Zagboo
08-19-2005, 10:53 AM
I've been put on 75mcg of Levoxyl for the last 7 weeks or so after diagnosis of hypo. Feeling much better in general, but in the past couple days it feels like my thyroid is swollen, and I'm being lightly strangled. Its a pretty horrible feeling that I can't get rid of... swallowing is getting a little wierd too. Not quite uncomfortable yet, definitely not painful, but I can feel when something goes past my thyroid area....
Is it normal for thyroids to swell when you're put on the drugs like Levoxyl? I thought my thyroid should go down...
Thanks for any insights.
Z
Is it normal for thyroids to swell when you're put on the drugs like Levoxyl? I thought my thyroid should go down...
Thanks for any insights.
Z
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Lady50
08-19-2005, 11:03 AM
I never noticed mine doing that after being on thyroid meds. Perhaps it would be a good idea to call the doctor.
Many people complain of itching and swelling from allergies to thyroid meds.
Many people complain of itching and swelling from allergies to thyroid meds.
merrillin
08-19-2005, 11:49 AM
I would give the dr a call, it should go down on meds. Perhaps it is just growing on it's own? Listen do you have nodules on your thyroid? I know that in the case of nodules your nodules can grow or multiply when put on thyroid meds, maybe that is the case. You need to have an ultra sound of it to see if there are any physical changes.
Best of luck,
Karen
Best of luck,
Karen
Zagboo
08-19-2005, 12:44 PM
I just called the doc's office. I'm going in on Monday morning for some more labs. I have an appointment already scheduled for Aug 31st, and I'm keeping that, but I'll be put on the list in case someone else cancels.
As far as nodules, I have no clue yet. I have not had an ultrasound - my previous doc visit was my 1st for thyroid probs, and he said he wanted to do an ultrasound this next time.
Thanks all
Z
As far as nodules, I have no clue yet. I have not had an ultrasound - my previous doc visit was my 1st for thyroid probs, and he said he wanted to do an ultrasound this next time.
Thanks all
Z
Jenetti
08-19-2005, 06:30 PM
i just got back my ultrasound. she said it had nodules and enlarged and put me on sentroid? starting off with 25mgs. for 6 weeks, then might raise it to 50. she didnt mention anything about nodules maybe getting larger with meds, hmmm now im concerned. sometimes docs forget to give all the details, they just say this is what you have, take this pill. my sister is on sentroid as well, has been on it for years and she ended up losing alot of her weight that she had put on. but dont now if hers was enlarged nodules or i think they found hers thru blood work. my blood work came back fine, but she felt my throat area and said it felt enlarged so she sent me for a sonogram. first pill today. please let me know if any one else knows if these nodules grow during treatment.
merrillin
08-19-2005, 08:13 PM
Jen,
Dr's give you meds thinking they will make the nodules shrink....................here is what happens though, sometimes, and only sometimes, the meds will make the thyroid itself shrink because it is working so hard to deal with the nodules. The nodules themselves won't shrink because of meds and they can even grow or multiply with meds. The most important thing to do is to have repeat ultrasounds and get your antibodies tested to see if the nodules are from hashi's.
Just keep on top of everything............don't let the dr be in charge.
I took meds for my nodules and they grew huge and took over my left lobe. I had constant watching of it and ended up having the thing out.
best of luck,
Karen
Dr's give you meds thinking they will make the nodules shrink....................here is what happens though, sometimes, and only sometimes, the meds will make the thyroid itself shrink because it is working so hard to deal with the nodules. The nodules themselves won't shrink because of meds and they can even grow or multiply with meds. The most important thing to do is to have repeat ultrasounds and get your antibodies tested to see if the nodules are from hashi's.
Just keep on top of everything............don't let the dr be in charge.
I took meds for my nodules and they grew huge and took over my left lobe. I had constant watching of it and ended up having the thing out.
best of luck,
Karen
Jenetti
08-19-2005, 09:26 PM
thanks karen,,
no she didnt say anything else about the nodules, hmmm. but i did wonder about that when i got home, as to what would happen to them , if they stayed same size, or shrink or what. i will have another sonogram to check on it, and have her check my antibodies as well. thanks hon for the heads up.
jen
no she didnt say anything else about the nodules, hmmm. but i did wonder about that when i got home, as to what would happen to them , if they stayed same size, or shrink or what. i will have another sonogram to check on it, and have her check my antibodies as well. thanks hon for the heads up.
jen
merrillin
08-20-2005, 02:10 AM
Jen,
Kathy on the board has had multiplying nodules with meds if you have detailed questions about it................she is full of knowledge on that subject! You could start a thread to her.
Do you have any hypo or hyper symptoms? sometimes with nodules you will have hyper symptoms if they are functioning. Even if they appear cold they can have a small spot that will spit out some hormone...........
Karen
Kathy on the board has had multiplying nodules with meds if you have detailed questions about it................she is full of knowledge on that subject! You could start a thread to her.
Do you have any hypo or hyper symptoms? sometimes with nodules you will have hyper symptoms if they are functioning. Even if they appear cold they can have a small spot that will spit out some hormone...........
Karen
Jenetti
08-20-2005, 10:56 AM
thanks karen i'll do that since i dont know much about thyroid symptoms or problems, know alot about fibro hehe. but need to learn as much as possible about the thyroid stuff and i will be asking questions alot. hope i dont bore kathy lol.
i think i have the hypo, thats the low one right, not the over active one. noticed a couple of years ago, that i was gaining weight, like 2 lbs a month or every 3 weeks. i went from 118 to 142, no matter how hard i dieted . also extreme fatigue, the kind that would just make me lay on couch, the only energy i had was just for breathing and as you know thats automatic. so there wasnt much energy there. also cold, sleepy, bones/muscles always hurting. was diagnosed with fibro (tho the symptoms ive had for many many years) just 7 yrs ago. anyway will go over and start a thread to kathy. thanks karen, hope your day is a good one hon.
jen
i think i have the hypo, thats the low one right, not the over active one. noticed a couple of years ago, that i was gaining weight, like 2 lbs a month or every 3 weeks. i went from 118 to 142, no matter how hard i dieted . also extreme fatigue, the kind that would just make me lay on couch, the only energy i had was just for breathing and as you know thats automatic. so there wasnt much energy there. also cold, sleepy, bones/muscles always hurting. was diagnosed with fibro (tho the symptoms ive had for many many years) just 7 yrs ago. anyway will go over and start a thread to kathy. thanks karen, hope your day is a good one hon.
jen
wxKathy2
08-23-2005, 11:15 PM
Hi Jen,
I just saw this thread - so I'll write here to you....
I started with weight gain and fatigue - my tsh, t3 t4 etc were all fine...(TSH never higher than 1.7) but I gained all my weight (60 lbs) in about 1 year! I was getting sicker and sicker - finally an endo found nodules....and put me on synthroid. At first (first 6 months) I got better - everything was shrinking - but then pretty suddenly I went from 1 nodule to 2 to 4 to 7! in about 6 months! I felt awful - each time they saw the increase in the number of nodules, they'd increase my synthroid. I was up to 150 mcgs + 15 mcgs of cytomel and I have anxiety disorder so I have to say being that wired up about made my crawl out of my skin! I don't know if it was being able to stay at that dose for 3 months or iodine in two CT scans I had close together of even something science can't explain, but in May my thyroid and nodules suddenly shrunk!! I'm down to two small ones now...I've been treated with synthroid for two years now and lost about 45 of the 60 lbs....I have regained many parts of my life but not all of them....still hard to lose weight and I have terrible fatigue, but I am much better than two years ago....now I take 137 mcgs of synthroid and no cytomel....
Hope you feel better soon!!
Take care,
Kathy
I just saw this thread - so I'll write here to you....
I started with weight gain and fatigue - my tsh, t3 t4 etc were all fine...(TSH never higher than 1.7) but I gained all my weight (60 lbs) in about 1 year! I was getting sicker and sicker - finally an endo found nodules....and put me on synthroid. At first (first 6 months) I got better - everything was shrinking - but then pretty suddenly I went from 1 nodule to 2 to 4 to 7! in about 6 months! I felt awful - each time they saw the increase in the number of nodules, they'd increase my synthroid. I was up to 150 mcgs + 15 mcgs of cytomel and I have anxiety disorder so I have to say being that wired up about made my crawl out of my skin! I don't know if it was being able to stay at that dose for 3 months or iodine in two CT scans I had close together of even something science can't explain, but in May my thyroid and nodules suddenly shrunk!! I'm down to two small ones now...I've been treated with synthroid for two years now and lost about 45 of the 60 lbs....I have regained many parts of my life but not all of them....still hard to lose weight and I have terrible fatigue, but I am much better than two years ago....now I take 137 mcgs of synthroid and no cytomel....
Hope you feel better soon!!
Take care,
Kathy
Zagboo
08-31-2005, 03:51 PM
Well, I saw my doc today after having labs run on the 22nd. A couple days ago his nurse called and said the labs looked "about normal", whatever that means. I didn't ask for the numbers, I'll need to call back and get those...
So he asks how the Levoxyl (75mcg) is going, any side effects? I'm feeling better than I was before, but not ideal yet. Tell him about the swelling & strangling feeling in my throat. He listens to my chest and back, feels around on my thyroid, and says lets put you on 125mcg of Synthroid. Oh, I'm taking Levoxyl I say... He says he doesn't think there's too much difference between the two and anyway the dose is changing, so it doesn't matter if they're not exactly matched. So I guess my labs weren't exactly "about normal" if he's bumping the dosage up... oh well.
I ask about nodules, saying I read here that someone had nodules that turned out to be something bad (I couldn't remember exactly what). He said if it was NODULE (singular) there's about a 15% chance it could be cancerous. If its NODULES (plural) its very unlikely to be anything like that. If they don't go down by next visit (end of Nov) we'll do an ultrasound and see what's going on.
So there ya have it.... He also gave me about 5 months worth of samples of the Synthroid. :D Hey, a penny saved on prescriptions is a penny earned still in my book!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
Z
So he asks how the Levoxyl (75mcg) is going, any side effects? I'm feeling better than I was before, but not ideal yet. Tell him about the swelling & strangling feeling in my throat. He listens to my chest and back, feels around on my thyroid, and says lets put you on 125mcg of Synthroid. Oh, I'm taking Levoxyl I say... He says he doesn't think there's too much difference between the two and anyway the dose is changing, so it doesn't matter if they're not exactly matched. So I guess my labs weren't exactly "about normal" if he's bumping the dosage up... oh well.
I ask about nodules, saying I read here that someone had nodules that turned out to be something bad (I couldn't remember exactly what). He said if it was NODULE (singular) there's about a 15% chance it could be cancerous. If its NODULES (plural) its very unlikely to be anything like that. If they don't go down by next visit (end of Nov) we'll do an ultrasound and see what's going on.
So there ya have it.... He also gave me about 5 months worth of samples of the Synthroid. :D Hey, a penny saved on prescriptions is a penny earned still in my book!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
Z