The THYROID Thread

[goldcupmom]

All you thyroid experts......

Just back from my Dr and an annual physical. She said my thyroid is 'borderline' enlarged. doing bloodwork.

12/7 I went to breast dr. -( due to my sister's breast cancer 3 yrs ago, I go yearly just because) - she noticed an enlarged node under left armpit. Did an ultrasound & said it was normal, just puffy.

I had pneumonia 12/18 when I went in running a 102+ fever, 5 days on Zpak, 12/31 woke up with horrific sore throat on one side, swollen nodes. Nodes still swollen, ,lots of sinus drainage, etc. Starting another round of antibiotics. DD had same, including nodes & now has an enlarged sore spleen.

However, I'm the worlds worst worriwort & now wonder if the glands could be
from the thyroid & it could be cancer. Any input?

thanks much!!

 

[Disneysnel]

I just found this thread - couldn't sleep.

As some other posts have said, they have all the symptoms of HYPO as do I and the doctors keep telling me my blood tests are normal! Could it be that MY normal is a little higher than others? I don't get it, I mean EVERY symptom.

My story:
I was diagnosed by my gyno about 17 years ago, he asked what the big lump was in my throat, I thought it was an adam's apple - lol, he told me girls don't have them and sent me to an endo. I felt fine - never had any problems with my weight or anything.

Well, the endo put me on synthroid to "shrink the nodule" ??? and it grew larger so I had to have it removed turns out there were over 50 of them all over my thyroid and they took out the entire thing except for a para. They were all benign but I wonder what causes this?

I grew up in So Cali around lots of orange groves and wonder if maybe the DDT did it?

Looking at pictures of me when I was like 6 years old you can see a bump in my throat. No one else in my family has ever had this.

I do have a question that no one - including medical professionals has ever been able to answer: If we(those without thyroids) exercise regularly does our metabolism go up like other people's do or are we dependent on that little pill, period?


So glad to have found this thread and it is nice to know that Im not the only one but I am also sad to know others are suffering.

 

[Christine]

I just found this thread - couldn't sleep.

As some other posts have said, they have all the symptoms of HYPO as do I and the doctors keep telling me my blood tests are normal! Could it be that MY normal is a little higher than others? I don't get it, I mean EVERY symptom.

My story:
I was diagnosed by my gyno about 17 years ago, he asked what the big lump was in my throat, I thought it was an adam's apple - lol, he told me girls don't have them and sent me to an endo. I felt fine - never had any problems with my weight or anything.

Well, the endo put me on synthroid to "shrink the nodule" ??? and it grew larger so I had to have it removed turns out there were over 50 of them all over my thyroid and they took out the entire thing except for a para. They were all benign but I wonder what causes this?

I grew up in So Cali around lots of orange groves and wonder if maybe the DDT did it?

Looking at pictures of me when I was like 6 years old you can see a bump in my throat. No one else in my family has ever had this.

I do have a question that no one - including medical professionals has ever been able to answer: If we(those without thyroids) exercise regularly does our metabolism go up like other people's do or are we dependent on that little pill, period?


So glad to have found this thread and it is nice to know that Im not the only one but I am also sad to know others are suffering.

Do you know what your TSH levels are? T3 and T4. This would give a better picture of how you are falling within the lab ranges.

Exercise: it really doesn't speed up your metabolism. Your metabolism is what it is. Exercise is energy expended. Energy expended burns calories. Plain and simple. Each person has a set point in their metabolism. If you are on thyroid meds, that is pretty much controlled by the medication. If you exercise though, you will burn calories like everyone else.

 

[Christine]

However, I'm the worlds worst worriwort & now wonder if the glands could be
from the thyroid & it could be cancer. Any input?

thanks much!!

Most people with thyroid cancer (even advanced) didn't detect any swollen nodes. Thyroid cancer does spread to the lymph nodes but it is usually the ones way inside your neck that only the surgeons can get to.

 

[Disneysnel]

Thank you so much Christine!

Well, there goes THAT excuse for not exercising -
I tried to find my last lab report but must have tossed it. I will post after my next labs.

Hope everyone is doing good or at least better

Kelley

 

[henrylovespooh]

Just found this thread - what a great idea!

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 11 years ago. My gyn felt a lump in my neck near one of my lymph nodes and had me go see a specialist. They biopsied my thyroid - came back clean, so they only removed the lump. When they tested the lump, it was full of cancer - - so four days later I went back to have my thyroid taken out.

They left a tiny bit of my thyroid in, near my parathyroid, and I had radiation to kill off that last little bit of my thyroid.

It seems most people are good to go after that one radiation treatment, but every year when I went back for a follow-up test and scan, they found thyroid cells. For about five years, I had radiation, and then got a break because I had two kids. Since then, I've had radiation one more time. My doctor has since decided to see how things go on a year-to-year basis and maybe not have radiation every time the cells come back. I like that - I can't stand to be off my synthroid for six weeks - it turns me into a zombie.

I never heard about thyroid cancer, but I've been asked to talk to three other women who have been diagnosed in the past few years.

So glad to have a site where I can plan for WDW and talk to people about thyroid issues!

 

[henrylovespooh]

Most people with thyroid cancer (even advanced) didn't detect any swollen nodes. Thyroid cancer does spread to the lymph nodes but it is usually the ones way inside your neck that only the surgeons can get to.

Forgot to mention this in my last post - the lump in my neck was easily felt. I felt the lump about a year before my gyn found it - but when I asked a friend who was a nurse, she told me my glands were swollen and to take my vitamins. Whenever I did feel the lump again, I thought I was getting sick. It seems so stupid now, but at the time it made sense. My tumor was attached to my lymph node (the cancer had overrun the node) and the surgeon said it was the size of a large peach pit.

I'm actually thankful for the lump - I felt fine, so without the lump God knows when I would have figured out something was wrong with me.

 

[teacups]

Hi Thyroid friends! I was diagnosed 9 years ago with Hypothyroid with graves diesease. I found out when i was trying to get pregnant with my first child and could not get pregnant. I now have 3 beautiful children and still suffer from the diesease. My endo doctor wants to kill my thyroid, but I have mixed feelings about it.

Michelle

Can I ask... why would they kill your thyroid when you are already hypo?
Do you mean HYPER thryroid with Graves? I am hypo with Graves... BECAUSE they killed my thryroid! You can kill the thyroid but that DOES NOT kill or treat the graves. PLEASE read all you can before you do that. If I could go back there is no way in you-know-what that I'd EVER do it! Really, I'd never do it again.

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

I'm glad I found this thread. I got my dx of Hypo 23yrs.ago at the age of 22. For many many years I took my meds, but, never consistantly ( I know now how stupid that was.) Well, 3 yrs. ago I was having major issues with memory (short term was shot and would forget how to tie my shoes and even forgot how to get home from work), body/muscle pain(my entire body would go into spasms,I would loose control of my arms and legs. Dropping things or falling because my legs wouldn't work) constant migranes and nasusea 24/7. It was a very scary time for me. I thought I was going crazy and or dying. All of this was because my thyroid was now Hyper. Not sure what my levels were, but, PCP said they were 4x what they should be and that my body couldn't take in all that hormone. Went to an Endo and was told that I could of had a stroke had I let it go. And that my body was shutting down on me. I ended up doing the RI twice. And was told I have multi nodule goiters. So, now I take my meds everyday like I'm suppose to. My levels still flip flop from time to time but not to bad.

I never took this very seriously, but, now realize that my thyroid controls so much more that you can imagine. I now know this is why I have miscarried 4 times. All 4 times I wasn't regular with my meds. I have 1 healthy DD and was very faithfull with meds before conseption and during preg. And now my eyesite has diminished drasticly over the last 3 yrs.

So, for those of you that are in the begining of your dx. Don't stop until you get all the answers you are looking for. Educate yourself as much as possible, and please take your meds as perscribed. It really is important.

Just a side note: I was told that there is connection with Thyroid Disease, Fybromyalgia and MS. Which is something else that my Dr's are looking into at this time. PCP said that some studies show that most people with MS have a thyroid issue. And studies are also showing that there is a large number of people that are dx'd with Fybromyalgia are later dx'd with MS.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Wow. Glad I found this thread. I've got a lot of reading to do.

I was diagnosed hypo nearly 5 years ago after the birth of my daughter. Meds controlled it. Just gave birth to a beautiful boy 5 months ago.

In January, the endocrinologist felt nodes in my neck. Prepared me for the worst (the most scary time of my life). He did an ultrasound and said it was textbook Hashimoto's, and that I didn't need any further tests to totally rule out cancer.

In your experiences, is this true? I will undergo any test to ensure that it is not cancer. Is the ultrasound really enough? He said the "nodes" that he felt were really the misshapen thyroid gland from the Hashimoto's.

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this.
Thanks so much.

 

[claudia]

I was diagnosed hypo nearly 5 years ago after the birth of my daughter. Meds controlled it. Just gave birth to a beautiful boy 5 months ago.

In January, the endocrinologist felt nodes in my neck. Prepared me for the worst (the most scary time of my life). He did an ultrasound and said it was textbook Hashimoto's, and that I didn't need any further tests to totally rule out cancer.

In your experiences, is this true? I will undergo any test to ensure that it is not cancer. Is the ultrasound really enough? He said the "nodes" that he felt were really the misshapen thyroid gland from the Hashimoto's.

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this.
Thanks so much.

My endo first diagnosed me with Hashimotos, but decided to do a biopsy on the nodes he felt and they did test postivie for cancer. Now I AM NOT in anyway telling you that it may be cancer....I only telling you of my experience. If I were you I would probably get a second opinion from another endo. Remember the odds are very remote that it would be cancer so please do not even think it.....just go for the second opinion because it sounds like you do not really trust this endo. Best of luck and congrats on your new son!

 

[angwill]

Thank you so much Christine!

Well, there goes THAT excuse for not exercising -
I tried to find my last lab report but must have tossed it. I will post after my next labs.

Hope everyone is doing good or at least better

Kelley

Here is an excuse ot exercise...when my weight has gone down I need less thyroid med to keep my body even and when my weight has gone up I have needed more. Maybe just a decrease in dosage from exercising will give you something to exercise for now.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

My endo first diagnosed me with Hashimotos, but decided to do a biopsy on the nodes he felt and they did test postivie for cancer. Now I AM NOT in anyway telling you that it may be cancer....I only telling you of my experience. If I were you I would probably get a second opinion from another endo. Remember the odds are very remote that it would be cancer so please do not even think it.....just go for the second opinion because it sounds like you do not really trust this endo. Best of luck and congrats on your new son!

Thanks for your response. I went to the endocrinologist today, and he's changing my dosage (of course), and I did ask him if there were any further tests I needed. He said that the ultrasound showed the typical Hashimoto's thyroid gland, that there were not even any nodes to biopsy. The bumps and lumps he felt showed up on the ultrasound as the gland (don't think I made that clear in my first post.) I made it clear to him that I didn't want any little terrible thing hiding out somewhere, and he said that's why he does the ultrasounds, so he can see it in real time, the entire area. He's a new doctor since our move and it can all be so overwhelming. Still not sure if I should get a second opinion. AHHHHHHH!

So is this the way it works: There are nodes and there is the Hashimoto's diseased gland. They biopsy nodes, but not the gland?

I hope that your treatment went worked for you and that you're healthy! Many blessings.

 

[claudia]

Thanks for your response. I went to the endocrinologist today, and he's changing my dosage (of course), and I did ask him if there were any further tests I needed. He said that the ultrasound showed the typical Hashimoto's thyroid gland, that there were not even any nodes to biopsy. The bumps and lumps he felt showed up on the ultrasound as the gland (don't think I made that clear in my first post.) I made it clear to him that I didn't want any little terrible thing hiding out somewhere, and he said that's why he does the ultrasounds, so he can see it in real time, the entire area. He's a new doctor since our move and it can all be so overwhelming. Still not sure if I should get a second opinion. AHHHHHHH!

So is this the way it works: There are nodes and there is the Hashimoto's diseased gland. They biopsy nodes, but not the gland?

I hope that your treatment went worked for you and that you're healthy! Many blessings.

That's good news. Yes, they biopsy the nodules if they are questionable. Since you have none and your gland itself is inflammed it there is nothing to biopsy. Here is a great site that you might what to check out, it has tons of info. http://endocrineweb.com/

 

[DisneyMissy318]

I posted a general CB thread about this condition yesterday - but thought I would post here as well after I found this thread in another post! I'm going to be soon dealing with thyroid problems with my DD10. We saw an ENT on Wednesday after her GP referred her for a severe ear infection. While at the ENT - he discovered that DD has Lingual Thyroid condition - which means the thyroid did not travel down the canal to the normal position during development. DD's thyroid is at the very back of her tongue. If she sticks out her tongue - "ala Gene Simmmons" - you can see "something" back there. Dr. felt her throat area to see if he could feel the thyroid - to no avail - although he said he might not be able to feel it on either of us (her parents) either. So... right now, we are treating the ear infection with a strong antibiotic and ear drops... we go back in 10 days and we will at that time see what's up with the thyroid.

Of course I have read too much info on the internet and I'm just plain worried! This is a very rare annomoly (so rare, I can't even spell anomoly!) I have read that hypothyroidism is very common in those that have lingual thyroid condition - so I will read what you guys have written - I appreciate you sharing your experiences.

 

[Piglet]

So glad I found this thread. I was just at the doctors for possible gall bladder problems and she found that my thyroid was enlarged. I went for blood work this morning and have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday.

 

[teacups]

So glad I found this thread. I was just at the doctors for possible gall bladder problems and she found that my thyroid was enlarged. I went for blood work this morning and have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday.

Did they say it might be Graves Disease?
Let us know when you get the results.
Hugs to you!

 

[teacups]

I posted a general CB thread about this condition yesterday - but thought I would post here as well after I found this thread in another post! I'm going to be soon dealing with thyroid problems with my DD10. We saw an ENT on Wednesday after her GP referred her for a severe ear infection. While at the ENT - he discovered that DD has Lingual Thyroid condition - which means the thyroid did not travel down the canal to the normal position during development. DD's thyroid is at the very back of her tongue. If she sticks out her tongue - "ala Gene Simmmons" - you can see "something" back there. Dr. felt her throat area to see if he could feel the thyroid - to no avail - although he said he might not be able to feel it on either of us (her parents) either. So... right now, we are treating the ear infection with a strong antibiotic and ear drops... we go back in 10 days and we will at that time see what's up with the thyroid.

Of course I have read too much info on the internet and I'm just plain worried! This is a very rare annomoly (so rare, I can't even spell anomoly!) I have read that hypothyroidism is very common in those that have lingual thyroid condition - so I will read what you guys have written - I appreciate you sharing your experiences.

Having a daughter 9 of my own, and I myself was DX'd with a thyroid condition when I was a teen... I must send well wishes your way! Many people do well with replacement meds. Is her gland actually working? Be leary of radiation if that topic ever comes up for any reason. I had it and now warn people off it like crazy. Hugs to yu and your girl

 

[DisneyMissy318]

Thanks for your reply Teacups....

She hasn't had any bloodwork as of yet - our appointment with the ENT at UVA is on June 3... Madi is 5'0 already (as tall as her Mom!) - her Dad is 6'3 - so seems like "normal" growth - although I could see if there was a problem with metabolism as she carries a bit more weight than normal. She also has no energy and gets tired quickly. We are hoping to find out a lot more on June 3.

I'll be sure to be back to share the results and get advice from you guys!

Thanks!

 

[scubamouse]

Mind if I join in?

I was dx with Hashimotos about 3 years ago and have been on the same synthroid/cytomel combo for all that time without issue. I think I've spiked hyper based on jittery overall, rapid heartbeat and easier than expected weight loss (I've been on WW since March). I'm waiting on my bloodwork results but I wondering if other people have cycled hyper after a Hashimotos dx? If so, how long does it generally last and how much do your meds adjust?

TIA