Ugh... thyroid.
 

So, I had a scan of my thyroid today. My doctor thinks it's enlarged and was concerned, so I went into the lab to get it checked. I'm nervous about it but I won't get my results for several more days, so I get to just Google and obsess in the meantime. :p

If it's anything it's hypothyroidism or... cancer or something yucky. I haven't dug enough, but I can't imagine any reason for it to be swollen or enlarged unless it was not functioning properly.

Has anyone had thyroid issues? I'd rather check in here when I feel like talking about it than Googling anymore, because sometimes Google is NOT your friend. :glare:

Hey Brooke...
I had the same thing happen to me at a drs visit almost 10 years ago now....my thyroid felt enlarged to the dr too. I had a u/s scan done and they determined I have multiple nodes in my thyroid. My thyroid levels have always been normal though. Every year I go in for an u/s to make sure they are not increasing in size or changing at all. So far so good. I think once they get to a certain size they are going to want to do a biopsy, but we've never gotten to that point. Hopefully that is all it is! :)

Don't look that stuff up, you'll be convinced it's terminal by sundown! I don't have personal experience but I have friends with thyroid conditions and they've been able to manage them without any major fallout. I had a friend go through thyroid cancer a few years ago and they were able to take care of it. He's cancer free and doing very well now. I had a cyst very near my thyroid when I was a teen. It seemed as if my thyroid was enlarged but it wasn't actually my thyroid ( a long, gross story ) .

Hypothyroidism runs in my family. My grandmother & mother both take a pill for it every morning. It's a matter of time for my sister and me.

Besides the medicine thinning out my mom's hair (a very common side effect) in the last few years, I don't know of any other issues she's had with it. Neither of them has had it removed or operated on. I'm pretty sure she's been on thyroid medication for at least the last 15 years.

My mom has 10x more complications with her asthma and allergies than she does with her thyroid.

HTH! :hugs:

I have been on thyroid medication for years with hyopthyroidism.. if it is that you'll be fine - you just have to take daily meds and get your levels checked every few months.

Shawna had to have her thyroid removed several years ago, she'll be able to help you with lots of questions if it is the later.. :)

First, I hope everything will be ok with your thyroid, Brook.
Even if your results are not as good, you can take medications and keep things under control.
My mom and aunt were diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease a few years ago and have been on medications for years now.
Sister and I were also advised to check it regularly...so far mine is ok. (went to the doc the other day and also did blood test)
Yes, as LeeAndra said, thinning the hair out can occur but not necessarily.
The one thing that bothers most of the women I know with thyroid problems (Hashimoto's disease/hypothyroidism in particular) is weight gain and/or difficulty losing weight.
I also know women with the opposite diagnose -- hyperthyroidism -- and they, on the other hand, can't gain weight!

I had part of my thyroid removed a few years ago due to nodules the Dr. was concerned could turn cancerous later. I'll be honest and say I don't take my meds exactly like I should, but I'd be happy to try and answer any specific questions if you want to PM me or ask here. Thyroid issues are really common, so try not to be too concerned at this point (easier said than done, I know), and like others have said, don't Google it! :eek:

Another hypo here. I take my daily pill and it stays within the normal range. Mine started with mine not being able to swallow for a couple days to a chest xray and cat scan and everything was fine. Try not to stress too much until you get some results.

Hugs - I've been told I have an enlarged thyroid since I was 16 years old... all the tests came back normal. One doctor finally put me on meds for it - it made me twitchy and I gained 20 pounds! It wasn't helping my numbers, so I just stopped it. But there are different meds... my mom was put on a natural one, and she didn't have the same side affects that I have. So, if you do have meds and you get side effects, know there are different ones out there. :)

DO NOT look this stuff up - it will turn you into a crazy person! That's all I have to say about that.

I'm HYPO too..and yes, as all have shared, in these kind of cases/scenarios, Google will NOT be your friend. I've had for over 10 years and although my meds have regulated me, my endo is looking at other additional options to help me lose the weight I had gained from it. Not alot, but enough to make me go bonkers. I'm a workout nut, but because I hardly eat, that is a BIG no-no. I mean with hypothyroidism, your metabolism becomes slow and well, if you starve like I do unfortunately, there goes my overall metabolic rate out the window. So needless to stay, my issue is not eating and I'm required to eat small portions throughout the day (very hard coming from someone who suffered anorexia and bulimia when I was in high school/college).

It'll be fine...mine was enlarged and no cancer..just nodules and due to it not regulating properly and then the meds came, all back to normal.

My daughter had hyperthryoidism and enlarged nodules, she had the surgery to remove and is hypothyroid now, as I am too. We've been on meds for about 5 yrs now. I did gain about 20 lbs and it is harder to lose now which sucks but there could be worse things wrong with me, so I accept that and try to eat smaller meals, less carbs and get some exercise. My hair did thin out but I take biotin everyday which I swear by for healthy and fast growing nails/hair. I get tested every 6 months and tests have been stable and within the normal range ever since taking the meds.

Oh gosh... I do not want to gain any more weight! I've already gained a whole bunch in the last 3 years. :P I need to lose 40 lbs, not gain. sigh.

I had Graves Disease, which is a hyperthyroid auto-immune disorder. Having my thyroid removed was one of the best things I ever did. That little gland can cause so much trouble. My mom had thyroid cancer and also had hers removed. With cancer, if you catch it early, the outcomes are very good. Going through two pregnancies after having my thyroid removed was a little bit rough, but I wouldn't change a thing. Hang in there! You'll feel so much better when you get things leveled out.


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I was born without a thyroid! Things got pretty serious when I didn't realize how crucial taking my medication was. I'm not sure, though, since I was born without it what the impact is like of having it removed. Every so often I wonder if I would notice it more if I knew what life was like WITH one. But I do know that I dropped off of taking it for a while...and my balance got pretty bad...I tripped and fell on my face one day and...no joke...lost my hearing for 2 weeks! I didn't know it was gonna come back...only sat there and hoped...never underestimated the impact of a thyroid (or the hormones it's responsible for that I take synthetically...) since! Before then...it felt like the pill wasn't really doing all that much or affecting me when I missed days.

Hope they get it fixed soon and that you see the positive impact of having things function correctly! :)

ETA: Oh! And as long as I'm on my medication, I'm a size 5-7 (Height is 5'6") with terrible eating habits and minimal exercise! :D

If you've been gaining, it could be hypothyroidism. I've always had a tendency to gain weight, but until 5 or 6 years ago I could lose it when I put the work in. Then gradually I started gaining again and couldn't lose more than a few pounds no matter what I did. Even when I lost, it was soooo slow, like .5 lbs was a loss to cheer over.

I finally got put on hypothyroid meds last summer, and they've been great. It took about 6 months to get the dosage right, raising it then testing my levels after a couple of months. I can finally lose the weight I've gained, and I'm not cold all the time. No side effects or negatives for me.

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What meds are you on if I may ask??

Wow! See, you would've had no idea so many people had this issue here if you wouldn't have asked. I hope you feel a little better just knowing you're not alone in this whole thing.

I haven't had any thyroid issues, but my SIL does and she takes medication. Well, she is SUPPOSED to but she keeps trying to manage it with essential oils and stuff. I don't know what the big deal is... just take the pill! lol!

Keep us updated!

I am going to be the odd man out about medicating thyroid. I have been hypothyroid for 7 years. It happened when I moved out of FL to IN oddly enough. I had taken the synthetic hormones for 3 or ore of the last 7 years and I remained at a 12-17 (normal range is 1-2) I started researching alternative solutions and I stopped taking the synthetic. I am now a 4-5 and still working. If you find yourself testing for hypothyroidism and want to discuss natural, message me anytime

Valerie, I believe there has been such a rise in hypothyroidism due to processed foods, as with many diseases on the rise. The standard American diet for most contains so much chemically processed items/fast food etc. that it is disrupting so many of our systems :(

I know, it's so strange!

Amber, could you share the natural ways you use to maintain your levels?

I take Synthroid every day but have never tried anything natural. I'd be interested to hear suggestions. I'm cold all the time which drives my hubs crazy b/c I'll be sitting on the couch with an afghan around me and he'll be in shorts and a t-shirt saying its too hot LOL. So now that we have air conditioning I have to wear sweaters and hoodies in the house all the time to keep warm but my hubs likes it.

I'm taking Levothyroxine. It's a generic...the brand name might be Synthroid, but I'm not positive.

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In short, I take coconut oil, cut out gluten, I take an unspeakable amount of vitamin D lol there's a really good book called vitamin D Revolution. I take vitamin D with magnesium. I also take ashwagandha. I use an essential oil blend specifically for the thyroid I'll have to go find the bottle to give you the name of it, but it's from Young Living and I put that directly on my thyroid twice a day as well. I'm still working at it, but I've made better progress this way then I was on meds. I have tons and tons and tons of stuff saved on a Pinterest board too, contact me if you want the link to that board :-)

*** directly on my thyroid as in I put it on my neck in the place where my thyroid is. Obviously I could not reach down in my throat and touch my actual thyroid LOL

Lol, yes, I got it :)
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience.

Of course :)

Wow, sounds like lots of people have thyroid issues. I hope the dr figures out what is causing your trouble.

thyroid
 

I had nodules on my thyroid and one was large enough that they decided to remove the thyroid altogether. When they took it out it was enlarged and turned out to be Hashimotos which causes inflammation and a host of other symptoms (all of which I had attibuted to my age-45). 3 yrs post surgery, I take synthroid everyday before bed and my levels are fine. The point is, don't worry until you have to. Be glad they saw the issue and have it taken care of. Hang in there.

I had a node that was big enough you could actually see it through my neck, and when they biopsied it they thought it was pretty likely cancerous so they did a surgery to remove the half of my thyroid that the node was on (and potentially the whole thing if the tumor looked nasty while they were in there). Well the node was totally non cancerous and everything, so I live with half a thyroid, that is dying because of hashimotos (an autoimmune disorder that causes a lot of hypo thyroid) and probably makes no hormones on its own anymore.

I recommend seeing an endocrinologist specifically instead of doing it all through your general practitioner. For me that made a HUGE difference and as of now I think it is all pretty well managed as long as I take my meds every day.