thyroid

[goremegirl]

I've had an ultrasound and 2 cysts found  on thyroid but doctor said nothing to be done .I have symptoms of itching,sweating,exhaustion,aching  but no help offered.Cancer is familial should I insist on biopsy ?What if doctor refuses ?

[Barb135]

If symptoms are present, treatment is often needed, even if thyroid levels are in the, so called "normal ranges".

If the cysts are very small, they can't be biopsied, but if cancer (especially thyroid cancer) is prevalent in your family, they should be watched.  

What are your actual thyroid hormone test results.  Symptoms can often cross over from hyper to hypo.  Exhaustion/fatigue is typically a symptom of both, as is body aches.  Have you been tested for thyroid antibodies to determine if you have either Graves Disease or Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?

Please post whatever labs you have, so members can assess them and comment more fully on your situation.

[hiker73]

Oops..I just realized that when I typed "HYPER thyroid" I said it was under active, and "HYPO" was over active.  I accidentally reversed that.  
Clarification:  HYPO = under active
                   HYPER = over active

Sorry for the typo!

[hiker73]

From what I've experienced with thyroid disease (I had pregnancy induced hypo-thyroid, my ex husband has hypo-thyroid, and 2 of my children have hypo-thyroid), cysts alone, with normal thyroid levels isn't something that can be treated at this point.  What it could mean is that you may develop abnormal thyroid levels in the future, and that your levels should be tested once per year.  A few years after my youngest daughter was diagnosed, my middle daughter had goiter (a significantly enlarged thyroid).  She saw an endocrinologist and they ran her levels, but her levels were in the normal range, although in the lower end of normal.  They didn't treat her, because the only treatment would be replacement thyroid hormone, and since her levels were basically normal, it would have made her HYPER thyroid (under active thyroid), which is much more dangerous than HYPO thyroid (over active thyroid). So, she was tested once a year, and within about 2 1/2 years, the symptoms started (basically severe fatigue, which wasn't normal for an 11 yr old).  When they tested her levels, it showed that she was full blown hypo-thyroid.  At that point, they were able to put her on thyroid hormone replacement, which essentially is a cure in pill form.  
I think itching & sweating are possible symptoms of over active thyroid (hyper), while extreme fatigue & joint pain are symptoms of under active (hypo).  
My ex husband had over a dozen cysts on his thyroid that were never biopsied.  Cysts are a common finding in hashimoto's thyroiditis (hypo thyroid caused by your body's immune system attacking the thyroid).  He had those cysts back in 1995, and never developed cancer.  He still takes thyroid hormone, and is essentially cured as long as he keeps taking it.  
If you are uncertain of this doc's plan of action, I would seek a second opinion before I would get biopsied.  If your levels are normal, I can't imagine any doctor would want to treat you - they'd just want to keep a close eye on your levels.  Also, I believe ultrasounds can differentiate between cysts and tumors.  Cysts aren't cancerous, but tumors can be.  

Research online - there is so much info out there for you to read.  I had a goiter right after my second pregnancy, and ended up hypo-thyroid (hashimoto's type) for 5 years.  Then, it abruptly went back to normal.  My thyroid is still slightly enlarged, but I have no symptoms, and my levels have been normal every year for the past 9 years.  I'm told that it could come back at any time, or it may never come back.  I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, though.  Thyroid disease is one of the easiest things to treat.  Even thyroid cancer is nearly 100% curable.  I know several people who've had thyroid cancer, and live perfectly normal lives after being cured.  I've read that if you have to have cancer, thyroid cancer is the kind to have.  
Good luck!