Hemithyroidectomy and levels

[NatalieC]

Hi all,

I was just looking for some opinions please!

I'm now about 5 weeks post op from a hemithyroidectomy dueto a benign growth 'hyperplasia' measuring a sizable 60x70x40mm. It had been growing for several years, we'd been keeping an eye on it but it had gotten so big I had compression symptoms, so it had to go.

I saw the surgeon this week and told him in the last 2 weeks I've lost almost a full eyebrow and half my eyelashes on one eye particularly (I rub my eye and estimate around 8-10 lashes on my finger..) 😔. He told me levels will be unstable after removing half whilst the remaining half rebalances. When I asked how long it would take, I got 'how long's a piece of string'...

I already have PCOS (a common thyroid side kick) amongst other health conditions - autoimmune, hypermobile, raynauds.. so I'm concerned that this huge growth could've been masking under active thyroid? My TSH wavered around 0.42-0.35 pre surgery, so always deemed extra healthy. General medicine took my blood last week so I'm eagerly waiting the results. I'm permanently exhausted, in pain, losing hair, lashes, eyebrows and steadily gaining lbs, but I don't know what condition is causing it all specifically - maybe all of them!

Can anyone shed any light on thyroid function after surgery for me please? Is my experience normal?

Thanks,

Nat

[eeng]

It does sound as though your are becoming hypothyroid. Try and get your doctor to do a blood test for you as soon as possible.

[Hidden]

Probably the wrong dose of medication, or that you need it sorting out where are your recent blood test results.

[Firinne]

Hopefully you will get your blood test results quickly and will be able to start medication, it does sound as if you need it. I had a hemithyroidectomy nearly 6 years ago, like you I was told the remaining half should adjust and I wouldn't need meds. From a steady 1.4 TSH for years, post operation it jumped to 5. something and I was put on 50mcg thyroxine . At that stage, I didn't actually have any symptoms though.

[NatalieC]

Thanks all. I did think that these symptoms 5 to 6 weeks post op seemed rather excessive for him to be saying my thyroid is 'rebalancing'. I'll have a bald face if this goes on much longer!! I'm hoping I'll hear from general medicine pretty soon about all the bloods that were taken (it's been 1.5 weeks). My worry is TSH won't have increased so dramatically as to be too high with it being a short space of time.. but we shall see!