Is it Thyroid Disease?

[Mari328]

Im 30 female. I have swollen neck lymph nodes for about 6 weeks now. They were so painful. Doctor gave me 2 rounds of antibiotics because thinks it was a viral infection....antibiotics helped a little but I still have painful swollen lymph nodes. All my blood work is normal except for borderline hypothyroid but according to doctor no medication necessary for that. After me being persistant ...last week they did an ultrasond on my neck and found that my thyroid gland is also swollen...but when they checked me a few weeks ago, it wasn't....but ultrasound shows it is. Also my ANA blood work came back positive. All I am taking is pain releivers for my swollen lymph node. I am tired all the time, fatigue. What could I possibly have, doctor ruled out mono, mumps, and doesnt think I have lupus because I have no joint pain or rashes....but what else could it be, is it my thyroid?

[JenB12]

did you get a copy of your blood work? what were your numbers? My numbers showed that i was only "slightly hypothyroid" too but my physical symptoms are very very bad: fatigue, maliase, dysphoria, headaches.... Turns out i have Hashimoto's thyroiditis which is an autoimmune thyroid issue. If for some reason you are at the beginning stages of Hashimoto's you're blood work might not show numbers far out of range, but it doesn't mean that you do not have something wrong. Swollen lymph's are usually infection related. How long have you been feeling fatigued? if you do not start feeling better after a few weeks your thyroid could definitely be the culprit.... Obviously your ANA tests are likely showing some kind of autoimmune reaction and i would say it's definitely important to figure out what is going on there. Which type of Doctor were you seeing? your PCP? A good endocrinologist will be able to throughly evaluate everything as a whole.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

If this is related to thyroid, then it is likely Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune disease (which may explain the ANA positivity).  Hashimoto's can cause enlarged lymph nodes and in many cases even with borderline hypothyroidism, treatment with levothyroxine is worth a trial.  Sometimes there is painful swelling of the thyroid -- this may take many months to resolve but usually slowly goes away.

Blood testing for TPO antibodies and good ultrasound evaluation by a thyroid specialist would be recommended.

[JenB12]

I have not experienced a cough due to my thyroid. I do not know if that is something that is thyroid related, I haven't not heard of that as a symptom. Maybe it's possible, but you already had the ultrasound showing no nodules. I don't think the thyroid itself or related hormones could cause a tickle or poke.

Sometimes I feel like my throat is a bit constricted, as though the throat is closing in... but nothing that makes me want to cough.

[Mari328]

Before swollen lymph nodes I had funny feeling in my throat, still do...feels like I want to cough but don't have a cough...like someone is poking my throat. Is that also common in thyroid issues? When does it go away?

[JenB12]

Hashi's is usually treated with a natural or synthetic hormone replacement taken in the form of a pill daily in the morning. Autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's) is basically when the body attacks it's own thyroid, so the treatment is to replace the hormones that the body is no longer making (or making less of).... and also in any situation were there is an autoimmune reaction it is possible for there to be swollen lymphs. It certainly could explain the presence of swollen glands if there is no infection. I've also read of many people complaining of swollen lymph nodes having hashi's. Also enlarged thyroid is VERY common in people with Hashimoto's and it doesn't seem like you have nodules (which they would have found in the ultrasound) and so the enlarged thyroid shouldn't pose a problem.... mine is enlarged a little as well.

How they did not catch it before?---> sometimes these things come out of no where. Sometimes they are triggered by something like a stressful event in your life, or a trauma. Having symptoms of it all of the sudden out of no where is very common. Hypothyroism It is also common among women. Mine got diagnosed after i was feeling very fatigued and just over all felt something was off, i felt sick but could not put my finger on what exactly.

Fatigue is the number one complain of someone who has untreated hypothyroidism....

It may or may not be a thyroid problem, obviously your doctor plans to do some more testing, since fatigue, pain etc. can be a number of different things!!!

[Mari328]

My doctor is a family doctor...she did mentioned possibility of Hashimoto but said needed more testing. So how does Hashimoto get treated? How come they didn't catch it before? Does that disease make sense with the lymph node swelling, pain, and fatigue?