3 months post partial thyroidectomy

[Bathsheba61]

Symptoms: pins and needles, tightness in chest, sore joints and especially sore soles of feet. On no supplements or thyroxine. Help

[shaws Administrator]

Others who've had the same op as yourself will respond.

I suggest, if your doctor hasn't taken a blood test to check your thyroid hormone levels, he should do so.

Make an appointment and ask for a Full Thyroid Function Test (most only do TSH and T4). TSH, T4, T3, Free T3 and Free T4 and thyroid antibodies. If he refuses or labs wont if both TSH and T4 are 'normal' we have recommended labs which will do so for a payment. Quite a few members have found that it is helpful to discover exactly what may be causing their illhealth.

You feel awful and that should be the doctor's priority and it is a pity they seem only to be 'trained' in looking at TSH and T4 and if they're 'anywhere in range' they believe their job is done and patient is out on a limb.

Any blood tests for thyroid hormones has to be the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water). If you were taking levothyroxine or any other thyroid hormones you'd allow 24 hours gap between dose and test and take afterwards.

Always get a print-out for your own records and you can post if you have a query. Also ask GP to check B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as we are usually deficient and we need everything optimal.

[Stefcon]

I too have had my thyroid ablated but 2 years ago. Recently I switched to gluten free, dairy free etc bread. The soles of my feet were so painful. I have gone on a plain meat and veg diet with fruit as desert. The pain has gone. Yesterday I ate hummus and my heart started racing. Checked packet nothing in it to say preservatives or gluten, but they bulk stuff up without having to list it in apparently. My chest tightens and I feel really ill for a few days. I had tingling in arms an feet. I am making an appointment for a full allergy test today. Hope this helps. It's really hard but you will feel better for going clean eating and loose weight.

[Katepots in reply to Stefcon]

Have you taken steps to heal your leaky gut? I have various supplements(collagen powder is great) and make bone broth. I still react to foods but nowhere near as violently.

[Bathsheba61 in reply to Katepots]

No leaky gut. About only thing that is ok.

[Katepots in reply to Bathsheba61]

Sorry had meant that for the previous comment! Glad yours is ok 😀

Nice to have something working haha

[mistydog in reply to Katepots]

I read a story the other day about foods to avoid. Flaxseed, hummus, soy and sesame seeds. So if you reacted badly to the hummus, you may have estrogen dominance that affects your thyroid. The link is here.

forefronthealth.com/thyroid...

I'm not saying I agree with them 100%, because it is a commercial site selling stuff, but it is food for thought.

[Katepots in reply to mistydog]

Really interesting, thanks mistydog. I have excess oestrogen (always told that when have a mammogram) and Hashimotos so very interesting for me! Might need a separate post of its own.

[Bathsheba61 in reply to Stefcon]

Am vegetarian although eat loads of rubbish. What is that with the feet? Feel like I have done a marathon. Chest is tight , heart racing and getting stabbed in back.

[Spareribs in reply to Bathsheba61]

Hows your B12?

[Bathsheba61 in reply to Spareribs]

All haematinics B12, ferritin were fine. Vitamin D was in the high range. Got thyroxine but started on 25mg, seems too low, package said 100-200mg. Pin and needles are better.

[Spareribs in reply to Bathsheba61]

I'm relieved to hear that 25mcg is just a starter dose & probably not enough yet sufficient to halt production of any hormone your thyroid is putting out.

Just for the record, B12 should be well above 500 (800 better & it's water soluble/excreted anyway) - high folate can mask a B12 deficiency & low B12 causes neurological disturbances (like pins & needles) a deficiency over years can cause nerve damage. Sunshine vit D always makes me feel better too.

(P.S. My vegan daughter sprinkles B12 in the form of yeast over her food). Best wishes Jane

[Bathsheba61 in reply to Spareribs]

Thanks. Like my VID from sun too.

[Joyia]

Admittedly it was 50 years ago that I had a partial thyroidectomy but my story needs to be told in case things haven't changed that much. A few weeks after the op I still did not feel that well and when my appointment to the Consultant came around I mentioned this he was abrupt and uninterested, mostly he was admiring the scar he had made. I was very ignorant in those days and people tended not to question as much as they do now, the result was I went 27 years without any medication except anti-depressants only to find at a well woman clinic when I was 54 that I was under-active and placed on levo. Please make sure you are listened to and not fobbed off, also pay for private thyroid tests if you have to for up to date readings.

[Katepots]

If you don't get anywhere with the dr then bluehorizonmedicals do good testing.

Thyroid plus 11,12 & 15 are all comprehensive tests.

[SilverAvocado]

Pins and needles makes me a bit worried you might have calcium problems, which is very serious after a thyroidectomy. Is it hands or feet and do your lips feel weird? I'm afraid I don't know much about it, but if you think you are becoming calcium deficient it's worth going to A&E.

After a thyroidectomy your calcium should be monitored very closely, as it's easy for the surgeon to damage your parathyroids, which regulate calcium.

Although from what you describe it may just be discomfort associated with being left hypothyroid. I was very hypo after my partial thyroidectomy and was in bed straight away, but it can also come on more slowly.

[Bathsheba61 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Calcium normal 2 weeks ago. Tsh 12, T4 is 10 Told to wait and see. Lost one parathyroid gland. Feel awful when everone saying it must be great to be feeling better. A and E never welcoming unless dying. Seeing GP tomorrow after 2 weeks wait. Prepared to argue that 5 grams of residual thyroid tissue is not producing enough T4. Surely symptoms are more important than " normal ranges".Calcium measured twice in 3 months, not very close?

[Clutter in reply to Bathsheba61]

Bathsheba61,

TSH >10 with FT4 below range as 10 is probably is means you are overtly hypothyroid. You should NOT wait and see. Your GP should prescribe Levothyroxine now. If you are under 50 and don't have heart disease an appropriate starting dose is 50-100mcg Levothyroxine. Show your GP the NICE CKS information below.

cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...

cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...

1 remaining parathyroid gland is usually sufficient for normal parathyroid hormone, so with 3 you should be fine. Normal calcium level makes hypoparathyroidism unlikely.

Ask your GP to test ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate as these are commonly deficient in hypothyroid patients and may be contributing to the symptoms you listed in your opening post.

[Bathsheba61 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for info, seeing GP tomorrow but none of them likes a smartie telling them their job. GP didn't think nodule poking out of my neck could be cancer because TSH was normal. Since when was this a tumour marker? Have bough some vitamins. 2 weeks to get an appointment, depressing.

[Clutter in reply to Bathsheba61]

Bathsheba61,

If your GP was doing his/her job you wouldn't be here asking for advice and second opinions.

[Bathsheba61 in reply to Clutter]

Exactly. Learned more here than in 35 years as a Biomedical Scientist measuring chemistry incuding thyroid hormones.

[Clutter in reply to Bathsheba61]

Bathsheba1,

Best to test before supplementing rather than assume you need to. Supplementing before testing will skew B12 results for sure.

[Bathsheba61 in reply to Clutter]

ok thanks.

[SilverAvocado in reply to Bathsheba61]

Poor you Bathsheba61! That TSH and T4 is terrible No wonder you're feeling awful.

The rule of thumb is that TSH should be down close to 1, and fT4 should be in the top quarter of the range, which will be something like 12-22, but can vary a lot.

The only piece of good news is that your levels are so out of whack that any doctor should acknowledge they're bad (some people feel very ill but never get numbers these extreme). You need to make a fuss and make sure any doctor looking at you knows you gave a lot of symptoms to go with them.

In the meantime realky go easy on yourself, lots of naps and as little work as you can do.

[Rebec]

Why did you have to have the operation? Did you have any problems before the operation?

[Bathsheba61]

Multinodular goitre, no cancer,3 parathyroid glands left? working.Voice weak.

[bantam12 in reply to Bathsheba61]

If you lost one Parathyroid the other 3 will easily be enough to produce the right amount of calcium, if your calcium has tested normal then you have no worries on that front.

[Bathsheba61]

Could they have failed now? Have pins and needles everywhere. Tightness in chest through to back. Got looked at in cardio 1 month ago. Found nothing.How long for hypothyroid to affect heart?

[bantam12 in reply to Bathsheba61]

Unlikely to be hypoparathyroidism this long after your op, if all four had been damaged or removed you would have known it immediately, but if you are worried then you need a calcium and parathyroid test.

[bantam12 in reply to Bathsheba61]

Should have mentioned hypoparathyroidism only causes fingers, toes and lips to tingle. I had parathyroid surgery and now only have part of one parathyroid left, immediately after surgery my calcium crashed but I only ever had tingly fingers.

[mistydog]

How did your appointment go?

[Bathsheba61]

Got thyroxine, 25mg/day. Seems low dose. Don't feel any worse. Had couple of hours each pm when felt better. Does thyroxine peak daily?