Graves Disease or NOT Graves Disease?

[BumThyroid]

Hello,

I am quite schooled in all things thyroid after dealing with my own problem for at least 8 years that I’ve known about my issue.

Here’s my story:

Male, 40 years old. 345 pounds – look hypothyroid – sort of puffy. Weight maintained at same level for at least 5 years now.

TSH is always HIGH – between 5.5 and 19.5 (range .45 – 4.5)
Free T4 is always LOW or NORMAL LOW .69 – .92 (range .82 – 1.77)
Total T4 is always NORMAL LOW 5 – 7 (range 4.5 – 12)
Free T3 is always NORMAL or HIGH NORMAL 3.1 – 3.9 (range 2.0 – 4.4)

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody – ALWAYS VERY HIGH 1500 – 3000 (range less than 30)
Thyroglobulin Antibody – ALWAYS HIGH 400 – 1200 (range less than 30)
Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulins (TSI) – ALWAYS HIGH 135 – 185 (range less than 125)

Testosterone – ALWAYS VERY LOW – 179 – 214 (range 245 – 900, about 650 for my age)
Free Testosterone – ALWAYS LOW – 29.7 (range 46 – 224)
Ferritin – ALWAYS HIGH – 370 – 412 (range 20 – 345)
TIBC – NORMAL
CORTISOL – HIGH OR NORMAL HIGH – 19.8 – 23 (range 3.1 – 22.4)
24 Hour Cortisol – 1 High, 2 Normal (72, 20, 42 range 0 -50)

ACTH – USUALLY HIGH 50 – 74 (range 7 – 50)
FSH, LH – USUALLY LOW NORMAL or LOW

Vitamin D – NORMAL 32 (range 20 – 100)

Prolactin – USUALLY HIGH 18.3 – 23.5 (range 2.1 – 17.7)

So…..that’s all that’s wrong with me 😀

Seriously though, I’ve been dealing with bad symptoms for about 8 years now and I need to make a change. Doctors are unsure if I have Graves’ Disease given my high TSI or if I am hypo, given my T4 and TSH. I feel hyper most of the time. I get very frequent heart palpitations, can’t sleep, have shaky hands and am ALWAYS hot. I have fans on all the time and crank the air conditioner to where my wife and kids are freezing.

My mother had thyroidectomy due to nodules and Hashimotos. Her brother, my Uncle, was just diagnosed with full blown Graves disease with TED and is on anti-thyroid meds.

I am not on any meds whatsoever and don’t drink alcohol, drugs…nothing except a chew tobacco habit (my only vice…I know, it’s a bad one).

I guess my question is, will a thyroidectomy be the answer to my problems? If I get rid of my thyroid will it bring down my high ferritin and lower my T3 and allow my Cortisol and ACTH to stop working over time?

–OR–

Is the answer thyroid replacement meds, potentially sending me more hyper feeling than I am now with even more heart palpitations and even higher heart rate.

I get panic attacks all the time. Last time I was at the endo my blood pressure spiked from normal to 205/130 with a heart rate in the 160’s. Normally when I feel shaky my resting heart rate will be between 104 and 112.

So there’s all my dirty laundry. I am hoping someone, somewhere in the world can make some sense of my numbers for me. I am at wits end and am about to start removing body parts unless I can figure this out soon. I already spoke with a thyroid surgeon and he is waiting on a sonogram and pituitary MRI but I’ve already had several sonos and know my thyorid is filled with scar tissue (multi-nodular goiter) and my first non-contrast pit MRI revealed nothing.

I used to be an athlete – was in very good shape (bodybuilder and football player) until age 26 or so and then it all started going downhill around age 30 – about 10 years now I’ve been dealing with this.

Do I plead for a thyroidectomy and take it from there or would that be a mistake?

Please help shed some light on my totally messed up labs.

Thanks!

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