Hashimoto’s and Zoladex

[Regenallotment]

hi everyone, does anyone have experience of taking Zoladex alongside having Hashimoto’s?

I’ve read some papers that suggest it can cause a Hashimoto’s flare and alter thyroid function.

I have fibroids and no endometriosis diagnosis, but gynae want me to have injections for 3 months to shut down ovaries and prove the pain I suffer is uterine and not endometriosis, she thinks endometriosis is a maybe 🤷🏽‍♀️. I’m not sure it’s safe for me as my thyroid can vary quite a bit and takes constant management/adjustment.

Any reassurance, experience or validation of my worries, it all seems a bit experimental and the side effects listed on the leaflet she gave me sound worse than what I’ve got 🙈

I also take cyclical urtogestan and daily estrogen gel. Age 51 with a varied regular/irregular cycle 19-54 days (28 since starting HRT)

Also posting in thyroid UK. 🙏

[helvella Administrator]

I know nothing about this. However, this paper suggests that there can be the possibility of issues.

GOSERELIN INHIBITING UPTAKE ON SODIUM PERTECHNETATE Tc-99M THYROID SCAN: A CASE REPORT

europepmc.org/article/PMC/P...

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to helvella]

Thanks that is a great find, its papers like this that have made me feel 😳

Side effects listed on leaflet, more pain, acne, sleep problems, low mood, brainfog …. I’m not sure I’ve got it in me to go there again. Especially if it screws with my FT3&4 😩

Gynae was very ‘there is no interaction with thyroid or Levo’ and when I pushed her asking what was in it she said it’s a pituitary hormone, and I quizzed her regarding impacts, and she said all pain should stop…. When I asked she didn’t want to say the name of the hormone and started speaking really fast and got a bit snippy with me, told me to Google it, it was like the mirena coil no thank you appointment all over again 🤦🏽‍♀️

Private appointment next week, so hoping the next one can make more sense of it all for me 🙏

[helvella Administrator in reply to Regenallotment]

I do find EuropePMC often a good place to look. I found the link by running this search:

europepmc.org/search?query=...

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

humanbean excuse the shout out, I saw in a years old post you had Zoladex in the past. If you have time I’d appreciate your thoughts 🙏

[Serendipitious]

Does anybody here find it shocking that a doctor is giving you a strong drug to “shut down” your ovaries in order to prove the origin of the pain? Pain from endometriosis or indeed from other origins doesn’t necessarily have a relationship with the severity of endometriosis or disease. Pain is nervous system and brain response and occur irrespective of the disease severity.

Have you not had any ultrasounds or MRIs to confirm endometriosis? So you’ll still be taking your HRT which includes oestrogel but she is giving you Zoladex to stop the ovaries producing any potential oestrogen?!

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Serendipitious]

I’ve had multiple ultrasounds over the years, only thing they’ve found are two modestly sized fibroids. (Around 2cm). There has never been an endometriosis suggestion before. I agree - it doesn’t make sense.

[Serendipitious in reply to Regenallotment]

The only way they could find endometriosis with myself and some other people I know was via an MRI. If you have deep infiltrating endometriosis for example an ultrasound won’t pick it up, I’d push for an MRI. Chocolate cysts on the ovaries can be detected via ultrasound but deep adhesions which aren’t linked to the uterus etc won’t.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Serendipitious]

Good idea, I’ll suggest it when I send her the links to papers about Hashimoto’s interactions. Much appreciated 🙏

[bikebabe]

Can’t help but it might be worth cross posting on the other forums where people take zoladex and have thyroid issues eg hormone driven cancers (breast ovarian prostate etc)

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to bikebabe]

Thanks that’s a good idea 🙏

[Smorzando]

Hello, not sure if it's of help, but I too have Hashimotos and had 6 months of Zoladex injections in my mid 20s (I'm 49 now). Didn't get diagnosed with thyroid disease til my mid 40s but suspect it was emerging a long time prior to this.I am concerned that your gynaecologist is hoping to "disprove" endometriosis by using these injections, this seems nonsensical to me as they are often given to treat endometriosis?! (I was formally diagnosed by laparoscopy, this is the only way to definitively diagnose).

Happy to chat by pm if you like x

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Smorzando]

Thanks so much for your reply, I agree it seems very odd. I called the department today and discovered that I saw a registrar and not the gynaecologist, I have written to them with the links I found about issues with Hashi's and asking for a second opinion, I've asked why MRI isn't the next logical step if they think its endometriosis, I agree a laparoscopy would make sense. I will PM when I hear more, if I am to start Zoladex I'll have a lot of questions for you. Like.... Did you get a DEXA scan for bone mineral loss to be tracked?

[Smorzando in reply to Regenallotment]

Yes, in your shoes I'd be requesting an MRI although as I'm sure you know it won't necessarily show if endometriosis is present. Waiting lists for laparoscopy can be extremely long (2+ years in some cases).I wasn't offered anything when on zoladex; no bone scans, no add-back HRT, nothing. Remember this was 24 years ago - no facebook groups, no forums like this- I was completely uninformed about it all and just went along with the doctors.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Smorzando]

I had a call back from the Gynaecologists secretary within an hour of emailing, she is going to see me herself in two weeks. Seeing a private gynaecologist next week too so I’ll have 3 opinions to consider. Thanks so much for your help, it’s very reassuring 🙏