Clinical Course in Thyroiditis

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have been just diagnosed with Thyroiditis and at the moment I have an overactive thyroid. I feel like I have a severe case of flu, am achy and have throat pain reaching to my ears in some instances. the only way I can accurately describe my feelings inside is that its like I have come down in an elevator very fast. Before this occured I had sinus pains and believe I contracted the Thyroiditis from this. I am taking augmentin for the sinus, but nothing for the thyroidits only overthe counter pain killers. I just generally feel lethargic, flue-like and just want to sleep. Can you tell me how long this will last?

Dear Suzanne: The term thyroiditis includes a wide variety of disorders characterized by some form of inflammation of the thyroid gland. It may be caused by: infection, viral or bacterial; auto-immune disease where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland as it recognizes the gland as foreign tissue; drugs (amiodarone); post partum; fibrous disease (Riedel’s thyroiditis); subacute granulomatus thyroiditis (de Quervain’s thyroiditis); and chronic lymphocytic disease (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis). The treatment of thyroiditis is related to the underlying cause. Therefore if your thyroiditis is secondary to viral infection, this may not improve until the infection has cleared. In subacute thyroiditis there is a distinctive pattern with an initial overactive phase which lasts only until the stores of T4 and T3 are depleted, usually two to six weeks, then the underactive phase (which rarely can be permanent) and complete recovery may take up to 8 or 9 months.