Advice over (more) blood test results

[Loobs39]

Just wanted to ask all you lovely people, my sister has an enlarged Thyroid but the doc says to leave it and see if it gets worse?? She gave my sis (60 yrs old) a blood test and her results were:

TSH 0.78 (0.27 - 4.20)

Serum free T4 14.2 (11.0 - 25.0)

Is this indicative of a problem?? She certainly doesn't feel ill, just concerned about the size of her Thyroid??

[Clutter]

Loobs, her results aren't concerning although FT4 would be better higher in range. If the goiter starts to affect her swallowing or breathing she should go back to her GP and ask for an ultrasound scan.

[Loobs39 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks - I have told her to keep an eye on it. Strangely enough, I remember noticing that her neck looked really swollen several years ago but at the time was ignorant of thyroid etc. so thought nothing of it - next time I looked it was normal - maybe she has a fluctuating thyroid??

[Heloise]

Hi Loobs, I guess Clutter thinks it is a goiter. If she doesn't have Hashimoto, she could try a little iodine supplement but definitely read up on it first. There are pros and cons. An ultrasound would show if she has a cyst or nodule. I have watched TV and have seen two women, I could tell right away they had very enlarged thyroid glands. They weren't health shows so it wasn't mentioned but it was unmistakeable.

[Loobs39 in reply to Heloise]

Odd isn't it (as I said above) hers does sometimes show, and sometimes doesn't. I think she should have a scan so will see what she thinks - thanks.

[Heloise in reply to Loobs39]

I know the thyroid can shrink. Mine certainly has so it would seem it could enlarge as well. I don't know enough about it but something must provoke that and deficient iodine MIGHT have I'd like to find the something to do with it.

Dr. Brownstein is the current guru about iodine and I found out about halides and the dangers we face everyday. Skim down this article to the paragraph about halides.

1-thyroid.com/?gclid=CMjCs8...

[Clutter in reply to Heloise]

Heloise, it can swell when TSH flogs it to try and produce more hormone and when enough is detected the swelling can subside. Hyperthyroid patients often have a swollen gland due to producing too much hormone and Hashimoto's, of course, can cause swelling when the thyroid is attacked although it will eventually atrophy the gland until it can't produce any hormone.

[Heloise in reply to Clutter]

The latter is what certainly happened to me.

I still wonder why the thyroid is targeted for an autoimmune attack and if it has something to do with being weakened by iodine deficiency.

Have you read much about halides? You could check that article I posted. Prevention would be so much better than TREATING Hashimoto's.

[Heloise in reply to Loobs39]

oops, tried to change the sentence around and didn't quite delete enough.