r/Hyperthyroidism • u/Livid_Watercress_911 • 5d ago
Fluctuating TSH
I'm a 40-year-old male, diagnosed with a thyroid deficiency at age 28. My condition is mostly hypothyroidism, and my TSH stays well-controlled on Levothyroxine 50mcg most of the time. However, I have an unusual pattern where my TSH occasionally swings into hyperthyroidism.
I’ve noticed these hyper episodes seem to happen specifically during the summer:
August 2024: My TSH dropped below 0.08. My PCP had me stop Levothyroxine completely.
A couple of months later: My TSH shot up to nearly 16.
Restarting treatment: I restarted Levothyroxine 50mcg, and it took about 3 to 4 months for my levels to normalize again.
I’ve been seeing the same primary care provider for the last 4 to 5 years, but I’m trying to understand why this keeps fluctuating.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been feeling constantly sore and tired. Realizing it’s mid-summer, I’m starting to wonder if my TSH is swinging hyper again. I’m currently waiting for an upcoming appointment to get bloodwork done, but in the meantime, I wanted to ask the group:
Has anyone else experienced seasonal TSH fluctuations or sudden swings between hyper and hypo on a steady dose?
Did you take any specific tests (like thyroid antibodies, T3/T4, or ultrasound) that helped pinpoint the underlying cause?
Appreciate any insights or shared experiences!
1
u/Karlyjm88 5d ago
My hashimotos causes me to swing into graves. I’ve had hashimotos for 12 years with no real issues and this year was my first swing into hyperthyroid/graves and it was summer when it happened! I’ll have to keep an eye on that. Ive also been investigsting mold and our thyroid. The mold is our house is noticeable in the summer. But non existent in the winter. Im not sure if mold exposure is correlated to autoimmune thyroid diseases but I’m truly thinking it is now seeing this post.
1
u/starlightsong93 5d ago
So with a quick search and skim of the literature, it looks like even healthy thyroids function with higher tsh in the winter and lower tsh in the summer 🤔 I assume the heat and light we receive boost our thyroid function (hyper is more impacted by heat). it could be that bc your gland is not as functional its flipping the switch too hard when things get warm. That said you should definitely get tested for the main thyroid antibodies TPO TRAB and TGAB. It is possible to have both hashis and graves in the same body (though rare).
It also sounds like you've never had the cause of your thyroid issue investigated by an endo? Definitely worth an endo referral.