hypothyroid/Hashi's and glucose intolerance

[Charlie]

I have Hashi's/hypothyroid and started levothyroxine in July. My PCP recently told me my glucose levels were elevated just above normal and my AIC (a test to look at glucose levels over the past 3 months) was also a little high-just below the upper limit of normal. She told me I may have glucose intolerance/pre-diabetes.

My thyroid medication is not regulated yet and I think I need more, TSH is 2.38 and free T4 is 0.9. I'll get this tested again in 2 weeks.

Does anyone have any info/insight into these two conditions happening at the same time. Can hypo cause glucose intolerance? Will more thyroid medication help?

Thanks!

[Debs04]

I had my GP tell me a few months ago that my glucose and insulin levels were off and he said I had something called Dysmetabolic Syndrome. He wanted me to start a diabetic med (metformin) but I didn't want to take it because of side effects that I heard about. I started going to an endo last month and he agreed with my GP so I started the meds. However, I recently had blood test run again (prior to starting the metformin) and my glucose and insulin were fine. So I am not sure if it is something that can rise and fall due to the Hashi's or not. I am still taking the metformin since the endo said it can possibly help in weight loss but if I don't see any differences in the next couple months I might stop it. I already feel like a walking pharmacy.

[Charlie]

Thanks Debs04. I haven't heard of Dysmetabolic Syndrome before. My doctor did increase my thyroid meds a little the last time I saw her, but I won't have my AIC tested again until January. I have been checking my blood glucose here and there at home, and have determined that most of the time it is ok. If I do eat things with a high sugar content, it shoots up and stays up for about a day. So it seems like I do have some form of glucose intolerance, although my overall numbers aren't that bad (highest around 120-130 with a few above that).

In September I was diagnosed with another medical condition that caused me an enormous amount of stress and anxiety for the last few months. I wonder if that affected my sugar levels for that period of time. Initially due to this other condition, I changed my diet to include very little refined sugar. Now I am doing this for the sugar levels, too. I'm hoping the combination of the dietary changes, possibly the increased thyroid meds, and the initial "crisis" of the other condition passing has helped my sugar come down. Managing any condition with diet is challenging though, since I definitely have a sweet tooth. I've lost weight, but I am trying to stop/slow that since I am on the thin side to begin with (5'9" 132 lbs.)

What are the side effects of Metformin? If your levels were better when tested again why did they start you on it right away instead of monitoring you? Have you tried to address it with dietary changes?

[Debs04]

Sorry for the delay in answering, my life has been a mess lately.

The side effects of Metformin can be awful..nausea, diarrhea, gastro-intestinal issues. Luckily, I didn't get any real horrible effects, but I also didn't see any benefits to taking it either so I stopped. I don't like taking drugs that I don't really need and I really couldn't afford to keep paying for it. My endo mostly wanted me to take it because he said it can help with weight loss in some people (though apparently not me). I am having my glucose levels tested again in July so we will see where we are then.