# What To Expect With A Hashitoxicosis Thyroid Removal.



## MickeyESBBeck (Aug 4, 2012)

Hey. My name is Mickey and I am going to talk to my doctor about getting my thyroid removed. I have had Hashitoxicosis for the past few years and sick of trying pill after pill to make it better. I am wanting to know the differences in having it and what to expect in getting it removed. I read some things on here (the old board?) about people saying it was best to get it removed. They said it would help make you feel better. I am wondering cause I want to make sure I will be better and not stuck in the same spot. I know you have moments so it's not everything will be perfect. I am asking in genral how will I feel. Also side effects I will face and the best pills to take to make be feel better afterwards since I will be on them the rest of my life. All the info anyone can give will be great.

I will say this, My doctor won't admit I have Hashitoxicosis or that it even is a real illness. Yes I know my body and know when something is not right so to anyone questioning that please don't. No offence to anyone. To me science is open so for someone to say one thing about a compex subject like the body is stupid. So how can I get around telling her it is and that I need it removed if that is best. Finding a new doc is a pain and I just got Coventry Health Care after having basic medicaid and medicare. I donb't want to go through the trouble of finding a new doctor so any help on that is a huge help too.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Hi Mickey,

I was never formally dx'ed with hashitoxicosis but I did have high levels of all the antibodies that, as I understand it, define the condition (my thyroid was removed because of cancer).

It takes some time to find the right med and the right dose post-op,but beyond that, yes, removal helps tremendously. Are there specific questions we can help answer?


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## MickeyESBBeck (Aug 4, 2012)

Details. What to expect after, what to ask the doctor in charge of doing it, how I will feel afterwards. Will I notice a change right away or soon after, what kind of pills will I be taking, what pills has worked and not worked for people, is their any vitamins I can take at vitamin stores I can take in general to make me feel better, can yoga help make me feel better, just peoples experiences. I know my body is different so like you said it's finding the right med, but I want to know more about people who have had hashitoxicosis who had their thyroid removed what they went through after. Since I suffered from different things cause of it like eye sight, skin, hair, weight, what kind of long term effects I could face and again pills and vitamins I can take to improve that (at a reasonable price). On the vitamins if people know about sample packs like enough to see if it works for me. Maybe some place online to get them.

I do want to add that I also have PCOS/Polycystic ovary syndrome so what I take to help keep that under control with getting my thyroid removed. I had that under control and then I was working at a job where I got the store ready and developed a cold and things started going crazy. I had thyroid problems before, but they came and went. I would love to know what was going on. I had a lot problems developing as a child and doctors never looked at my physical just figured it was mental. I wonder if those problems come from my immune system. I am 32 so back then it's like the hospital scene from Star Trek: The Voyage Home. My mother almost died when she had me so I don't know if that had something to do with it. It's been a hard road the past few years with my health so looking at what could have caused this has been something.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I take Synthroid (150mcgs) daily. I also take fish oil and a multivitamin. Beyond that, I think a good diet and exercise are the best thing. I admit, I'm not really into lots of supplements. Some people have issues with anemia and low vitamin D, so that might be appropriate.

It's really hard to say how you will feel. Everyone is so different. Immediately after surgery, I had virtually no pain, but my thyroid was dumping so I had extreme hot flashes and was very jittery. That went away in about 24-ish hours. I was severely under medicated after surgery, so I went through a long period of feeling extremely hypo, but one things were fixed, I felt darn near normal. My skin looks great, so does my hair...I have energy, my libido is back, no more muscle and joint pain, no more brain fog, and my allergies are more manageable.

You should ask your surgeon how many thyroidectomies he or she does per year, how they close the incision (run if they use staples), how often they have vocal chord damage, how often patients have parathyroid damage, and their plan for post op hormone replacement.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

I will give you my personal experience as I was diagnosed with Hashitoxicosis after my thyroid was removed by my surgeon due to the condition of my thryoid at removal - basically it was a mess.

Throughout my thyroid treatment - my TPO"s went higher and higher, starting out in the 450 range and being well over 1800 4+ years into my anti thyroid medication experience. I never could stabilize and was having labs drawn every 4 weeks with dose adjustments almost as often. After 4 years - I went off my anti thyroid meds - "to be sure" and I immediately went hyper again. My endo only tested TSI at the very end - she tested thyrotropin receptor antibodies which I think are very similar. Once those were 6 with <10 being "normal" so I eventually gave up hope of ever reaching remission. I never was stable on anti thyroid meds for longer than 2 -3 months and while I thought I felt better than being hyper - after surgery and dose tinkering I now feel completely 'normal"> I rarely have any swings in my moods and only occasionally go slightly hyper due to seasonal change or my taking more than I should of cytomel. I have myself dialed into a dose adjustment of 1/4 a cytomel pill weekly and believe it or not that tiny adjustment makes all the difference int he world for me.

A friend who is a nurse anesthistist encouraged me to have my thyroid removed and got me an appt with a highly recruited surgeon working in her husbands office, he was a surgeon. As I woke from surgery I remember feeling an immediate Ahhh moment - so calm and relaxed - like a weight had been lifted from me. Likely the after effects of anesthesia - but still such a releiving feeling.

Post surgery I struggled with fatigue and tried some replacement adjustments, including Cytomel 6 months post op and just never cpould seem to shake the fatigue feeling. A friend - not a doctor - suggested having my ferritin, D and B-12 tested. I was basement Ferritin and D and supplemented both. The iron supplements made me extremely constipated and ill feeling and I begged for endometrial ablation - My life got so much better after that and a 2nd try of Cytomel worked. Addressing my low D also made a huge difference - I now supplement 5KIU 6 days a week and I've noticed Vit D definetely affects my energy levels to the high or low and the 6 day dosing workes best for me. My labs look great - there are some swings but they are minor and likely diet caused as I take calcium supplements 3x a day and calcium does interact with thyroid hormone replacement. I now talke my first 2 doses, Unithroid and 5mcg cutomel in the night as I still struggle with insomnia waking several times a night. I've trained myself to take my Unithroid at 1st waking and my Cytomel around 5:30. I take another Cytomel at lunch, before or after and my 3rd dose witch is a 1/2 pill around 4.

I can honestly tell you that life without a thyroid is SO much better than with my thyroid. I take medication 4x a day to not get a jolt - the cytomel can cometimes cause that hyper feeling and I definitely feel my 2nd dose during the afternoon but life is so much better I don't put too much thought into the multiple doses.

I take alot of supplements, multi 2x, vitD, magnesium2x , calcium 3x, B-50 complex1x, cod liver oil 1x, l-triptophan for sleep.

I hope my experience helps you with your decision.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

MickeyESBBeck said:


> Hey. My name is Mickey and I am going to talk to my doctor about getting my thyroid removed. I have had Hashitoxicosis for the past few years and sick of trying pill after pill to make it better. I am wanting to know the differences in having it and what to expect in getting it removed. I read some things on here (the old board?) about people saying it was best to get it removed. They said it would help make you feel better. I am wondering cause I want to make sure I will be better and not stuck in the same spot. I know you have moments so it's not everything will be perfect. I am asking in genral how will I feel. Also side effects I will face and the best pills to take to make be feel better afterwards since I will be on them the rest of my life. All the info anyone can give will be great.
> 
> I will say this, My doctor won't admit I have Hashitoxicosis or that it even is a real illness. Yes I know my body and know when something is not right so to anyone questioning that please don't. No offence to anyone. To me science is open so for someone to say one thing about a compex subject like the body is stupid. So how can I get around telling her it is and that I need it removed if that is best. Finding a new doc is a pain and I just got Coventry Health Care after having basic medicaid and medicare. I donb't want to go through the trouble of finding a new doctor so any help on that is a huge help too.


Have you had an ultra-sound of your thyroid? Hashi's is only confirmed through biopsy. Here is info on that.

Histologic diagnosis of Hashimoto's
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/120937-diagnosis

Hashimoto's Hurthle cells
http://www.pathconsultddx.com/pathCon/diagnosis?pii=S1559-8675(06)71549-2

http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/hashimotos-thyroiditis/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hurthle-cell-cancer/DS00660

it is my humble opinion that you need to have a "definitive" diagnosis before deciding what to do.

Have you had antibodies' tests? Do you have lab results and ranges you can share w/us?


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

I'm with Andros, can you provide more info on your thyroid history and any labs/tests you've had done? And do you mean you have Hashimoto's disease? Hashitoxicosis is a transient hyperthyroidism--when the thyroid is failing, it can have periods where it sputters into life and even becomes temporarily overactive. So you can cycle over a period of days or weeks between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism symptoms.

I recently had my thyroid removed after 10 years of trying to control my Hashimoto's disease. It was not an easy decision to make but after years of blood tests, ultrasounds, and dozens of medication changes, I had had enough.


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## MickeyESBBeck (Aug 4, 2012)

It's been hard talking to any doc. Most of my docs haven't listened and you ask me they shouldn't be in the profession if they are not going to do their job. Does anyone know how long it can be to get into surgery? I know it depends on when a doctor is open for it. Beyond that, is there any prep I will and/or should be be doing? Pills/Any med not in pill form? Eating/Drinking? Taking It Easy? I say should be cause while some docs won't say to do something, people that have had it know from experience what best to do,


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