A Fatal Case of Thyroid Storm Precipitated by Methamphetamine Use

Author(s): Matthew Nunley, Adrian Renaldi, Ross Turner, Mark Bannon, Adrita Ashraf, Creticus Marak, Prashant Kaushik

A thyroid storm is an acute, life-threatening complication in patients with inadequately controlled hyperthyroidism. Fortunately, this condition is rare and occurs mainly in patients with poorly controlled hyperthyroidism with additional risk factors. Commonly cited risk factors include abrupt discontinuation of antithyroid medicines, emergent thyroid and non-thyroid surgeries, trauma, infections, medications (amiodarone, salicylates), parturition, and use of iodinated contrast medium. There have also been reports of methamphetamine use precipitating a thyroid storm, albeit only a few. We are reporting a case of thyroid storm in a patient with untreated hyperthyroidism that we believe was precipitated by recent methamphetamine use.