Feeling like something is stuck in my throat re: Hashimoto's?

[jmidlife]

Hi,

I have had Hashimoto's for many years and take Synthroid.  Lately,. I've had the feeling that something is stuck in my throat and have had difficulty swallowing pills.  Has anyone else had this experience with Hashimoto's?  If so, other than increase my Synthroid, has anyone found other ways to cope with this issue?

Thank you in advance.
Sarah

[Barb135]

I'm happy to hear the feeling has now disappeared.  

You can still post your labs with reference ranges and we can help figure out what might help the most.  Many people are sensitive to meds.  Increases aren't always what's needed, though.  

There are some vitamins/minerals that are necessary for proper synthesis of thyroid hormones; have you been tested for ferritin?  That's the iron storage hormone and iron is necessary for the conversion of Free T4 to the usable Free T3.  Selenium can also help with that conversion.  

Vitamin B-12 and D deficiencies can also cause some hypo-like symptoms, so if you haven't been tested for those, it would be good to ask for those tests.

[jmidlife]

Thanks, Barb, for your very helpful input.  I took Tylenol and it helped reduce the inflammation and that feeling is now gone.   My lab results point to an increase but I try to avoid increasing my dose, if possible, as I have a dreadful history of becoming hyper with any dose increase, even a tiny one:-(  I have a sensitivity to thyroid medication....T4 and Cytomel.  

[Barb135]

Do you know what your current thyroid hormone levels are?  You should be tested, periodically, for Free T4, Free T3 and TSH.  If you have current levels, it would be helpful if you could post them, along with their corresponding reference ranges.  That will help us determine whether or not you need an increase in your Synthroid.

It's also very common for those of us with Hashimoto's to have nodules on our thyroid, so it would be helpful to know if you've had a thyroid ultrasound.  Nodules are, typically, nothing to worry about, but sometimes, they grow large enough to make it feel like there's something in the throat.  I've had that sometimes when my thyroid was inflamed.  

During times of swelling/inflammation, I've found it helpful to lay a cool damp cloth across my throat to help ease the feeling.  Tylenol or ibuprophen can, also, help if there's inflammation present.  Of course, you should make sure to talk to your doctor to see what they recommend.  Also, make sure that you don't rub or palpate the area, because that makes the swelling/inflammation much worse.