Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 What Thyroid problems have you been living with for many years? Sluggishness, Depression Have you been diagnosed with anything else? Bipolar Disorder What meds and how much and when are you taking these meds? Lithium 1200mg, Xanax 1mg 2-3x/dy, Levoxyl 0.125mg once a day. Do you have a copy of your last blood work up? Would you mind posting the results, at least the TSH, the Free T4 and the Free T3 along with the lab ranges? They don't provide that to me. -- Thanks for the info on the needle test. Re: Goiter Hi and Welcome,In order for us to get a better picture of what is going on in your body would you mind answering a few questions???What Thyroid problems have you been living with for many years?Have you been diagnosed with anything else?What meds and how much and when are you taking these meds?Do you have a copy of your last blood work up? Would you mind posting the results, at least the TSH, the Free T4 and the Free T3 along with the lab ranges?When I went in to have my Thyroid "checked out" They did a sonic wave graph test, kinda like what they do when they want to see the baby when its still in the womb. (guys, cover your eyes here- if you are large chested, suggest to the nurse that is going to run the test to place a pillow under your shoulders/neck, arch your neck back a bit and with the slope from the pillow the tissue from the chest will let gravity move it away from the base of the neck area, kinda like a low pyramid with the point being right at the base of your neck/where it joins the shoulders. Okay guys you can uncover your eyes now)Took a tiny tiny needle sample..nothing to it...Some people have problems seeing needles, if this is the case let the nurse or doc know this ahead of time. They did quite a bit of blood lab work. Raised my meds, changed my meds and told me to get more sleep...I was not sleeping well at the time...too much stress in my life. hope this helps a little bit...Looking forward to seeing your answers to the questions...Gossimer(we might take a little while to answer this weekend...please be patient... with us.)>> Hi, I'm new here. I was just diagnosed with a goiter. Its small, and was scanned.> > I've suffered Thyroid problems since I was young and gained weight. > > I'm taking levoxyl and other meds, but this is the first I've gotten a goiter. > > I'm scared, and uncertain as to my future, and I've made an appointment with an endo doctor but don't know what they are going to do when I go.> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 That sounds wonderful . Thanks for your help. I will do that. Re: Re: Goiter A goiter is a thyroid gland that has increased it's size as it tries to produce more thyroid hormone. Goiter is also used in some cases when the gland is enlarged due to nodules that have formed within the gland. They will most likely do blood tests to get an idea of what is going on, then possibly a scan of the gland itself. It's scary to not know what is going on, most of us have been where you are now, waiting to see what's up. A handy thing to do is to bring a notebook with you and jot down what the doc says, so that you don't forget. Take along a list of your symptoms so that you don't forget to mention something. Request a hard copy of your labs, if they ask why just say you want to be able to keep track. Later, if you'd like, you can share the lab results with us, posting your levels and the lab's ranges and we'll help you to better understand what the numbers are saying. Welcome to our little family... Topper () On Fri, 20 Jan 2006 22:36:23 -0600 "My Group" writes: Hi, I'm new here. I was just diagnosed with a goiter. Its small, and was scanned. I've suffered Thyroid problems since I was young and gained weight. I'm taking levoxyl and other meds, but this is the first I've gotten a goiter. I'm scared, and uncertain as to my future, and I've made an appointment with an endo doctor but don't know what they are going to do when I go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 That sounds wonderful . Thanks for your help. I will do that. Re: Re: Goiter A goiter is a thyroid gland that has increased it's size as it tries to produce more thyroid hormone. Goiter is also used in some cases when the gland is enlarged due to nodules that have formed within the gland. They will most likely do blood tests to get an idea of what is going on, then possibly a scan of the gland itself. It's scary to not know what is going on, most of us have been where you are now, waiting to see what's up. A handy thing to do is to bring a notebook with you and jot down what the doc says, so that you don't forget. Take along a list of your symptoms so that you don't forget to mention something. Request a hard copy of your labs, if they ask why just say you want to be able to keep track. Later, if you'd like, you can share the lab results with us, posting your levels and the lab's ranges and we'll help you to better understand what the numbers are saying. Welcome to our little family... Topper () On Fri, 20 Jan 2006 22:36:23 -0600 "My Group" writes: Hi, I'm new here. I was just diagnosed with a goiter. Its small, and was scanned. I've suffered Thyroid problems since I was young and gained weight. I'm taking levoxyl and other meds, but this is the first I've gotten a goiter. I'm scared, and uncertain as to my future, and I've made an appointment with an endo doctor but don't know what they are going to do when I go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 I had my thyroid killed off 15 years ago.. with radiation.... it was twice normal size but didn't really show, just looking at it.... so it was all inside.... after the gland is killed it just shrivels up, I've been told it's like a grape shrinking down to a raisin..... my neck hasn't collapsed.... There are others here that have had their glands removed surgically... I don't remember anyone saying that they had littler necks...... Topper () On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:34:43 -0600 "My Group" writes: I don't know if its cancer. I read 95% are non-cancerous, or 80-95%. Thyroid removed? Can you survive without one? Doesn't that hurt? Wouldn't your neck like collapse? The type of test done was a ultrasound. Then I was told to go to an endo, so I'll see one of those. BTW I've had thyroid problems since a kid, but symptoms of numbness throughout my body didn't start until around 99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 , First off I would like to sincerely thank you for your post. I would also like to thank everyone elses response to my post. You don't realize how much it helps me in my current state of mind. So I will find out soon. I'm looking forward to that. Thank you all so much. I'll stick around to read some more. I'd be interested to find out what medications are used to shrink it, and what are the statistics on how many are cut out vs. the whole thyroid gland, I know this all depends, and hopefully this doctor will be able to help me. Thank you (and all) for your support. Your all very nice. I'm sorry to see the posts of the person that passed away, I said a prayer the other night for her even though I didn't know her and just joined. Re: Re: Goiter Many goiters and nodules shrink after adding thyroid replacement hormone.. it all depends on what is causing the enlargement.... Radiation should be the LAST choice.... only if medication and surgery aren't gonna do what needs to be done. My gland wasn't cancerous... I'm one of the few with a genetic defect.... without getting into tons of detail.... my gland didn't have instruction for when to go fast and when to go slow... and the peddle got stuck in fast... by the time I got a doc that knew what was up... they had to stop it before it stopped me.. .so they zapped it and killed it.... Cancer of the thyroid is not very common... most often it's an autoimmune disorder.. where the body gets confused and thinks that the gland doesn't belong anymore..... don't worry... once they get more tests done to determine what's up... we'll help you to understand it better. Topper () On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 14:13:46 -0600 "My Group" writes: Thanks for the info. I was concerned. Does a goiter mean you have to have surgery to have it removed or have a nodule removed? They just said I have a goiter at this point. I know nothing more. Radiation scares me, was yours cancerous? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 , First off I would like to sincerely thank you for your post. I would also like to thank everyone elses response to my post. You don't realize how much it helps me in my current state of mind. So I will find out soon. I'm looking forward to that. Thank you all so much. I'll stick around to read some more. I'd be interested to find out what medications are used to shrink it, and what are the statistics on how many are cut out vs. the whole thyroid gland, I know this all depends, and hopefully this doctor will be able to help me. Thank you (and all) for your support. Your all very nice. I'm sorry to see the posts of the person that passed away, I said a prayer the other night for her even though I didn't know her and just joined. Re: Re: Goiter Many goiters and nodules shrink after adding thyroid replacement hormone.. it all depends on what is causing the enlargement.... Radiation should be the LAST choice.... only if medication and surgery aren't gonna do what needs to be done. My gland wasn't cancerous... I'm one of the few with a genetic defect.... without getting into tons of detail.... my gland didn't have instruction for when to go fast and when to go slow... and the peddle got stuck in fast... by the time I got a doc that knew what was up... they had to stop it before it stopped me.. .so they zapped it and killed it.... Cancer of the thyroid is not very common... most often it's an autoimmune disorder.. where the body gets confused and thinks that the gland doesn't belong anymore..... don't worry... once they get more tests done to determine what's up... we'll help you to understand it better. Topper () On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 14:13:46 -0600 "My Group" writes: Thanks for the info. I was concerned. Does a goiter mean you have to have surgery to have it removed or have a nodule removed? They just said I have a goiter at this point. I know nothing more. Radiation scares me, was yours cancerous? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 , First off I would like to sincerely thank you for your post. I would also like to thank everyone elses response to my post. You don't realize how much it helps me in my current state of mind. So I will find out soon. I'm looking forward to that. Thank you all so much. I'll stick around to read some more. I'd be interested to find out what medications are used to shrink it, and what are the statistics on how many are cut out vs. the whole thyroid gland, I know this all depends, and hopefully this doctor will be able to help me. Thank you (and all) for your support. Your all very nice. I'm sorry to see the posts of the person that passed away, I said a prayer the other night for her even though I didn't know her and just joined. Re: Re: Goiter Many goiters and nodules shrink after adding thyroid replacement hormone.. it all depends on what is causing the enlargement.... Radiation should be the LAST choice.... only if medication and surgery aren't gonna do what needs to be done. My gland wasn't cancerous... I'm one of the few with a genetic defect.... without getting into tons of detail.... my gland didn't have instruction for when to go fast and when to go slow... and the peddle got stuck in fast... by the time I got a doc that knew what was up... they had to stop it before it stopped me.. .so they zapped it and killed it.... Cancer of the thyroid is not very common... most often it's an autoimmune disorder.. where the body gets confused and thinks that the gland doesn't belong anymore..... don't worry... once they get more tests done to determine what's up... we'll help you to understand it better. Topper () On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 14:13:46 -0600 "My Group" writes: Thanks for the info. I was concerned. Does a goiter mean you have to have surgery to have it removed or have a nodule removed? They just said I have a goiter at this point. I know nothing more. Radiation scares me, was yours cancerous? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I can always tell when my thyroid levels are off because my nodules will get larger. Weird huh?? andrea Quoting topper2@...: > Many goiters and nodules shrink after adding thyroid replacement > hormone.. it all depends on what is causing the enlargement.... > > Radiation should be the LAST choice.... only if medication and surgery > aren't gonna do what needs to be done. > > My gland wasn't cancerous... I'm one of the few with a genetic defect.... > without getting into tons of detail.... my gland didn't have instruction > for when to go fast and when to go slow... and the peddle got stuck in > fast... by the time I got a doc that knew what was up... they had to stop > it before it stopped me.. .so they zapped it and killed it.... > > Cancer of the thyroid is not very common... most often it's an autoimmune > disorder.. where the body gets confused and thinks that the gland doesn't > belong anymore..... don't worry... once they get more tests done to > determine what's up... we'll help you to understand it better. > > Topper () > > On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 14:13:46 -0600 " My Group " > writes: > Thanks for the info. I was concerned. Does a goiter mean you have to have > surgery to have it removed or have a nodule removed? > > They just said I have a goiter at this point. I know nothing more. > > Radiation scares me, was yours cancerous? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Well, I almost think that is what may be going on with me also. My limbs will get numb sensation, cold fingertips and toes. When my dose is adjusted after tested it goes away, but right now it hasn't completely, its a wee bit lingering still. I was misdiagnosed with MS before, and a hospital didn't catch it. A neuro doc misdiagnosed it until the mri. Its def thyroid. I guess there are worse things we could have. I have noticed my goiter larger before, and even had doctors comment on it, but never suspect it as a goiter, just glands swollen on one side. I just thought about that the other day. Anyone here try iodine therapy? or is that bad to do a longside of thyroid meds? Nice to meet ya andrea Re: Re: Goiter I can always tell when my thyroid levels are off because my nodules will getlarger. Weird huh??andreaQuoting topper2@...:> Many goiters and nodules shrink after adding thyroid replacement> hormone.. it all depends on what is causing the enlargement....>> Radiation should be the LAST choice.... only if medication and surgery> aren't gonna do what needs to be done.>> My gland wasn't cancerous... I'm one of the few with a genetic defect....> without getting into tons of detail.... my gland didn't have instruction> for when to go fast and when to go slow... and the peddle got stuck in> fast... by the time I got a doc that knew what was up... they had to stop> it before it stopped me.. .so they zapped it and killed it....>> Cancer of the thyroid is not very common... most often it's an autoimmune> disorder.. where the body gets confused and thinks that the gland doesn't> belong anymore..... don't worry... once they get more tests done to> determine what's up... we'll help you to understand it better.>> Topper ()>> On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 14:13:46 -0600 "My Group" > writes:> Thanks for the info. I was concerned. Does a goiter mean you have to have> surgery to have it removed or have a nodule removed?>> They just said I have a goiter at this point. I know nothing more.>> Radiation scares me, was yours cancerous? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 The exact same thing happens to me. And, with the larger nodules I get a raspy voice and I feel like there is something stuck in my throat - along with all of the other symptoms like achey muscles, acne, dry eyes, can't sleep, can't wake up, puffy face, etc. etc. etc. Risa ---- misswindjammer@... wrote: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 My Group Lithium is the #1 most devastating drug for the thyroid hormones. It can grossly kill the thyroid hormones, literally working on the thyroid itself, not just the hormone out in the body. I know that it is a good drug for the manic swings, BUT----there are soooo many other treatments for the manic swings now, that I can't believe that a doctor prescribed to an already-thyroid patient! Has he tried you on Depacote or another newer drug for manic swings, or do they not work on you?? ly, gotta wonder if it's the thyroid disorder causing ALL of it! You CAN have copies of your lab work, but you've got to ask for them, it is the law that you can have them, but they may ask for a little money per page of lab pages or a flat fee to get the whole thing. I was diagnosed Bipolar back in the early nineties, but what was happening was the first phase of Hashimoto's Disease, or even maybe somewhere in the middle of it, for all I know. Want to guess what the cause of all that was? I was not bipolar, unless you want to call bipolar a symptom of thyroid disease. First or second phase hyper Hashi's. I ran my own antibodies tests back a couple of yrs ago, after I joined this group and a couple of other thyroid support groups. Antithyroidperoxidase antibodies and Antithyroglobulin Antibodies out the kazoo, in the THOUSANDS, waaayyy after I was diagnosed hypothyroid back in '94 or so. A few yrs before I joined these groups, I went into a black hole with HYPO Hashi's (further destruction of the gland by antibodies), looked back at that woman who said and was doing and did all those crazy things and said "WHO in the WORLD was THAT??!!!" Once my thyroid completely failed, in a very short period of time, all that disappeared, and depression and all the other good stuff that comes with hypo came along, and I didn't know what was happening to me. The high anxiety and forwardness and such disappeared and was replaced by a lot of apathy, brain fog, and all the other good stuff. Some people have said that they have had extreme anxiety states with hypo, but this was not the case with me. I couldn't function enough to be anxious or to carry out any of the crazy stuff with "bipolar". We are all so very different, yet you will see constant kinship in all of this. Antibodies can do very strange things, and I don't think that research has even got a handle on what all they CAN do. Remember to ask your doc about the lithium, it can be devastating, and all the thyroid hormone being upped won't stop this devastation, as long as you are taking it, but you may need another drug for it, if it is still a problem after getting properly treated for thyroid disorder. Don't cold turkey that without having something to replace it, YET. It's coming, but the key is you being your own best advocate and not being afraid to step out there and ask a lot of questions and make a lot of statements about what all you are about to learn. Re: Re: Goiter What Thyroid problems have you been living with for many years? Sluggishness, Depression Have you been diagnosed with anything else? Bipolar Disorder What meds and how much and when are you taking these meds? Lithium 1200mg, Xanax 1mg 2-3x/dy, Levoxyl 0.125mg once a day. Do you have a copy of your last blood work up? Would you mind posting the results, at least the TSH, the Free T4 and the Free T3 along with the lab ranges? They don't provide that to me. -- Thanks for the info on the needle test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 Thanks so much, your email made things so much better for me. I really appreciate it. I want to get on something else, but I don't know of anything that is natural and will have less side effects. I know I've tried it all and am sensitive to it all. Perhaps I can go without anything and wing it for a while.. I'm sure my blood will be drawn quite a bit over the next year. I just want the goiter to go away completely, that makes me nervous, and the fact that the hormone can't work (thyroid meds) if lithium is concentrated in the thyroid. Ya, I have to get off of it. Thanks.. Re: Re: Goiter What Thyroid problems have you been living with for many years? Sluggishness, Depression Have you been diagnosed with anything else? Bipolar Disorder What meds and how much and when are you taking these meds? Lithium 1200mg, Xanax 1mg 2-3x/dy, Levoxyl 0.125mg once a day. Do you have a copy of your last blood work up? Would you mind posting the results, at least the TSH, the Free T4 and the Free T3 along with the lab ranges? They don't provide that to me. -- Thanks for the info on the needle test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 Thanks so much, your email made things so much better for me. I really appreciate it. I want to get on something else, but I don't know of anything that is natural and will have less side effects. I know I've tried it all and am sensitive to it all. Perhaps I can go without anything and wing it for a while.. I'm sure my blood will be drawn quite a bit over the next year. I just want the goiter to go away completely, that makes me nervous, and the fact that the hormone can't work (thyroid meds) if lithium is concentrated in the thyroid. Ya, I have to get off of it. Thanks.. Re: Re: Goiter What Thyroid problems have you been living with for many years? Sluggishness, Depression Have you been diagnosed with anything else? Bipolar Disorder What meds and how much and when are you taking these meds? Lithium 1200mg, Xanax 1mg 2-3x/dy, Levoxyl 0.125mg once a day. Do you have a copy of your last blood work up? Would you mind posting the results, at least the TSH, the Free T4 and the Free T3 along with the lab ranges? They don't provide that to me. -- Thanks for the info on the needle test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 Thanks so much, your email made things so much better for me. I really appreciate it. I want to get on something else, but I don't know of anything that is natural and will have less side effects. I know I've tried it all and am sensitive to it all. Perhaps I can go without anything and wing it for a while.. I'm sure my blood will be drawn quite a bit over the next year. I just want the goiter to go away completely, that makes me nervous, and the fact that the hormone can't work (thyroid meds) if lithium is concentrated in the thyroid. Ya, I have to get off of it. Thanks.. Re: Re: Goiter What Thyroid problems have you been living with for many years? Sluggishness, Depression Have you been diagnosed with anything else? Bipolar Disorder What meds and how much and when are you taking these meds? Lithium 1200mg, Xanax 1mg 2-3x/dy, Levoxyl 0.125mg once a day. Do you have a copy of your last blood work up? Would you mind posting the results, at least the TSH, the Free T4 and the Free T3 along with the lab ranges? They don't provide that to me. -- Thanks for the info on the needle test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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