Anyone here have experience with an enlarged thyroid?

[SunQuest]

Well, been ill and went to the doctor for an ear infection yesterday. $200.00 later I leave beating my head against the wall. The nurse didn't want to listen to me when I told her I had white coat hypertension and that my blood pressure is sky high just because I was sitting in the doctor's office! Urgg! I have been this way for 20 years!

I went in because my ears are just killing me. I was sure it was an ear infection, and sure enough that is what it is. So then I give the doctor the list of meds that the insurance company wants alternatives used on. (Like they should have a right to dictate what is good for my health....!) Anyway, the doctor misreads the paper and gives me a perscription for one of the expensive ones. Of course I didn't find that out until I was at the pharmacy and then the $40.00 bill hit me!

:

I call the doctor's office and they are closed. So here I am in severe pain and must buy the meds when after calling my insurance provider I find out that the alternative that is approved averages just a little over $17.00 WITHOUT insurance!

But the real kicker is that the doctor wants to run tests on me because my thyroid is enlarged. Now I have not experience with this, and was hoping that you all can share yours. The doctor has me VERY VERY worried and said that it may be simple if it is just a low thyroid or lack of iodine issue, and if the thyroid test doesn't show anything then it could go all the way to having surgery. I am almost in tears as I have a HUGE HUGE phobia about dealing with the medical profession and the thoughts of having to go in every time I have to renew a perscription is more than I can even stand to think about.

So share your experiences, and please tell me if they can get it under control with meds, will it go back to it's normal size or will it always be enlarged?

I am just so worried and won't begin to have any answers until probably late friday on the bloodwork.

Thanks.

 

[Magic]

I don't know much about thyroids, though I did have a friend who had an overactive thyroid that had to be corrected with radiation. I don't know if his was enlarged.

All I can say is good luck, I hope that it is the most simple solution for you, so you don't need to stress about it any more than you already have. I know how scary medical stuff can be.

 

[REO]

Aw Nila. I'm sorry you're not feeling well and are in so much pain.

Hold still, come here......

[SIZE=24pt]{{{{{{Nila}}}}}}[/SIZE]

Did you feel that? I hope so.

:

 

[KrisP]

I don't know what they mean by enlarged thyroid so no experience to my knowledge with it, however I have a cousin and hubby has an aunt that were hyperthyroid, they had radiation treatment and are on thyroid meds for life but it was a simple procedure and they're just fine, in fact much healthier now. With the hyper they lost weight.

My best friend is hypothyroid, her thyroid doesn't function well but with meds she's fine now, she was feeling lethargic and bloated and easily gained weight before the diagnosis and treatment.

Hugs to you! I know, I also HATE doctors!!

krisp

 

[Ashley]

Hah.... I would love a $40 pill charge. Mine are $150 a month, and Im not sure if my insurance will cover it or not as its not a generic drug......however in this version of drug the generic dont work for me(but then again at this point the normal isnt working either)

Aside from that.......hope you feel better soon.

 

[sedeh]

I have hypothyroidism with an enlarged thyroid...mine is actually large enough to call a goiter. I can notice it from the outside but most people just think I have a thicker neck. I was diagnosed in 1991 and have been on L-thyroxine since. This last year I noticed it felt a little larger and had lots of test done. Mine is the most common form of hypothyroidism, it's called multi-nodular. On ultrasound it looks like lots of tumers(nodules) but they said as long as one doesn't start taking off and getting big it's okay. I do feel it when I swallow and if that gets worse one day I'll have surgery. Sometimes my TSH(thyroid stimulating hormone) is high and sometimes it's normal.....my doctor said the multi-nodular thyroids are like teenagers......sometimes they're very active and sometimes they're lazy. So, until you get some tests done I wouldn't worry too much. The majority of people with enlarged thyroids are like mine. Occasionally you can have Thyroid cancer or the run-a-muk nodule from the multi-nodular type which would require surgery. Good luck and let us know how you fair. My prayers are with you.

 

[KrisP]

Ok I talked to my friend that is hypothyroid and she also was origionally told it was enlarged, for now the meds are all that are needed. Before her diagnosis she was Miserable, lethargic, bloated, easily gained weight, etc. She's been on the meds for a few months and her energy is really returning, losing some of the weight and even sounds perkier

Krisp

 

[SunQuest]

Thanks everyone.

Sandy, Thanks for sharing your experience. My friend asked me last week if I had my thyroid checked as she works in the medical profession and had just moved back to Idaho and she noticed it. Then the doctor yesterday said something and now my mind is running wild with the worst of things happening to me. Now that I know what I am looking for, I notice it. I just thought it was because I was a little heavy and was just showing some fat in that area. I really don't notice any problems from it. I don't have issues swallowing typically. Sometimes I think there is a lump in my throat if I am congested, but I always contribute that to the congestion, and now I know there is a lump in my throat. I did think the other day that I was glad I wasn't asked to set my neck like you would ask a horse to set it's neck as then the area could possibly hinder my breathing a small amount, but I thought it was because of being overweight. Of course I do try to manage my weight, but don't really diet, so wonder how this will play out in my diagnosis, and yep, I have increased in weight in the last several years.

Krisp, Thanks for checking with your friend. I am just such a HUGE cry baby when it comes to thoughts of pain and surgery. I hope that I and the doctors can just manage it without surgery and I of course will be trying to find a specialist before I let them wheel me into an operating room. (My absolute biggest fear in life is the operating room... Too many horror stories watched on TV !

: )

I guess all I can do is see where the road leads me. I pray that God gives me strength and that I am making a mountain out of a mole hill...

 

[Sterling]

Nila my x-bro-in-law had an overactive thyroid...I know not the same thing, he was put on meds and was doing very well last I heard. I just want to tell you that I hope you get to feeling better real soon and that you get relief from your ear ache....I know how painful they can be!

 

[hhpminis]

I have been taking thyroid medication for 15 years. Mine is hypo which means it does not produce enough of the hormone. It can really mess you up when it is not working right. For such a little galnd it packs a wollup!

What will happen often is the body is not getting enough of the hormone so it keeps telling your thyroid to produce more, thus making your thyroid gland larger and not doing anything because it doesn't work but it tries very hard.

They put me on synthroid which keeps my level of thyroid production at or near 0 by giving me the correct amount of medication to make my body think it does not need to produce any.

These are very oversimplified laymen terms.

More than likely you will be able ot control this with medication. Worrying about it is not going to help it and after a few months on the medication you will start noticing things are so much better and easier. It effects just about everything in your body from concentration to weight. Do a search on hypothyroidism and you will be amazed at how many things it can affect. It is a lot similar to going through warp speed menopause.

 

[Lauralee]

As a Registered Nurse of 15 years, AND a thyroid patient, I'd like to speak to the thyroid issue:

It is your doctor's job to identify potential problems and do a thorough exam. He picked up on something very slight, not readily detectible, that other doctors might have overlooked.

My GYN doctor told me that my thyroid was enlarged about 8 years ago during a yearly exam/physical.

I had a thyroid scan done. This was basically lying flat with a prop under your shoulders (a bit uncomfortable) in a VERY CLOSE tube (like a catscan) for about 20 minutes. I think there may have been an IV and some dye involved but I don't remember. Mostly my claustrophobia set in, and the terribly loud tunnel kept me nervous, but I survived the test.

The test did show that I didn't have a tumor, which was good to know. Thyroid tumors necessitate surgery.

So my BLOODWORK also showed the low thyroid levels.

Now, women tend to suffer from hypothyroidism more often than men. There is an immune reaction AFTER PREGNANCY that begins attacking the thyroid. Something about pregnancy will set it off, and over time, the thyroid enlarges as it overcompensates the immune system's onslaught.

During this time period, the woman may experience HYPER thyroidism as the thyroid over-excretes and tries to compensate. But eventually (depending how strong the attack by your immune system), the thyroid becomes HYPO active as it loses its strength.

This is where you are. HYPO active. And your bloodwork will tell the real tale.

All this will boil down to doing is taking your synthroid every day as directed. The doc will start you on a fairly low dose, and do blood testing every 2-4 weeks. He will increase your dose according to your lab results each time until he finds the exact right dose to keep your levels right.

When you start this medication, you may feel anxious, flushed hot, get butterflies, heart pounding or racing, muscle twitching and so forth.

Things that ordinarily don't startle you, such as a slamming door or the phone ringing, may temporarily cause your heart to leap. This will subside! Its just the hormonal effect of the synthroid that your body is adjusting to.

You will take this medicine for the rest of your life, every day. Its not such a big thing, Nila. You and I are close to the same age. Its about time you had to take pills :bgrin :lol: Just kidding!

Actually I was about 29 and thought I was going to die when I was told I"d have to take this medicine EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

But now, I can tell when I haven't had it. It gives me energy and I like that.

There are many many generic thyroid replacement medications. Even the most expensive one is not going to top $25 a month.

Here is what will happen to you if you DONT take your thyroid medication for years on end:

Heart arrhythmias and damage

Bone degeneration

Skin disturbances

Obesity

Depression

So be good to yourself and appreciate your good doctor for being so keen.

 

[SunQuest]

Thanks Lauralee.

I did get my results back. They were normal. (Some would say great, but for me that is bad as it doesn't explain why the thyroid is huge like it is.) They only ran the TSH and didn't do the T3 or T4 even though they still have my blood sample! Nothing like getting a full set of results when needed. The doctor then had the nurse refer me to another doctor. Turns out the other doctor is a surgeon. YA RIGHT! I am not trusting this family practicioner one ounce as this is the first time I have seen him. I asked why I was refered straight to a surgeon, and the reply was that in the long run it would be cheaper :new_shocked: and that a surgeon can run the scan and the fine needle asperation as a surgeon doesn't do just surgery. :new_shocked: So I told his that he WAS going to refer me to a endocrinologist and told him who my other family members have used and that he WILL refer me to that doctor. Anyway, talk about not being happy this weekend over the whole thing and just a little panicked as well.

I can't imagine having my system any more reved up than what it is. I am so dang hot all the time that if I am any warmer I would be physically ill. I don't even wear a coat in the winter unless I absolutely have to. Yet, you would think with all the energey that I burn that I would be thin! NOT!!!! But I haven't been gaing weight quickly. I am still wearing the same size pants as I did in 2001, but they are a little tighter now. Not bad concidering I have not been dieting. And I definately don't need my heart racing as I noticed that if I have issues if I don't drink decaf coffee. To top it all off I am low hypertensive, so don't need higher bloodpressure. It augth to be interesting on what happens from here.

I will be following this up. I may not want to, but I know I HAVE to. Sigh.

Thanks everyone for the support. It is great to know that you all are here

:

 

[hhpminis]

Well Nila,

I am sorry it did not turn out as you hoped. One thing about hypo thyroid, you would not be hot you would be cold.

When my Mothers thyroid started getting enlarged and bothering her when she swallowed they sent her to an ear nose and throat doctor and he did do the tests needed and the surgery needed to remove part of her thyroid. It was a very simple surgery and her recovery was quick. It was not malignant just an annoying growth.

I hope you find the same thing out.

Keep us posted.

 

[wildoak]

Thyroid problems - as I found out last year - crop up in lots of people. I hope they can give you a specific diagnosis. I was diagnosed with thyroid nodules last year, so they first did an ultrasound. Not conclusive. Then did a fine needle aspiration (not fun but enough drugs that I don't remember much). Still not conclusive. The first dr I went to suggested taking out my thyroid, not a necessity he said but just in case. I went to another dr, as I am fond of my "parts" and would like to keep them when possible. Second dr said she sees no need at this point for surgery. I hope she's right, I like her much better. But there is the what if.......what if she's wrong, since the diagnosis is inconclusive. There is about an 80% likelihood that there is no malignancy and although I'm not much of a gambler, I'm willing to watch and wait awhile on those odds.

Jan