Thyroidectomy

[Polly91]

Hello

Can someone enlighten me regarding this and when it’s indicated eg is it for cases of malignant thyroid or enlarged goitre ?

I’ve noticed I seem to have what’s probably a goitre- never noticed it before but it’s interesting since I have cut out gluten and dairy and my last lot of bloods were better

Do goitres go up and down in size? Also would weight loss make it seem more prominent ? My neck does look scraggy & scrawny these days 😟

Any ideas as to what could be going on?

Thank you

P

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Thyroid is likely struggling to make your missing hormones

Getting TSH down further by your recent small increase in Levothyroxine ......plus looking at adding small dose of T3 if FT3 remains low at next test

[Polly91 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SlowDragon

I will test again soon. Does the goitre go up and down in size depending on the thyroid hormone levels and needs ?

Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Polly91]

Many find it does.

I possibly have Ord's thyroiditis, as thyroid has shrivelled up and shrunk. Or it's very late stage Hashimoto's.

I find Thyroid becomes hard and very painful if out of balance. One side tends to swell. Saliva gland on that side often then swells up too

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ord...

[Polly91 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SD-sorry to hear that.

How do you know if thyroid gland shrivels up- is it obvious to look at?

What’s the significance of the different antibodies TG & TPO- do they signify different things?

Thank you for your help again!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Polly91]

I don't really know what the difference is in antibodies as to why some get one and not the other

Some people have high TPO and high TG antibodies (mine were both sky high at diagnosis 25 years ago)

Some have High TPO but in range TG antibodies

The people that struggle to get tested or diagnosed are, if have low TPO and high TG antibodies.

NHS won't diagnose on just high TG antibodies

NHS often refuses to test them either, if TPO aren't high

It seems, from my own experience that only TPO antibodies respond to gluten free diet

TG antibodies seem to be linked to TSH levels

Links about both

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

healthline.com/health/antit...

healthline.com/health/antit...

[Polly91 in reply to SlowDragon]

Most helpful. Thank you so much. How do you know everything?!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Polly91]

25 years extremely unwell....now virtually 99% fixed....couldn't have done it without fantastic help on here about vitamins and gut connection and very supportive endocrinologist and GP

More on my profile

[Polly91 in reply to SlowDragon]

Well done you and everyone else!

I agree gut health critical. If you have any advice on how to heal leaky gut and keep it healthy id be v interested.

Thank you again

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Polly91]

Test vitamins regularly, supplement to optimal. For me that's pretty high dose vitamin D, magnesium and B complex. My ferritin is always just above range, yet never taken any iron supplements.

For me absolutely strictly gluten free diet. Probably I need to try dairy free, but very reluctant to do so.

I never had any gut symptoms

But adding T3 was transformation. DIO2 gene test soon after confirmed my need

For myself I find both Levothyroxine and Liothyronine dose and brand are critical

Also, essential to take my T3 in divided dose. Every 8 hours.

Tried twice a day and really upset adrenals. Once a day was utter disaster.

Yet many people on here can take T3 just once or twice a day. Would love to know why some can, some can't. But now I know, it's easy enough to do.

Other things that may help

Kefir, bone broth.

[Polly91 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for this. I'm dairy free but may try kefir. Bone broth too.

[MaisieGray]

If you've lost a lot of weight such that your throat is '"scraggy and scrawny" are you sure you're not just seeing the normal contours of your throat that were less evident when there was a covering of fat?

[Polly91 in reply to MaisieGray]

I think you could be right MG! I’ve no idea what a goitre looks or feels like but think you could be right !

Thank you

[MaisieGray in reply to Polly91]

It's a thought anyway Here's a photo: nhs.uk/conditions/goitre/

[Beverleyb]

I had a goitre, I had what looked like a large band of fat all around my neck with a golf ball size lump on the side of my neck, this grew for ten years after having a hysterectomy, I put on three stone very quickly, and never been able to lose the weight...a couple of GPs examined my neck but both said it was fat...at the ten year point I saw an ENT consultant for something else ,but he looked at my neck after scan and fna it was confirmed I had a goitre, two weeks later I had my thyroid removed, pleased I did as the consultant said it was very big.....I had hypo symptoms all those years ,was never treated ,it was horrendous, didn’t have a clue about anything thyroid related....The band of fat went when I had my TT.

[Polly91]

Oh my goodness you poor thing Beverley. I'm glad you are now much better.

I don't think mine is a goitre after all - just scraggy neck showing up the contours!

Thanks