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Thyroid: burning feeling neck/ear
Hi,
It was 3 mo. ago I woke up with a swollen goiter, difficulty breathing, alot of pain when swallowing, dizzines, numbness mixed with pain, headaches. It continued a little over 1 mo. breathing being worse 3 times. I believe I may have had the goiter maybe for 1 yr as I noticed a difference in my swallowing and neck.
I was in a rollover car accident 4yrs ago that caused whiplash, stiff neck pain that I still have. When I move my neck I sometimes still feel/hear crackling.
I'm on generic synthroid 2 wks. My goiter has grown since the past 3 months and right side of my neck is thick, there is an area that seems to be attached to the goiter. I had ear pain in both ears for about 1 mo, my right ear hurt more. The pain was not that of an ear infection, it was different mixed with hot burning feeling. I was feeling good 1 week starting 2 days before I took my first pill.
My ear pain is back but it's more of the burning feeling I'm experiencing and seems to be changing from ear to ear (one more than the other or both at the same time). At the same time the side of my neck mostly right side and under my jawline is also feeling this way. For the last 2 yrs I have also been getting painful sharp pain in my right eye.
Something strange is growing behind my right ear one is almost like a blister more oval, the other a little bigger and hard they feel sore if I press it.
May Dr says I may be hypothyroid what really concerns me is cancer. Is there a chance I may have it or can these symptoms be normal? I appreciate your opinion.
Thank you for your time
It was 3 mo. ago I woke up with a swollen goiter, difficulty breathing, alot of pain when swallowing, dizzines, numbness mixed with pain, headaches. It continued a little over 1 mo. breathing being worse 3 times. I believe I may have had the goiter maybe for 1 yr as I noticed a difference in my swallowing and neck.
I was in a rollover car accident 4yrs ago that caused whiplash, stiff neck pain that I still have. When I move my neck I sometimes still feel/hear crackling.
I'm on generic synthroid 2 wks. My goiter has grown since the past 3 months and right side of my neck is thick, there is an area that seems to be attached to the goiter. I had ear pain in both ears for about 1 mo, my right ear hurt more. The pain was not that of an ear infection, it was different mixed with hot burning feeling. I was feeling good 1 week starting 2 days before I took my first pill.
My ear pain is back but it's more of the burning feeling I'm experiencing and seems to be changing from ear to ear (one more than the other or both at the same time). At the same time the side of my neck mostly right side and under my jawline is also feeling this way. For the last 2 yrs I have also been getting painful sharp pain in my right eye.
Something strange is growing behind my right ear one is almost like a blister more oval, the other a little bigger and hard they feel sore if I press it.
May Dr says I may be hypothyroid what really concerns me is cancer. Is there a chance I may have it or can these symptoms be normal? I appreciate your opinion.
Thank you for your time
I'm glad you are back, I was starting to worry.
Two days without your meds will definitely make you sleepy. What did the doctor you met with say about you going off the meds? You might want to call her and talk to her. I'm not that familiar with the effects of stopping your meds without a doctor's supervision. I do know that the 5 days I've been off my synthroid now for the RAI is kicking my butt.
Here's some good information on your goiter and what may be causing it: http://www.endocrineweb.com/goiter.html
From what it looks like, stopping your meds now may increase your TSH and increase the size of your goiter.
What you need is for a doctor to run some good labs on your thyroid. GravesLady is the expert on the site about labs and what they mean but you do need to have your labs watched closely.
Going by how you feel is NOT the way to diagnose thyroid conditions. Your labs need to be checked carefully and followed regularly. You also need ultrasounds to watch for nodules. Is the doctor you spoke with going to order any labs or an ultrasound?
Did she provide you with the name of another endo?
Please let me know.
Two days without your meds will definitely make you sleepy. What did the doctor you met with say about you going off the meds? You might want to call her and talk to her. I'm not that familiar with the effects of stopping your meds without a doctor's supervision. I do know that the 5 days I've been off my synthroid now for the RAI is kicking my butt.
Here's some good information on your goiter and what may be causing it: http://www.endocrineweb.com/goiter.html
From what it looks like, stopping your meds now may increase your TSH and increase the size of your goiter.
What you need is for a doctor to run some good labs on your thyroid. GravesLady is the expert on the site about labs and what they mean but you do need to have your labs watched closely.
Going by how you feel is NOT the way to diagnose thyroid conditions. Your labs need to be checked carefully and followed regularly. You also need ultrasounds to watch for nodules. Is the doctor you spoke with going to order any labs or an ultrasound?
Did she provide you with the name of another endo?
Please let me know.
I checked with one of my most trusted friends in Washington State (he works in the medical field) and he checked around for the best endocronology programs in your state. Here's what he said:
>> Have your friend go to Seattle to the Univ. of WA Medical Center or Swedish Hospital or Northwest Specialty Hospital... They're the biggies that have the expertise to see someone like her.. .if she can't get that far, have her consider Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane... excellent hospital with good resources... If she can't even get that far, then Central WA hospital in Wentachee is a medium sized hospital that may have endocrinology... Unfortunately she won't get far with Good Samaritan in Moses Lake.
No to 'dis on your local hospital but many rural hospitals don't have the personnel or equipment needed to make tough diagnoses (there is a local, rural hospital here that doesn't even have an MD on the emergency room staff - it's staffed with PAs!).
How are things today??
>> Have your friend go to Seattle to the Univ. of WA Medical Center or Swedish Hospital or Northwest Specialty Hospital... They're the biggies that have the expertise to see someone like her.. .if she can't get that far, have her consider Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane... excellent hospital with good resources... If she can't even get that far, then Central WA hospital in Wentachee is a medium sized hospital that may have endocrinology... Unfortunately she won't get far with Good Samaritan in Moses Lake.
No to 'dis on your local hospital but many rural hospitals don't have the personnel or equipment needed to make tough diagnoses (there is a local, rural hospital here that doesn't even have an MD on the emergency room staff - it's staffed with PAs!).
How are things today??
Don't panic too much about your breast. It could be a fungal infection or a number of other things too. Don't let it go though (just in case)
Today I went off the synthroid and tomorrow I start the diet. Not to happy about it because, like you mentioned, I'm diabetic so the list of what will fit into both diets is pretty much raw vegetables and fruit. Tonight I'm enjoying my last cheese for a month. :-( I did manage to find a good butcher who doesn't add any salt or additives to his fresh meat. I can have up to 6 ounces of fresh meat a day (no fish though) so I'm going to find my way through this somehow.
Thank you so much for YOUR support but this thread is about you. Your doctor's appointment is tomorrow, right?? Good luck and BE AGGRESSIVE! You're not there to make friends but to take charge of your health. Insist on the best care possible! Keep us all posted and our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Today I went off the synthroid and tomorrow I start the diet. Not to happy about it because, like you mentioned, I'm diabetic so the list of what will fit into both diets is pretty much raw vegetables and fruit. Tonight I'm enjoying my last cheese for a month. :-( I did manage to find a good butcher who doesn't add any salt or additives to his fresh meat. I can have up to 6 ounces of fresh meat a day (no fish though) so I'm going to find my way through this somehow.
Thank you so much for YOUR support but this thread is about you. Your doctor's appointment is tomorrow, right?? Good luck and BE AGGRESSIVE! You're not there to make friends but to take charge of your health. Insist on the best care possible! Keep us all posted and our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I looked into the site, the scaling it sounds similar to the way it gets after breast feeding? Even though I took the step of getting checked in June. I still thought I needed a lump to really have a problem. It's really not like that. I can't believe how things happen. I mean like Cancer it's probably not detectable in the begining. When it usually is it's usually because of symptoms and sometimes by then it's more advanced (that's scary).
I read about you having Diabetes, I'm sorry. I hope you do well during your RAI. I really appreciate your help, please do what you need to make yourself feel better through this. I'm thankful to you and everyone that makes this site what it is. Everyone trying to help one another, that's caring. Take Care!
I read about you having Diabetes, I'm sorry. I hope you do well during your RAI. I really appreciate your help, please do what you need to make yourself feel better through this. I'm thankful to you and everyone that makes this site what it is. Everyone trying to help one another, that's caring. Take Care!
I don't have a family history of breast cancer. My mom says she feels this way right before her period every month. Except not the awful itching like I had in June. she said she has gotten mammograms and they have been clear. I just found out she has Diabetes (not good).
I remeber reading some cases of young women like you said in that age range. That's actually why I tried getting something done. My Dr said it was good to have support like sports bras. I always wore support except to sleep or if it became a problem. I think she may probably order something this time. The clinic I go to is the same one my mom has gone to for yrs and where she took us as kids. I'm sure this will be our last vist. Winter is coming and there are too many sharp curves that way.
We need another family vehicle urgently, it's hard because of my medical bills. Probably do a trade in or something. I hope I qualify on my husbands insurance I've heard it's accepted very well and even covers massages (never had one).
I know it's not fun hearing the "C" word. The horrible thing is it seems to be able to get any part of the body! and anyone. I'm going to look into the site you provided and do the search on Paget's disease. I will stay in touch and Thank you so much for your help. Take Care!
I remeber reading some cases of young women like you said in that age range. That's actually why I tried getting something done. My Dr said it was good to have support like sports bras. I always wore support except to sleep or if it became a problem. I think she may probably order something this time. The clinic I go to is the same one my mom has gone to for yrs and where she took us as kids. I'm sure this will be our last vist. Winter is coming and there are too many sharp curves that way.
We need another family vehicle urgently, it's hard because of my medical bills. Probably do a trade in or something. I hope I qualify on my husbands insurance I've heard it's accepted very well and even covers massages (never had one).
I know it's not fun hearing the "C" word. The horrible thing is it seems to be able to get any part of the body! and anyone. I'm going to look into the site you provided and do the search on Paget's disease. I will stay in touch and Thank you so much for your help. Take Care!
>>>I know there is a pill they give some people, I think it's for a couple of days and you can't be close to people. My Endo mentioned a little bit but said he would explain later.
The pill you are talking about is I-131 and is radiation hooked (not a technical term, sorry) to iodine. You will see it referred to as RAI on this forum. It's given to thyroid cancer patients after surgery to eliminate any thyroid tissue remaining in the body. You CANNOT have it while you still have a thyroid - your existing thyroid will absorb it too quickly and, if there is any cancer, it won't be eliminated. I'm going to have this treatment in mid-November because my TSH levels are rising too high after having my entire thyroid removed.
>>>Can I be checked for cancer in my goiter during the same time I'm on treatment? I don't even know how big it is yet? I know my thyroid levels are important but I really would like to know more about my goiter. Do you know if an Endo is able to read the ultrasound X-rays? I will see him Monday he said in the morning didn't give me a time.
Thyroid levels won't tell you about thyroid cancer. Most of us who have had cancer had completely normal labs. The only way they can determine it's thyroid cancer is by examining the nodules on an ultrasound then, in most circumstances, by doing a fine needle biopsy (I just elected to have mine taken out without the biopsy). Your endo will know what to look for on the ultrasound.
As for my mother - I don't quite understand her. She says she is afraid of surgery but she's had two elective ones in the past (for carpal tunnel). She knows she probably has cancer but is a huge state of denial. My mother prefers to treat things with herbs and naturopathy. Nothing against holistic treatment but when you have an overwhelming chance of having a very treatable cancer it's best to treat it aggressively. She complains about her late-brother. He ignored prostrate symptoms for 5 years and when he finally went to a doctor his cancer had spread to his bones. She says how stupid he was not to get medical treatment yet here she is, 10 years later, in the same circumstances.
The type of thyroid cancer my sisters and I have is NOT supposed to be hereditary. In fact we are all in a university study out of Connecticut because we are such an anomaly.
Keep us posted on your Endo visit and I'll keep you posted on the RAI treatment. My best to you!
The pill you are talking about is I-131 and is radiation hooked (not a technical term, sorry) to iodine. You will see it referred to as RAI on this forum. It's given to thyroid cancer patients after surgery to eliminate any thyroid tissue remaining in the body. You CANNOT have it while you still have a thyroid - your existing thyroid will absorb it too quickly and, if there is any cancer, it won't be eliminated. I'm going to have this treatment in mid-November because my TSH levels are rising too high after having my entire thyroid removed.
>>>Can I be checked for cancer in my goiter during the same time I'm on treatment? I don't even know how big it is yet? I know my thyroid levels are important but I really would like to know more about my goiter. Do you know if an Endo is able to read the ultrasound X-rays? I will see him Monday he said in the morning didn't give me a time.
Thyroid levels won't tell you about thyroid cancer. Most of us who have had cancer had completely normal labs. The only way they can determine it's thyroid cancer is by examining the nodules on an ultrasound then, in most circumstances, by doing a fine needle biopsy (I just elected to have mine taken out without the biopsy). Your endo will know what to look for on the ultrasound.
As for my mother - I don't quite understand her. She says she is afraid of surgery but she's had two elective ones in the past (for carpal tunnel). She knows she probably has cancer but is a huge state of denial. My mother prefers to treat things with herbs and naturopathy. Nothing against holistic treatment but when you have an overwhelming chance of having a very treatable cancer it's best to treat it aggressively. She complains about her late-brother. He ignored prostrate symptoms for 5 years and when he finally went to a doctor his cancer had spread to his bones. She says how stupid he was not to get medical treatment yet here she is, 10 years later, in the same circumstances.
The type of thyroid cancer my sisters and I have is NOT supposed to be hereditary. In fact we are all in a university study out of Connecticut because we are such an anomaly.
Keep us posted on your Endo visit and I'll keep you posted on the RAI treatment. My best to you!
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