Why the ENT?

[Llantnerb]

I had a really pointless ENT appointment today. I was just wondering if it's normal to be referred to an ENT when you are initially diagnosed with hypothyroidism?

I was diagnosed in march and had high very antibodies alongside usual hypothyroidism indicators. I had a scan of my neck in july and the lady confirmed my thyroid was inflamed as she did it.

In between then and now I've mostly figured everything out myself with this forum, and pretty much got myself to I would say 75% what I used to be.

When I received the ENT letter I nearly cancelled it because I didn't see what they could do for me. But my mum told me never cancel an NHS appointment, you never know when you'll get one again. But then the ENT guy just asked me if I'd had a diagnosis from my gp, so I said I have hashimotos. He disputed that because my gp hasn't officially diagnosed it. Fair enough, though privately I was thinking, come on, I'll be here till the twelfth of never waiting for my gp to do that. I've done my research, I know what it is. My antibodies never go below 500 and I've been slowing down steadily for the past three years. So he decided to lecture me about how i may actually have graves disease.

Pretty sure I'd have noticed a hyper phase at some point in my life so far! I've just been on a classic slowdown for at least three years with zero bumps upwards.

He then told me he couldn't help me because he's a surgeon and I need an endocrinologist to help me. He's not wrong, but thankfully I had seen an endocrinologist privately prior to this (I'm not THAT patient).

Is ENT a standard referral for hypothyroidism patients?

[McPammy]

I don’t think it’s a standard referral to ENT. However, I think it very important to be checked by an ENT Dr. My sister was back and forth to her GP and NHS Endo. NHS Endo said she had no thyroid issue. She had really high antibodies like yourself. After months of getting nowhere she requested a referral to an ENT Dr. They did a fine needle aspiration and found cancer. She had her thyroid removed within two weeks. So even though the endocrinologist and GP told her she had depression snd no thyroid issues, she actually had thyroid cancer. Don’t mean to worry you but these things are best investigated thoroughly. If I was you I’d request a further ENT appointment and have a fine needle aspiration.

I have Hashimotos and have the faulty gene DIO2. I’m on Levothyroxine and T3. T3 has transformed my life.

[Llantnerb in reply to McPammy]

Thanks for your reply. That's interesting I'd not thought of that at all. My mum had thyroid cancer; she had a large growth for years which was seemingly benign. By the time they removed it and her thyroid they found cancerous cells had formed. So I will speak to my gp about it and see what they say.

I'm lucky in that I seem to tolerate levothyroxine okay. Luck is a relative term though I suppose when your thyroid doesn't work ☺️