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Can Hashimotos cause a swollen lymph node?
Hi Everyone, I am very worried and am looking for some advice. 4 weeks ago I discovered a small cervical posterior lymph node on the right side of my neck. It is small and moveable. It has not grown. I have not had any dental or scalp infections that I know of (have dry scalp though) and I have taken antibiotics (augmmentin) for 3 days and had to stop due to having a very bad gastro-intestinal virus. I suffer from sinuses. I do not have fever, night sweats or weight loss. I have Hashimotos Hypothyroidism, my tsh levels have finally stabilised (taking euthyrox daily) but ofcourse my antibodies are in the thousands. I am freaking out about this lymph node, its only one, I cannot feel any palpable nodes in the armpit area or groin. just this one small (1cm) lymph node in my neck, it gets a bit tender if I poke it around. but otherwise I have no flu or cold or any symptoms that can indicate that its from an infection. I did bloodtests and they came back normal, except for low neutrophils, everything else like lymphocytes and ehamaglobin etc was perfectly normal. I am scheduled for a sonar next week Friday. Im also considering doing the tumour markers bloodtest. I am very very worried that it may be lymphoma. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'm happy to hear about the thyroid scan; it was as I suspected it would be.
I'm not as familiar with liver scans or the statistics on those, so I'll pray with you that it's benign. I doubt you're old enough to have been on oral contraceptives long enough to cause cancer, but anything can happen.
If it makes you feel better, I've had a "ghost" mass that shows up on my kidney every now and then, but when they try to find out what it is, it disappears... it's been there twice, now; we have to keep checking for it every so often "just in case" it decides to make another appearance...
Be sure to let me know how it turns out...
I'm not as familiar with liver scans or the statistics on those, so I'll pray with you that it's benign. I doubt you're old enough to have been on oral contraceptives long enough to cause cancer, but anything can happen.
If it makes you feel better, I've had a "ghost" mass that shows up on my kidney every now and then, but when they try to find out what it is, it disappears... it's been there twice, now; we have to keep checking for it every so often "just in case" it decides to make another appearance...
Be sure to let me know how it turns out...
I went for my sonar today. Thyroid showed normal (as far as normal goes for hashimotos)no nodules and the lymph nide i was worried about showed its reactive and normal. Then they did an abdominal sonar and found a lesion on my liver. Now i havr to go on tuesday for a contrast scan. Praying that it is benign. Possibly due to years of being on an oral contraceptive. So here i am again worried about liver cancer now. I hope all will be benign.
COMMUNITY LEADER
So the TSH of 1.89 and FT4 were after you increased your Euthyrox?
Free T4 is a storage hormone and isn't used directly by the body; it has to be converted to Free T3, which is the hormone that's actually used by individual cells in your body... It sounds your body isn't converting the Free T4 to Free T3 adequately, so increasing the Euthyrox is merely driving up your FT4.
Can you get a Free T3 test? That's really important.
Just because your Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) was in the thousands, doesn't mean you're any sicker than someone with a lower count. It simply means you have Hashimoto's.
By the same token, neither does a swollen thyroid mean that you have cancer... it's not the least bit unusual for persons with Hashimoto's to have a swollen and/or inflamed thyroid, which is also called a goiter. A goiter, is, in no way, related to cancer. There's also a good chance that you have nodules on your thyroid - neither will these mean that you have cancer, as nodules are also very common with goiter/Hashimoto's/hypothyroidism.
I, personally, was diagnosed with what it known as "multi-nodular goiter" - which simply meant that I have Hashimoto's and my thyroid was swollen/inflamed, with multiple nodules. None were large, with unusual characteristics and none were dominant, which gave no reason to believe there was cancer. I've had a thyroid ultrasound every 6 months to a year since 2009 and while some of the nodules may go and others come, there's still no reason to believe I have cancer because cancer leaves certain characteristics that my nodules don't have. The swelling has gone down from my goiter and my thyroid has pretty much "died" from the antibody activity, so it does nothing now. That's pretty much what Hashimoto's does.
Just to put your mind at ease, thyroid cancer is very rare; less than 5% of people with thyroid nodules have cancer and you don't even know, yet, if you have nodules.
Free T4 is a storage hormone and isn't used directly by the body; it has to be converted to Free T3, which is the hormone that's actually used by individual cells in your body... It sounds your body isn't converting the Free T4 to Free T3 adequately, so increasing the Euthyrox is merely driving up your FT4.
Can you get a Free T3 test? That's really important.
Just because your Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) was in the thousands, doesn't mean you're any sicker than someone with a lower count. It simply means you have Hashimoto's.
By the same token, neither does a swollen thyroid mean that you have cancer... it's not the least bit unusual for persons with Hashimoto's to have a swollen and/or inflamed thyroid, which is also called a goiter. A goiter, is, in no way, related to cancer. There's also a good chance that you have nodules on your thyroid - neither will these mean that you have cancer, as nodules are also very common with goiter/Hashimoto's/hypothyroidism.
I, personally, was diagnosed with what it known as "multi-nodular goiter" - which simply meant that I have Hashimoto's and my thyroid was swollen/inflamed, with multiple nodules. None were large, with unusual characteristics and none were dominant, which gave no reason to believe there was cancer. I've had a thyroid ultrasound every 6 months to a year since 2009 and while some of the nodules may go and others come, there's still no reason to believe I have cancer because cancer leaves certain characteristics that my nodules don't have. The swelling has gone down from my goiter and my thyroid has pretty much "died" from the antibody activity, so it does nothing now. That's pretty much what Hashimoto's does.
Just to put your mind at ease, thyroid cancer is very rare; less than 5% of people with thyroid nodules have cancer and you don't even know, yet, if you have nodules.
I went to an ENT, he felt my lymph node and said it feels soft and he is not worried about lymphoma or leukemia, he felt my thyroid and said it is very enlarged, especially on the right side, so I will be going for a sonar this Friday. The antibody test I did was for the thyroid peroxidase antibodies which were in the thousands. the TSH refrence range is 1.0-5.0 mine being at 1.89 which is within the normal range, I did have to increase my euthyrox to get it to this range. The free t4 range was up to 19.0 and mine is at 17.0.
I am quite concerned about the upcoming sonar, as the ent said my thyroid is so enlarged. I am so afraid of thyroid cancer :/
I am quite concerned about the upcoming sonar, as the ent said my thyroid is so enlarged. I am so afraid of thyroid cancer :/
COMMUNITY LEADER
What is the reference range for the T4 and is that Free T4 or Total T4? Reference ranges vary from lab to lab, so they have to come from your own report. Total T4 is considered obsolete, as it gives the total amount of the T4 in your blood, but approximately 90-95% of that is bound by protein and isn't usable (can't be converted to T3), so we need to know the unbound (Free) portion, if possible.
It looks like you may need an increase in Euthyrox.
Alopecia is also an autoimmune condition. Fatigue is a very common symptom of hypothyroidism, as well as many other conditions.
Which antibody test is that? There are a lot of different antibodies that can be tested... the 2 that confirm Hashimoto's are Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb). Your lab report should say exactly what it is.
It looks like you may need an increase in Euthyrox.
Alopecia is also an autoimmune condition. Fatigue is a very common symptom of hypothyroidism, as well as many other conditions.
Which antibody test is that? There are a lot of different antibodies that can be tested... the 2 that confirm Hashimoto's are Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb). Your lab report should say exactly what it is.
My Thyroid blood test results are:
TsH: 1.89
T4: 17.0
Antibodies:1000 >
I have switched from eltroxin to euthyrox. Take 1.50 daily.
I also have alopecia areata on and off as well as fatigue. My immune system is not what it used to be. Get flus, colds and infections more frequently.
Going for a thyroid sonar on friday as as a sonar of the lymph node.
TsH: 1.89
T4: 17.0
Antibodies:1000 >
I have switched from eltroxin to euthyrox. Take 1.50 daily.
I also have alopecia areata on and off as well as fatigue. My immune system is not what it used to be. Get flus, colds and infections more frequently.
Going for a thyroid sonar on friday as as a sonar of the lymph node.
COMMUNITY LEADER
What are the actual results of your thyroid hormone levels? You should be getting tested for Free T3 and Free T4, along with TSH, which is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone.
I agree that Hashimoto's could be causing this, but perhaps poking around at it may be exacerbating the situation as well. It's always best not to palpate swollen lymph nodes or the thyroid, as that tends to further irritate them.
I agree that Hashimoto's could be causing this, but perhaps poking around at it may be exacerbating the situation as well. It's always best not to palpate swollen lymph nodes or the thyroid, as that tends to further irritate them.
Hashimoto can cause enlarged sensitive lymph nodes on the cervical area around your neck as these lymph nodes are collecting the lymph from your thyroid
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