How much smoking affects thyroid levels?

[Justiina]

I was reading stop the thyroid madness II and learned that smokers always have better thyroid levels which can cause doctors to consider them healthy.

So I was wondering how big is the impact? Lower tsh with normal t4/t3 or?

My friend spontaneously told me about her other friend who after quitting smoking fell ill , having hypo and hyper with tonns of medication at age 40.

I also read some of you have been "regretting" quit smoking as felt so much worse after quitting.

But now I also read that cigarette smoke is goitogren but on the other hand something in cigarettes was good for hashimoto.

[Razzar1977]

Intreasting u say that as I gave up smoking 2 years ago and ever since my thyroid level seems to be horrendous. Not that I want to start again but did consider it x

[Justiina in reply to Razzar1977]

Not cool it affects that way instead of helping people feeling better after quitting

[Razzar1977 in reply to Justiina]

I do miss it tho don't miss smell x

[Justiina in reply to Razzar1977]

My uncle who quit without help misses the smell ,and my dad who used medication says that the smell makes him nausea

[Razzar1977 in reply to Justiina]

I sometimes see people on telly smoking I think I wish I still smoked but it's only a split second thing I miss smell sometimes just not stale smoke. I can smell it a mile off x

[Razzar1977]

I stopped smoking due to chest pains but chest pains have been worse since stopping. They found a nodule on my lung which hasn't got bigger in 6 months so they don't think I should be worried. X

[Clutter]

Justiina, smoking can mask hypothyroidism because it lowers TSH. This study showed second hand inhalation reduced thyroiditis/Hashimoto's and led to the development of Anatabloc, a tobacco derivative.

nahypothyroidism.org/an-imm...

Smoking also 'protects' the smoker from thyroid cancer. Not me though, got it 5-6 years after quitting and size of tumour means it likely developed while I was still puffing.

thyroid.org/thyroid-physici...

[Justiina in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for links Ok so it is possible for a smoker to be hypo. I did know smoking might stimulate thyroid gland but did not think it can show in blood.

[Clutter in reply to Justiina]

justiina, it could lower TSH sufficiently for a borderline diagnosis to be missed.

[Hidden in reply to Justiina]

Hi Justin's I stopped in June past an ive been ill from then can't seem to get to grips with this hashi don't know if smoking again might seriously thinking of starting again the only thing is I have constant cough clearing throat but it hasn't got any better from I stopped Realy hard one to call 😁

[Justiina in reply to Hidden]

Too bad it is so hard for you I guess it takes a bit of time to start to feel better.

I smoke too and I want to quit as I really don't like smoking and never has been able to smoke a lot. Only 4-5 cigs/day. I don't even want more. If I smoke more I feel awful.

That makes me think it is bad for my hashi as I am intolerant to nightshades and tobacco is one I think. At least that's what I read.

Actually last year when I had a flu and was not smoking for two days and then only one cig/day for a week I felt very different. Should have tried to quit back then!

I hope you will feel better in time!

[Razzar1977 in reply to Clutter]

That's scares me clutter as I only gave up just nearly 2 years ago. Just out of intreast why would some 1 have their thyroid removed. My cousin had hers out. X

[shaws Administrator in reply to Razzar1977]

Usually a thyroid gland is removed if it is cancerous or something quite suspicious. I think some Endos might advise the removal but it is the last resort I believe.

[Razzar1977 in reply to shaws]

You can't request it then? X

[shaws Administrator in reply to Razzar1977]

Do you mean that a patient asks for their thyroid gland to be removed? I would think that would be extremely rare and I doubt if a reputable doctor would remove it just because of a request.

[Razzar1977 in reply to shaws]

Yea lol obviously not a healthy 1 but like mine he said he thinks my thyroid Problem was caused by damage to thyroid. What sort is hashimotos? I have no clue but then again he said it might have been hereditary as runs on my mum's side x

[Clutter in reply to Razzar1977]

Razzar, Hashimoto's is autoimmune thyroid disease.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Razzar1977 in reply to Clutter]

Ahhh ok so mine could have been triggered by pregnancy. I have got 6 kids and started at early age that'd what I just read in that link. But saying that could be number of things x

[nightingale-56 in reply to Razzar1977]

I had most of my thyroid removed (9/10ths) because I was 14 weeks pregnant and it had suddenly got worse. This was in 1978 and they did not want to give me meds to lower it then. My daughter was born fine and now has two boys of her own. I had Graves that did not go into complete remission.

[Razzar1977 in reply to nightingale-56]

Oh no sorry to hear that was it hard op to recover from x

[nightingale-56 in reply to Razzar1977]

The op itself was quite easy to recover from, with three days in bed beforehand in hospital, so my levels were as low as possible and five days in hospital afterwards to recover, I was well looked after. I came out of hospital and went straight to the other hospital in town (we were living in Kent at the time) to find that my special needs little boy (only 14 months old at the time) had stopped eating and they were beginning to think that they would have to tube-feed him. As soon as I got there he started eating again - what Mother love does to a child! He was left in the care of my Husband and Mother-in-law. I should have had three weeks absolute rest when I got home, but needless to say I did not get this. My Husband went back to work a few days later and I then found myself looking after my MIL instead. My lovely Health Visitor was furious.

I was not given anything for 19 years after this op and after five months I collapsed (Adrenal problems, I think). I was told I was exhausted and put on the favoured anti-depressants, which of course made matters worse. Eventually when treated with Norton Levothyroxine all improved quite well after about three/four months and stayed well until five yearsago when NHS changed us all to generic Levothyroxine, which has not suited me at all. Now trying various different thyroid meds to try and feel well again.

Wish you well.

[Razzar1977 in reply to nightingale-56]

Blimey u really went through it levo made me ill unfortunately. Just got sicker over years . That's alot to go through with new born . Hope u find med's that work well for u mines still a work in progress x

[Clutter in reply to Razzar1977]

Razzar, Improved diagnostics mean thyCa is picked up more now but it is still rare.

Reasons for thyroidectomy:

ThyCa, or nodule suspicious for malignancy.

Large benign nodule or goitre impacting nearby organs.

Hyperthyroidism if the patient has thyroid eye disease or refuses RAI.

[greygoose]

Nicotine improves the supply of T3 to the brain.

[Justiina in reply to greygoose]

Thanks GG! I hope you are doing good

[greygoose in reply to Justiina]

I'm fine, thank you. Hope you are, too.