Thyroid Problems

Goiters are a problem for those who also are low in Iodine. Have your pharmacy order you a bottle of Lugol's solution and start applying it on your skin (some place it won't be seen), let it dry before putting your clothes on. Your skin it the best way to absorb Iodine.
If you need to take medication for thyroid hormone, then Armour (not sure of the spelling) is the best and it's natural, and it has all the thyroid hormones in it where synthroid only has some of them.

Hi Jesse - my sister had this procedure done to kill her thryoid for Graves Disease. She did not have to have it removed, just irradiated. She is fine and healthy now but it was a little difficult. At first when she was so incredibly grumpy and irritable because of overactive thyroid and then afterwards when she went super slow - It was a matter of finding the right dose of medication which can take a month or two at least. She needs tune-ups as well.

A friend had surgery done to remove her thyroid because they found cancer. This was about 6 yrs ago. They also did radiation. Her scar is not noticeable and has faded as time goes on. She just had a baby and doesn't complain of any problems from the thyroid issue.

Both my sister and friend said that the radiation treatments made them very tired. The worst was during treatment and then for a good month afterward. Just in the past few years there have been advances in techniques in delivering radiation to avoid damaging surrounding tissues. I can imagine you're going to be in great hands!

Best of all things to you - hope you're 100% very soon.

p.s. I am also 42 but I am a mom of 2 boys - ages 6 and 2. Now that I'm getting to be "my age" I'm kind of understanding why God intended us to have kids in our youth! I'm loving every minute - no complaints on my end. - C

I had a total thyroidectomy in 2005. One of the best things I have ever done. It was amazing to feel what is is like to be "normal" I have had level issues all my life. It takes a few months to get regulated but I have felt so much better. If you decide with your endocrinologist to have it surgically removed: If you are in the Provo area Dr. Douglas Lichti was the greatest surgeon. He had great bedside manner and his work was so clean and the scar was smaller than even he expected (My toxic Multinodular goiter was 2.5 times the size of a regular thyroid), it has healed really well and most people don't notice it. I take Synthroid pill every day. It's no big deal. I'd be happy to discuss if you want, just message me.

My sister had the radioactive therapy done and her levels are a little harder to regulate it seems. But not too sure on that. She seems happy enough and that's what matters.

I have! At age 40 when I was still nursing my baby, I was diagnosed with chronic acute hyeractive thyroiditis. The options (6 years ago) were radioactive iodine or PTU pills. I was still nursing so the iodine was out. My brother is a pharmacist and he did some research on the PTU (He had NEVER filled these before and found out they were used more in England and Europe than here) but that it would be the only alternative to not harm the baby. So for a year I was on and off the pills, and today my goiter is gone and I am thyroid healthy! Check out all your alternatives! Best of luck! Oh and go s ee a good endocrinologist!

I was hyperthyroid about 10 years ago. I took radioactive iodine. The full dose is supposed to kill your entire thyroid and then you have to take supplements. I asked the doctor to let it sit for a couple of days so it was only 1/2 strength. He was somewhat skeptical but willing to try. The people at the hospital (who have to administer the single pill since it's radioactive) were quite adamant that it wouldn't work & said theinsurance wouldn't pay for a second dose because I wasn't following the dosing instructions. Guess what - it worked! I was totally normal & supplement free until about 3 years ago. Now I take a small dose of supplement because I've become slightly hypothyroid. Don't know if that's a lingering effect of the iodine or just a natural progression.

Dear Jesse,

I was diagnosed with Graves disease at 23 (I'm now 24) and was severly hypertyriod. Along with vomiting, irritability, racing heart, bearly able to hold my bowels, and a laundry list of other problems and illnesses, I opted to do the Radioactive Iodine Treatment. A month after, I found out that I was pregnant (OOPS) against advice not to get pregnant for a year and was considered a high risk pregnancy. Thank God the baby is very healthy and is 7 months old. I feel much better, though I'm hypothyriod, it is much easier to regulate. The only problem I had immediately after was a very bad sore throat but your doctor can prescribe something. I recommend the Iodine Treatment and the radiologists do very well with dosing enough to solve the problem, but as little radioactive as possible. My father had the Iodine 6 months before me, and my aunt had it 16 months after me. All of us had different thyriod problems but it worked well for each one. Hope this helps. Take care. Good Luck. God Bless You.

M.

I have Grave's disease as well (hyperthyroidism). I had difficulty getting pregnant for 4 yrs. and my Dr. found a goiter on my neck as well. He wanted to do a biopsy, but the surgeon suggested just taking out that portion of my thyroid. I am now on synthroid and have 4 beautiful children. I'm no longer exhausted all the time and I feel like a new woman. The problem w/the synthroid is that it can cause bone density loss, so you'll need to get your calcium intake improved. A friend told me about a Dr. that has come up with a vitamin supplement and natural thyroid medication using pig thyroid of all things. She uses it and loves the way she feels and it is a natural replacement for her synthroid. I may try it. I'll ask my Dr. first, though. The website is thyrolife.com Check it out. Good luck, health is on the way.

W.

Hi,

8 years ago, my nurse practitioner noticed a lump in my thyroid. After a series of event's it was determined that it needed to be surgically removed. It turned out to be cancerous and her early intervention saved my vocal cords and throat. Having gone through the extreme versions of what your doc is proposing I have the following observations,
1. Unless there is confirmed cancer, do not undergo radioactive ablation. The long term side effects and collateral damage can be very miserable. (Salivary glands and bladder damage are on going issues for me!)
2. Get on synthroid ASAP and take it EXACTLY as prescribed. It will save you a lot of weight/ heart grief that can be part of the process
3. Surgery is minimally invasive, but make sure your surgeon is skilled in the procedure. You need to keep your parathyroids and many nerves that effect your voice are in that surgical area.
$, Unless absolutely necessary, confirmed by second opinion, avoid any radioactive treatment. Radiation, as my urologist says, is the gift that keeps on giving. If it can be avoided, do so

Good luck with this bump in the road.

I was diagnosed with Graves Disease October of 2006. We had been trying to get pregnant for months and it wasn't happening. Went to my doctor and she ran blood tests and it was my throid. My options were radioactive iodine or surgery. My endocronologist opted for the radioactive, but we didn't want to wait another 6 months before getting pregnant. So we consulted with the surgeon she recommended and he suggested taking out the thyroid. We had an excellent surgeon, he took it out in November of 06 and we got pregnant in Jan 07. My endocronologist and I watch my TSH levels very closely (I am on synthroid) especially during the pregnancy, my dosage level had to be adjusted throughout. I had no problems with the surgery, but it is a more costly procedure than the RAI. Hope this helps, good luck!

There are vitamins that you can take for your thyroid. Dave Fraumm, who wrote Cancer Battle Plan has an office in Colorado Springs called Health Quarters Ministries. You can get muscle tested and throid vitamins from him or from some chiropractors.

K. Loidolt
Author, Shopper's Guide to Healthy Living

IN 2002 I had surgery for A extremely over active thyroid. I you can get away with doing the radioactive theropy do it. Surgery was my only answer because it ended up being cancer but they ended up killing my parthyroids. I had to have a PIC line for 18 months to give me Medications threw a line. I even developed Staff threw this. I was in the hospital for 3 months with this. This has made it so I have to take a truck load of pills. Magnuism, Calcuim, B vit. ect. If I dont take them I will go into tetnis Shock. Harding of the joints. Not very nice. This dosnt happen to everyone just 1 in a million type of thing. I look back on this and It was a experece that has made me a stonger person. Ask you doctor any question you can think of and ask him/her the risks for both. Not to mention I gained 80 pounds, I only weighed 98 pounds before this. I knew the risks going in and I still needed this done. If you end up doing surgery be sure to rest, alot. I needed a nap, I didnt need naps unless I was sick before. It takes alot out of you, if you dont you will make yourself very sick. Dont give up. You might not have the same energy level but you can get it most of it back threw exercise. It took me awhile to get in the groove but I think I have finaly got there. Oh, if you have any sisters be sure that they get tested. It funs in the family. Men can have this problem but it is mostly in women. Be prepared. Life is short, make the best of it. God Bless
Sorry about the spelling I am not that great at that.

Kerri Anne

A little about mysef: 32 yr old Full Time Working Mom or 2 beautiful girls ages 10 (Michelle) and 8 (Samantha). A wonderful husband of 11 years. Hopefully a boy sometime soon.

Hi Jesse,
I am sorry to hear about your problem. I was just wondering if you eat a lot of soy products? They can cause goiters and problems with your thyroid. I hesitated to write anything because many of the writers seem to believe that Soy is the greatest thing since apple sauce. You might want to read this book. "The Estrogen Alternative" by Raquel Martin and Judi Gerstung, D.C.
"We might want to reconsider the widespread assumption that estrogens derived from plant sources can automatically provide viable health benefits. Shocking news is surfacing specifically about theestrogenic effects of soybean consumption resulting in numerous health problems. Investigations made by toxicologist Mike Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., confirm the facts that soy has been linked to thyroid disorders, infertility, and even leukemia". pg 159
I hope this helps you in some way. K.

I have hypothyroid problems and don't know how the two compare, but I have tried searching the internet for help. I like womentowomen.com. I have to take thyroid med. for the rest of my life and like the idea of herbal remedies; maybe they will help you! Hypothyroidism is hereditary or so I've heard. Perhaps you could look see if what you have is and find out if other family members have suffered and what they did. My glands on the sides of my neck are often swollen even when I'm not sick, but I don't know why. Maybe I should see an endocrinologist! Good Luck!!

There are natural remedies to thyroid problems (they've worked for me). Let me know if you are interested and I'll get you my doc's number.
J.