I am speaking for my daughter. She's 15 years old. She was diagnosed with thyroid disease The doctor referred it as toxic thyroid since her thyroxine level went down to zero. She' taking medications and the doctor had suggested for her to take radioactive iodine. Accordingly it is safe. But I still have doubt about it. She is only 15 years old.
Thank you very much.
Comment from: Diane W., 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: October 06
Last week I had my thyroid removed. I have a follow-up appointment with both my surgeon and my endocrinologist, but that is a week away. I was and still am wondering what it meant when after the surgery I was told that my thyroid was unusually small in size. My thyroid was covered in nodules and pathology will examine if they are benign or malignant. My voice is deeper and very robotic sounding. I feel like I have been through a lot these past 2 plus years. January, 2007, I had a triple by-pass. I have had low energy for months and have been very sensitive to the cold.
Comment from: Riverview, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: October 06
At age 48 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease, which is a form of hypothyroidism. Every time I think about this, my blood pressure goes through the roof because I had the classic symptoms for almost 10 years before any doctor thought to order a TSH test. At time of diagnosis, it came back with a reading of 160! I asked how I could even function at that level and my (new) doctor replied that, o, the body just gets used to it. My ongoing symptoms were extremely dry skin and hoarseness/laryngitis that would come and go spontaneously. One minute I could talk, the next minute I couldn't, and 10 minutes later I could talk again. And, yes, I experienced early menopause. Along the way, doctors kept asking if I were unusually tired. That was the wrong question to ask. I had jobs in which I might easily put in a 10-hour day. I didn't feel particularly tired. The fact that I was going to bed earlier and earlier I just chalked up to getting older (and getting up at 6 AM). By my mid-40s I was getting unusually cold in the evenings - even when other people in the room said the temperature was comfortable. I bought a sweater. Eventually, I had difficulty swallowing - it felt like a big apple had lodged in my throat. When I was finally diagnosed, I looked up Hashimoto's Disease on the Web and discovered that about 10% of women over the age of 40 develop this condition. So why did it take years for any of my doctors to order a lousy $40 blood test? (I had a number of doctors because I had moved several times. But nevertheless, each one heard my symptoms in detail and either wrote it off as a whiny woman complaining or viewed each symptom separately without looking at the cluster of symptoms together. You don't know the number of different dry skin creams I tried - with no relief.)
The moral to the story: insist that your doctor order a TSH test as part of your annual exam regardless of your age!
Additionally, don't let doctors bully you with numbers once you do get medication. Even though my TSH tests came back in the normal range after being prescribed Synthroid/Levoxyl, etc. I still didn't feel "normal" and my skin was still very dry. I read about Cytomel and was all set to argue with another new doctor to prescribe it, when he said that he always prescribes Synthroid/Levoxyl in combination with Cytomel. What a difference it has made over these past few years.
Comment from: sstev, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: October 06
I have been suffering from thyroid nodules my entire life but my thyroid blood work was always normal. I had biopsies performed because I was choking and the nodules could be seen protruding from my throat. The biopsy was benign and I underwent radioactive treatment to shrink the nodules. I have gained so much weight, dry skin, constipated, trouble sleeping, osteoporosis, and restless legs. My doctor won't increase my Synthroid because my blood work is normal. i am almost an anorexic ,desperate to lose weight( I am about 50 pounds overweight eating a 1000 calorie diet, exercising three times a week.
Comment from: Melissa, 19-24 Female (Patient)Published: October 06
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis a year ago and finally went to an endocrinologist, something that I should have done from the start. My birthmother, her mom, and two siblings have it and I was tested twice over the course of two years and was diagnosed the second time I was tested. Thyroid disease is something I urge all women to test for, even if they don't have a history of it in their family.
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Suggested Reading on Thyroid Disease by Our Doctors
Hypothyroidism is any state in which thyroid hormone production is below normal. Normally, the
rate of thyroid hormone production is controlled by the brain at the pituitary.
Hypothyroidism is a very common condition and the symptoms of hypothyroidism are
often subtle.
Hyperthyroidism is an excess of thyroid hormone resulting from an overactive thyroid gland. Symptoms can include increased heart rate, weight
loss, depression, and cognitive slowing. Treatment is by medication, the use of
radioactive iodine, thyroid surgery, or reducing the dose of thyroid hormone.
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Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the US. This conditions is caused by inflammation of the thyroid gland. Symptoms may include: fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, excessive sleepiness, dry or coarse hair, difficulty swallowing, a lump in the front of the throat, and many more. Treatment is usually hypothyroid medication.
Thyroid nodules are the most common endocrine problem in the United States. The term "thyroid nodule" refers to any abnormal growth that forms a lump in the thyroid gland. The vast majority of thyroid nodules are benign.
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Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is an enzyme made in the
thyroid gland that is
important in the production of thyroid hormone. TPO is found in thyroid follicle
cells where it converts the thyroid hormone T4 to T3.
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apple, wrapped around the trachea (windpipe).
What is the thyroid peroxidase test?
Thyroid peroxidase test is a test that measures the level of an antibody that
is directed against thyroid peroxidase (TPO).
Autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb) are produced within the body.
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I am speaking for my daughter. She's 15 years old. She was diagnosed with thyroid disease The doctor referred it as toxic thyroid since her thyroxine level went down to zero. She' taking medications and the doctor had suggested for her to take radioactive iodine. Accordingly it is safe. But I still have doubt about it. She is only 15 years old. Thank you very much.
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