course, included my thyroid panel. I told her I have been

stable for years. She said, " If I did not mind, she would just prefer to go

ahead

and check it for the sake of checking it. " I certainly agreed. To my

surprise I was hyperthyroid. I asked her how she knew. She said she didn't, but

thyroid disease is often asymptomatic. I told her, if I was hyperthyroid, why

didn't I have the luxury of the " associated " weight loss. She said that was as

much a fallacy as the weight loss associated with pancreatitis.

She was concerned when I expressed excitement that I could have lost weight

and said that iatrogenic hyperthyroidism, which simply means, hyperthyroidism

caused by medication, is a very serious condition. It can result in heart

problems, such as angina and atrial fibrillation. It can also lead to a

decrease in bone mineral density in postmenapausal women. Another serious

consequence of taking thyroid medication when it is not necessary to treat low

thyroid

is that it can trigger a defense mechanism in the thyroid gland called

" Wolff-Chaikoff effect " resulting in a defective and abnormalities of thyroid

function. The thyroid gland manufactures thyroid hormone, which regulates the

rate

at which your body carries on its necessary functions. She reminded me that

the other endocrine glands are the pancreas, the pituitary, the adrenal

glands, the parathyroid glands, the testes, and the ovaries. She asked if I

would

induce pancreatitis because the books say it causes weight loss? She said

they do not know why some people lose weight and others do not.

Karyn E. , RN

Executive Director, PAI

Indianapolis, Indiana

[Guest guest]

I've had the exact opposite. I have hypothyroidism, but have never had

hyperthyroidsm.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to that of a licensed

physician or health care professional.