synthroid 300 ineffective, enlarged thyroid, nodules confirmed

[kwhite47]

my current dose of synthroid is 300-i have been on that dose for a full year. The year before that my dose was 200. I take it daily on an empty stomach, and wait an hour before eating or drinking anything other than water. My required blood tests every three weeks have consistently shown extremely elevated tsh levels, indicating that the synthroid is not working, My doctor sent me to have an ultrasound done and found I have a number of nodules and thyroiditis (it was explained to me as meaning swollen). I am a 23 year old female. In the last 2 years I have gained over 100 lbs (I am an extremely active person), have constant fatigue, major hair loss, skin problems and depression. My question is: would my best option be to have my thyroid removed? I have been miserable for so long, and now that I know about the nodules it seems like the most logical solution. Am I in the right mind set with this thinking? Thank you.

[Barb135]

"I started seeing a new doctor who saw my blood work and how swollen my thyroid is and immediately sent me for the ultrasound. This doctor told me that having the thyroid removed may be a good option, since I would be on less medication then I currently am and be rid of the nodules".  In reality, having no thyroid to produce hormones could end up with you being on even more med..

"She said ( and from what I'm reading online) at 23 I should not be experiencing this many issues with my thyroid and that removal might prevent the issue from getting any worse?"  Say what?  Not having a thyroid is about as bad as it gets.  Unfortunately, thyroid disease has no age limits, so your being 23 is unfortunate, but doesn't exempt you from thyroid issues.. we've had people a lot younger than you with hypothyroidism and enlarged thyroids.  

The only thing she can be sure of is that you won't have nodules.. There's no guarantee that you will be on less medication.

You didn't answer my question: have you been diagnosed with Hashimoto's?

[fiddles11]

I typed one year and meant to type that you have been on thyroid med. for 2 years from what you stated.

[fiddles11]

Hi kwhite47, so sorry you are dealing with all of this at such a young age. I have direct experience with this with my daughter. At the age of 20 she had a total thyroid removal. She had no issues with her levels being off as you do. Her situation was somewhat different but she did have nodules. They were tested with a needle biopsy and came back as cancer. So, if you do not have cancer I do not know if I would go to such a drastic measure. Also,  you say that you've been dealing this for one year. It probably seems like a lifetime but it's not, things can change and your body can heal. But, you need the right doctor and maybe even a naturopath if you can afford one. They try to heal the body with a more natural approach. I think a second and even third opinion would be good to get. I would exhaust all other possibilities of different treatments if you can first before ever having surgery at this point. You are so young. My daughter is now on the thyroid medication for the rest of her life. Your situation could get better in time and you may not need to live on this medication forever. Did you have the nodules tested? This all was very traumatic experience for my daughter and our whole family at her young age. You are just a few years older. Unless you have cancer, (which it sounds like you have a different situation from my daughter) I would hold off on surgery, it's permanent for the rest of your life. I hope you find the answer that you need.

[kwhite47]

-- I understand I will be hypo forever, I just wonder if the surgery will actually allow me to be on a lower dose of meds. In my mind I want to do what I can do take less medication. But again, I feel uneducated in this.

[kwhite47]

Thank you for your response! I am new to posting on these forums, so try to be understanding, I get a full workup every six weeks and my doctor always tells me that everything is way off. I started at synthroid 100 and have been at 300 for the last year.  I started seeing a new doctor who saw my blood work and how swollen my thyroid is and immediately sent me for the ultrasound. This doctor told me that having the thyroid removed may be a good option, since I would be on less medication then I currently am and be rid of the nodules. She said ( and from what I'm reading online) at 23 I should not be experiencing this many issues with my thyroid and that removal might prevent the issue from getting any worse? I have an emergency appointment with a thyroid specialist next week to discuss surgical options. My original doctor said removal would be the best course, but I am uneasy.

[Barb135]

Forgot to mention that without adequate levels of FT3, weight loss will be difficult, to impossible to achieve, and other symptoms will not be alleviated, either.

[Barb135]

Having your thyroid removed wouldn't change anything for you, at this point.  You'd still be hypo and still be trying to find your optimal dosage.

Is your doctor not testing anything other than TSH?  You should also be getting Free T3 and Free T4 tests done.  Those are the actual thyroid hormones and should be tested every time you have TSH.  Elevated TSH doesn't mean the synthroid isn't working; it's just that your body isn't using it the way it's intended.

There's a good chance that your FT4 might be quite high on that dosage, but if aren't converting FT4 to the usable FT3, your symptoms won't be alleviated and your TSH won't come down.   FT3 is the hormone that's actually used by the individual cells; FT4 is a storage hormone that must be converted to FT3 in order to be used;  TSH is a pituitary hormone that's merely a messenger to stimulate the thyroid to produce hormones - it can fluctuate by as much as 75% over the course of a day.

Have you been diagnosed with Hashimoto's?