Thyroid nodules with normal thyroid levels? Please Help!

[ANGMACK]

When I was about seven months pregnant with my son, I found a lump on my throat, my OB did bloodwork, came back slightly high. I was sent to a endo and he said it was a goiter and didnt do anything until I had my son. After I had my son I had my bloodwork done again and it came back normal, but I felt no where near normal. I was very tired & depressed, but I chalked it up to being a new mom. I then had a synogram, thyroid scan, and a biopsy done. The findings were that it was a large, solid, cold, benign nodule, on my left lobe. Then just four months later I got pregnant with my daughter, it grew larger,but my levels remained normal, then after I had her I had the left side and the isthmus removed because it became so large. For the next two years after the surgery I have felt awful..I have severe fatigue, headaches, nausea, 18lb weight gain, acne, depression and anxiety, constipation, heavy and prolonged(about 10 days)periods, and sharp pains in my heart(usually when resting). Just recently I had a CT scan done because I had a sore throat that lasted for 2 months and they found another small nodule growing on my right side of my thyroid. I had all of the tests done again and I am still awaiting the biospy results but everything else was the same... cold, solid nodule and my thyroid levels always come back normal(2.5). I just don't understand why my levels always come back normal but I do not feel normal at all.If anyone has any info I would greatly appreciate it. I have pretty much given up on finding out what is wrong with me and I never get any answers from my doctors.

[peron]

do you have body aches, down legs and in back. you sound just like my mom. she has multinodular thyroid that is cold and begnin. she is waiting to have her whole thyroid taken ouy as it grew. she has severe arthritus, always tired and in pain only 58 but feels like 78. her tsh are normal so no meds. i am convinced that a lot of her pain in her body is because of the thyroid. we live in canada so there is a waiting list for the operation, more severe cases first. we all want life to be normal again--whatever that is.
hang in there

[utahmomma]

Welcome.

I'm going to give you some good reference sites for thyroids:
http://www.endocrineweb.com/
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/

First of all, there are a couple of concerning things.  You stated your nodules are cold so I'm assuming you have had a nuclear scan.  Cold nodules can be problematic.

Second thing, you said you had a biopsy.  If you read some of the posts biopsies can have a significant false-negative rate.

Third thing, many of us who have had significant thyroid nodule problems had NO abnormal thyroid labs.

Your problems do all sound thyroid related.  I would really encourage you to find a good endocrinologist who specializes in thyroids (check, many only deal with diabetes).  You could be developing a serious thyroid problem but you need a good endocrinologist to make that diagnosis.

I had 1/2 of my thyroid removed and was put on Synthroid immediately after that surgery.  That level was increased following the removal of the second half.  Please talk to an endocrinologist.

[GravesLady]

Nodules usually have normal levels unless it is a hyperfunctioning nodule  i.e.  Autonomous nodules — Some nodules produce thyroid hormone, like the thyroid gland, but fail to respond to the body's hormonal controls. These nodules are called autonomous nodules. They are almost always benign, but they can lead to excess thyroid hormone production and hyperthyroidism


"Hot" nodules detected by nuclear scan are less likely to be malignant than "cold" nodules

[debissickntired]

I also live in Canada and have had a thyroid ultrasound, found  multinodules, two nodules that are 1.7 cm and 1.6 cm., i am waiting for my thyroid scan, I also have normal thyroid levels.  My symptoms began when I got the flu, they did not do a test, so I do not know whether it was h1n1..the doctor thinks it was, my ammune system, did not attact the flu the way it was suppose to, my neck grew within 2 days to double its size, they gave me predisone for three weeks to shrink my neck,  it is still large and I feel like I am choking most of the time, neck to ear to eye pain that lasts for 1 to 3 days... out of breath, can't make the bed with out sweating alot..... I am 48 and feel like I'm 78 also, I have been living this way for two months now, I am suppose to see a specialist... but the doctors told me this takes time....

hang in there...