Links between hypothyroid, Levo and breast cancer

[mrneduc]

I've had breast discomfort for a couple of weeks after decades of no trouble. I have been on Levo for about 8 weeks. I have frightened myself tonight by reading up on this and finding so much on the internet that links being hypo or hyper and/or taking Levo could be linked to increased rate of breast cancer. I was beginning to feel a bit better on a higher dose of Levo but now feel very worried. Has anyone else had this discomfort or know anything about increased risk?

[greygoose]

This issue has been raised before. So, if you do a search on here, you might find something. People were getting pretty freaked out about it. But, it seems the latest research says that there is no link. I think I posted something about it, ages ago, but I don't really remember.

[mrneduc in reply to greygoose]

Thanks grey goose. I've seen a few related posts but I was worried about the breast symptoms. Maybe fluid retention is the cause as I think I'm still bloating. Seem to have a mixture of symptoms my basal temp has gone up to about 36.5 or a bit less some mornings

[AliF]

Breast discomfort,on its own, is not usually a sign of breast cancer without other symptoms such as redness, inverted nipple, a change in thickness or a lump. But go to the GP to get it checked if it is worrying you.

[mrneduc in reply to AliF]

It's not worrying me on its own so to speak but it's looking at the literature that makes a link between breast cancer and hypothyroidism/levothyroxine. Seems the jury is out on whether there is a link but it's worth being informed I suppose. Grey goose comment is pertinent

[diogenes Remembering]

There is some weak link between high T4 and breast cancer, but not proved as cause and effect. Put in "link between thyroxine and breast cancer" into google and look up the harvard.edu site displayed.

[Hidden]

I have read similar reports one of which is here:

blog.drbrownstein.com/the-e...

My belief, which I can of course never prove, is that my kidney cancer was caused following my Total Thyroidectomy by taking levothyroxine alone rather than natural NDT. The surgeon simply shrugged his shoulders when I put this suggestion to him.

[mrneduc]

There are a lot of questions about the thyroid link to other diseases. Scary

[mistydog]

I have been on levothyroxine for years, about 18 years, when I got breast cancer. I had been on 175mcg for many years and was perfectly happy and content on it, no health problems other than (I now realise) myxodema, bloating, and my face was very much rounder than it is now. I had to register with a new GP for a repeat prescription, so he wanted to do a blood test. I did it at any old time of day having never been told otherwise, although I didn't take the tablet that morning. He was very concerned it was a high dose (before he saw my results!) and when he got my results terrified me that I was at risk of a heart attack, and I should reduce to 125mcg. I did this for a while and felt terrible, all my symptoms of undermedication came back, and I tried to go back to 175 but my body wouldn't have it. Then I started to get stabbing nerve pains in my breast, went to (different) GP and was referred to breast unit - breast cancer diagnosis. Obviously this took over my life for a bit, but then I started to do research on thyroid and found an article saying that levo patients were 200% more likely to develop breast cancer and (I believe) this was due to a lack of iodine in the body. Now I don't know if it's true, but I am now taking 3.5 grains of NDT and have never been fitter.

I completely blame this GP for me getting breast cancer - I only allowed him to mess with my dosage out of ignorance and fear, and now I know better. It's not his fault, he needs educating, and he has told me that he's quite happy for me to self medicate. It's saved the practice/NHS a fortune in prescriptions, I used to have about 15 different things on there, now I only have 3/4.

[mrneduc]

Hope you are now well and over the bc. I've only been on Levo for 10 weeks or thereabouts and taking 75-100 mcg. I don't want to take it long term but I'm giving it 3 -6 months before I try anything else. Do you think it's the dose or length of time you were on it that could have triggered the bc? I suppose it's possible to supplement with iodine to mitigate this effect- I have read the same research