Goitre

[Buckie]

I am a 32 Year old female - was diagnosed with a goitre at 14 had some nuclear tests and scan on it at that time and results were normal and have had no tests on it since.  I am suffering all of the symptoms of Hypothyroidism and have recently had a TSH test completed.  Results came back as 2.02 within a range of 0.27 - 4.20.  I have noticed over the last 6 months that my goitre is now pressing on my wind pipe and I feel like I have a lump in my throat at all times as well as extreme fatigue and slight depression, being cold etc.  Does my TSH Test mean there is definately nothing wrong with my thyroid or should I be asking for some other tests?  Also I read recently that if you have a goitre you should be on some type of thyroid medication is that true?  I am at a dead end with my doctor and really need some advice on this.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

The TSH at 2.02 suggests that the thyroid hormone levels are essentially normal meaning that the fatigue and being cold is not likely to be thyroid related.  However, the goiter pressing on the wind-pipe needs more eval -- usually I would test thyroid antibodies and do an ultrasound -- biopsy any suspicious nodules then for a young person with symptoms of compression (ie, pushing on wind-pipe) consider a trial of thyroid hormone treatment to keep the TSH around 0.5.  That may help shrink the goiter but not always....If the goiter continues to push despite thyroid meds then other options would be radioactive iodine or surgery to shrink it.

[ace75]

hi there
going through the same problems i thinking iam just going mad where do you go from here, i have had this all my life and every month it does not get easier iam told it is in my head although i have a slightly bulky with small nodules throughout the thyroid show from previous tests all the classic symptoms and just feel like crying at times as my energy levels are so low they say my levels of 4.5 are normal where do you go from here sorry i could be of no help but be assured you are not alone.

[ace75]

thankyou for the info and support at times you just think you are going mad or it is all in your head.well been back to doc and asked for a second opinion and bloods so fingers crossed i might get some where ????

[Brooks69]

My TSH is 405 and a growth was discovered when they did the ultrasound.  It is so large that it causes me to snore so loudlt that it keeps my husband awake at night.  It is also causes problems with my breathing.  They are taking their sweet time  to perform a biopsy and tell me whether or not the growth is a tumor or just a goiter.  I am concerned about cancer since a great deal runs in my family, ( not thyroid cancer just cancer in general.).  The growth is pushing on my esophagus and making it hard to swallow and I have had a small headache for about 2 weeks now.  Advil does not work!  Anyone got a few ideas about how to get them to do their job and help me?
Brooks

[Brooks69]

My TSH is 405 and a growth was discovered when they did the ultrasound.  It is so large that it causes me to snore so loudlt that it keeps my husband awake at night.  It is also causes problems with my breathing.  They are taking their sweet time  to perform a biopsy and tell me whether or not the growth is a tumor or just a goiter.  I am concerned about cancer since a great deal runs in my family, ( not thyroid cancer just cancer in general.).  The growth is pushing on my esophagus and making it hard to swallow and I have had a small headache for about 2 weeks now.  Advil does not work!  Anyone got a few ideas about how to get them to do their job and help me?
Brooks

[NURSELPN]

TSH 405? Are you sure there isn't a decimel in that reading. I've never ever seen it that high....

[NURSELPN]

If that is the true result, I'd have it rechecked if I were you.

[Buckie]

Thank  you all for your information - I think that Thyroid disfunctions are so hard for anyone else to understand - I have an appointment to go back and see my doctor, I will be keeping my fingers crossed.  Sometimes I get the feeling that my doctor thinks it is all in my head!

[ancientmariner]

That's how my doctor made me feel, too. My PCP laughed because I gained 50 lb in 3 months, and had ALWAYS been underweight! The endo talked to me about "the relationship of diet and exercise to weight". And told me all the other symptoms were "NOT my thyroid". This was after I was diagnosed with Graves' disease and given RAI to "kill" my thyroid. I had never had any of these symptoms in my life, until the thyroidproblems started, but now, based on some lab numbers, my thyroid was "fine"? Even though I had lall these symptoms?

Anyway, I finally found an alternative med doctor who diagnosed adrenal fatigue, put me on Armour Thyroid (natural desiccated pig thyroid) and adrenal support (hydrocortisone). We are gradually increasing my dosage of Armour as my adrenals will tolerate, trying to alleviate ALL symptoms. I am now taking 240mg of Armour daily and feeling much better - not quite back to where I want to be, but feeling pretty darn good. I have some energy to do extra things now, I cleaned my house a few weeks ago (after NOT doing it for 3 years!) and didn't collapse afterwards. I have lost 10 lb. almost without trying.

If you're interested in learning more about the natural thyroid meds like Armour, you might be interested in the Natural Thyroid Hormones group on Yahoo, or in a website called Stop the Thyroid Madness.

My advice is to learn as much as you can about thyroid and treatments - the information is out there and available. Knowledge is power!

[Brooks69]

Actually it is 405.06 With Synthroid treatment of 200 mcg over three weeks I have brought it down to 28.  I significant improvement.  I got the results of my ultrasound and the nodule measures 6x4-mm in the lower pole of the right lobe of the thyroid anteriorly located.

I am just playing the waiting game with the doctors schedules so I can deal with all this.  It is pushing on my wind pipe and esophagus.  

Brooks

[Buckie]

Thanks for the info I will check out the site on Yahoo!  Anything at this stage would be a help - it is reassuring to know that I am not the only one.

[teresa262]

I have been suffering for five years with all of the syptoms (symptoms) of hypo thyroid.  I have even had two prregnancy losses.  After the second loss, my doctor did and ultrasound guided byopsy on some lumps in my thyroid.  The tests came back with Hashimoto's.  I suggest that everyone that have normal TSH levels as I do is to have your edo or regular doc test for thyroid antibodies.  Chances are if your feel hypo but your levels are normal your antibodies will be high which would warrent taking meds.  Hope this helps all of you.

[pyxie]

I recently got daignosed with Hasi everything kept coming back normal i had been underweight my whole life things just didnt seem right hair was falling out goiter weight gain extremely tired all the time. I was told by my md that my goiter was due to puberty Iam 22 and have already had a child 2 yrs ago.Things just didnt add up. I finally went to an endo and they told me my antibody test came back
I had Hasi.I also had a thyroid uptake scan and it came back at 5.8% and that it was decreased but i felt like my md thought i was hypocondriac because i kept insisting something was wrong and i was right.Even when the uptake came back abnormal im just glad i went to the endo.