# Surgery and post-op complete, but now what?



## kitemom (Aug 19, 2010)

Hi all, 
Well, surgery for my tt last Thurs was a success. I felt awesome the first 4 days and then wham!!! My throat started to swell big time and hurt beyond belief. I couldn't swallow...........even liquids hurt like heck. Needless to say we went in early on my post op day thinking I was having complications, but surgeon said everything looked great. I was just having delayed swelling. I am slowly starting to feel better. Muscles are still strained and tired, sore throat is almost gone, whew. On a great note, pathology reported NO CANCER, woo hoo!!!! 
This is where I'm a little confused. The surgeon wrote me out a prescription for 150mg of Levothyroxine 1 x day. I mentioned I wasn't sure if this is what I wanted to truly take. Shouldn't some labs be done first and foremost to determine what kind of meds I should be taking since surgery has only been a week ago. What if I'm still hyper? He said I need to make appt with my endo to discuss changing the meds. Again, I don't want to start something to only change it right away. Do you guys agree we should start with new labs and go from there??? Thanks for all your help. Love you all dearlyhugs3


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

Interesting...scripts with no labs.....unless he's just guessing judging by your pre op labs??

When you go hypo, you'll know about it, trust me.

Some folks take a few weeks to wear off all the extra hormone, particularly if they were very hyper to start. There's no doubt that soon you will need meds if not right now. I've never heard of anyone going more than a few weeks without a thyroid before going hypo.

I guess it would not hurt to get a test done and check your labs real quick.

If you don't want to hassel with doctors and what not, you can order a full thyroid panel online at healthcheckusa.com. You'll have results within 48 hours, posted directly online when you log in.

The big question is how do you feel? Do you still feel hyper?

If you've been hyper a while and its been a week with no new hormone entering your system, I highly doubt 150 mcg will turn you more hyper since you are using up whatever was left each day. You may be a few days premature at most but you are probably very close to requiring meds. You also don't want to go too long and get too hypo either or you'll feel like crap and then it may take a while to build back up in your system.

If you are concerned get a quick test.


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## tina (Sep 17, 2010)

Congratulations on NO Cancer!! Wonderful News!!! As for the meds, I agree you probably need labs done, but you will also require something as your levels drop. Maybe your Dr is trying to prevent the hypo hell I have heard so much about? Good luck and keep us posted.


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

Congratulations!! I'm glad your surgery went well. I'm sure you are very relieved.

As for your Synthroid. I didn't have labs before starting it. I started on the exact same dosage as you. I ended up having it lowered after six weeks as I was a little too hyper still. I go for my next labs on Monday (it will be the first lab since my dosage change). Synthroid is detremined by your weight. There is a calculation they use to make the determination. I started my Synthroid a week post op. My surgeon told me during the surgery your thyroid hormones get dumped into your system, so about a week later I could start taking the Synthroid. I have felt better than I have in months.

Patti


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

Ohhh and you might need a couple changes in your Synthroid, but it takes six to eight weeks to fully get into your system so you start your dose of Synthroid, you should be scheduled to see your endo for a post surgical check which usually involves blood work and then your endo can determine from that blood work if the dosage needs to stay the same or increased or lowered.


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## greatdanes (Sep 25, 2010)

I do find it odd that they wouldn't run labs, if for nothing more than to just compare. I's soo happy to hear all you posters come back with a NO cancer report!!!hugs4


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## Melimac (Sep 12, 2010)

Yay for no cancer! 
I started meds on the second day after my TT. I won't have labs until I'm 6 to 8 weeks out, which is within the next week or two. From what I was told and read, if you have no thyroid then you are hypo, thus the meds.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

kitemom said:


> Hi all,
> Well, surgery for my tt last Thurs was a success. I felt awesome the first 4 days and then wham!!! My throat started to swell big time and hurt beyond belief. I couldn't swallow...........even liquids hurt like heck. Needless to say we went in early on my post op day thinking I was having complications, but surgeon said everything looked great. I was just having delayed swelling. I am slowly starting to feel better. Muscles are still strained and tired, sore throat is almost gone, whew. On a great note, pathology reported NO CANCER, woo hoo!!!!
> This is where I'm a little confused. The surgeon wrote me out a prescription for 150mg of Levothyroxine 1 x day. I mentioned I wasn't sure if this is what I wanted to truly take. Shouldn't some labs be done first and foremost to determine what kind of meds I should be taking since surgery has only been a week ago. What if I'm still hyper? He said I need to make appt with my endo to discuss changing the meds. Again, I don't want to start something to only change it right away. Do you guys agree we should start with new labs and go from there??? Thanks for all your help. Love you all dearlyhugs3


Am I ever glad to hear the "No Cancer" words!! Good for you! What a relief.

Nasdaqphil gave you excellent advice re your meds. I could not embellish that.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

Congrats on the surgery and yeah no cancer!!!
I was started on synthroid the morning after surgery (at the hospital). The surgeon prescribed it, and I have no idea what labwork they did at the hospital. They were checking my blood all the time.
I took the synthroid, and never experienced a post-surgical storm. My thyroid was pretty suppressed from methimazole and I think my last pre-op labs were starting to get towards hypo.
My endo checked labs a few weeks later, told me I was hypo, and upped my dose.
I think I read somewhere that they determine your post-op synthroid dose by your weight, wait about a month, check labs, and tweak from there.


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## kitemom (Aug 19, 2010)

Ah ha, thanks for all the replies. I greatly appreciate them. Makes sense. I think I will fill the script and get started, as it sounds like I really want to stay away from hypo hell, lol. I'm not too sure what it entails, but I don't think I really want to know. LOL!

Honestly, I don't know what I feel other than tiredness still and alot of headaches. I don't notice my joints aching like they were, but maybe I'm just not paying that close attention.

Regardless, I'm not sure how soon I can get into my endo so I think I will go ahead and start the prescription to hopefully prevent a surge either direction. I'm just nervous I guess. I'm thinking I want to try something more natural like Armour or Nature throid. Not sure if it's wise to start synthroid and then change.

Okay, I'm still very indecisive, lol, is that thyroid related, ha! ha! Thanks again everyone. One step at a time.


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