Smoking, Your Thyroid & Quitting

[KayMD]

All:
I would encourage those of you who have quit smoking (and, of course, current smokers as well) to ask your doctor to check your thyroid: TSH and Free T4 at a minimum. I would also suggest that you continue to request the test during yearly physicals.
There is a lot of information on the web regarding the link between smoking and thyroid disease. Here is are two links: http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/smokingandthyroiddisease/Smoking_and_Thyroid_Disease.htm

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/latestresearch/a/smoking.htm    On page 2 of this link is a section on the relationship between quitting smoking and thyroid disease onset.

Google Smoking and thyroid disease.

I'm a 49 year old, post menapausal women who quit smoking in July 2006. For the next 9 months I suffered with thyroid disease without knowing what was wrong with me. You're supposed to feel better after you quit smoking, right?
I wish someone had told me, or that my doctor had known about the link between smoking and thyroid disease. It would have made it all so much easier.
Thus, I am sharing this with all of you in the hope that you get your thyroids checked.

Good luck and stay smoke free. It's worth it!

[Jizi]

I actually stopped smoking in August '07 I explained to my doctor that ever since than I've experienced alot of weird symptoms and I actually asked her to check my thyroids, I get my results this thursday, I'm so glad I read your post cause now I'm wondering if there is a link between smoking and thyroids, my aunt just recently found out that she had thyroid disorder, she still smokes though and has been smoking for over 20 yrs, I just figure I'd rather find out now if I have thyroid disorder instead of waiting years down the road.

[kathyjo]

Thanks for letting us know Kay. Hope you are felling better.
Kathy Jo