Doctor sending me for ultrasound - what does it tell you / GP ?

[Trisha15]

Hi

I’ve posted fairly recently following increasing symptoms, especially mood/mental related. I’ve been on levo for 15 years. Following advice from here, I got private bloods down for T3 and antibodies. Looks like I am a poor converter and have Hashis. I spoke to my doctor today who was quite understanding compared to previous conversations - she did say she was a generalist and that she didn’t really know all the details. (I bombarded her with all the information I had gleamed from here / Thyroid. Org !!) She confirmed that based on my bloods they would be unlikely to do anything but she seemed willing to look into it but said that would require an endo specialist. She did suggest I supplement my B12

Anyway, she asked me to send her photos of my neck as I had said it was uncomfortable and looked puffy / swollen. She has said she will send me for an ultra sound. So my question is -

What does the US tell you? Does it just confirm Hashimoto and/or nodules etc? If so is that likely to help with approach to medication?

I’m not worried about anything more sinister, and appreciate that they’ll check fir things like that. But just wondering will the US help the GP in terms of treating me differently or is it just another rabbit hole?

I had a complete meltdown at Tesco this morning over something I might have been a little annoyed about normally, but today had me in floods of tears when I got to the car. Ooh the joys lol

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

You might find this article informative - as well as other pages linked from it:

radiopaedia.org/articles/ha...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Your very high antibodies confirms autoimmune thyroid disease also called hashimoto’s

Not really necessary to have ultrasound....but never turn it down

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...

Looking at previous post......All your vitamins are too low

[PurpleNails Administrator]

I have had two thyroid ultrasounds and if you have any swallowing, breathing or voice issues they are a good idea. It will help determine the health & size of the thyroid, but probably won’t tell you more that you already know. A scan will also detect any nodules (very common) which you may not be able to feel. Medication will be by blood results not by anything revealed by a scan.

I was referred as I had one side of my thyroid swollen. The doctor looked from the jawline to the collar bone, which I thought was thorough & told me the swelling was due to a nodule, they decided to carry out a fine needle aspiration at same time. No issues were found it was all straight forward.

I had repeat scan when I started having swallowing difficulties 7 moths later. That’s when it was realised the thyroid function test that taken previously hadn’t been processed. They did a very quick scan with no repeat FNA on second occasion. GP also arranged ENT referral and I had a nasal-endoscopy. The consultants exact words were..”it doesn’t look too squashed in there”.

[Trisha15]

Thanks everyone. I realise it’s going be a slow hog with the GP.

Slowdragon - my GP thought my vitamins looked ok! Well apart from the B12. Although if I hadn’t phoned they weren’t going do anything about it.

I haven’t felt this bad in a long time, and that’s even allowing for what I have come to expect as my normal tiredness, feeling unwell and foggy head. I’ve let the doctors fob me off before, but thanks to you lot here, I’m able to be proactive.

That means a lot.