Removed thyroid and not functioning parathyroid gland.

Hello!

I dont have my thyroid anymore and while it was removed, the parathyroid gland got hurt and I need to take medication to help with calcium absorbation. I am currently 14 weeks pregnant, 12 weeks ultrasound was good, everything ok. Now finally my ob sent me to test my levels and thyroid, calcium and vit d were all low. Noe I have to take vit-d, 150mg of rhyroid meds and extra calcium. (As mu endo told me). At 12 weeks I asked my ob that I dont have a thyroid and the calcium levels may be lower bc of the not properly functioning parathyroid gland and if I should take calcium because babys bones need to grow etc and she told me that because we want babies bones to be flexible, not stiff that I should not take calcium.. I am soo worried that I didnt get to check those levels sooner and if everything I do is right...and what if something is going wrong with my baby because of those low levels..because I dont know how long they have been so low :(

Last three bloodwork results:

1. ALT high TSH low everything else "normal"
2. ALT high TSH low everything else "normal"
3. ALT high TSH "normal" thyroglobulin high

This brought me to ultrasound liver and thyroid. Liver appears normal. Thyroid has two nodules one recommended for FNA. Have not scheduled that yet, but orders sent and just waiting on their call to schedule.

Not on any meds and I'm really trying to avoid that if possible. I also don't want to treat the thyroid if it's actually reacting "normally", or as it should be, in response to an issue in another part of the body. If this is in fact autoimmune, I want to understand it better.

Anyone want to share their experience with this? Should I be looking for markers of other things in bloodwork that maybe I'm not currently testing? This is new for me and I'd like to be well informed when making decisions about my health. I'm doing lots of research but I'm also looking for personal experiences.

Thank you in advance!

For context, my mum is 55 years old, currently has hyperthyroidism. She used to have hypothyroidism for a good part of her life but it's shifted now. I'm not sure what her weight is but she's maybe 150-152cm and around 70-75kg (estimate). She's also had 2 kids and has been overweight for a good part of her life. I want to help her lose weight because she has had a lifelong dream of travelling but her knee has issues now because of her weight. I'm just not sure how to structure her regiment as I know you can't raise your heart rate too high with thyroid issues. Any help please 🥹

She is almost definitely in a calorie deficit everyday, but she just can't lose the weight because of her age and health problems. I want to get her moving in some way to get her closer to her goals!

Hi I have hypothyroidism and it has always been explained to me that my strong period is due to my hypothyroidism. I take pills for that of course and I only discovered this solution when I was 35 sadly hahaha. But last month I took magnesium citrate and also somedays magnesium bisglycinate. Just one pill per day of 200 mg.

And for the first time I missed my period by 10 days. I am 44 and I thought it was menopause. But then I connected the dots and realized it might be magnesium. So I stopped the magnesium. Later on, this month I got my period on time.

Also, I have bad iron deficiency, very below average.

Anyone can explain this on how magnesium might affect thyroid and period?

Having a hemi or total thyroidectomy in March and hoping to fly with a toddler solo later this year. How soon after your surgery were you up for more strenuous (mentally and physically) tasks?

Please help as doctors keep shrugging shoulders, I know up the generations there have been relatives with Hashimotos. Should I fight more to be heard?

I have cross-symptoms from nutrient deficiencies so am currently fixing those, but would this contribute to my horrible fatigue too? I just want advice from people who deal with this everyday.

And is there potential for this to get worse (TPO -wise)? I’ve tried asking for an ultrasound before and was told I’m fine. But they said my low ferritin was fine too (blegh).

Hey all!

To begin with, let me start by saying that I will definitely inform my endocrinologist and follow whatever he tells me to do. I'm here for emotional support and because I keep having panic attacks tonight.

A few years ago I experienced some abnormalities with my period (mid-cycle bleeding). My OBGYN suggested I should see an endocrinologist since there was nothing too obviously linked with the abnormal bleeding in my reproductive system.

The endocrinologist asked me to get a thyroid ultrasound which showed I had nodules. So he also asked me to get a calcitonin blood test. Two years ago, the results were 7.0pg/mL. He said that was a lot for a woman my age (32 back then) but not too alarming. We should recheck my nodules every year and plan accordingly.

Today I got my new blood test results and my calcitonin has increased, it's now 8.0pg/mL. I have an ultrasound (a much more detailed one) scheduled next week.

And I'm extremely scared. What if it's something bad? What if it's not and they still ask me to remove my thyroid? I'm so scared. I will have to be alone at the hospital for the surgery and post op at home since I don't have any family or friends who could help and I keep reading all those people stories of how they never felt like themselves again after thyroidectomy... Obviously surviving is the number one priority. But I'm just so scared. Im also overweight and diagnosed with insulin resistance 2 years ago, I have lost 50kg, 20 to go and there's so much I can handle... I know I will make it eventually but now I'm just in complete panic...

Diagnosed in 2017, think I had symtoms years b4. I left edunburgh in 2020 with 'numbers' T4 20 TSH 0.33 and been in NI since and never seen a doc here and never had 'proper numbers' or more importantly haven't felt well. I've had loads of blood tests that have varied everytime,I have records for every test in last 5yrs, the pic is just 24/25 ... they always say OK for this patient but I only talk on the phone with diff doctors everytime! I've been diagnosed other things in the meantime like depression/anxiety but I feel like If i got this under control alot of other things would b fine? Anyone else ??? Any questions I should ask doctor to enquire further? I'm already taking antidepressants/anti anxiety & levothyroxine for the hypo but symptoms are still there, just less extreme I suppose. I feel like I flip during the year from hyp to hyper too. Also to note I genuinely take my levo tab every day and mon-fri it's at same time, might be later in day av wkends but still take it,docs have accused me of not taking it due to numbers aswell!

1 week post thyroidectomy. Developed the flu the day after surgery. It was rough especially since I only got tylenol for post op pain which was exacerbated from being sick/coughing. Finally past the surgical pain part.

Current problem is the surgical glue is sooooo itchy. Any tips on how to deal with it?

For those who stopped taking thyroxine because of the same issue - how long after you stopped taking it did your body get back to normal and the inflammation/arthritis disappeared?

I have it specifically in my thumbs so I can barely use my hands most days.

Has anybody tried the Thyroid Renew supplement from Bright Light (doc in Seattle). It supposedly has the correct amount of zinc, copper and selenium plus something called giggles, all of which is supposed to help convert the T3 to T4 or viceversa (which the doc says levothyroxin does not do). I’m start taking it next week; I ordered three bottles and am hoping to see a difference in my energy levels.

Dr's have been stumped for years now, but refuse to do anything. My tsh is increasingly lower every test, now at .5. T4 is .7. And t3 is 4. No thyroid antibodies. Nodules haven't changed a bunch thankfully. Biopsies a year ago were fine.

I've got weight that is wildly fluctuating, like gain 20lbs in a couple months then it falls off. Fatigue then, fine. Sweating hands and feet, swelling legs on and off. Irritability and dizziness on and off. Shaky at random. Sleep issues. Chronic diarrhea on and off. It's just a nightmare.

All other tests for anything else are fine. There is nothing else at play, no medicine or otherwise. I just know, it is my thyroid. But they won't do a darn thing about it until my levels are significantly on either end. And won't even enlighten checking my pituitary gland. Despite having severe issues with my cycles since I was 12. And pcos symptoms since I was a kid, but no concrete diagnosis on that after years of meds and tests.

At what point did they help you prevent things from escalating vs just waiting it out while you were miserable?

Looks like my doc forgot to check TSH 😒 but I’ve been having all the hyper symptoms and for the first time in 7 years my T4 is elevated and I now have thyroglobulin antibodies!

Back ground: 2018 went hyper discovered I had hashimotos with positive TPO antibodies and sub clinical hyperthyroidism. Also had a goiter with all hyper symptoms. That last about 3-4 months. Then went euthyroid without meds.Now in 2024 I went hyper again but now showing high thyroglobulin. My new primary has suspicions that Ozempic triggerd my thyroid.

Hi, I have been suffering with chronic fatigue and a whole host of symptoms and I’m trying to rule everything out or optimise all of my health.

I’m new to the thyroid information and was wondering does this elevated TBG seem problematic given my T3 and T4 results.

Sadly I don’t have RT3 measured…..

Would this be worth investigating further?

Thanks for your help.

It looks ok? Is it too big or something ?

please help

Finally after almost two weeks I find out the results of the ultrasound. There's a growth as they called it in my neck and they now want an mri with contrast done in a week from now to find out what it is. They have ruled out thyroid issues" I think "but I'm getting more scared...

Bonjour. J'ai effectué une échographie de la thyroïde pour la première fois hier. Il s'avère que j'ai un nodule tyroïdien sur le lobe gauche EU-TIRADS 3 mais supérieur à 2 cm.

Le radiologue a donc procédé à une ponction à l'aiguille fine (3 fois). Est-ce que si le retour du laboratoire est bénin ça veut dire qu'on ne fera rien du tout ?

Depuis la ponction, j'ai mal au niveau de la gorge et du cou, jusqu'à l'oreille et sous la mâchoire gauche... ce qui me rappelle des douleurs (plus légères) que j'ai très régulièrement de ce côté justement, et dont ma médecin ne s'est jamais vraiment préoccupée. J'ai même régulièrement un ganglion en haut du cou, près de la mâchoire, qui est un peu sensible et papable. Est-ce que c'est peut-être à cause de ce nodule ?? car je ressens la même douleur en plus forte depuis la ponction d'hier.

Merci

I just wanted to post this here as a warning. I had a thyroidectomy on the 13th, which initially went fine. I even remarked day two post-op that it was an easier recovery than dealing with the symptoms I was having beforehand.

However, I know my surgeon absolutely dropped the ball (again and again, I would say he dribbled the damn ball honestly).

To begin, he never mentioned hypocalcemia. I had no clue it was such a scary thing that could happen. They never educated me on it, or prescribed me anything for it in advance. They only prescribed me Percocet, which seemed a bit excessive as I only had a sore-ish throat from intubation.

Two days after surgery, the tingling set in. All I could say to describe it was that I felt like tv static. It was awful. I had both Chvostek’s Sign (facial twitching when my facial nerve was stimulated) and Trousseau’s sign (my hand was pulling down towards my fore arm). My calf muscles were in constant contraction. My entire body was cramping up constantly, and it was exhausting and scary. My mom and husband called my surgeon’s nurse and they wanted me in for bloodwork and a check up.

At the check up, he was more worried about removing my bandages than explaining the hypocalcemia. My calcium, potassium, and magnesium were all low, with my calcium being as low as 5.1. My surgeon was extremely clear that he had clear margins and did not touch any of my parathyroid glands. He said he was sure of it. They explained that they forgot to send the calcium prescriptions to the pharmacy, and instead sent me with a list of vitamins to pick up, rather than anything that could be covered by insurance. I ended up taking my first Percocet that night, because I would rather sleep than feel the constant static feeling.

I woke up Thursday morning feeling like I could not breathe. My husband rushed me to the ER, where they found I had fluid on my lungs. When my mom called my surgeon’s nurse, she explained that my surgeon wanted me to be admitted. The hospital is about an hour away from home, and across a bay way with a multiple-mile long bridge c and we had a snow storm (extremely rare where I live), but I figured I’d be out before as it was 5 days before it was set to hit. My surgeon wanted me there so he could monitor me himself.

Friday afternoon hits and he lets us know that he’s going on vacation after work and won’t return until Monday (1/27). It was 1/17. Of course we still thought we’d be out well before that.

Long story long, I had to leave AMA, as the doctors taking “care” of me did not work together. I was there for 6 days and had my blood drawn over 100 times. They could not get on the same page. One would end my IV calcium drip, and another would write a new order for it. My IV blew in my hand, and it caused a lot more damage than I anticipated. My hand swelled up, and had calcium deposits and burns going down the veins.

Luckily, we made it home before the snow storm hit, but overall, my “care team” made this extremely miserable for me. I had my follow-up post-op appointment Tuesday, where my surgeon said, ever so nonchalantly, that he actually did take out a parathyroid gland. That explains my bout of hypocalcemia, which could had been prevented if I had gotten the prescriptions sent in in the first place.

I just wanted to post this as a warning. My symptoms are much better than they were with my thyroid, but my care was below average at best. I just wanted to make others aware of what could theoretically happen.

I do not react to any foods in particular, I just have terrible fatigue everyday no matter what I eat.

I've been vegan, vegetarian, GF vegan, etc. and I can eat anything I want except for pea protein and cashews (these make me really nauseous for some reason but there is no allergy).

If you do not react to foods, how do you know which to cut out to help prevent hashimoto's from worsening? I read that cutting out gluten, soy, and dairy is advised but I feel fine on these.

I live in a place where access to healthcare is quite difficult, so I haven't ever had my thyroid checked before. Last summer, I was pregnant and they routinely check TSH as part of the intake bloodwork and it came back <.001 (undetectable). I ended up having a miscarriage and was referred to an endocrinologist in November. I've seen her twice now and through not being pregnant, my levels never evened out and she's diagnosed me with subclinical hyperthyroidism (low TSH, high T3, normal T4). I have elevated anti-TPO and normal Thyroglobulin Ab. I'm now pregnant again and worried it'll cause me to miscarry but my endo hasn't put me on meds (yet). She's suggested potentially PTU. I'm so lost and just worried I'll miscarry but I have no symptoms and no real guidance from her about what to do.

I’ve been about one year post thyroidectomy now after a scare of thyroid cancer. The cancer runs in my family and after my 3cm nodule along with half my thyroid was removed last January the results were thankfully benign. My doctor at the time did not run a thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin antibody test to see where I was at. My new endo has ordered a slew of tests, all of which have come back within normal range. My thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin antibody came back as follows:

5.2 ng/mL thyroglobulin and <1 IU/mL thyroglobulin antibody

I was wondering if this is a normal range? Or is it an indication that I am still at risk for thyroid cancer? (With the family history I wouldn’t be surprised) Attached are results.

basically 2 years ago i got my left side removed, still confused lol. but my right side was growing not sure if its still is. just had this test done yesterday and just wondering what it means waiting for doctor appointment. My blood work has been perfect even after removing my left side , but knowing my right side is growing i'm not liking the feeling of taking meds for the rest of my life if i also need to remove it.

My result from aug 24 2024 showed

4.7x1.9x1.6cm

"Right lobe contains a 13mm complex mid pole nodule , This is enlarged from the prior examination where it measured 7mm"

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I saw the surgeon the first week of January and finally got an appt scheduled within endocrinologist. It's not until April. Is this normal???

I (23F) was diagnosed with hypothyroidism around age 12 and have been on levothyroxine since then. I used to see an endocrinologist but about 5 years ago she suggested I do my routine checkups with my regular physician since my thyroid had been stable on the dose that I was on (137mcg).

The issue is that sometimes I feel worried that my family doctor isn’t being very thorough. I used to get full panel testing done (TSH, free T3 and T4) with my endo. My doctor only wants to check my TSH and is trying to assure me that I don’t need full panel testing because it appears to be normal. However, I’ve noticed certain symptoms like really cold hands/feet, to the point that they appear blueish purple? I brought this up about two years ago at my physical but the doctor was dismissive… now that I’ve begun to educate myself more on my condition I’m starting to wonder if it could be related to my medication dosage?

So I recently had a TSH, T4, and t3 test done at my pcp. I’ve been having some symptoms of hypothyroidism for a couple months now such as weight gain and cold issues.

My TSH was 6.69, T4 was 0.9 (with 0.86 being the low end of normal) and T3 was 3.44.

For context, I had a tonsillectomy about 3 weeks ago and my tests were done yesterday. My doctor said I don’t need any meds and we will just recheck in 3 months since the surgery could’ve thrown my stuff out of balance. Only thing is I can’t really find anything saying surgery affects hormone levels that dramatically, plus at this point I am 99% healed since the recovery time was only 2 weeks.