# Causes of Mildly enlarged thyroid when antibodies are not present?



## curious (Nov 21, 2011)

I am still in the middle of diagnostic phase. I am wondering what are the causes of a thyroid to be "mildly enlarged" when antibodies are not present? Can a "normal" thyroid be enlarged?

TSH is low-normal (~.30-.50) 
free t3 is in the middle of the reference range
free t4 is high-normal 
TPO/TG are within range 
TSI shows negative.

Maybe there's some sort of test I am missing. After the tests I was put on 10 mg of methimazole once a day for diagnostic purposes.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

curious said:


> I am still in the middle of diagnostic phase. I am wondering what are the causes of a thyroid to be "mildly enlarged" when antibodies are not present? Can a "normal" thyroid be enlarged?
> 
> TSH is low-normal (~.30-.50)
> free t3 is in the middle of the reference range
> ...


Sure would like to see the exact results of the above tests with the ranges included. We need the ranges.

If the TPO and the TG are antibody tests; they are present. Within range means you have then and you should not.

Have you had an ultra-sound of your thyroid? If not, I would urge you to do so.

What does it mean you are on Methimazole for diagnsostic purposes? Methimazole is a medication used to "treat" hyperthyroid which has already been diagnosed.

Sure would like to see you feeling better.


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## curious (Nov 21, 2011)

That's exactly it. I have no idea *what* I have. My endo prescribed methimazole based on the fact that I feel light headed/dizzy and have crazy insomnia for seven months. She wants to see if it is indeed my thyroid, because that's the only lead I have. All I know is that I have some odd symptoms, and my thyroid is mildly enlarged (from iodine uptake scan) with normal to hyper blood results. What confuses me is that I don't have many of the usual hyperthyroid symptoms. There could be something else maybe; I'm trying to figure out what it is.



> tsh, 08/02/2011 = .5 uiu/ml, ref range .3-5.1
> 08/18/2011 = .47 uiu/ml, ref range .55-4.78
> 08/24/2011 = .4 uiu/ml, ref range .3-5.1
> 10/19/2011 = .353 uiu/ml ref range .45-4.5
> ...


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

curious said:


> That's exactly it. I have no idea *what* I have. My endo prescribed methimazole based on the fact that I feel light headed/dizzy and have crazy insomnia for seven months. She wants to see if it is indeed my thyroid, because that's the only lead I have. All I know is that I have some odd symptoms, and my thyroid is mildly enlarged (from iodine uptake scan) with normal to hyper blood results. What confuses me is that I don't have many of the usual hyperthyroid symptoms. There could be something else maybe; I'm trying to figure out what it is.


Has your doctor ruled out the Pituitary? Are you taking any meds other than the Methimazole that would suppress the TSH?

Here is a good chapter on low TSH.

http://www.thyroidmanager.org/Chapter4/ch01s03.html


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## curious (Nov 21, 2011)

That chart is pretty awesome. I was taking the methimazole after the blood results, so the medicine wouldn't have any effect. I think I have either some weird subclincal hyperthyroid situation, or a neuro-endocrinological disorder that modern medicine has yet to fully understand but tons of people probably have, or I'm the world's first pregnant male. All three of those options mean I won't be getting sleep anytime soon. =)

Don't know if it's a pituitary disorder. According to that chart I'd expect TSH to be suppressed and T4 to be low. Also, would a pituitary disorder cause my thyroid to be mildly enlarged?

Again, thanks for the help!


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

curious said:


> ...or I'm the world's first pregnant male.


Well, it will certainly be interesting to see how this plays out!


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