# Pain in my neck



## Carolyn52 (Mar 9, 2010)

Hi all, I'm female, age 52 and have been hypothyroid since about age 25. Hashimoto's. I have taken synthroid ever since, and the dose rarely changes: 300 mcg a day.

No history of thyroid cancer in my family that I know of, but I don't know much about my father's parents. In fact, as far as I know, only one aunt has any thyroid problem at all, and she's about 70. She takes synthroid, but I don't know if it's Hashimoto's or not.

I was told years ago that I had a slightly higher risk of thyroid cancer due to the Hashimoto's, so I feel my thyroid a lot, and once in awhile ask my GP to give it a feel.

A few weeks ago, I developed this pain in my neck. It would be (I think) near the right side of the thyroid, but I can't feel any kind of lump or swelling. And to feel the pain, I have to dig around and push to find it. It's not a terrible pain, and it's very intermittent. In fact now and then I think oh good, it's gone, but then there it comes. Usually only happens when I move my neck. So maybe it's just a muscle, but I haven't done anything to strain my neck.

And it's such a small spot that hurts. That's why I fear thyroid.

I'm also paranoid (I live on xanax...I have bad issues with anxiety and depression, have been diagnosed with various mental illnesses and at this point don't know what "I am.") about my lymph glands.

This sore spot is in the same area where I had a lymph gland swell up one time. Actually that lymph gland swells up any time I get any kind of infection. And I was feeling poorly, went to the doctor and said I had some kind of infection but didn't know where. Just that I was running a small fever, wasn't hungry, felt tired and that gland was swollen. I had taken some antibiotics, but it came back.

So she ordered a CT scan, and then that came back as an abnormal gland. They got me an appointment with an ENT, and I had a follow up with my doctor (who had put me on a different antibiotic), and the gland had gone down. So she said I could cancel the ENT appointment, and I don't think it's swollen up since. (This was about five years ago)

I do have an appointment with an ENT over something else (a checkup on my ear, which went partially deaf on me...referral from audiologist, which was referral from my GP), so I'm going to have him feel my thyroid. Ga, I have everyone feel my poor thyroid.

To be honest, I'd just like to have it removed because it makes me so paranoid, and I think it's long dead anyway. I was near a thyroid coma by the time I went to the doctor at age 25. (Seriously...he said that....I was in horrible shape, and he called in his resident to take a peek at me, said he'd never see such a textbook case again)

Does this pain strike a chord with anyone? I don't feel bad, other than I get tired, but I've always been like that. And I have a vitamin D def. going on too, which doesn't help. :::Sigh:::

I've got it narrowed down in my head to: muscle strain, thyroid cancer or Hodgkin's.

I know I sound crazy....if there's something to worry about, I'm your person.


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

300 mcg of Synthroid a day? No wonder you've got anxiety issues. I would love to see what your numbers are like. That seems like a high dose even for someone with no thyroid.

As for the pain, it does happen to me too and is usually followed with some sort of swing from hyper to hypo or vice versa. It feels like a stabbing sort of pain, usually on the left portion of my thyroid and it comes and goes. It usually swells slightly during that time too. It will be tender to the touch.


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## Carolyn52 (Mar 9, 2010)

Thanks for such a fast answer!

When I switched pharmacies, the pharmacist had to actually order that strength in. Even he said it was high. I don't have my numbers in front of me, but they're in the normal range. Over the 25 years, I stayed on 250 I think and my numbers stayed constant. Then the last few years (menopause maybe?) they started to fluctuate a little, and I get my blood done every three months for awhile.

I'm 6'1, so maybe my size needs more? (Though oddly, small boned if you go by those tests where you measure your wrists) Last year I had the bone scan thing and my bones were normal. (I questioned that, and my GP said thyroid can cause bone thinning or something)

I need to get in asap for a check on the Vit D, so they'll run the TSH and all of that at the same time just to keep an eye on it.

Does 0.4 sound right? That's in my head, so I'm not sure it's accurate.

I've never gone to an endocrinologist. Should I? When the numbers get a little out of whack, my heart flutters when I have too much synthroid, and too little: I can't say more than a sentence without my throat or tongue feeling exhausted. I don't know how else to explain that.

And that was the symptom that finally sent me to the doctor so many years ago; the other symptoms were vague. I had to give a short speech, and by the end of it, it was like my throat was exhausted from talking.

Thanks for the info on the pain...that makes me feel a little better.


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

I would say you either need to see an endo or at least get yourself a real, full thyroid panel.

You can get all the numbers you need at healthcheckusa.com for $85. It's a decent set of thyroid tests.

Even at 6' 1" unless you weighed 480 pounds, that's an awful olot of Synthroid but everyone's different so maybe it is the right dose for you.

I've heard people on these boards levelling off at only 150 or 175 mcg after a total thyroidectomy.

Again, I would really like to see some numbers. I'll bet your Free T4 is off the charts and your doctor is probably only testing TSH which is somewhat useless.


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## Carolyn52 (Mar 9, 2010)

You're right, they only test TSH as far as I know. And it's been like that for years. I just remember the pharmacist kind of cocking his eye when he saw my prescription, and that was the first time I ever knew it was considered a high amount.

I may just do that blood testing....it includes a lot of tests I don't think they run. (They do cholesterol and all of that)

When my thyroid goes low, my cholesterol goes through the roof, and I'm not sure GPs know the correlation because they start talking about cholesterol medications.


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## Carolyn52 (Mar 9, 2010)

Wow that place is kind of like a candy store. I could spend 500 bucks just on tests and then really scare the heck out of myself.


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

If you go that route, you want one of the 2 tests below.

The first includes Total T4 (Thyroxine) and for you, that might not be a bad idea. Its $119

For $85, you can get a pretty good test with Free's and TSH for $85. The free's are the numbers you want.

http://www.healthcheckusa.com/lab_t...gs/Thyroid_Function_Profile_with_TSH,_Premium

http://www.healthcheckusa.com/lab_t...roid_Function_Profile_with_TSH,_Comprehensive


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## Carolyn52 (Mar 9, 2010)

It turns out there's not a lab near me. So I either need to ask my dr to run the tests or go to an endocrinologist. Actually, my doctor is really pretty good about running tests when I ask, so I may just start with that since i need to get those Vit D tests done anyway. (She gave me vitamin D prescription, but I need to follow up to see how it did.)

If the TSH tests are no good, why is that what most doctors do?

I found one endocrinologist in the area, and he got terrible ratings on Google.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Carolyn52 said:


> Hi all, I'm female, age 52 and have been hypothyroid since about age 25. Hashimoto's. I have taken synthroid ever since, and the dose rarely changes: 300 mcg a day.
> 
> No history of thyroid cancer in my family that I know of, but I don't know much about my father's parents. In fact, as far as I know, only one aunt has any thyroid problem at all, and she's about 70. She takes synthroid, but I don't know if it's Hashimoto's or not.
> 
> ...


Hi Carolyn. I say where there is pain, there is a situation. You may have to have an uptake scan. Discuss this w/ the ENT. Cancer is definitely a consideration and must be ruled in or ruled out. I hope the latter so we all can breath a sigh of relief.

Hashimoto's is known for causing ear problems also. I think this is all tied in somehow.

When do you see the ENT?


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## Carolyn52 (Mar 9, 2010)

Hi Andros, I see him next week, so at least the wait isn't long. I wonder if I should call his office (I've never been to him) and tell them to add this to my appointment, just so they know to possibly add a few minutes in there.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Carolyn52 said:


> You're right, they only test TSH as far as I know. And it's been like that for years. I just remember the pharmacist kind of cocking his eye when he saw my prescription, and that was the first time I ever knew it was considered a high amount.
> 
> I may just do that blood testing....it includes a lot of tests I don't think they run. (They do cholesterol and all of that)
> 
> When my thyroid goes low, my cholesterol goes through the roof, and I'm not sure GPs know the correlation because they start talking about cholesterol medications.


Carolyn; I agree with our Administrator. It would be wonderful to see some labs with the ranges intact. We must have the ranges as different labs use different ranges.

I am suspecting that you don't convert very well; hence the high dose. The labs (especially the TSH, FREE T4 and FREE T3) would help us to sort it out.

Or you could be converting your thyroxine into rT3 (reverse.)


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