What should you know about differential diagnosis for hyperthyroidism?

Symptoms such as palpitations, excessive sweating, diarrhoea, difficulty sleeping, and feeling anxious can occur with hyperthyroidism but also with stress, infection, medicines, menopause, heart rhythm problems, or other hormone conditions. A clinician checks your pulse, blood pressure, eyes, neck, tremor, and reflexes. Blood tests commonly begin with thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid hormones; antibody tests or imaging may help identify the cause when needed. The pattern of results matters more than one symptom.

Book a GP consultation if symptoms persist, recur, or affect sleep and daily activity. Bring a list of medicines, supplements, energy products, and recent illness, because some can alter symptoms or test results. Do not change thyroid medicine or take someone else's treatment. Record when palpitations, sweating, bowel changes, or heat intolerance occur and whether they follow caffeine, exertion, or stress.

Seek emergency help for chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting, confusion, or a very fast or irregular heartbeat with feeling unwell. Fever, agitation, vomiting, and rapidly worsening symptoms also require urgent assessment.

Ask which thyroid tests are needed, whether medicines could explain the symptoms, what cause is being considered, and when results or repeat testing will be reviewed.