Subacute Thyroiditis Guide: Recovery Time, Treatment & More

Subacute Thyroiditis Guide: Recovery Time, Treatment, Diagnosis & More

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Evidence-Based

Subacute thyroiditis is not the most common cause of thyroid related-issues, but it’s still important nonetheless. 

This condition may result in pain in your thyroid gland and can be confused with other disorders such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease. 

Learn how to diagnose this condition, how long it takes to recover, and natural treatment options that may help in your recovery

What is Subacute Thyroiditis

Like many medical conditions, Doctors tend to give odd-sounding names to certain diseases and conditions. 

But don’t let these names confuse you or scare you. 

Subacute thyroiditis is a type of thyroid condition which is self-limited and results in inflammation of the thyroid gland. 

Put into simple easy-to-understand words, this means that something in your body triggered an inflammatory response in your thyroid gland. 

The term self-limiting means that this condition will eventually go away on its own and usually without any treatment. 

Subacute thyroiditis is a part of a long list of disorders that cause inflammation in the thyroid gland known as “thyroiditis”

The term thyroiditis simply means “thyroid inflammation”. 

Subacute thyroiditis is a specific variant of this condition and one which usually results in a very specific presentation (1).

Those with subacute thyroiditis usually fit the following mold:

  • They are usually sick or ill and have symptoms such as muscle aches, fatigue, and a fever. 
  • Their thyroid is very tender to the touch (this differentiates subacute thyroiditis from the other conditions which are usually painless!). 
  • A virus usually triggered the inflammation in the thyroid gland. 
  • They do not have positive thyroid antibodies on lab testing.

Fortunately, subacute thyroiditis is not a very common condition because the body tends to “protect” the thyroid gland from infections that target other tissues. 

Your thyroid gland comes equipped with a number of factors that protect it from infections including a high amount of iodine storage, production of hydrogen peroxide, and an encapsulation (2) which keep it safe from nearby anatomical structures. 

These protective mechanisms make it so infections (including bacteria and viruses) have a hard time getting into your thyroid gland tissue. 

You can compare this to other areas in your body such as your sinuses or your lungs which are often the casualty of infections such as strep throat or upper respiratory infections! 

But this doesn’t stop all infections, especially some viruses, which have a tendency to “trigger” this condition. 

Specific viruses have been known to result in all types of thyroiditis (3) including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, subacute thyroiditis, and silent thyroiditis. 

The good news is that most viruses do not require treatment (they aren’t like bacterial infections) which means your body and immune system will destroy them over a period of a few weeks to months. 

But, as your body destroys the infection, it may accidentally damage your thyroid gland in the process. 

This damage may lead to some of the characteristic symptoms seen in subacute thyroiditis such as pain in the thyroid gland. 

But how do you know if you have this condition? 

Symptoms & Recovery Time

There are 3 main stages of subacute thyroiditis and each stage is associated with a different set of symptoms. 

You can use these stages to monitor your healing over time and they may be helpful to prevent confusion in diagnosis. 

Let’s go over the stages below including how long you may expect to be in each one: 

  • Stage oneThyrotoxicosis (4): Usually lasts 4-10 weeks. 
  • Stage twoHypothyroidism (5): Usually 6-8 weeks. 
  • Stage threeEuthyroidism (normal thyroid function): This is when your symptoms should subside and you should return to normal. 
Subacute thyroiditis recovery and lab tests

Each stage can be identified by both lab tests and by evaluating your clinical symptoms (how you are feeling). 

The first stage is associated with the symptoms of hyperthyroidism and these symptoms are identical to the symptoms associated with other causes of hyperthyroidism

This is important to note because you can’t tell that you have subacute thyroiditis in the beginning based solely on your symptoms. 

Symptoms you may experience during the thyrotoxicosis phase include:

  • Fatigue
  • Fevers/chills
  • Painful thyroid gland
  • Body aches and pains
  • Heart palpitations
  • Diarrhea
  • Sweating or flushing
  • Anxiety
  • Tremors of the extremities
  • Weight loss

This phase usually lasts somewhere between 4-10 weeks and this is when you may present to your doctor because these symptoms are hard to ignore. 

The second phase is known as the hypothyroid phase and occurs immediately after the hyperthyroid phase or thyrotoxicosis phase

The symptoms associated with the hypothyroid phase are the exact opposite of the first stage and include:

  • Cold intolerance
  • Constipation
  • Weight gain
  • Depression
  • Low body temperature
  • Slow heart rate
  • Dry skin

By this point, your fever and chills should have subsided and the pain in your thyroid gland should be reduced. 

This phase lasts approximately 6-8 weeks as your body recovers and restores the damage done to your thyroid gland. 

The last phase is associated is known as the “euthyroid” stage which simply means that your thyroid function has returned to normal!

Once you get through the first 2-3 months you should be back to feeling normal. 

Approximately 95% of patients will return to normal after this period of time (depending on the cause of your condition). 

Diagnosing Subacute Thyroiditis with Lab Tests & History

How is subacute thyroiditis diagnosed?

Like other medical diseases and diseases of the thyroid, this is done through the use of targeted lab tests and medical history. 

If you suspect you have subacute thyroiditis (or any other thyroid-related issue) you should be evaluated with the following tests: 

  • Thyroid Function Tests – Thyroid function tests include TSH, free t3, and free T4. Depending on where you are at in your disease state you will have different lab results. During the hyperthyroid phase, your TSH will be very low or undetectable and during the hypothyroid phase, your TSH will be “high”. 
  • Thyroid antibody Tests – Thyroid antibody tests should be ordered to help differentiate between Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, and subacute thyroiditis. This is important because all 3 may have some overlap in how they present. The presence of antibodies to your thyroid gland indicates an autoimmune disease such as Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s. 
  • Ultrasound of the thyroid gland – An ultrasound of the thyroid gland may be helpful. If you have subacute thyroiditis your thyroid gland may be slightly enlarged during the inflammatory phase. 
  • Inflammatory Markers – Markers such as ESR and CRP may be elevated during the inflammatory phase and can help identify an inflammatory disorder in the body. 
  • Medical History – Your medical history is very important for diagnosis because it can help your doctor determine the cause of your problem. Many thyroid inflammatory diseases overlap in their symptoms but they all have unique characteristics which can your doctor differentiate between them. 

Types of Subacute Thyroiditis

It’s very important for your Doctor to identify that you have subacute thyroiditis, and not another form of thyroiditis or thyroid disease because this condition typically does not require any treatment. 

Subacute thyroiditis accounts for around 15-20% of patients who present with thyrotoxicosis and around 10% of patients who present with hypothyroidism. 

This has to do with the fact that you may present at different times in the progression of your disease. 

Remember:

In the beginning, you will experience the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, then you will experience the symptoms of hypothyroidism and lastly, you will return to normal thyroid function. 

When you go to your Doctor will determine how your labs look and whether or not you fit into the “hyperthyroid” or “hypothyroid” category. 

There are actually 3 main types of subacute thyroiditis recognized by medical professionals: 

  • Subacute granulomatous thyroiditis (6) – This condition is almost always the result of a viral infection and tends to go away on its own in a matter of weeks to months. This condition is differentiated from other causes because it is often associated with a thyroid gland which is very painful. 
  • Subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis (7) – This condition is also referred to as “painless thyroiditis” and can be immediately differentiated from granulomatous thyroiditis by this factor alone. This condition has an overlap between subacute thyroiditis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and may represent a condition on the autoimmune spectrum of thyroid disease. 
  • Subacute postpartum thyroiditis (8) – Subacute postpartum thyroiditis can be differentiated from the other two forms of thyroiditis because it tends to occur in the postpartum period (after pregnancy). This condition, like lymphocytic thyroiditis, may be on the autoimmune spectrum as they share similar findings when evaluated under a microscope. 

Don’t let these types discourage you or scare you because, regardless of which type you have, they almost always go away on their own and without treatment. 

Subacute Thyroiditis vs Graves’ Disease

Subacute thyroiditis should be differentiated from the autoimmune condition Graves’ disease at the time of diagnosis. 

Both of these conditions may present with similar clinical symptoms but they can be differentiated on a few important points. 

The first is that subacute thyroiditis is usually associated with thyroid pain and Graves’ disease is not. 

The second is that subacute thyroiditis is NOT associated with positive antibodies in the serum while Graves’ disease usually is (9).

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These points must be checked and evaluated early on in the progression of your symptoms because these two conditions are treated differently. 

Graves’ disease is a condition that is progressive (meaning it gets worse over time) whereas subacute thyroiditis will almost always naturally improve without any therapies

Graves’ disease also may require treatment such as the use of thyroid-blocking medications, thyroid surgery, or radioactive iodine ablation of the thyroid gland. 

Because of the overlap between these two conditions your Doctor should take caution when testing and diagnosing your condition. 

Natural Treatment Options

Is there any way to reduce the amount of time it takes to heal your thyroid if you have subacute thyroiditis?

The answer is maybe, but these therapies have not been “proven” through clinical studies. 

Even though they are not “proven” there is anecdotal evidence (meaning opinions from others who have had the disease) that they may provide relief in some cases. 

If you want to take a natural approach to treating your condition you should focus on supplements and therapies designed to enhance your immune system and those which may be effective in killing off viruses. 

Therapies that fit this category include:

While these treatments have not been proven to work they may be both effective and inexpensive remedies that have the potential to help. 

During the hypothyroid phase, you can also consider using certain combination supplements such as this, which may help promote thyroid function by providing your body with vitamins and nutrients. 

Conclusion

Subacute thyroiditis is an inflammatory condition of the thyroid gland which results in both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms. 

This condition is thought to be triggered by a viral infection and is usually self-limiting (which means your body will heal on its own in a matter of months). 

Typically, no treatment is required if you have this condition but you may find relief in using certain natural therapies to expedite the healing process

Subacute thyroiditis can be diagnosed through basic and routine thyroid lab tests as well as a comprehensive medical history by your Doctor. 

Now I want to hear from you: 

Are you suffering from subacute thyroiditis?

Do you suspect you have some sort of inflammatory condition of your thyroid gland?

Have your symptoms subsided?

Why or why not?

Leave your comment or questions below! 

#1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24803929

#2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285553/

#3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2654877/

#4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5387892/

#5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3743646

#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC480541/

#7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen/266299

#8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22443972

#9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3474632/

#10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2277319/

#11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17699936

#12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16531187

#13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103721/

#14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768712/

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About Dr. Westin Childs

Hey! I'm Westin Childs D.O. (former Osteopathic Physician). I don't practice medicine anymore and instead specialize in helping people like YOU who have thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss resistance. I love to write and share what I've learned over the years. I also happen to formulate the best supplements on the market (well, at least in my opinion!) and I'm proud to say that over 80,000+ people have used them over the last 7 years. You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do.

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45 thoughts on “Subacute Thyroiditis Guide: Recovery Time, Treatment, Diagnosis & More”

  1. Started taking the lowest dose of Cytomel with Synthroid at 25mcg. Labs are great, however, by end of a 12 hour day, I have symptoms of hypothyroidism, like weight gain in the belly, slight brain fog etc. How should I dose and take these 2 meds? If I get too much Synthroid I tend to gain weight and get memory loss and weight etc. So doc switched me to this drug combo. Just don’t know how to take the drugs for best all day effect.

    Reply
  2. Hi,
    My thyroid hurts. Is painful to touch and when swallowing. It started almost 3 weeks before. But then I only had throat pain and little swelling. However 10 days back i started getting ear ache, head ache, teeth ache. And I also started getting fever. The docs just said it was thyroiditis, didn’t say it was subacute thyroiditis. But since that’s the only type with painful thyroid can I say I have subacute thyroiditis?
    My T4 test 6 days back was marginally high. 2.47(compared to 2.46). But my TSH was well within limit.
    I am currently only taking ibuprofen. Is it the right direction? I still feel exhausted and tired.
    I picked up cough from my almost 18 month old and it’s so painful to cough.
    Btw, is this contagious?
    Would be very helpful if you can reply.
    Thanks in advance.
    GD

    Reply
    • Hi GD,

      It sounds like it’s probably thyroiditis, but it’s still a good idea to check for thyroid antibodies as well. You might also need an ultrasound depending on your symptoms.

      Reply
  3. Thank you for the great recap of Subacute Thyroiditis. I have been dealing with this since August (it is now late December) and only recently received my official diagnosis after an ultra sound, multiple blood tests, a visit to an Endocrinologist and having a Thyroid Scan and Uptake Test completed.

    Your recap describes my journey through Sub Acute Thyroiditis to a T. My blood work as of last week shows all of my numbers finally in the normal range so I am hoping this is almost over. However, I am still tired and I have had some fluid retention/swelling around my eyes which is a new symptom for me and it is certainly not a good look.

    Thank you for any follow up suggestions/comments. Best to you.

    Reply
    • Hi Stephie,

      It sounds as if you may be experiencing some persistent hypothyroid symptoms. These should fade over time as your thyroid gets back to normal function!

      Reply
  4. I was very sick with sore throat, headache, fever, malaise about 8 weeks ago. Thyroid was very tender to the touch and I had jaw pain and teeth pain with it. Soon after I exhibited signs of hyperthyroid. Ultrasound revealed inflamed thyroid with nodules. Radioactive iodine level was low. .08 then .06, Tsh was .01. T4 free was 4.2 . T3 was 251. TPO antibodies were 15 (over 9 considered positive). ESR was 101. . Because of the tpo levels being 15 my Endo said it was suggestive of Hashimotos. But, after doing some research I have read that some patients with subacute thyroiditis will test positive in low titers for antibodies. My Dr said that usually doesn’t happen but it can in some cases.

    I am feeling much better now and pretty much back to normal. Blood tests reveal I am now in the hypothyroid stage but I am asymptomatic. So I will go back in a few weeks to test TSH and T3 and T4 again. I am following autoimmune protocol diet and taking four tablets of Thytrophin pmg as a precaution after meeting with a nutritionist. Wondering your thoughts. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Marie,

      It sounds like you are on the right track! I don’t necessarily have anything to add unless it turns out that your thyroid continues to cause problems for you in the future.

      Reply
  5. Hi,
    Thanks for your summary of Subacute Thyroiditis. I strongly believe this is what I have, though still waiting for a diagnosis.
    In Nov 2018, I was ill with what I thought was flu, with fever, ear and throat ache but only on my right side. My neck was slightly swollen on my right side but it seemed to resolve itself after about 2/3 weeks.

    Then in February this year, the right side of my neck was swollen, again with pain extending to my jaw, ear and teeth when I chew.
    My doctor suspected Thyroiditis but was not sure. TSH level came back ‘normal’ and they will not do a T3 or T4 test because the TSH was normal.
    Eventually had a CT scan which showed that I had 2 nodules. Thyroid is still painful to touch and feels like I have a permanent sore throat and eachache. I am taking Ibuprofen constantly to ease the pain, also taking antibiotics as thought maybe it is an infection as my throat hurt so much that swallowing, yawning and talking is painful. Not sure antibiotics has helped.
    The pain started extending to the middle part of my throat and slowly towards the left side!
    I have no idea what stage of Subacute Thyroiditis I am now but seeing a Endocrinologist on Wednesday.
    My question is if it is subacute Thyroiditis, will the swelling on my neck go down after I complete the 3 stages? I look forward to your reply. Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Viv,

      Yes, if the swelling was related to the inflammation (which is very likely) then it will go down once the infection has completely resolved. But note that this may take time.

      Reply
  6. Hi,
    I just want to check if a goitre from an inflammation will go down eventually when the inflammation is gone. I have had Thyroiditis since February, which I detailed in an earlier message. The swelling is taking a long time to go down and at times goes down a bit, only to swell again. Also, though it started on the right side, it spread to the middle and now appears to be spreading to the left side. I am taking ibuprofen. Is there anything else I can take to help? All my blood works came back ‘normal’. Given the broad spectrum for normal, I am not sure this is correct. It can’t be normal and yet my thyroid is still swollen. Had a couple of ultra scans too and those were fine. Look forward to your response. Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Viv,

      Yes, if the goiter is solely caused by the inflammation then it should go down once the problem is resolved.

      Reply
  7. Hi, I’ve been having issues with my thyroid since March. My doctor thought I had Hashimoto’s but when I went to the Endocrinologist, my antibodies were negative. I currently have a small goiter that aches sometimes and aches a bit after getting an ultrasound. The goiter didn’t show up until June. My TSH is high (7.23) and my T4 is normal while my T3 is slightly high. I do not remember having a fever though since November. I’ve been told I have Thyroiditis but no one seems to know what’s going on. Is it possible I have Subacute Thyroiditis?

    Reply
  8. In case anyone is interested I have Subacute Thyroiditis that appears to have been caused by a nasty dose of Covid-19.

    I am a diabetic and my routine blood tests, about a month after I had the virus (which lasted about 3 weeks) showed hypothyroidism for the first time in my 59 years.

    So it appears one of the side effects of the pandemic, certainly on some people is that it can affect the thyroid.

    In 2 months I will have a further blood test to see where I am at.

    Reply
  9. Hi Doc!

    What are your thoughts on scenarios that include thyroid pain AND antibodies? I’ve had severe thyroid pain and I’m also showing TPO antibodies as well, ultrasound checks out too. Is it possible that you can have Graves with thyroid pain? Or have a small amount of antibodies with subacute thyroiditis? Thanks for everything you do 🙂

    Reply
  10. Hi Doc,
    Thank you for the great info.
    I started experiencing pain in my throat 10 days ago.later on it was so painful i end up in priority care she did covid and strep test.All came negative.Than i went to my PCP she ordered some blood work and thyroid ultrasound.So my free T4 came 3.36 and my TSh was .007 and in ultrasound came to small nodules in right side.She prescribed amoxicillin and Advil for pain.Went today to see Endocrinologist.She said to wait for few days it gets better by itself.Otherwise she has to prescribe some steroids.
    My question is i m having diarrhea and fatigue.Is there is anything i can do for that also from yesterday i feel something is stuck in my throat.Drinking water doesn’t resolve that feeling.

    Reply
  11. Thank you so much Doctor for sharing this valuable information.I am 39 years old (male).I was diagnosed with subacute in 2006, my body was on the rollercoaster…Gained weight…lost weight…for almost 1.5 year.Then started the real misery…The Brain Fog… Fatigue…if I speak my throat hurts….it’s been 14 years (this is 2021 ) I am suffering with this pain.My test are normal.have tried tons of supplements.My life is not even 10% same as it was before this. I have a family ,for them I want to get better.Thank you so much for your time.

    Reply
  12. Hello Dr.Childs,
    in early April this year I was diagnosed with Subacute Thyroiditis.
    I went exactly thru all the stages you described, but by now I feel normal, the swallowed part of thyroid gone to the normal size and there is no pain in the area, I also feel good, no symptoms.DR.prescribed the control tests to do, but I wait a bit in hope, that I will be overcoming SAT and the tests will appear to be normal ( I hope that so-so much!!!!).But I took in August 5th blood test , without the doctor’s referral, for myself to understand where I am now and it shows : T3L 3,8, T4L 9,8, TSH 9,190 L- libre stands for free, I am in France.Could you please advise, with this results ( when THS is high) is it OK to stay without any medication and just wait and hope to the full recovery? I never had before thyroid issues, I am 63 y.o., kind healthy woman…Many-many thanks for your expertise.

    Reply
  13. Hi. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism back in the late eighties. About 20 years later after having more in-depth studies I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s induced thyroiditis which in my case is underactive. About 3 weeks ago I noticed a swelling in the front of my neck where my thyroid is and it was very tender to the touch and it hurt when I swallowed. I decided to go to urgent care and was pretty quickly diagnosed with Subacute thyroiditis. I had not experienced any exposure to or symptoms of a cold or any type of flu or virus. I was put on a 6 day regimen of methylprednisolone and 10 days of amxoicillin. I don’t like taking antibiotics but I agreed to. The swelling has eased up but my throat does continue periodically to hurt when I swallow. I am sure I’m in the first stage of this but I’m wondering when the symptoms will abate. It is a little frustrating. I also thought it was kind of interesting that a year and a half ago I developed sub-acute granuloma annulare on the inside Knuckles of my fingers and read where granulomas are also found in thyroids with thyroiditis. I am not implying there’s a relationship I just thought it was kind of strange the both of these conditions happened to me and wonder if it has anything to do with my Hashimoto’s which has also caused me to have vitiligo. I get all my thyroid levels checked every 3 months through my family doctor so I don’t see any reason why I need to check anything other than what I’m already doing. Anyway this was just a place for me to talk about this stuff since there isn’t any place else to do so. Not too many medical practitioners know a whole lot about either Subacute thyroiditis or subcutaneous granuloma annulare. Sometimes I think I know more about it than they do. LOL

    Reply
  14. Hi Dr. Child’s. You have written an amazing piece of work! Truly spot on and absolutely useful for those of us who live with this constantly changing condition. I have read nothing finer on the subject and wanted to add this observation to your research: I find the transition from hyper to hypo and back again is not linear or smooth…my thyroid subtly pulses it’s release. In other words, I go up and down on the way down…then up and down on the way up while suffering from symptoms of both hyper and hypo in short periods of time (days) until my thyroid is stable enough. Like a roller coaster within a roller coaster! My observation comes from decades of living with this hard to treat condition. I believe what I am describing must be common as the thyroid gland is, well, a gland. Thank you again for explaining! I hope I added something useful.

    Reply
    • Hi Herman,

      Thank you for sharing your experience! I think your experience is correct in that the transition between hyper and hypo is rarely smooth. The body rarely ever acts like a graph on paper but it’s sometimes easier to describe things in that way.

      Reply
  15. Hello I’m just wondering if after you switch from hyperthyroidism to hypothyroidism if you have subacute thyroiditis, can you still have some lingering symptoms from hyperthyroidism like the rapid heart beat or palpitations? I haven’t been diagnosed but if I’m right in thinking I have subacute thyroiditis from long COVID then I’m pretty sure I have switched to hypothyroidism because of the debilitating fatigue and constipation… But I also still have an extra heartbeat/palpitations. Any ideas ?
    Thank you !
    Stephanie

    Reply
    • Hi Stephanie,

      It’s really only possible for one tissue to be either overstimulated or understimulated by thyroid hormone but not both at the same time. Having said that, there is some definite overlap in symptoms between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism so it can often be hard to tell what is happening based on your symptoms alone. For this reason, evaluating your thyroid lab tests is always a good idea.

      Reply
  16. Hi, I had Covid in January 2022 and in march was diagnose with subacute thyroiditis . I am on medication since 5/16/22 50 mcg of levothyroxine daily and 100 mcg twice a week. My blood test getting better but i am confused why my total T3 dropped from 92 to 77 within past 6 week . Thank you .Marina

    TSH 4/8/22 5/2/22 5/16/22 6/10/22 7/22/22
    <0.01 L 21.13 H 98.46 H 26.27 H 4.67 H

    Free 4/8/22 5/2/22 5/16/22 6/10/22 7/22/22
    T4 2.9 H 0.5 L 0.5 L 1.1 1.3
    T3, 4/8/22 5/2/22 5/16/22 6/10/22 7/22/22
    Total 172 40 L 46 L 92 77
    6/10/22 7/22/22
    Thyroglobulin Ab <1 <1
    Thyroid Peroxidase Ab 1 1

    Reply
  17. Hi Doc,
    I am in 4 th week thyroiditis with hyperthyroidism, on beta blockers for high
    Heart rate, I have a cough, nodules and swollen neck, ear pain, fever still,
    Cat scan showed not cancer and not an abscess, negative for antibodies.
    My question is I was not sick any time before this( last time 6 months stomach virus) so what would have caused thyroiditis?
    Thank you Cindy

    Reply
    • Hi Cindy,

      Unfortunately, it’s not always known. Thyroiditis just refers to inflammation of the thyroid gland but inflammation can be caused by any number of things including immune dysfunction or infection.

      Reply
  18. Firstly, I want to say how much I appreciate your work. With conventional medicine continually lagging behind the latest facts and failing patients, people like you in the field of functional medicine really provided a lot of hope for people. Hopefully the field of traditional medicine with catch up sooner than later.

    Secondly, I too am experiencing subacute thyroiditis. Early this year (December) my TSH was borderline elevated, the doctor made me worry way more than I should have. The stress of her concern and thoughts of potentially being on life-long medication didn’t help. I was determined not to be on long term meds.

    A following check up showed the TSH drop slightly with normal Free T4, then I went a few months later to a gynecological appt. which revealed that the TSH went up ~ 5.6 but T4 and T3 normal. Immediately they wanted to put me on meds. But I went to an endocrinologist who noted some inflammation via the ultrasound (slight swelling, especially R-side) and told me it is likely subacute thyroiditis, that I didn’t need any medication and that otherwise I am quite healthy and fit, and just needed a follow up. I was relieved, AND alarmed, that two previous doctors were tempted to put me on medication so quickly.

    I am a stage 4 B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma survivor (successful treatment, chemo only, no radiation at 19 years, now 36yrs), which was always suspected to be linked to EBV or my dad being exposed to agent orange as a Marine veteran. But I did get Covid middle of 2020 (before being vaccinated) and wondered if this could be a link.

    As for the stages, I had experienced lots of anxiety, nervousness, irritability, stress intolerance and palpitations late last year and early this year. Symptoms which have since gone away.

    I am quite active and fit, following an high fat, quality protein, anti-inflammatory diet (no sugar, no gluten, etc), and have been for ~ 3 months now, while also taking a high quality multivitamin with probiotics, selenium, fish oil, vitamin-D3; methyl B12 + methyl folate with B6, as well as Mag7 before bed. Ugh… it’s a lot.

    After following the regimen, I was immediately impressed with my appearance in the mornings. I was no longer waking up with puffy eyes and experienced zero bloat. I used to (only on occasion) wake up with puffy eyes, especially if I ate too late, but the puffiness would usually go away within an hour or two of waking up.

    However, starting around 2 months ago the puffiness returned, and now doesn’t dissipate. It is pretty much every day. I am guessing this is part of the hypothyroid stage making it’s ugly appearance. Will this go away? I began to worry about my liver health, but also know that the liver and thyroid work in tandem so maybe it too, is transient. Other than that, I really haven’t been having any other symptoms.

    What do you think? Anyway, love your work. Thank you for helping to ‘break the cycle’.

    Reply
  19. At the end of December 2021 right before Christmas, I was diagnosed with Subacute Thyroiditis. My heart was beating very fast and I felt bad like I was having a heart attack. I couldn’t concentrate properly. I had lost like 10-15 pounds very quickly. I was sweating fiercely at night which I had attributed to the Menopause I started in around October 2019 (I had already been sweating at night due to this I figured). But this was different – I was shaking and felt cold. I also experienced numbness or prickles through my legs and arms…like falling asleep. I gave it a day or two thinking that maybe the new Vitamin D supplement was maybe too much so I stopped it.

    Earlier in December I had had what I thought was a sore throat, but it eventually went away.

    I ended up at the emergency room. At first they couldn’t tell me what was wrong and asked if I had had any anxiety. Later, they came back in and said my thyroid test was off and the emergency room doctor consulted with a specialist who said it was a thyroid problem. They prescribed me a beta blocker to slow down my heart and a pill to lessen the amount of hormones my thyroid made.

    I was assigned a Primary Doctor, which I’d never had before (never have gone to doctors). He diagnosed me with Subacute Thyroiditis. My tests came back with no signs of any autoimmune antibodies. He said it was caused by some sort of virus. But I HADN’T BEEN SICK. I HAVEN’T BEEN SICK IN YEARS. Never got COVID. Never got a vaccine or even a Covid test. He blamed some kind of virus…I forget which one. I think it was a kid’s virus.

    So, he sent me for an ultrasound for my thyroid which really didn’t show anything except a smaller thyroid than expected caused by the thyroiditis is what the result said. No nodules, nothing. Mostly, THANK GOD, NO CANCER! I was also supposed to go for an Iodine Uptake test, but I never did. I felt great after the Ultrasound and figured I didn’t need it.

    When I visited the doctor, he palpated my throat and later when I got home…around an hour later, BOY DID MY THROAT HURT! After that I experienced pain going up my ears and throat and I had constant hissing in my ears (I always get this when I get sick with something). So, I suffered this for a long time, of course, and would just take ibuprofen for it. I was in the Hyperthyroid phase or the toxic phase.

    Anyway, after researching Subacute Thyroiditis online, I realized that the pill I was given to make my thyroid make less hormones was not needed so i stopped it on my own. After reading, I realized that it wasn’t that my thyroid was making too much hormone, but it was releasing the stored amount very quickly. I Tried to stop the beta blocker one time too, but it was apparent I still needed it. I TRIED, but my heart went crazy when I tried to stop it (I tried tapering to lower amounts because if you don’t you can have a heart attack). Eventually, I was able to stop it when I saw my tests were better that the doctor ordered. This was some time in April 2022, I believe. He let me do it, but slowly tapering over a few weeks. Phew.

    It’s now November 8, 2022, and FINALLY, I took another TSH test today and my numbers came back within range!! Normal! I’m writing this to explain to others what happened to me mostly because it’s hard to find experiences on the internet. This is MY experience and not medical advice.

    What was most stunning to me is that even though the different websites explain the different phases – the 3 phases….it often feels like they’re all happening at once. Even though I’m testing fine today and I do feel better, just a few days ago I was still sweating and feeling pains in my throat. Even today I can still feel that my throat feels a bit weird at times. It seems to go back and forth because a few weeks ago I felt fine too and then, once again, felt some throat pain. I think it’s my thyroid trying to heal itself (I hope). The hissing has gone down in my ears too which means I’m getting better. But, I mean, that has gone back and forth too. So, I just want everyone to know that it seems (at least for me), to go back and forth….for awhile the pain in the throat stops and then it can start again (though not as bad as before). And the hissing in my ears can go higher and lower depending on the symptoms. I still think my thyroid is still healing even though it’s been about 11 months or so. My levels came back normal today, but I think my thyroid is still healing and fixing itself. I still have prickles or numbness every so often like I did when this started (never had it before this). What an amazing wonder that God has created with the body to be able to do these complex functions. Isn’t it sooo amazing that the body can do all of these complex operations that we don’t fully understand? Thank you and stay safe and well out there.

    Reply
    • Hi Raquel,

      Thank you for sharing! I definitely agree that the body is amazing and there are plenty of things we still don’t understand!

      Reply
  20. Hi Dr. Childs,

    Your articles are so helpful and informational. I actually have subacute thyroiditis currently, and the only note I would make that was different than what was stated in the article is that I had thyroglobulin antibodies at an 11.1 (reference range 0.0 to 4.0.)

    My endocrinologist stated that it can be normal to have antibodies at elevated levels during subacute thyroiditis, temporarily. He told me that, unless it is accompanied by a high level of TPO or TSI, this does not indicate an autoimmune disease.

    We retested my TSH, T3, and T4 levels a week later, and they had significantly decreased, so he still feels it’s following the disease process of subacute thyroiditis. If it doesn’t continue to go down, he said he could order a thyroid, uptake and scan, however, does not believe that numbers will go down as significantly as mine has in a week without any treatment if it was Graves’ disease.

    He stated that he has seen about 5 to 6 patients per day with subacute thyroiditis after Covid infection when we were more in the heart of the Covid pandemic.

    I have read a lot of articles about antibody titers being high in subacute thyroiditis and wonder if this is something that you have noticed or heard of as well.

    Thank you,

    Lauren C.

    For reference, my TSH was .01, T3 was 4.2 (with a ref range of normal below 1.7), T4 was 9.3 (normal <4.4)

    A week later, my TSH was still .01, T3 was 3.2 and T4 was 5.8.

    Reply
      • Thank you, Dr. Childs. That information is very helpful. A month later, my TSH level is now 30 (reference range shows cut off at 3.94) even though my T3 and T4 are only very slightly below normal at .2 and .02 off for each, respectively. Does having a TSH level that is this high indicate permanent, hypothyroidism or could this still be part of the hypothyroid phase before returning to normal? My numbers were almost completely normal and month ago except for my TSH, which has now swinging the other direction. does having a TSH level that is this high indicate permanent, hypothyroidism or could this still be part of the hypothyroid phase before returning to normal? My numbers were almost completely normal on month ago, except for my TSH, which has now swung the other direction. I am mostly asymptomatic, though.

        Reply
  21. I have been dealing with subacute thyroiditis since July 2022. Initially I had hyperthyroid symptoms. In October my level were normal but I still didn’t feel well. It’s almost 9 months out and I still don’t feel normal. I still get thyroid pain sometimes, high resting heart rate when ovulating and periods. I get head pressure on the base of my skull and top of head. I get forehead and leg tingles. Do you think that my thyroid it’s just still healing?

    Reply
    • Hi Andrea,

      It’s still very possible that you are recovering. It can take many months to even a year to completely recover. It’s also possible that other problems are contributing but those would require testing to identify.

      Reply
  22. Hi Doc!
    Thanks for this insightful article! However, would love to know more about the 5% of people who end up with a permanent thyroid disorder after experiencing subacute thyroditis.
    In my case – I got diagnosed with subacute thyroditis almost at the end stage of the hyperthyroid phase and got put onto thyroid medication in the early stage of hypothyroid phase. That was almost 5 years ago. Since then my medication has slowly been increased (stable after the second year) and it seems I am stuck with hypothyroid for life?
    Is there any article for people in a situation like this? Any chance of reversal as mentioned in your other articles?
    Do let me know. Thanks for all your insight!

    Reply
  23. Hi.
    T3/T4 at 4.99 + 4.97 for 20 years. Bells Palsy treated with prednisone 3 yrs ago. Unbelievable response! Mood great, no depression, lost 40lbs sensibly over year. Now after 3 years I’m unmotivated, depressed, gained 15 lbs in 6 mths. So I have to convince my Dr to prescribe Prednisone for a few weeks. Probably not going to happen

    Reply

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