Thyroid or Menopause

[Allibongo]

I have a goitre, can't lose weight, dry skin - skin actually peeling off my hands, dry hair and nails, hoarse voice, really cold, etc. at the same time I'm also going through menopause so I know a lot of the symptoms can be associated with either, but the fact I've got a goitre makes me think that there's something wrong with my thyroid.

My TSH level is 1.1 (range 0.27-4.20) so normal

My doctors just wants to put me on HRT, which I don't want.

Can u have a goitre without having a thyroid problem?

[cjrsquared]

The answer is yes. I had multinodular cysts in my thyroid (swelling in my thyroid ie a goitre) for 5 years before I had to have surgey as the swelling was impacting on my breathing and swallowing. During this time I had no hypothyroid symptoms at all. There will be others on this site who will have very different experiences, so the answer will not be straight forward. I hope you soon find some reasons for your ill health. Good luck.

[Clutter]

You can have a goiter without elevated TSH. Hoarse voice may be due to the goiter compressing your wind pipe but should not be ignored as it may be a sign of thyroid cancer. Your GP should refer you to a thyroid specialist.

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[Allibongo in reply to Clutter]

I have had a scan, and was told it was nothing to worry about. I don't have difficulty breathing or swallowing. Just the hoarse throat.

[Allibongo]

Thanks. Did the swelling get worse because it wasn't treated? I don't want it to get to the point that it affects my breathing and swallowing.

[Marz]

I think resisting the HRT is possibly a good idea - it may mask things and confuse the hormones further. ( Am not an expert ) Have you had a full hormone check done to establish your need for HRT ? Maybe your GP is being hasty or doesn't know how to proceed. It may also help if you had results with ranges for FT4 and FT3. Thyroid issues can disrupt other hormones. Did you have anti-bodies checked - Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg ?

[eeng]

Just because your TSH is normal doesn't necessarily mean your other thyroid hormones are correct. Some of the more obscure thyroid problems don't give rise to a high TSH. Marz is right - you need results for T4 and T3. TSH is the thyroid stimulating hormone produced by the pituitary (in response to a message from the hypothalamus). T4 is the output of the thyroid and T3 is the hormone your cells use. If you can't get the NHS to test these you can get them done privately by post.

[Allibongo in reply to eeng]

Thanks Eeng, I really do think this is more than menopause and will definitely pursue T4 and T3 tests.