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Enlarged Thyroid?

HopefulMama23

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HopefulMama23 Explorer
HopefulMama23
Posted

Hey- I just saw an endo yesterday for the first time since this journey started eight months ago. I have had symptoms of swinging between hyper (insomnia, head/body hair loss, weight loss, anxiety, raised blood pressure and pulse rate) and hyothyroidism (extreme fatigue and weight gain, depression), although my bloodwork has always tested within normal ranges (usually low end of normal) and the antibody tests I had were negative.

The endo felt my neck and said my thyroid is THREE TIMES THE NORMAL SIZE. I am scheduled for a thyroid ultrasound tomorrow and she redid the blood work in her own office just to check it again.

What could this mean? I had a baby 9.5 months ago and all this started about two months later. I have been gluten free for 6 months now.

I'm scared.

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Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

Hey- I just saw an endo yesterday for the first time since this journey started eight months ago. I have had symptoms of swinging between hyper (insomnia, head/body hair loss, weight loss, anxiety, raised blood pressure and pulse rate) and hyothyroidism (extreme fatigue and weight gain, depression), although my bloodwork has always tested within normal ranges (usually low end of normal) and the antibody tests I had were negative.

The endo felt my neck and said my thyroid is THREE TIMES THE NORMAL SIZE. I am scheduled for a thyroid ultrasound tomorrow and she redid the blood work in her own office just to check it again.

What could this mean? I had a baby 9.5 months ago and all this started about two months later. I have been gluten free for 6 months now.

I'm scared.

Take a deep breath and don't panic! ;) If a thyroid is enlarged, it usually means that it is working harder to produce the thyroid hormone your body is demanding. It could mean there is inflammation there because that's what happens when an organ is overworked trying to keep up. I have Hashi's and have swung between the two also. My thyroid was enlarged somewhat but I have never had an ultrasound on it. You could feel the enlargement and I felt like I had something stuck in my throat. I still do but it's not as bad as it was.

Thyroid disease is like Celiac Disease...you can have flaming symptoms before the antibodies go out of whack. Some people have really bad symptoms even though their antibodies and other thyroid numbers are just in the low normal range and then doctors do not treat it. Sounds like you need thyroid hormone supplementation to me. They do the ultrasound to check for other reasons but, most likely, it's enlarged because it's overworked. Good luck on your test but try not to worry too much. :D

HopefulMama23 Explorer
HopefulMama23
Posted
  • Author

Take a deep breath and don't panic! ;) If a thyroid is enlarged, it usually means that it is working harder to produce the thyroid hormone your body is demanding. It could mean there is inflammation there because that's what happens when an organ is overworked trying to keep up. I have Hashi's and have swung between the two also. My thyroid was enlarged somewhat but I have never had an ultrasound on it. You could feel the enlargement and I felt like I had something stuck in my throat. I still do but it's not as bad as it was.

Thyroid disease is like Celiac Disease...you can have flaming symptoms before the antibodies go out of whack. Some people have really bad symptoms even though their antibodies and other thyroid numbers are just in the low normal range and then doctors do not treat it. Sounds like you need thyroid hormone supplementation to me. They do the ultrasound to check for other reasons but, most likely, it's enlarged because it's overworked. Good luck on your test but try not to worry too much. :D

Thanks Gemini! I'm a panicker, its what I do I guess. Honestly, I'm just so frustrated- it's been ten months since my baby was born and nine months of pregnancy before that and I haven't felt "right" in sooo long- I just want to be me again!

What were your Hashi's symptoms? How do you treat it?

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

Thanks Gemini! I'm a panicker, its what I do I guess. Honestly, I'm just so frustrated- it's been ten months since my baby was born and nine months of pregnancy before that and I haven't felt "right" in sooo long- I just want to be me again!

What were your Hashi's symptoms? How do you treat it?

My symptoms I suffered with were complete and extreme exhaustion, mainly in the morning when trying to wake up from sleep. I have a real hard time getting going in the morning and gain speed as the day goes on. I was still a bit fatigued later in the day but not like in the mornings. My nails were splitting, my eyebrows began to disappear, my skin becomes dryer and there is brain fog. I would imagine the strain of a pregnancy and giving birth might

make matters worse for you, if you are low thyroid. It may make it more difficult to feel like your old self in the amount of time you normally should.

I have always been a believer in your "gut" feelings and if you feel like things are not right and you have low thyroid symptoms, then you may have a problem with it. Don't let the doctors blow you off, either.

Treatment is easy. I take Nature-throid thyroid hormone first thing in the morning so I am getting the hormone my body does not make enough of. It is a prescription and there are many different kinds of replacement hormone. Doctors like to push Synthroid but it's more expensive and the makers of it cannot guarantee gluten-free status. It may be gluten-free but they will not guarantee it and some on the forum have had problems with it. It may take a bit to hit the correct dose but it makes a world of difference in how you feel. I have eye brows again! :P

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

That postpartum thyroiditis is really getting obnoxious, huh? You'll be fine. Thyroid problems are very treatable becasue we have the nature-identical hormones. They're also really common, so endocrinologists have a lot of experience getting people back to feeling normal.

HopefulMama23 Explorer
HopefulMama23
Posted
  • Author

That postpartum thyroiditis is really getting obnoxious, huh? You'll be fine. Thyroid problems are very treatable becasue we have the nature-identical hormones. They're also really common, so endocrinologists have a lot of experience getting people back to feeling normal.

Thanks for the replies.

I am finding myself hoping for a diagnosis so I can at least begin treatment- I would love so much to feel like myself again....

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