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Diabetes Monitor - Information, education, and support for people with diabetes

is it normal to have hyperglycemia with treatment for hypothyroidism?

December 29, 2006

Remember that the information presented here is not intended to replace the care of your own doctor. Before making any changes in the management of your own illness, you should consult your physician or other qualified medical professionals.

 


 

Question

I do not have diabetes, but I do have reactive hypoglycemia. Since my Thyrolar dose was increased, my blood sugar has jumped way up. Is this normal with treatment for hypothyroidism? Someone told me that the thyroid medicine insert listed higher blood sugar as a side effect. I was shocked. Is there a source of information on this?

Answer

Thyroid hormone medications (such as Thyrolar) can increase blood sugar, particularly if given in overdoses. If you had been hypothyroid, and your dose increased to allow normalization of your thyroid levels, it's surprising that your blood glucose would go up. Maybe something else has changed.

Be sure to discuss this with your physician, and if he/she is unclear on what's happening, ask for a referral to an endocrinologist.

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