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What's the difference between

HyPOthyroid and hyPERthyroid.?  Thyroid issues run very strong on my Mom's side of the family.  Whatever my Mom had, she should have LOST weight, but she gained weight.  I remember her choking at the dinner table a lot before her diagnosis.  One day she had a rant that caused her to be hospitalized, and they said her hormones were "all over the place".  I have had 2 silent strokes so I don't remember what her treatment was.  My Mom's mother (my grandmother) spoke of having to take "radiation pills" for her thyroid problems when she was younger.  I've called around to my maternal relatives, and there was a high degree of women with thyroid "issues".  The problem for me now is Mom died of an asthma attack and her Mom of cancer.  I am trying to piece my thyroid history together but have virtually hit a wall.  I do remember that after my Mom's diagnosis, I was checked in the Nuclear Medicine.  According to the doctor, I had a LARGE thyroid, but not an ENLARGED thyroid, and no action was taken.  I have started gaining weight beyond the weight gain of my antidepressants.  Besides the weight gain and aversion to heat, I am at a loss about what to think.  I had an MRI without contrast (allergy to shellfish), and now I've been summoned to the ENDO clinic in 4 days.  Does anybody have ideas?  My last blood workup seemed to be normal.  Again, whats the difference between a LARGE thyroid and ENLARGED thyroid?  I cannot find "large" thyroid on the web.  Anybody???
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your shoulder, heart and your helpful spirit.  The rest of this week is crazy, but Monday I will go over to the VA's Patient Information and get a printout of my records for 2009.  That will include yesterday's bloodwork, which I only remember seeing T4, free, and thyroid cascade profile.  I don't remember seeing T3 anything, nor TSH.  This is only the 2nd disagreement I've had with the VA.  I've gotta admit that the VA just now is working on accommodating the influx of female soldiers and surviving widows (Vietnam + Agent Orange did my husband in in 2000).  But YESTERDAY left me feeling SO frustrated and so minimized.  I am so glad that SOMEbody gives a darn. P.S.  I agree that private hospitals are frustrating, but the VA has done a pretty job UNTIL NOW.  Somewhere my husband signed papers @ enlistment that he cannot sue the government for anything, ESPECIALLY Agent Orange and its associated cancers.  Wonder why, huh!?  Okay. I'm starting to sound bitter, so I guess I'll log off for now and have a bowl of ice cream.  Good night, and I'll get my records Monday.  YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!
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Avatar universal
I'm so sorry they blew you off.  Be sure to call them and get the results of your bloodwork (the last three blood draws that were "normal").  At least you'll get that out of them.  Maybe some thyroid tests were involved.  If your hands tremble a lot, you should really have free T3, free T4 and TSH tested.  That's a real symptom of hyper.  Get the actual numbers and their reference (normal) ranges.  You can post them, and we'll comment on what WE think!  I wish you luck...can't imagine dealing with the VA...private hospitals, doctors, etc. are bad enough, and at least, they have a profit motive...very sad.
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Avatar universal
Just a note to fill you in on yesterday's doctor appointment.  In essence, I feel I was dismissed and not taken seriously.  After my bloodwork, I saw a resident who let me know the MRI showed two nodules on my thyroid which were probably nothing but the VA will conduct an ultrasound to see if they even big enough to aspirate.  She proceeded to ask the usual questions about history and symptoms and the results of previous tests, at which time I told her about the large-not-ENlarged thyroid diagnosis in the past.  She was obviously surprised at the degree my hands tremble (a lot).  She felt my thyroid while I drank water, and exited to confer with the head of the Department.  When THAT doctor came in, she told me its not unusual for thyroid to follow the females in the family and that since my last three blood draws were 'within normal limits' (2 of which didn't even SPECIFY thyroid issues in the Order), she will look at my ultrasounds and will see me in another 6 months.  The number of debilitating thyroid storms in my family didn't even make her blink. With that, she was gone. And with this being a Veteran's Hospital that is only seeing women for the past few years, my options are few to none.  And my Widow's Pension doesn't leave me at the end of the month for co-pays at outside hospitals.  SO, I guess my back is against the wall. Well, I appreciate your support and suggestions.  You sound SO COOL and CARING!!  Thank you for reaching out to a stranger.  People like you make life such a PLEASURE.  God Bless You!  Goodnite.  Vee913.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for you input.  I don't know what thyroid bloodwork was performed (patient at woman's clinic in a Veterans Hospital in northern Illinois) this past time, but I think I remember my doctor saying 'nothing to really worry about but 'Just In Case' she ordered the thyroid MRI.  I was never told the results, just was given a priority appointment this Tuesday.  I'm looking @ the blood request for that morning. It reads: T4, FREE, THYROID CASCADE PROFILE.  I will ask the Endo clinic about the other tests you mention to see if they were run.  You are a wealth of knowledge! Now that I think about it, I thought my heat issues were hot flashes (will be 59 next week).  What you say about the radiation pills sounds quite likely.  My grandmother was a small woman, her top weight being 126.  Mom balooned from size 12 to 18-22 until her sudden death.

I really think you are on track for the hyPERactive thyroid.  And thanks for your confirmation about a 'large' thyroid.  I will get online Tuesday night to share my labs   I promise!

You are so cool!  God Bless you.

Now that you mention it, my hot flashes stopped during the winter, but are returning now that our weather is getting warmer and warmer.  Hmmm.  Food for thought. Thank you!
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Avatar universal
Hypo is underactive, hyper is overactive.

It sounds like your mother was probably hyperthyroid.  Usually, people lose weight when hyper, but some also experience weight gain.  Also, the "radiation pills" sound like some early form of RAI (radioactive iodine) ablation to "kill" an overactive thyroid.  Just an educated guess...

Your symtoms, weight gain and intolerance to heat suggest hyperthyroidism...I emphasize suggest.  What thyroid tests did they run at your last bloodwork?  Did they test free T3, free T4 and TSH?  If so, you should try to get ahold of the actual results and post here along with the reference ranges your lab uses.  Since you have a family history, you probably want to test for thyroid antibodies also - TPOab, TGab and TRab.  Those tests will let you know if you have an autoimmune disease.  Most thyroid disease is autoimmune.  Depending on the results of those tests, you will know if further thyroid testing is indicated.

I've never heard of a "large" thyroid before.  However, I suppose the size of the thyroid can vary just like the sizes of any other parts of our bodies.  An enlarged thyroid ia a goiter.  Inflammation of the thyroid causes it to enlarge, sometimes due to the attack of the antibodies in autoimmune thyroiditis (Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis).

Hope this gets you started.
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