Anyone have thyroid issues as well as BC?

serenitywisdom

During chemo I had sweating occasionally.  I also find I am less tolerant of heat and cold changes.  Can't take hot shower like I use to.  I definitely think that testing of thyroid levels should be done routinely while getting chemo  I don't think they know enough about impact of the chemo drugs on the thyroid function.  Was the sweating due to thyroid being off or the chemo?  Difficult to know but at least the thyroid can be somewhat regulated ifyou are on synthroid for hypo thyroidism. 

pebee

Dexxy-

I would ask for a referral to an endrocrologist - you may want to talk to them about the thyroid, but make sure your oncologist knows about the conversations.  The reason why is that the symptoms of thyroid underproduction and overproduction (if your dosage is too high) is the same as Taxotare and cytocin(spelling) side effects.  So, if you are in the middle of chemo, then you start or change the dosage - they won't know what is causing your side effects.

I had to change thyroid meds and dosage - the oncologist made the endo wait until chemo was done and then the surgeon waited until the endo said I was good to go.  Otherwise, it would have been a mess.....

DAnne01

After five years of stable TSH, found out I had BC, did BMX, DD TC X 4 and then a month later, TSH read 14.64 and GP upped synthroid; six weeks later, just starting rads, TSH reads <0.1, and synthroid lowered after going 1 week with no synthroid.  Going for another test this weekend to see where I read now, after lowering synthroid and going through rads.  BC is a never-ending roller coaster ride :-)

PatH

I had a partial thyroidectomy in 1985 to remove a nodule that was determined to be benign but might recur without shutting down the thyroid altogether using artificial hormone therapy. I just completed a clinical trial treatment "cryoblation" for IDBC in my right breast followed by a lumpectomy. ER positive with sentinal node positive.

In my research I read a paper that connects non cancerous thyroid nodules to women and breast cancer. I also had Cushings Syndrome caused by a possibly benign tumor which engulphed my right adrenal gland and was removed in 2009. Right sided tumors affecting my endocrine system seem to be a pattern in my body.

lsilang

I'm a new member as you'll see.  I had a left mastectomy in June 2011, and is now following up on the thyroid nodule that I have for many years now.  In 2005 the thyroid nodule biopsy result was inconclusive, so the doctor is ordering another biopsy. 

By the way, The IDC was caught at a very early stage and no chemo/rad recommended.  Although it was + for hormone rec, the oncologist did not recommend any hormone treatment as I am in my menopausal stage.  The benefit from the treatment is outweighed by the side effects.

I'm caught between relief and fear, if you ask  me. I have to be proactive with examinations and testings.  Tomorrow I'm off to an u/s for a palpable lump along the incision.  Wish me luck.

MaryNY

lsilang: hoping the lump turns out to be just scar tissue.

dlb823

I know similar things have been reported on this thread, but yesterday I saw a naturopathic doc, and she immediately told me that I'm hypothyroid, even though my recent TSH is within the normal range -- something my PCP hadn't even mentioned when I saw her last week to go over a recent DexaScan and bloodwork.

The naturopathic doc explained that optimum is <2.00, with 1.0 being what we should be aiming for.  Mine was 4.1 (last year it was 2.9), and because the conventional range is .358 to 4.7, my PCP never said a thing about what looks like a pretty significant change in the wrong direction to me.  And evidently correcting this, along with some other things, should also help with the osteopenia I'm concerned about.

I am so glad I decided to see a naturopath, who is also doing some additional, in-depth testing.  It really makes me wonder how much the risk of bc and what some refer to as the breast cancer recurrence "crap shoot," is actually due to important, un-dx'd imbalances.      Deanna 

beacon800

Lsilang, I found your post interesting. In America you definitely would be on an aromatase inhibitor, like arimidex. Friend of mine had a tiny invasive IDC, 2mm. Her treatment was lumpectomy, rads, arimidex. She was treated at stanford medical, a year before me.



I also have Hashimotos, take synthroid. So far, it's well under control. My mom had graves and also breast cancer. Her cancer was very bad and dx late.

MaryNY

dlb823: how is your naturopathic doc treating your hypothyroidism? If you had the conventional treatment with Synthroid it would make you ostopenia worse not better.

dlb823

Mary, she's RX'd a very low dose natural thyroid supplement.

MaryNY

I'd be interested in hearing what else she suggested. I got an Rx for levothyroxine a few weeks ago but haven't filled it yet. My TSH level was a good bit higher then yours but I reallly don't want to take that for the rest of my life.

serenitywisdom

I think there is a definite connection between  thyroid issues and breast cancer,  the data just isn't there yet to support it and not enough research has been done on the subject.  I had a "benign hyperactive nodule" that was treated with medication for years to keep thyroid hormones stable.  Then diagnosed with breast cancer in Jan and ended up with mastectomy.  At that time they also found a 7 cm mass  on chest xray next to my thyroid and growing down sternum.  They were unable to biopsy it so 3 weeks after mastectomy I had a thyroidectomy.  Is there a relationship between the rapid growth of the nodule and the breast cancer diagnosis?  who knows but if you have an issue  with thyroid and cancer, I believe careful monitoring of thyroid hormones is important and also rule out any growths on thyroid area.  I am curious, is anyone having trouble with weight gain while on Levoxyl .  (like synthroid).  ????  I have gained a bunch of weight since the mastectomy, thyroidectomy and chemo and my eating habits have not changed.   Thanks for advice.  According to my endocrinoloigst my thyroid levels are normal right now with the Levoxy.  

lsilang

To MaryNY, thanks I will continue to hope it is just a scar tissue.  I won't know the result until next week.  As I was telling one of the members, I can't access the result of the u/s until I meet with the doctor next week. That's how it is in Ontario, because we don't pay.   On the other hand, the doctor will gladly provide a copy of the report once it's been discussed with me.

Urban_Mom

I am on 90 mg Armour Thyroid, after a diagnosis of Hashimoto's a couple of years back.  I found it interesting that Dr. Lee, author of What Your Dr. Won't Tell You About Menopause postulated that Estrogen affects thyroid function.  And if you look at the signature tags here of folks with thyroid issues and BC, most are ER+

marial

Finished chemo on 6/2...had petscan 6/16..thyroid lit up..biopsy confrmed thycz..had thyroidectomy last week

lsilang

It still need further assessment as per the u/s.  What concerns me more now is in addition, there is a 2.6 X 3.7 cm nodule in the supraclavicular region possibly lymph node.  I still have to see the surgeon tomorrow but scares me more now more than ever..  As per my doctor biopsies will be ordered and if it turns out to be + ...which I hope not... all of you probably know what I'm progressing to.. 

madpeacock

This is all very interesting. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's almost two years ago after many years of sx, and diagnosed with BC about two weeks ago. My thyroid antibodies are 1000+ (i.e., can't be measured because they're so high) and my BC is strongly ER/PR positive (and HER2 positive, but that's a different topic). I go to a functional medicine physician for hormone management and he found that I was strongly estrogen dominant and progesterone deficient and had probably been so for years. I take a compounded T3/T4 thyroid replacement which has worked well for me. I also see a naturopath who has changed my diet, identified food sensitivities (through blood testing) and manages my supplements. I lost 10 pounds with the first doctor and another 20 after making the changes from the naturopath and I feel the best I have in years. Now I wonder what the BC treatment wll bring. I plan to follow with both closely as I believe they can probably manage any SEs along the way. I have no history of any thyroid nodules, but my mother had them and had a partial thyroidectomy. She does not have Hashimoto's. 

Researchers really needs to look at this connection! I'm meeting with my surgeon today to get MRI results and make final plans for surgery, which is scheduled for 9/8. 

MaryNY

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's a couple of months ago two years after my BC diagnosis. I suppose we all want something to blame -- the breast cancer or the treatment. However, many women are diagnosed with thyroid problems and the rate is higher among women who are peri-menopausal or menopausal. This is for women both with and without breast cancer diagnoses. Over 20 percent of women in menopause are diagnosed with thyroid dysfunction. I don't think there is any indication that there is a causal relationship. One exception is where radiation to the neck area is a known risk factor in developing hypothyroidism.

Urban_Mom

If I understood Dr Lee correctly, he was not suggesting a causal relationship.  Rather, the estrogen that feeds BC is also responsible for thyroid dysfunction. Years can go by before BC can be seen on a mammogram. If women have high levels of TSH, which can be easily treated with Synthroid or Armour - it almost seems as if thyroid problems might be another possible warning signal for BC.

vivre

There is definitely a link with breast and thyroid disease, it is called iodine deficiency. There is all kinds of info that makes this indisputable. I really doubted it for a while, but I kept researching and know I am convinced that taking iodine, not hormone drugs is the key to my resurgence of health. Do the research gals. Check out breastcancerchoices.org for the iodine studies and the books by Dr. David Brownstein. I have tons of files for this on website, if anyone can't find info, and I am having an event in Oct in Chicago about prevention where iodine will be a major topic of discussion. If anyone wants  to come, you can "like" Think Beyond the Pink" on facebook for details.

I take 50-75 mg of iodine/iodide daily with companion nutrients such as selenium and vit c. After going through some days of "detox" I was able to lose weight and keep it off. I also am no longer tired all the time and all the lumps and pain are gone from my breasts. My hands and feet are no longer freezing and my hair has thickened. 

The "iodine protocol" is something anyone with breast cancer should take seriously. I believe it is saving my life.

serenitywisdom

Hi,

 Is there a test to see if one is deficient in iodine?  .  I just had my Vitamin D level checked andit was quite low so now I am taking Vitamin D high dose one time/week

Also curious about  side effects from thyroidectomy?  I had thyroidectomy 3 weeks after having a mastectomy.  My neck from chin down to clavicle  (breast bone) is still numb.  Have others had these symptoms and did the numbness ever resolve.??  It has been 7  months and I still have no feeling under my chin and neck.  My surgeon who did the thyroidectomy said it takes time and may never resolve  (sigh).  

Heidihill

Serenity, have you tried neck and scar massages? My issues resolved almost completely with daily massages and exercises for several months. Totally worth doing.

My TSH is approx. 1, which is normal. My onc just had it tested. I do have a new nodule that was seen on a PET last year which turned out b9. I have been on Synthroid for many years.

Maya847

Dang, I did not realize there were this many people with thyroid issues and dx with bc.  I have hypothyroidism and take two different meds...just dx with bc in late Aug.  I was more concerned about a heart murmur I have- when it comes to radiation and chemo but thanks to this thread I will be asking some different questions and calling my endocrinologist....

squeak

I'm newly diagnosed with IDC.  I was dx with Grave's Disease 26 years ago after the birth of my second daughter.  Had treatment with radioactive iodine and have been hypothyroid due to RAI ever since.  I was not very good about taking my Synthroid at first, I was dumb and it took a few years before I "got" the importance of getting my thyroid levels in the normal range, that and probably some denial, so I was horribly hypothyroid for a few years before I got my act together.  

marial

Serenitywisdom - I had my thyroidectomy on 8/17 and have no numbness in my neck region..I was talking to Julie today from these boards..she mentioned you and I have a lot in common. (thyroid issues, bc, weight gaining issues..all wonderful stuff)I hope your neck resolves itself!

Hindsfeet

After my second dx, I went to a naturalpath to get to the bottom of why my body is making cancer cells. I learned that I'm hypothyroid, and a few months later I also dx with hashiminto. My naturalpath said that basically my thyroid was broken and I would be on thyroid meds the rest of my life and the fact that I have thyroid antibodies meant it would gradually worsen. After studying the fungal theory, I began to wonder if fungi hitchhiking onto my thyroid cells, t3 & t4, caused the immune killer cells to attack my t3, t4 and thyroid? I had a blood test to see if I had an active fungal infection. It not only showed high levels of present fungal infection, but past infections. Last year, after anti-fungal diet and meds, my thyroid antibodies dropped from 1100 to 45 (almost normal). I don't know if it's connected or not, but now it is hard to gain weight. I'm like I was before menapause. I don't know for sure if there is a connection, but something has changed and it wasn't the thyroid med's because I've been on them now for three years.

beacon800

evebarry - where can I learn about the anti fungal diet?

Hindsfeet

beacon, if you get the chance check out the alternative thread on the fungal theory. There is a lot of good information on it that might help you.

The fungal diet my naturalpath put me on is

Nothing white: no sugar, no bread, no potatoes, no rice.

No fruit: No Sweet Potatoes.

No milk, or juice (no sweet drinks).

No yogurt

WHAT YOU CAN EAT

Quinoa (delicious if cooked right)

Meat

Vegetable (no carrots or tomatoes)

Onions, garlic, coconut oil

Drink a lot of green tea (no honey or sugar)

There are a few good recepies and smoothies (green smoothies)

Hopefully your naturalpath or doctor will prescribe first diflucian (anti-fungal) (2 pills over a week)

Follow it with 3 weeks of nystatin (antifungal)

It's a rough one month diet, but it's effective. Weight will drop off like crazy. In two weeks I lost 25 pounds and haven't really gained it back although I'm on a regular diet now...(except no sweet drinks, or bread or rare). To be really effective it is suggested to stay on the diet for 6 months. I couldn't do it, but if I was dx with a more advance cancer, I would.

Hope it helps

serenitywisdom

I just saw a MD naturopath and he did not even mention fungal infections contributing to cancer.  Mostly discussed supplements that could help when I asked him about that and also acupuncture to help with chemo induced neuropathy.  He did not even bring up thyroid.  Once the thyroid is out, do they simply assume everything about thyroid will be fine since you are taking artificial supplements?   

.    Evebarry What type of fungus did they say you had? 

blackjack

I  see that many of you are hypothyroid with breast cancer. I am hyperthyroid with bc. Just wondering what txs you all are receiving for hyperthyroid. I have had two b9 nodules biopsied. What else is your md doing for you?