# Questions/opinions on considering a Thyroidectomy for hashimoto's



## utg123 (Feb 2, 2017)

Okay so here's the deal,

In September of 2015, my gallbladder had to come out due to extreme pain (i have heard this can be one of the first things to go when the thyroid starts dying). A few months later, I was diagnosed with an allergic autoimmune disease, which is now in remission and has been since March of 2016. Then finally, i was dxed hashis in may of 2016, only because i asked for a thyroid panel because i could no longer function due to EXTREME fatigue. My TPOab were 22 and my TSH was 0.7. It now fluctuates but is usually around 2.something and I have two small nodules around 4 or 5 mm. I was also diagnosed with multinodular goiter and it got so big it sent me to the hospital once for breathing problems. It swells now somewhat frequently, but not as seriously as it did that one time. I also started choking on foods in 2015. The diagnosis made a lot of sense looking back at my life....I took vyvanse all through high school and the first part of college because I was SO tired and couldn't ever focus. My bowels were never active the way they should have been. Anyways....the hashis dx came after spending the whole first part of the year trying "Functional medicine" to feel better...and let me tell you guys...I have tried it ALL...gluten/dairy/soy/nut/sesame/alcohol/caffeine/mostly sugar free. I even did the candida diet. i have tried low carb. I have read EVERY thyroid book. I have a nutritionist. I have tried meditation. All my vitamin levels are fine including ferritin b12 and D. I take like 5 supplements everyday. And yes, i have tried thyroid medication. T4, T3+T4, and T3 alone. Nothing seems to give me any relief. Have had a full rheumatology workup, completely negative. No lupus or RA or anything. A doctor brought up chronic fatigue yesterday and I wanted to scream. I am 22 years old, I am not chronically fatigued or depressed!!

So, I figure, my thyroid is going to die anyway, I already have nodules and will need constant monitoring, why not just take the stupid thing out? What if that's all it would take to feel normal (or somewhat normal at least) again? I saw TexasChick's post about a TT for hashis and felt really hopeful. There is so much fear mongering on the internet about TT's though, like, everyone says, you'll get another autoimmune disease if you get a TT...or you'll be sicker than ever!!...but like.....where is the evidence...I know two people who have had TT's and neither one went on to develop another disease. I am just so sick of this...there is literally no other cause for the fatigue..I have explored everything. I think the main problem is, my gland hasn't died enough for me to be medicated, but why should I wait for that? PS, mom has Hashi's, so does my aunt, both are miserable, and I really don't want that quality of life for myself 20 years from now. I have already been out of school for a year and I am EXHAUSTED. I just want some normalcy in my life...I feel like I am 90 years old. This just cannot go on anymore.

Sorry for the novel, but it's been a really hard 2 years, and I would really like to hear from you all. I am really at my wit's end with all of this


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Welcome to the board - sorry you feel so poorly.

Have you had FT-4 and FT-3 labs run? If so can you post a few of those results with ranges please?

Having a thyroid swell enough to restrict breathing is dangerous - that alone is usually enough reason to remove the thyroid.

If you have your lab results post dates, results and ranges all on one page and begin taking to every doctor appointment - I've found this useful as the doc only seems to look at the labs at the moment and this history can help show the trend, especially if you have moving lab results.

Hang in there!


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Agreed, do you have hard copies of all of the labs they've run on you? I'm curious what your Free T3 is when you have such awful fatigue. Do you have a hard time sleeping at all or do you sleep a lot and never feel rested? It could be a cortisol issue on top of the thyroid problems (sometimes years of stress can cause our adrenals to go all wonky).


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## blackngold (Oct 28, 2011)

Yeah have you done a cortisol test I want to get the 4 point one my doctor insisted on only checking midnight saliva cortisol


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