# Goiter, but everything is "normal"



## clhidde (Dec 26, 2016)

Hello! I am new to to this site! I am looking forward to your insightful viewpoints... I am desperately looking for advice... The long story short is that I have goiter, but all labs are coming back "normal".. I have a follow u with my new Naturopath this coming week, but I would like to hear what your experience suggests.

Here is the longer version.

In mid-September of 2016 I went to my chiropractor for a massage and adjustment after a few weeks of feeling sore after an 11 day backpacking trip. Usually I feel great after just one or two of these treatments. With in a couple days my over all body soreness went away, but the right side of my neck (under my jaw and ear) still felt stiff. However, the pain felt more like I was "getting sick", as if my lymph nodes were gearing up for battle. As the week progressed, my muscles in my neck began to feel tight again, and at my follow up appointment I got another mild/gentle adjustment and he taught me some stretches to do at home. I did these, everyday, with no relief.

After four weeks of treatment, my chiro sent me in to have a cervical spine X-ray. It came back normal. He was convinced he had done everything he could to help. So, I went to go see my PC doctor.

It was during this appointment that I realized (according to the scale) I had put on almost twenty pounds in a short 4-6 months... My PC felt the back of my neck, down my spine (avoiding the entire anterior of my neck), and sent me home with a Rx for muscle relaxants, a topical pain cream, and six weeks of physical therapy... He addressed the weight gain when I brought it up, and told me I was "just getting older".. Knowing I hadn't injured myself, and knowing that the therapy I received with my chiro hadn't helped, I never did attend PT. In addition, the relaxants and cream did nothing to alleviate the discomfort.

Over the next few weeks I became more fatigued (wanting to nap in the middle of my work day, in the car before going to the store, going to bed hours before I am normally ready). The soreness in my throat/neck now radiated into the front of my throat, and my voice was getting deeper (sometimes hoarse). The skin on my neck looked puffy.

Just before Thanksgiving, I called my doctor to report the new/increasing symptoms, but he was out of the country. I went into an urgent care office instead. There, I discovered I had gained another few pounds. The physician on duty took a look at my neck, and she noticed it was visibly swollen. She sent me in for an US stat.... It came back "normal"... No visible nodules or lesions..

I then decided to go to a naturopath that my friend referred me to. She was able to see me the following week, and I had gained another few pounds by the time I got there :-/ She ordered labs that included TSH, T3 free and T4 free, Peroxidase Antibodies, and a 24 hour iodine test.

Three days later I was putting cream on my neck, and discovered, for the first time, that my "goiter" was now protruding and palpable.

Soon, I got the results from my labs: all within "normal" ranges... SO, here I am... Waiting to see my Naturopath to follow up on lab work, but in the mean time I am going crazy over not knowing what is going on! I still have intense aching pain in my neck (under jaw and ear), goiter (much larger on right side, not sure if is swollen on the left.. US measured normal size limits), fatigued, and often feel nauseous or flu like symptoms, and occasional night sweats... Lab results and picture posted below.. Thank you if you have read this far.. I appreciate any insight..

Labs drawn 12/9/16

*TSH: 1.00 µIU/mL*. Range 0.34 - 5.60 µIU/mL

*T3 free: 2.6 pg/mL*. Range 2.5 - 3.9 pg/mL

*T4 free: 1.0 ng/dL*. Range 0.6 - 1.2 ng/dL

*Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody: 0.5 IU/mL**.* Range <9.0 IU/mL

*24 hour Iodine: 95 mcg/spec**.* Range 93 - 1125 mcg/spec

*US: no nodules or lesions found (11/28/16)*

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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Welcome to the board!



> all labs are coming back "normal"..





> Labs drawn 12/9/16
> 
> *TSH: 1.00 µIU/mL*. Range 0.34 - 5.60 µIU/mL
> 
> ...


T-3 free is awful low. closer to 1/2-3/4 of range is more 'normal" You are .1 above low range. T-4 free is closer to 3/4 of range but with your FT-3 being low, that may be the cause of your weight gain.

Since you tested low in iodine - did your doc suggest taking iodine?

Can you post the ultrasound report please?


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## clhidde (Dec 26, 2016)

Thank you for the welcome! 

Here are the complete US results. However, this was also done about two weeks before the lump/goiter showed up on my neck. At the time of the US, the skin on my neck seemed puffy, but nothing palpable. I might also add that my MVP is slightly increased, Lymphocytes are slightly below normal range, but "WBC" is slightly elevated above normal range..

The Naturopath did say in our last conversation that she would give me an iodine supplement if the results were low. I dont know if mine are low enough? I put iodized salt on most of my food, and have been eating Nori...

Impression

IMPRESSION: Normal thyroid ultrasound.

Narrative

US HEAD/NECK SOFT TISSUE 11/28/2016 3:08 PM

PROVIDED CLINICAL INDICATIONS: enlarged thyroid, right side neck pain
Cervicalgia; Nontoxic goiter, unspecified

ADDITIONAL CLINICAL HISTORY: None.

COMPARISON: None.

TECHNIQUE: Ultrasound imaging of the thyroid gland is performed by a
sonographer.

FINDINGS:

RIGHT LOBE: 5.7 x 1.8 x 2.3 cm. No nodule or lesion.
LEFT LOBE: 5.8 x 1.5 x 2.3 cm. No nodule or lesion.
ISTHMUS: 3.8 mm.
OTHER: None.


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## clhidde (Dec 26, 2016)

Lovlkn said:


> Has anyone run thyroglobulin antibodies?


No, I just read about them today during research, and thought I should ask the doctor to order it...


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Since your thyroid shows no nodules and you have a diagnosis of non toxic goiter - they may or may not honor your request. I would ask just to "rule out" possibility of cancer - though with no nodules it will likely be negative.

Treatment for non toxic goiter is usually a trial of thyroid hormone to see if the thyroid will stop growing. This unfortunately does not usually reduce the size. Iodine may also be suggested.

An ENT may be your best shot at receiving treatment - should your current doctor do nothing.


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## creepingdeath (Apr 6, 2014)

If I was you I'd just wait to see if the swelling goes down by itself.

Your thyroid is only slightly enlarged.

My thyroid was more than twice that size with no tumors also.

But I felt like I was on the verge of death. "very sick"

If your only symptom is gaining a little weight and being a little more tired I'd look into other sources for your symptoms.

Everyone who gains a few pounds thinks automatically it's your thyroid.

You could see my goiter "both sides from across a room and I barely could make it up the steps to use the bathroom.

My TSH was very high but I never really gained all that much weight.

Just a few pounds because of not being able to do very much.

"I am a male though, maybe weight gain happens more with females."


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## clhidde (Dec 26, 2016)

Lovlkn said:


> Since your thyroid shows no nodules and you have a diagnosis of non toxic goiter - they may or may not honor your request. I would ask just to "rule out" possibility of cancer - though with no nodules it will likely be negative.


When the US was done, there was no visible lump on my neck; just some skin puffiness the the urgent care doctor described as a "non-toxic goiter". The "lump" showed up 13 days later. Depending on which treatment my doc decides to do (from labs), and how I respond to it, if the lump doesn't go away I will ask for another US. Clearly, the reading doesn't reflect the current (rapid) growth.


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## clhidde (Dec 26, 2016)

creepingdeath said:


> If I was you I'd just wait to see if the swelling goes down by itself.
> 
> Your thyroid is only slightly enlarged.
> 
> ...


I didn't gain a few pounds, I gained over thirty pounds in a short period of time :sick0012:. I am normally very active, and aside from being uncharacteristically fatigued, I have a multitude of other symptoms. What I can say tho, is thyroid dysfunction and its causes greatly vary from person to person; or so I am finding out. At this point my symptoms only seem to get worse, daily. I cant just wait it out. Something is causing it, and needs to be corrected; whether it shrinks on it own or not. I am assuming yours is being treated?


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

You never answered my question.

Did your doctor suggest you take iodine?

Did they offer thyroid hormone supplement?


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## clhidde (Dec 26, 2016)

Lovlkn said:


> You never answered my question.
> 
> Did your doctor suggest you take iodine?
> 
> Did they offer thyroid hormone supplement?


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## clhidde (Dec 26, 2016)

My follow up on labs is Thursday. I will find out then what my docs plan of attack will be.


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## creepingdeath (Apr 6, 2014)

Yes. I've been treated for the last four years for chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis " Hashimoto's disease .

I have a yearly ultra sound and have no tumors "nodules"

My thyroid just looks like a chewed up piece of hamburger.

If I don't take any thyroid hormone my thyroid starts to enlarge within a week.

It gets real sore and it feels like I am being strangled.

Then all my organs start to shut down and I die very slowly.

Yea everyone is different.

Some have no symptoms at all and others are bed ridden.

I'd look into everything you can to not have to take a medication for the rest of your life.

That was one of the hardest things to accept for me with this strange disease.

I feel great most of the time but treatment isn't an exact science and it has taken a very long time to feel the way I do now. You also have to deal with all kinds of bull shit from doctors and insurance companies.

I had to see a lot of doctors till I found the right one and tried many kinds and brands of hormone till I found the one that makes me feel the best.

But I still get symptoms from time to time and probably always will.


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