Has anyone developed a goiter some time after diagnosis?

[WitchingHour2point0]

Hi all,

I've just noticed that I might be developing a goiter; my neck looks different... Thicker somehow.

Anyhow, how common is this? It's been 4 years since diagnosis and I've been on a stable dose for 8+months.

I've ordered a new thyroid test so I don't yet have recent results, just wondering if this is a Thing?

[GlowCoach Administrator]

Its possible your levels may have changed.

Are you supplementing low vitamin levels?

Being under replaced can cause a goitre but could also happen otherwise.

Have you got any further with POTS investigations?

[WitchingHour2point0 in reply to GlowCoach]

I hope I'm not under-replaced. I'm already on 150 levo and 35 T3! 🙃

I'm still monitoring my POTS symptoms and will continue to do so for a few weeks before approaching a GP, if required.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to WitchingHour2point0]

Thats a pretty high dose in combintion therapy. Too much can be as bad as not enough.

Do post results when you have them remembering to follow the usual protocol when you take the test:

Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process).

If taking T3, split your dose the day before test and delay last portion to allow 8-12hrs until the test. This is important as T3 has a short half life.

Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsely elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

Hello WH2.0 🤗 Just for devils advocacy sake… could it be swollen glands? Mine went up in February 2018 and haven’t come down since, I’ve tried all sorts of lymphatic drainage techniques and now my terminus (collar bone pits) are full too. I feel the need to be sent to an Alpine sanitarium (imagine a 50 yo Heidi) where I would convalesce and they would drain away 🤣

[WitchingHour2point0 in reply to Regenallotment]

😂 Well consider this my vote for convalescing wherever it takes place!

I think I assumed that once I was on hormone replacement I would be able to forget about being 'ill' and just crack on. Who knew getting to the bottom of, and well from, thyroid disease and its comorbidities would become an almost full-time 'hobby'!

[WitchingHour2point0]

Well, I've just had my test results back and they were super surprising and now make sense of everything.

TSH: 0.01

FT4: 17.8 (12 - 22)

FT3: 4.8 (3.1 - 6.8)

I take my meds as a single dose in the morning and do my test prior to taking them. This is how I have always done my tests so they're easily comparable.

Previous results from early May were (same ranges):

TSH: 0.01

FT4: 19.3

FT3: 6.4

The only significant difference from then until now is that I went back to a gluten diet; initially because I had a coeliacs test and didn't cut it back out because, well, it's delicious.

I am already on quite a high replacement dose (150/35) and have no desire to continue to increase that so I will go back to GF and hope to see some improvement....

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

Good for you, hope you see some benefit. 🌱