# When do they take out the #$%^& thyroid?



## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

I have an odd question.

Do they ever take out the thyroid when a patient simply can't stand swinging hypo hyper anymore?

Is that a valid reason to get rid of the thing once and for all?

Thanks for your responses!


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## McKenna (Jun 23, 2010)

I think it depends on the surgeon and if you have anything else going on ie: nodules.

The first surgeon I saw said he would not remove a thyroid because of hyper/hypo swings and he would only remove half my thyroid because of the large cold nodule I had.

The second surgeon I saw would do the surgery b/c of both the hyper/hypo swings but mostly b/c of the nodule. He was willing to take the whole thing out.

The third surgeon I saw, who I did have remove my thyroid, was perfectly fine taking out my thyroid b/c of the hyper stuff going on. But he also thought it should come out b/c of the nodule too. He said we could biopsy it again, but it wasn't necessary.

My endo was not in favor of me getting it out based on the hyper/hypo swings and only 50/50 about getting it out because of the nodule. I ultimately made the final decision. I could not forsee living with it longer

You should keep an ongoing chart with your hyper and hypo labs, tests and symptoms to take to a surgeon to discuss it. You want them to see the ups and downs and you tell him/her about the impossibility of regulating your meds. And honestly, surgeons like to do surgery.


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## prettynikki5 (Dec 9, 2009)

HeidiBR said:


> I have an odd question.
> 
> Do they ever take out the thyroid when a patient simply can't stand swinging hypo hyper anymore?
> 
> ...


I think it all depends on your doctor. He would be the one to refer you to the surgeon. 
I personally think that it is a valid reason, and I think I would have never felt "better" if I hadn't had mine removed. The thyroid meds did not help for me and I had growing goiter.
Have you discussed this at all with your doc yet?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

HeidiBR said:


> I have an odd question.
> 
> Do they ever take out the thyroid when a patient simply can't stand swinging hypo hyper anymore?
> 
> ...


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw; Sugars!!! {{{{Heidi}}}}

I hear you loud and clear. Find a surgeon to yank it. This is ridiculous because you cannot even titrate your thyroxine. It makes it impossible to do so.


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks for all of your replies!

No, I haven't discussed it with my doctor yet. I don't think I am at that point yet, but I was wondering what are the parameters for removing it.

I guess I am also wondering if life is better in terms of feeling good without it?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

HeidiBR said:


> Thanks for all of your replies!
> 
> No, I haven't discussed it with my doctor yet. I don't think I am at that point yet, but I was wondering what are the parameters for removing it.
> 
> I guess I am also wondering if life is better in terms of feeling good without it?


That would totally depend on whether or not your doctor would co-operate and get you to the euthyroid state and keep you there no matter what it takes which would include T3 if necessary.

Have you ever had RAIU (radioactive uptake scan?) I would think the parameters would be solid nodules and a very irregular texture, vascularity, gagging, sleep apnea, trouble swallowing, unsightly goiter................stuff like that and if I were the doc, I would consider inability to titrate meds due to inconsistency of thryoid output.

But.........................as we all know, I am not the doctor. Wah!


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## prettynikki5 (Dec 9, 2009)

HeidiBR said:


> Thanks for all of your replies!
> 
> No, I haven't discussed it with my doctor yet. I don't think I am at that point yet, but I was wondering what are the parameters for removing it.
> 
> I guess I am also wondering if life is better in terms of feeling good without it?


My answer is yes. Of course there have been challenges such as having low calcium because of 'bruising' to my parathyroids and titrating my meds to get them right, however, for me, it was the calming down of the antibodies that made all the difference. Even when my levels said I was hypo and had low calcium after my surgery, I felt AWESOME. I really felt so much better. More like the old me  I think I would have forever felt badly as long as those antibodies were hard at work.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

My situation was a bit different with severe Graves. Eventual ablation of some sort was a high probability. I just had to convince my endo I wanted it sooner rather than later. I gave my doc list of reasons why I wanted it done sooner, and I got a surgical referral after listening to the endo's bias against surgery. The surgeon was more than happy to take it out.

I am very glad that I stuck with my get in having my thyroid removed. I suspect I had been swinging hypo to hyper for years myself, and it has been such a relief to have it gone. I know some people have a bias about keeping their own glad with their own natural hormones, but mine was so out of wack, that there was no stability for me having it in, and my quality of life was pretty diminished. The risks of surgery were worth it, and the long term reality of replacement hormones seemed like a much more stable, controllable option.

If you are worried about your doc not supporting your decision, I would make a clear list of reasons why you want it and being prepared to give them clearly when you see him. I think that when I'm not clear, it makes it easier for a doc to ignore my opinions and to sway me into a treatment I don't feel comfortable with.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

HeidiBR said:


> Thanks for all of your replies!
> 
> No, I haven't discussed it with my doctor yet. I don't think I am at that point yet, but I was wondering what are the parameters for removing it.
> 
> I guess I am also wondering if life is better in terms of feeling good without it?


I find a lot of irony in the fact that the docs will remove the uterus, the breasts (cancer prevention), the gall bladder, sinus', teeth and a whole bunch of other stuff but yet we are to continually suffer with a diseased thyroid gland.

If you have destroyed your kidneys with alcohol and drugs, if you have the money....................no problem; we will do a transplant!! Holy cats!!

Does this make any sense to anyone? Just thought I would throw that out there!


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

The same way that ****** is a covered prescription. Really? How is that some women cannot get coverage for birth control via insurance, but ****** is covered. It is a male-dominated world. Thyroid disease primarily affects women (at least hypothyroidism). End of rant.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I hear you loud and clear. Working with the homeless, I was shocked to learn that our local homeless health program was giving out male ED drugs when my clients had so many other needs, like perhaps sleeping under a real roof


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

Wow - free ED drugs? That doesn't make a lot of sense from a financial point of view.

I didn't realize that I couldn't use the name of the medication.Whoops. But I think everyone can figure out which one I am talking about.

I bet if thyroid issues were a mostly male disease, we'd have a cure. Or better drugs or something.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

Yup! I was told it was their "right" to treat their "medical condition." And yet, clients with HIV are being cut off from their anti-retrovirals, pregnant women sleeping on the streets and loosing custody of their children for not having a home, women with cancer were being sent back to the shelters where they could not access second floor lavatory facilities the day after surgery, mentally ill have no access to anti-psychotics, let alone desperately needed hospitalization and long term care. I could go on for days.


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