Thyroid nodules growing during synthroid therapy

[lcroberts]

I have been on synthroid therapy for 15 years.  During my last yearly exam with my endo. He felt an abnormality on my thyroid and referred me for an ultrasound.  The ultrasound found multiple hypoechogenic areas scattered throughout  the tyroid gland, particularly the right lobe, smaller areas of 4-6mm which appear to represent cystic change. Their is a superior nodule on the right which appears of mixed echogenicity but could actually represent a conglomeration of smaller nodules measuring 6x4x3cm. Right lobe measures 3x1.1x0.9 cm. The left lobe measures 4x0.9x1.1 cm and shows a superior hypo echoic nodule 1.1x0.4x0.3cm and a mid hypoechoic nodule of 0.9x0.4x0.3 cm.
Given the fact that synthroid therapy is sometimes given to reduce thyroid nodules is there a greater chance of malignancy to have these occur during synthroid treatment?  Also, I have Hashimotos.  I am scheduled for FNB next week.

[lcroberts]

I mentioned that my TSH was low and that I had read that I might feel better with it higher.  He responded by decreasing my Synthroid.  I was taking .112 mg Saturday and Sunday and .1 mg M-F.  Is that correct?  Intuitively I thought he would increase my dosage...

[MANmom]

Hashi's will eventually make your thyroid unproductive, it will destroy it.  When I had my thyroid removed, all my symptoms, hoarseness, joint pain that I had for years, hot/cold, night sweats, blood pressure spikes...they all went away and I feel better. Your TSH is low, it should be more in the 3.0 to 3.5 range.  Have the FNA, I know the worst thing someone can tell you is to be patient...but you must wait it out.

[lcroberts]

So am I to conclude that the Hashi's will make my thyroid continue to grow nodules and at some point I may want to have it removed?  Does anyone know whether Synthroid or Armour is better for treating hypothyroidism to Hashi's?  My TSH level is .385 but I still feel like I have symptoms of hypothyroidism, e.g. tired, weight gain, cold intolerance, hair loss.  I am so frustrated because I can't seem to find an explanation for my symptoms...

[MANmom]

No greater chance of malignancy, only certain things seen during ultrasound give you a higher chance...vascularity on dopler, calcifications, even if it is "tall" rather than wide.  Irregular borders are a problem.  Eventually you will lose function of the thyroid due to the Hashi's, you may choose to have it removed and tested.  FNA may or may not tell you what it is, then you will have to make a decision.  In my case, I had Hashi's, four nodules that were smooth and round, but vascular, I had a 20% chance of cancer, that was high enough for me...I was having hoarseness and other symptoms and my FNA was inconclusive, so I chose to have 1/2 out, they did find cancer.  I then had the total Thyroidectomy and RAI.

[laura1967]

The nodules are probably due to the Hashimoto's. Hashimoto's will eventually give your thyroid a kind of a cottage cheese look to it as it swells, and tissue is attacked by the antibodies.