Hyperthyroidism & constipation

I am pretty experienced with constipation in my long life and have never related it to my thyroid. My experience says constipation is associated with low fiber diet, and since I love raw veggies and fruit, it is easy to fix and regulate by time of day, if necessary. Also, when I drank coffee years ago, one cup in the morning would make everything fine for me. I also had headaches from constipation, and fixed it with a cup of coffee. I love pears, dates, prunes, and mission figs, so it is easy to get fiber in the diet and to overdo, for that matter. People who feel every little rumble in their tummy need to add fiber gradually so the bowel becomes accustomed and doesn't give tummy pain from too much at one time. Years ago people thought they needed to eat a soft diet but my doctors have always encouraged high fiber to prevent colon cancer. Also, most all of us need to remember to drink more water. Dorisena

Hi "hellokitty5",

I too had, and still even a bit of constipation. I started to have constipation before I was diagnosed with hyperthyroid. (I still have a bit of constipation sometimes). I only recently have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I wondered if constipation a symptom of hyperthyroidism. I went to Mayo Clinic's website on hyperthyroid. I saw on their website, that "bowel changes'' can be a symptom of hyperthyroidism. Well is not constipation a change in bowels? I tend to believe so.

Best regards,
"SusyQ99"

Oh and I have Graves hyperthyroidism autoimmune kind is what the endocrinologist and the primary family type doctor the day before that diagnosed me with having. I had TSH, Free T4, Free T3, and TRAb, (actually 2xs they did TSH), blood tests done and a Gamma Scan that showed. Previous to those tests I had a colonoscopy. Previous to the colonoscopy, I had constipation and then a few days it stopped, then started up again along with horrible stomach pain. Finally able to get colonoscopy where that consultation before it suggested get a thyroid test too. So after the colonoscopy (but in hindsight should maybe have went before the colonoscopy) got the thyroid test. Before Graves disease diagnosis and before the constipation, I'd had 2 Pfizer Covid19 vaccinations. I did 2 boosters Pfizer Covid19 vaccinations. I did the bivalent covid19 booster within the few days that I did not have the constipation, just before the constipation came back and the horrible stomach pain. I went on 10mg Methimazole after the Graves diagnosis just after the Gamma Scan of my thyroid. For around 14 days I thought things fine with Methimazole. But then I got a temperature like 100.8/ 100.5, and then 99.4F. I was told 5mg and okay to take Acetaminophen for temperature. So after 2 days trying Acetaminophen, one of the days was still on 10mg, the next was 5mg. The 5mg day, that morning 2amish woke with chills and shaking for 2hrs straight. Told go for blood tests, did. Later toward that same evening told no more Acetaminophen, then at close midnight told Go to ER right now, in case neutrophils. As my blood tests showed low white blood cell and liver ALS and ATS something (sorry if initials wrong, but 2 types of liver things). Then told go again for tests this week for liver and white blood cells and again next week. And have to decide if Radiation Iodine or Surgery for my Graves disease. Meanwhile I'm now on occasion noticing bit of pain where heart is/left breast area, that goes away, extremely teensy bit maybe today around close to noon, but had none at 9:30am just as got off with Nurse of endo. office, the bit teenier bit more was has been on/off for last few days since off the Methimazole. Feel hot but no temperature. Have worry/anxiety. But is my anxiety the Graves or just all this Stress, or both?? Had bad anxiety to point difficulty talking to doctor about a month before my Graves diagnosis, but even at that time wondered if it stressors of situations environment or something physical inside me or both; this was about a month before going to Gastroenterology. I've been working on wondering what doing with my body since the start of April and now it is nearly end of September. I recall appetite issues changes back in like Feb or March, but my constipation did not start until April. I recall some anxiety even couple years ago, but only my urine for diabetes was tested-- NO thyroid tested since maybe I was around age 13. I just turned 50 toward start of this year. Oh and my hair got a white streak in it, which I'd thought odd in around Feb/March, as I figured I'm not that old, and thought I'd seen a few white hairs even few years prior. But that one white streak seemed a little unusual to me. So these are my 'symptoms' and my situation. Oh and what else, beside the Covid vaccinations and boosters. Three days after taking the bivalent covid Pfizer booster, I took the 2nd dose of Shingrix shingles vaccination and the flu quad vaccination w/out preservative type. I'd asked the pharmacist is this okay? I asked the other pharmacist at the three day later too; and on both wrote Graves disease, and I'd just started the Methimazole as well. What are people's experience/s with Radiation Iodine AND / OR Surgery for Graves disease hyperthyroidism autoimmune? Did anyone else have problems with Methimazole? Are folks able to go back to being able to take Acetaminophen, with white blood cells and liver doing well normal? I saw that hellokitty5 had constipation and hyperthyroidism, but as I wrote Mayo Clinic says 'bowel changes'. What else hmm have I left anything out? Well, I'm checking American Thyroid Association website, and looked a little here on Mayo Clinic about Graves disease, radiation iodine risks and surgery risks. Oh and I do not have the eye part of Graves disease (thank Gd) . Thank you Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic group folks who are not feeling good, I hope you feel better VERY soon a complete recovery!

Hi Hellokitty5, I was diagnosed with Grave’s disease in 1997, I was told by my endocrinologist that I was having a thyroid storm, meaning that I was dangerously hyperthyroid. They decided to give me radioactive iodine to destroy the thyroid gland. Curiously enough, about a year prior I had a period of about 3 months were I was severely constipated, needing to resort to enemas and was loosing my hair in bunches. I was in my late 20’s and did not have the needed medical knowledge, I did not go to the the doctor until I started to have the classic heart palpitations and was loosing weight. this was about a year later. I know that hair loss and constipation are hallmarks of hypothyroidism and as a nurse I wonder if I did convert from Hashimoto to Graves’ disease. I read that this is rare but possible.

I have a history of hyperthyroidism (Graves Disease). I never associated “bowel changes” with it. It is interesting reading here about what others have experienced. My personal experience with “bowel changes” comes from a related topic, Diabetes. It is part of the Diabetes & Endocrine Group. I have gastroparesis at the top of the GI system that sometimes results in nausea, vomiting, constipation, then diarrhea. It responds well to small, frequent, low fiber, nutritionally poor meals. I also have diverticulitis at the other end of the GI system. That sometimes results in belly cramping, constipation & / or diarrhea. It responds well to high fiber diet. The conundrum is finding the balance! Thanks for letting me vent. Always a challenge to deal with multiple ailments!