Thyroid issues

[MargieC]

I currently have no sign of having low thyroid that I am aware of.  What will happen if I do not take medication for my low thyroid?  

I also have papillary thyroid cancer; I do not want surgery if it’s not absolutely necessary.

[peggy64]

take it from someone who has a problem with undiagnosed hypothyroidism. It is worse than ROUGH, going through this. I think that if I had been treated when first occured I would have responsed to the medicine a lot quicker. Not to mention what it does to all your other organs.

Don't get treatment if you want to be very sick..

[Jules77733]

Low thyroid but no signs might mean you just haven't seen them yet...but they'll show up sooner or later. Our bodies are more like machines than people would think--the systems that comprise us are complex, but when you break it down, it's very simple. Your body will respond to low TSH (I think this is what you mean) by lowering production of thyroid hormones. Once these are lowered, your body will stress itself to keep functioning as the hormone levels take a nose-dive, but it won't be able to since the "resources" aren't sufficient enough. Then you'll really start experiencing symptoms...and it won't be fun. Depending on how low your TSH is will deteremine whether or not it's worthwhile to begin treatment even if you feel fine. If it isn't very low, it's probably best not to mess with things. If it is really low, I bet it's only a matter of time before you feel like you were run over by a truck.

Why don't you want surgery for the cancer? Thyroid cancer is has the highest cure-rate, especially the papillary variety...and it doesn't even involve chemotherapy! In my opinion, getting treated for this now--while it's just been caught and hasn't had time to metastasize or strengthen--will be a lot easier and less painful than waiting. Should it metastasize as a result of you giving it all the time in the world to do so, you'll be in bad shape years from now, and I would hate to hear this happen to anyone. Please take care of yourself, because you won't feel normal and fine for much longer! And as the years go by, it gets harder and harder for our bodies to heal after treatment...

[pep88]

Did you not read the answers to the same question you posted on the previous thread?

>>medhelp.org/posts/show/576722?post_id=post_3185076  ;

If not the concensis was that you would be killing yourself.  Albeit VERY SLOWLY.  Why would you NOT want to treat it?  Do you have other health issues or have you lost the will to live?  The surgery is relatively easy.  I am a papillary cancer with follicular variant survivor.  I don't want to be overly melodramatic about it because it was not a huge deal.  Other cancers are much more invasive and nasty to treat.  The surgery was easy and I was out of the hospital in a couple of days and feeling pretty good in about a week or so.  The RAI wasn't that bad.  It's only the waiting for, and getting the meds right that is a little trying at times.  But would that stop me from doing it all over again?  NOT ON YOUR LIFE!  My life is precious and I want to be there for my daughter and my husband!  

Please read the responses on the above link if you haven't already and take care of youself before that cancer does!  Even if there's no one else, we'll be here for you.