# New to Thyroid Problems & Confused



## christine95616 (Sep 8, 2010)

Hi:

I have had a large thyroid for at least 12 years. I've been told that my thyroid tests are normal but over the past 6 years I have been having various aliments, from sore muscles, dizziness, tiredness and sleepiness--sometimes inability to sleep at night but always tired. Over the past year, towards the end of my IUD expiration I have had unusual menstrual cycles. Sometimes I get two a month or it can last as long as 20 day and as little as 12. Over the past week I find that I am vomiting often for no apparent reason. I usually happens in the morning (it's not morning sickness). I feel especially sensitive to light, so bad it makes me want to stay inside during the day. I get migraines, my joints feel especially brittle, I feel like I have carpal tunnel, plantar facitiis in the arch of my feet (and now I feel it on top of my foot, as if I walked on my foot wrong) and if that is not enough I also feel like I forget long-term memory things and my intelligence has been compensated.

In June I was encouraged by a friend to have my thyroid looked at more closely, which lead me to get an ultrasound. It was there that they found an enlarged nodule. The biopsy showed that I have abnormal cells, which could be cancerous. I had a second biopsy that showed the same results. I was told that I won't know until I get surgery to have the right side of my removed.

My question is if my lab results (including T3 and T4) are normal why am I having so many problems?

7/21/10	TSH (HIGH SENSITIVITY) 1.53
7/21/10	DIRECT FREE THYROXINE	.98
2/25/10	FREE T3 352


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## gardengrl (Sep 6, 2010)

My labs are only slightly off and I am having mega symptoms.. Muscle and joint pains. Tiredness all day.. Sleeplessness at night most times...Headaches often... I can go on and on.. I am going to have more blood work on the 16th. I don't think it takes much for some of us to experience these symptoms.. I think it's called sub clinical..


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## christine95616 (Sep 8, 2010)

Thank you! I am noticing that a lot of people are having similar symptoms. However, because I am technically in range my doctor doesn't seem to be very supportive about medication.

Any advice as to how I can doctors to take me more seriously?


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

christine95616 said:


> Thank you! I am noticing that a lot of people are having similar symptoms. However, because I am technically in range my doctor doesn't seem to be very supportive about medication.
> 
> Any advice as to how I can doctors to take me more seriously?


Can you please post your ranges. Symptoms can appear before you are technically out of range and if you are in low or high range you can experience symptoms.

People feel different depending where in range they are.

I am one that needs to be mid range to feel my best.


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## christine95616 (Sep 8, 2010)

Thank so much to everyone for your responses. Although I have had these problems for quite sometime, concern regarding my thyroid is new to me. I am scheduled to have my right lobe removed in less than 2 weeks (Sept 20th). However, I'm worried that my problems are going to continue. As I mentioned, my doctors are telling me nothing has been proven to be wrong with me except the fact that I have a goiter, a large nodule on my thyroid and some abnormal cells. They are telling me that my symptoms have nothing to do with my thyroid because it would show in my blood results. Here are my results:

7/21/10 TSH (HIGH SENSITIVITY): 1.53
7/21/10 DIRECT FREE THYROXINE: .98
2/25/10 FREE T3: 352

I feel like I'm going to go through this terrible and frightening experience and still not feel better. According to many people my symptoms are not abnormal when having thyroid problems.

Any suggestions as to how I can get my doctors to take my symptoms more seriously?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

christine95616 said:


> Hi:
> 
> I have had a large thyroid for at least 12 years. I've been told that my thyroid tests are normal but over the past 6 years I have been having various aliments, from sore muscles, dizziness, tiredness and sleepiness--sometimes inability to sleep at night but always tired. Over the past year, towards the end of my IUD expiration I have had unusual menstrual cycles. Sometimes I get two a month or it can last as long as 20 day and as little as 12. Over the past week I find that I am vomiting often for no apparent reason. I usually happens in the morning (it's not morning sickness). I feel especially sensitive to light, so bad it makes me want to stay inside during the day. I get migraines, my joints feel especially brittle, I feel like I have carpal tunnel, plantar facitiis in the arch of my feet (and now I feel it on top of my foot, as if I walked on my foot wrong) and if that is not enough I also feel like I forget long-term memory things and my intelligence has been compensated.
> 
> ...


Your labs seem to be in normal range but w/o ranges, it is hard to know for sure.

In any case, it sounds like this nodule is suspect and should have been for all these years.

That is why I recommend always a RAIU (radioactive uptake scan) and the following antibodies' tests.

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

Also, radioactive uptake scan (RAIU); sonograms have limitations.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/unders...s/thyroid.html

I am sorry you have suffered for so long. If it is cancer, I believe that the whole thyroid should be ablated (surgical removal.) Thyroid tissue can and does grow back.

This should be discussed w/ your doctor.

Welcome to the board and during your recovery period, you will find that your memory will improve as will all of the other symptoms.

We are here for you so let us know how you are doing and I hope you get some antibodies' tests run. These are very important as your basic thryoid panel come back in normal range (we need ranges in the future if you will please) and wreak havoc on your body if you have any of these antibodies/autoantibodies.


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## christine95616 (Sep 8, 2010)

Here are all the blood tests I've gotten over the last few years & ranges. My results are always within the standard range. I feel lost & depressed. I can't seem to get better. I'm either in pain or feeling sick & getting worse. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I would truly appreciate any advice. 
Here are the results. Keep in mind it is A LOT of Info 

7/21/10: TSH (HIGH SENSITIVITY) 1.53 STANDARD RANGE: 0.40 - 4.50

7/21/10: DIRECT FREE THYROXINE 0.98 STANDARD RANGE: 0.8-1.8 ng/Dl

COMPREHENSIVE METABOLIC PANEL (7/21/10):
SODIUM 140 STANDARD RANGE: 135-146 mmol/L 
POTASSIUM 3.9 STANDARD RANGE: 3.5-5.3 mmol/L 
CHLORIDE 107 STANDARD RANGE: 98-110 mmol/L 
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) 24 STANDARD RANGE: 21-33 mmol/L 
BUN 18 STANDARD RANGE: 7-25 mg/dL 
CREATININE 0.64 STANDARD RANGE: 0.58-1.06 mg/dL eGFR >60 SEE BELOW 
REFERENCE RANGE: > = 60 ml/min/1.73m2
IF PATIENT IS AFRICAN AMERICAN, MULTIPLY REPORTED RESULT BY 1.21.

GLUCOSE 89 STANDARD RANGE: 65-99 mg/dL 
CALCIUM 9.6 STANDARD RANGE: 8.6-10.2 mg/dL 
TOTAL PROTEIN 7.3 STANDARD RANGE: 6.2-8.3 g/dL 
ALBUMIN 4.3 STANDARD RANGE: 3.6-5.1 g/dL 
GLOBULIN, TOTAL 3.0 STANDARD RANGE: 2.2-3.9 g/dL 
A/G RATIO 1.4 STANDARD RANGE: 1.0-2.1 ratio 
AST (SGOT) 18 STANDARD RANGE: 10-30 U/L 
BILIRUBIN, TOTAL 0.2 STANDARD RANGE: 0.2-1.2 mg/dL 
ALT 15 STANDARD RANGE: 6-40 U/L 
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE	85 STANDARD RANGE: 33-115 U/L

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (7/1/10):
WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT 8.7 STANDARD RANGE: 3.8-10.8 Thousand/uL 
RED BLOOD CELL COUNT 4.04 STANDARD RANGE: 3.80-5.10 Million/uL 
HEMOGLOBIN 12.7 STANDARD RANGE: 11.7-15.5 g/dL 
HEMATOCRIT 36.0 STANDARD RANGE: 35.0-45.0 % 
MCV 89 STANDARD RANGE: 80.0-100.0 fL 
MCH 31.5 STANDARD RANGE: 27.0-33.0 pg 
MCHC 35.4 STANDARD RANGE: 32.0-36.0 g/dL 
RED CELL DIST WIDTH 13.2 STANDARD RANGE: 11.0-15.0 % 
PLATELET COUNT 227 STANDARD RANGE: 140-400 Thousand/uL 
ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHILS 6003 STANDARD RANGE: 1500-7800 Cells/uL 
ABSOLUTE LYMPHOCYTES 1827 STANDARD RANGE: 850-3900 Cells/uL 
ABSOLUTE MONOCYTES 609 STANDARD RANGE: 200-950 Cells/uL 
ABSOLUTE EOSINOPHILS 261 STANDARD RANGE: 15-500 Cells/uL 
ABSOLUTE BASOPHILS 0 STANDARD RANGE: 0-200 Cells/uL 
NEUTROPHILS 69 
LYMPHOCYTES 21 
MONOCYTES 7 
EOSINOPHILS 3 
BASOPHILS 0

AMYLASE, SERUM (7/1/10):
AMYLASE 45 STANDARD RANGE: 21-101 U/L

LIPASE, SERUM (7/1/10):
LIPASE 46 STANDARD RANGE: 7-60 U/L

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (11/30/07):
WHITE BLOOD COUNT 7.2 STANDARD RANGE: 3.8-10.8 Thousand/uL 
RED BLOOD COUNT 4.20 STANDARD RANGE: 3.80-5.10 Million/uL 
HEMOGLOBIN 13.0 STANDARD RANGE: 11.7-15.5 g/dL 
HEMATOCRIT 36.8 STANDARD RANGE: 35.0-45.0 % 
MCV 88 STANDARD RANGE: 80.0-100.0 fL 
MCH 31.0 STANDARD RANGE: 27.0-33.0 pg 
MCHC 35.4 STANDARD RANGE: 32.0-36.0 g/dL 
RED CELL DIST. WIDTH 12.9 STANDARD RANGE: 11.0-15.0 % 
DIFFERENTIAL TYPE AUTO 
NEUTROPHILS 63 STANDARD RANGE: 45-75 % 
LYMPHOCYTES 27 STANDARD RANGE: 20-45 % 
MONOCYTES 8 STANDARD RANGE: 1-13 % 
EOSINOPHILS 2 STANDARD RANGE: 0-6 % 
BASOPHILS 0 STANDARD RANGE: 0-2 % 
NEUTROPHILS (ABS VALUE) 4536 STANDARD RANGE: 1500-7800 Cells/mcL 
LYMPHOCYTES (ABS VALUE) 1944 STANDARD RANGE: 850-3900 Cells/mcL 
MONOCYTES (ABS VALUE) 576 STANDARD RANGE: 200-950 Cells/mcL 
EOSINOPHILS (ABS VALUE) 144 STANDARD RANGE: 15-550 Cells/mcL 
BASOPHILS (ABS VALUE) 0 STANDARD RANGE: 0-200 Cells/mcL 
PLATELET COUNT 249 STANDARD RANGE: 140-400 Thousand/Ul

T3 FREE, SERUM (11/30/07):
FREE T3 354 STANDARD RANGE: 230-420 pg/Dl

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE, HIGHLY SENSITIVE (11/30/07):
TSH (HIGH SENSITIVITY) 2.83 STANDARD RANGE: >20 YEARS: 0.40-5.50
T4, FREE, SERUM (11/30/07):
DIRECT FREE THYROXINE 1.13 STANDARD RANGE: 0.8-1.8 ng/dL

Also, I did ask my ENT doctor about the radioactive iodine test (not sure if that is the same thing as RAIU test). Here is the conversation:

Question
"I forgot to ask you a couple of questions when I spoke with you last week. First, I wanted to know if it is possible to use an iodine uptake test to see how much concentrate iodine my thyroid takes. My understanding is if radioactive iodine is used, we will be able to see if how my thyroid reacts, thus giving us a better idea if I have a hot or cold nodule."

Answer:
"The determination of whether a nodule is "hot" or "cold" is a concept used many years ago in trying to determine whether or not to operate on the thyroid gland. Since the advent of fine needle aspiration 30 years ago, that determination is a thing of the past. But in any case, it does not explain away the "atypical" cells seen on your fine needle aspiration. By laboratory studies, your thyroid is functioning normal..."


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