Hypothyroidism

[starbuckslover]

Does anyone know if someone who has had a thyroidectomy due to thyroid cancer and someone who suffers with hashimoto's experience the same long term symptoms?

[greygoose]

I would say yes and no.

The end result of Hashi's is the destruction of the thyroid, so eventually both are without a thyroid and totally dependant on thyroid hormone replacement. But, the thing with Hashi's is that whilst there is still some thyroid tissue left, the person is subject to swings between hypo and false 'hyper' as the dying cells deposit their stock of thyroid hormone into that blood. Someone who has had their thyroid removed wouldn't get that.

But, in the end, hypo is hypo, whatever the cause. But the thing is that there are over 300 know symptoms of hypothyroidism, but you don't have to have them all to qualify. And, every hypo has their own personal list of symptoms. The basics may be the same: weight-gain/weight-loss; high BP/low BP; feeling cold all the time or feeling hot; etc. etc. etc. But there are a myriad of other symptoms that you might not even associate with thyroid, and these vary from person to person. Hypo symptoms are non-specific. One of the reasons it can take so long to get diagnosed. But, I can't think of anything that a Hashi's person would have that someone with a TT wouldn't. Nor vice versa.

That's my take on it, anyway.

[thyr01d]

The only thing I can think is likely is that the patient who had cancer would be more susceptible to worrying in future that other problems might also be cancer. I don't think we can usefully compare, not even using thyroid function tests, for instance my TSH was over 95 with 95 being coma level yet I was still up and about whereas some people are knocked flat with much lower levels.

[TSH110]

Also Hashimotos is a risk factor for papillary carcinoma, so unfortunately, you can have both.