Aa
removal of thyroid
when your thyroid is removed what happens to your body. do you automatically go hypo. what medication are you put on. is there a diet. i know about the rai diet. but what happens to your mind and body after surgery---if youhave hashi and are on no meds but waiting for surgery what happens after surgery.
I try and find out as much info for her. yesterday she had a stressful day, so much so that her throat closed up. ...the city came and started to cut down some trees on her property with a chain saw-schocking the trees and her. so she had to go and yell at theses people and in doing so her throat closed up. i could tell in her voice that it was not a good day. she can not handle stress and to m,any things happening at once--of which there are three big issues going on in her life and an operation being one of them. i try and help as much as i can but i can not change this path that she muct go on that she does not want--i don't think she wants more pain in her life, she lives in constant pain from arthritus and to have more possible pain scares her. she is only 59 and has had bad asthma, hip replacement, severe degenerative dics in back, cataract surgery, i feel bad for her so i try and help as much as i can. i tell her that all of these women on this form went through it and it is all better for them.
thanks for letting me ven for me and my mom
thanks for letting me ven for me and my mom
When the entire family had our collective thyroids removed (we need better hobbies) we were all placed on thyroid replacement (Synthroid works best for us) and calcium replacement. Some of us lost parathyroids, others didn't but all of us suffered from low calcium. None of us were put on special diets although three of us developed Type II diabetes soon after our TTs and are on the low carb diabetic diets.
Personally I suffered from some wild hot flashes for a few months following my second thyroid surgery until my body adjusted to the thyroid replacement. The hot flashes subsided pretty quickly. There was a bit of brain fog for about a week or so but that went away pretty quickly when the thyroid replacement kicked in.
Our endocrinologists keep us on the low-end of the TSH scale (hyper) because of the cancer/precancer diagnoses.
Yeah, we all take a thyroid pill in the morning and calcium and vitamins in the evening but it beats *our* alternative of cancer! :-)
Personally I suffered from some wild hot flashes for a few months following my second thyroid surgery until my body adjusted to the thyroid replacement. The hot flashes subsided pretty quickly. There was a bit of brain fog for about a week or so but that went away pretty quickly when the thyroid replacement kicked in.
Our endocrinologists keep us on the low-end of the TSH scale (hyper) because of the cancer/precancer diagnoses.
Yeah, we all take a thyroid pill in the morning and calcium and vitamins in the evening but it beats *our* alternative of cancer! :-)
When your thyroid is surgically removed you go hypo. If you don't take thyroid hormone medication you could go way hypo and into a Myxedema coma.
Thyroid hormone medications (levothyroxine T-4) such as Synthroid , Unithroid, Levoxyl and Levothroid are made the same as our naturally occurring thyroid hormone.
Some people will have some calcium problems and put on calcium supplements.
Then you will be just like the rest of us trying to get your levels to optimal to where we feel your best.
You might want to avoid fluorine and chlorine. These two chemicals may block iodine receptors in the thyroid gland, potentially causing reduced hormone production . Also minimize the intake of BRASSICA (Brass'ica) Goitrogens and Cruciferous vegetables, foods that suppress thyroid hormone production such as peaches, Brussels sprouts, pears, spinach, turnips, cabbage, kale, broccoli and mustard greens. It is said that the cooking of these eliminates most of the problem.
Instead, consume plenty of foods rich in vitamin B complex for generation and utilization of energy. Some examples would be meats, dairy products, legumes, brewer's yeast, whole grains, eggs, nuts and some herbs.
Avoid Soy, Fluoride (in water, toothpaste, teas, etc.), mercury fillings , etc.
Stop smoking! Smoking aggravets and makes worse thyroid disorders including TED.
Cigarettes Contain: Acetone, Mercury, Hydrogen Cyanide, Lead, And Arsenic. Smoking aggravets thyroid
And there is more.......
Thyroid hormone medications (levothyroxine T-4) such as Synthroid , Unithroid, Levoxyl and Levothroid are made the same as our naturally occurring thyroid hormone.
Some people will have some calcium problems and put on calcium supplements.
Then you will be just like the rest of us trying to get your levels to optimal to where we feel your best.
You might want to avoid fluorine and chlorine. These two chemicals may block iodine receptors in the thyroid gland, potentially causing reduced hormone production . Also minimize the intake of BRASSICA (Brass'ica) Goitrogens and Cruciferous vegetables, foods that suppress thyroid hormone production such as peaches, Brussels sprouts, pears, spinach, turnips, cabbage, kale, broccoli and mustard greens. It is said that the cooking of these eliminates most of the problem.
Instead, consume plenty of foods rich in vitamin B complex for generation and utilization of energy. Some examples would be meats, dairy products, legumes, brewer's yeast, whole grains, eggs, nuts and some herbs.
Avoid Soy, Fluoride (in water, toothpaste, teas, etc.), mercury fillings , etc.
Stop smoking! Smoking aggravets and makes worse thyroid disorders including TED.
Cigarettes Contain: Acetone, Mercury, Hydrogen Cyanide, Lead, And Arsenic. Smoking aggravets thyroid
And there is more.......
I understand it is your mum who is facing surgery for a multinodular goitre and she has hashimoto's?
The scratchy throat many people describe immediately after surgery is usually from the intubation tube from being under anaesthesia. Sometimes it irritates the throat on insertion or removal. It usually goes away within a few days.
Many people also describe slight change in voice. Mine was weaker and my throat got sore if I talked too much. This can be from the vocal cords being disturbed during surgery it is usually temporary but in about 1% of cases it can be permanent. This is one of the reasons why you want a good surgeon.
The reason why calcium regulation can be a problem is to do with the parathyroid glands which are located within or in close proximity to your thyroid gland. A good explanation of parathyroids
http://www.mythyroid.com/parathyroids.html
So if they are damaged or bruised (which could be permanent or temporary) you may require calcium supplements. One of the main symptoms is tingling in hands/feet and or cramping which you will be advised to report to the nursing staff. There is also low incidence of this complication but it is just another one of the reasons you want a good surgeon.
I had low calcium for a couple of days while bruising went down, no cramping just the occasional tingling-like pins and needles.
I also had multinodular goitre after my TT I had to wait for results to come back from pathology to confirm whether or not cancer was present. Thank-God there was not. So one week after my surgery I began levothyroxine supplement. (I live in Australia and we have different brands here).
If cancer is present levothyroxine supplements are withheld to stave the body of thyroid hormone so when the RAI treatment is given the thyroid gland soaks up as much of the treatment as possible for maximine effectiveness. RAI = radio active iodine.
Because thyroid hormones have such a long half life (the time it takes for the drug or natural hormone to reach half its previous concentration in the blood) full hypothyroidism may take some time to acheive depending on level you started with and how soon supplements begin.
In euthyroidism (normal thyroid function/levels) half life is 6-7 days.
In hypothyroidism the half life can be up to 9 or 10 days.
In hyperthyroidism the half life can be as short as 3 or 4 days.
This is why you don't have problems if you forget one or two days doses of your thyroid meds - but is not advisable.
Once beginning supplements it can take between 4-6 weeks for levels to stabilise which is why it is normal for blood tests to be ordered and no changes made to medications orders until then. Because it takes some time before thyroid labs post surgery stabilise and become 'normal', many people do not feel their best while waiting for this to happen - As many posts will testify.
It seems that many people say the pain of this surgery is not great (I would agree-it was that way for me). But quite a lot of discomfort and limited movement in turning the head/neck because of stiffness and an awareness of the incision line which is healing. This quickly fades and normal function returns.
The bottom line is everyone's recovery will be different. Other factors such as age and other existing condidtions will all play a role in recovery.
Sorry to have gone on so long... I tend to get a bit carried away.
Best wishes for your mum's surgery and to you being her support and information resource.
The scratchy throat many people describe immediately after surgery is usually from the intubation tube from being under anaesthesia. Sometimes it irritates the throat on insertion or removal. It usually goes away within a few days.
Many people also describe slight change in voice. Mine was weaker and my throat got sore if I talked too much. This can be from the vocal cords being disturbed during surgery it is usually temporary but in about 1% of cases it can be permanent. This is one of the reasons why you want a good surgeon.
The reason why calcium regulation can be a problem is to do with the parathyroid glands which are located within or in close proximity to your thyroid gland. A good explanation of parathyroids
http://www.mythyroid.com/parathyroids.html
So if they are damaged or bruised (which could be permanent or temporary) you may require calcium supplements. One of the main symptoms is tingling in hands/feet and or cramping which you will be advised to report to the nursing staff. There is also low incidence of this complication but it is just another one of the reasons you want a good surgeon.
I had low calcium for a couple of days while bruising went down, no cramping just the occasional tingling-like pins and needles.
I also had multinodular goitre after my TT I had to wait for results to come back from pathology to confirm whether or not cancer was present. Thank-God there was not. So one week after my surgery I began levothyroxine supplement. (I live in Australia and we have different brands here).
If cancer is present levothyroxine supplements are withheld to stave the body of thyroid hormone so when the RAI treatment is given the thyroid gland soaks up as much of the treatment as possible for maximine effectiveness. RAI = radio active iodine.
Because thyroid hormones have such a long half life (the time it takes for the drug or natural hormone to reach half its previous concentration in the blood) full hypothyroidism may take some time to acheive depending on level you started with and how soon supplements begin.
In euthyroidism (normal thyroid function/levels) half life is 6-7 days.
In hypothyroidism the half life can be up to 9 or 10 days.
In hyperthyroidism the half life can be as short as 3 or 4 days.
This is why you don't have problems if you forget one or two days doses of your thyroid meds - but is not advisable.
Once beginning supplements it can take between 4-6 weeks for levels to stabilise which is why it is normal for blood tests to be ordered and no changes made to medications orders until then. Because it takes some time before thyroid labs post surgery stabilise and become 'normal', many people do not feel their best while waiting for this to happen - As many posts will testify.
It seems that many people say the pain of this surgery is not great (I would agree-it was that way for me). But quite a lot of discomfort and limited movement in turning the head/neck because of stiffness and an awareness of the incision line which is healing. This quickly fades and normal function returns.
The bottom line is everyone's recovery will be different. Other factors such as age and other existing condidtions will all play a role in recovery.
Sorry to have gone on so long... I tend to get a bit carried away.
Best wishes for your mum's surgery and to you being her support and information resource.
I had my Thyroid out 3 months ago due to papillary cancer, my surgeon had put me on 75 synthroid a month prior to surgery. After my surgery, apart from feeling horribly tired and like I had a shovel shoved down my throat,sorry if that scared you, but it's really not to bad... my hormones were all over the place, I think that due to me being on the meds prior to the surgery, I was in a hyper state and took the next couple of weeks to level off. Post surgery, they put me on 125 synthroid, which at my 6 week mark still had me mildly hyper. The 6 weeks following my surgery, I gradually regained my energy, but had some symptoms of being hyper, heart palpitations, smaller appetite, brain fog and anxiety were particularly annoying, but it did gradually get better.
Jez
Jez
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