Pots And Thyroid

[Stormie74]

Is there a relationship between POTS and thyroid disorders? I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's many moons ago, and diagnosed with POTS recently, though I know I have had it my whole life. I am finishing up a yucky week of having the H1N1 virus. I was sick all week and on an anti-viral med. I had a fever, but now it is back to normal. I mean, NORMAL! My temp for the last 20 years has been something under 97.6. For the past few days, it is regularly around 98.3-98.5. It feels like I am on too much thyroid medication now, though my dosage has not changed in months. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,

Caron

[EarthMother]

Hashi is hideous about having little bouts of thyroid toxicity, it happens when the anti-bodies are surging and little parts of our thyroid gland are dying off and otherwise battling the scar tissue caused by this auto-immune disease. It usually resolves itself on its own ... to I've never met an Endo who was willing to address the rollercoaster ride it can sometimes cause. My PCP is pretty good about letting me tweak my dose with him based on a combination of how I feel and my blood work.

It makes theoretical sense that your thyroid would be acting up during a virus because your body is under attack by a REAL outside invader (as opposed to imagining that your own thyroid gland is the enemy) so one might assume that it is directing energy and efforts to fight off the real virus instead of attacking the poor thyroid gland. While the thyroid gland has a respite from the internal war it may produce more thyroxine as a byproduct. Usually not enough to be in any big danger, but enough to make our sensitive bodies notice the change. No worries, once your body has wipped the H1N1 your immune system will go on the hunt for something else to attack and no doubt resume killing off your thyroid one anti-body at a time.

[erik]

The adrenals and the thyroid are separate but intertwined. I think when one is sick the body tends to up cortisol in response to the "stress" (and presumably plenty of other things) so long as it can (meaning so long as you don't have Addison's or something). That could explain a bit of a compounding effect and sense that your normal thyroid dose is too much... though again, adrenals isn't same as thyroid, just part of same interconnected system.

I don't know if there's a link between thyroid troubles & POTS but there is the possibility that a more general auto-immune thing is zapping the thyroid and creating a neuropathy. Stuff like Sjogren's and Lupus and who knows what else can be rather generalized like that and they are notoriously long term diagnoses. I guess that's a remote possibility.

[heiseygirl]

The adrenals and the thyroid are separate but intertwined. I think when one is sick the body tends to up cortisol in response to the "stress" (and presumably plenty of other things) so long as it can (meaning so long as you don't have Addison's or something). That could explain a bit of a compounding effect and sense that your normal thyroid dose is too much... though again, adrenals isn't same as thyroid, just part of same interconnected system.

I don't know if there's a link between thyroid troubles & POTS but there is the possibility that a more general auto-immune thing is zapping the thyroid and creating a neuropathy. Stuff like Sjogren's and Lupus and who knows what else can be rather generalized like that and they are notoriously long term diagnoses. I guess that's a remote possibility.

[heiseygirl]

when i first got sick in 2001 the specialist at hershey med said i t was my thyroid. took me off my meds put me back on a lower dose and then said you are okay which i was not. A couple of years later out of frustration i quit my synthyroid and did really well for over a year. Then my numbers got high and i went back on synthroid again. this june i crashed and have not come around completely yet. I am now taking iodine and a thyroid adrenal complex supplement and feeling better than I have for years. Have an appointment with Dr. Khrunna on the 17th. none of my drs would give me other thyroid meds but this combo seems to help. keeping my fingers crossed.

[Tammy]

Yes, the virus is messing with your thyroid antibodies. However, if you notice that even after the virus is gone you are still feeling like it's high, you may need to temporarily tweak it back for a while. I'm also the same way, that if I miss a dose of my thyroid, I do feel better that day (really weird), but if I miss more than a few days, than my fatigue (different than the weakness I get from POTS) kicks in and I'm a puddle on the floor. Hope your feeling better soon