Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Enlarged Thyroid?

HopefulMama23

Recommended Posts

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.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


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....

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Jay Heying
      - Jay Heying replied to Jay Heying's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      6

      Celiac friendly probiotics

      Thank you so much for the advice!! I will try to make a batch this weekend. Have a great weekend,
    2. Florence Lillian
      - Florence Lillian replied to Jay Heying's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      6

      Celiac friendly probiotics

      In response to your questions regarding probiotics. I have had Celiac for 40 years. Stomach issues: digestion, IBS to chronic constipation, bloat after eating anything. I was unable to eat a healthy variety of foods, tried probiotics supplements - some made me worse, others made no difference. After reading about people with Crones, IBS, etc, who made...
    3. slkrav
      - slkrav posted a topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      0

      Gluten free beer ?

      Help me out here. Lauren Dam gluten-free beer from Spain is listed as gluten free. Yet its made from Barley Malt. I thought barley and any form had gluten. Anybody have any more information about it?
    4. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      16

      Ibuprofen

      Ferritin levels. And see what your hemoglobin looks like too, that will tell you if you are anemic? You can have 'low normal' levels that will not be flagged by blood tests. I had 'low normal' levels, my lab reading was. c12, just over what was considered normal, but I had small benign lesion on my tongue, and sometimes a sore mouth, and a consultant maxillofacial...
    5. Mari
      - Mari replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      5

      New here

      Hi Katht - I sympathize with your struggles in following a gluten-free diet and lifestyle. I found out that I had Celiac Disease a few months before I turned 70. I just turned 89 and it has taken me almost 20 years to attain a fairly normal intestinal function. I also lost a lot of weight, down to 100 lb. down from about 140 lb. What Trents wrote you was...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,885
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    KateFC
    Newest Member
    KateFC
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jay Heying
      Celiac friendly probiotics

      By Jay Heying · Posted

      Thank you so much for the advice!! I will try to make a batch this weekend. Have a great weekend,
    • Florence Lillian
      Celiac friendly probiotics

      By Florence Lillian · Posted

      In response to your questions regarding probiotics.  I have had Celiac for 40 years.  Stomach issues: digestion, IBS to chronic constipation, bloat after eating anything.  I was unable to eat a healthy variety of foods, tried probiotics supplements - some made me worse, others made no difference.  After reading about people with Crones, IBS, etc, who made their own probiotics I started making Milk Kefir: not water Kefir. There are 10 probiotics in milk KEFIR. After 3 weeks I was able to eat more, no gas, no IBS.  If you have a computer just ask for videos on making milk Kefir. I branched out and make my own Kombucha for even more probiotics. I do not make my yogurt because there are only about four probiotics in that. I started this when I was 82 and I still make my own Kefir and Kombucha. My stomach issues were fixed with the Milk Kefir alone. If you decide to try making it, make certain you order MILK GRAINS. The finished product tastes a bit like Buttermilk. I hope this helps in your journey to good health.
    • slkrav
      Gluten free beer ?

      By slkrav · Posted

      Help me out here. Lauren Dam gluten-free beer from Spain is listed as gluten free. Yet its made from Barley Malt. I thought barley and any form had gluten. Anybody have any more information about it?
    • cristiana
      Ibuprofen

      By cristiana · Posted

      Ferritin levels.  And see what your hemoglobin looks like too, that will tell you if you are anemic?  You can have 'low normal' levels that will not be flagged by blood tests.  I had 'low normal' levels, my lab reading was. c12, just over what was considered normal, but I had small benign lesion on my tongue, and sometimes a sore mouth, and a consultant maxillofacial ordered an iron infusion for me as he felt my levels were too low and if he  raised them to 40, it would help.   Because you are not feeling 100% it might be worth looking at your levels, then discussing with your doctor if they are low normal.  But I stress, don't supplement iron without your levels being monitored, too much is dangerous.
    • Mari
      New here

      By Mari · Posted

      Hi Katht -  I sympathize with your struggles in following a gluten-free diet and lifestyle. I found out that I had Celiac Disease a few months before I turned 70. I just turned 89 and it has taken me almost 20 years to attain a fairly normal intestinal  function. I also lost a lot of weight, down to 100 lb. down from about 140 lb. What Trents wrote you was very true for me. I am still elimination foods from my diet. One person suggested you keep a food diary and that is a good idea but it is probably best just to do an elimination diet. There are several ne and maybe one for celiacs. I used one for a while and started with plain rice and zucchini and then added back other foods to see if I reacted or not. That helped a great deal but what I did not realise that it would only very small amounts of some foods to cause inflammation in my intestine. Within the last few years I have stopped eating any trace amounts of hot peppers, corn and soy(mostly in supplements) and nuts, (the corn in Tylenol was giving me stomach aches and the nuts were causing foot pains). Starting an elimination diet with white rice is better than brown rice that has some natural toxins. In addition it is very important to drink sufficient plain water. You can find out how much to drink for your height and weight online. I do have difficulty drinking 48 ounces of water but just recently have found an electrolyte supplement that helps me stay well hydrated, Adding the water and electrolytes may reduce muscle cramps and gag spams you wrote about. . Also buy some anti-gluten enzyme capsules to take with meals. I use GliadinX advertised here. These are a lot of things to do at one time as they reflect my 20 years of experience. I hope you do what you can manage to do over time. Good luck and take care.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.