Thyroid Issues

Dawn,

I am so sorry you had to go through all those tests!  I have to say that your TSH seems EXTREMELY HIGH to me!  My nurse practitioner told me that some people have such a HIGH TSH when dx'd, that they are even hospitalized!  Not to scare you, since you seem to be improving with the Synthroid.

I have never heard that taking Thyroid hormone can cause cancer...  But, having said that, I DID read that if you have an auto immune condition, like Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism, you are at higher risk for certain types of cancer... In auto immune conditions, your body doesn't recognize your own tissue, and is constantly trying to fight it, as if fighting off a cold...  I have this condition, and only recently after my bc dx, I read that these auto immune conditions put us at higher risk for cancer.  My guess is that since my body doesn't know what BELONGS there, and is trying to fight my own thyroid, it also lets down it's guard, and lets in the bc...  JMHO, though.

As far as there being any other treatments for Hypothyroidism, really, I have read that iodine deficiency is a very rare thing these days, since we now have IODIZED salt, and unless you live in a third world country, I don't think you are in danger of that.  The only way to keep your thyroid condition under control is to take thyroid hormone every day, for the rest of your life... this is what I read.

I am in no way an expert, but my dh says that I should be, since I studied all this, when I was dx'd with my thyroid condition, since my drs. were no help. 

Let me know if I can help in any way...  You can pm me if you like!

Good Luck to you!!

Hugs,

Harley

I must be a non-conformist.  I was dx'd as hypothyroid (Hashimoto's) 2 years before I went into menopause, and 7 years before my BC dx.  The hypothyroid dx was sort of accidental--I had been referred to an endocrinologist for something else, and he was pretty anal so he ran a few thousand dollars worth of tests for unrelated things.  My TSH was high, but not way high--it was just a little above the normal range, IIRC.  He also ran T3, T4, antibody tests, and some other stuff, to come up with the Hashimoto's dx.

In retrospect, it all made sense.  I was very sensitive to the cold--seemed like I felt chilly all the time.  I had been gaining weight--not a lot, but it was impossible to lose it once it was there.  I had high cholesterol.  And, my heart rate was really low--generally 50 bpm, sometimes less.  Put it all together, add a high TSH and other abnormal thyroid stuff, and voila!

So, I've been on Synthroid (levothyroxine) ever since.  I haven't had any problems since the dosage settled down. (Sometimes it's hard to find the right dose if you still have a bit of thyroid function remaining.)  Now, my PCP monitors my TSH etc. and makes adjustments in my Synthroid dose as needed.  That hasn't been necessary for at least 3 years.

One odd thing is that my last TSH measurement came back higher than it has been.  In fact, my PCP wanted to increase my Synthroid dose slightly, since the TSH was near the "new" upper limit of normal (or at least the upper limit of the range they use for those of us on thyroid meds).  My TSH had been down toward the bottom of the range until this last re-check.  Coincidentally, I started chemo for my BC about 2 weeks before that thyroid re-check.

So now I'm wondering if the chemo messed with my thyroid balance, and caused my TSH to go up (or my need for thyroxine to go up).  I suggested that, since the TSH wasn't outside the "normal" range, maybe we should wait until I'm through with chemo in June and then recheck it.  He was fine with that.

Anybody else out there who was on levothyroxine before your BC dx, and found that you needed to change your levothyroxine dose after you had chemo?

otter 

I have been on Levothyroxine for about 10 years. Part of my thyroid was removed due to a goiter of all things, no cancer. BC was diagnosed 18 months ago, so I don't think there's any connection. My tests seem to be OK, but I'm going to ask my onc when I see him in a few weeks.

Minz 

Annie,

Hi... I seem to be following you around! 

I agree with you, there is no danger in taking thyroid hormone...I mean, after ALL, we NEED it, since our bodies do not know how to make it.  But, I did read that if you have auto immune illnesses, like Hashimotos, you are at higher risk for getting cancer...  so I often wonder if this condition maybe put me at increased risk for getting bc...

Gotta go...I'm going shopping today with my MIL and SIL...

I'll talk to you again soon, on the CMF thread!

Hugs,

Harley

I had half my thyroid removed when I was in my mid-twenties. Just a goiter with nodules that had become quite large.  Didn't do anything else for many years, but finally saw an endochrinologist in my late 40's when the remaining half started to enlarge. She put me on a very low dose of Synthroid in hopes of reducing the goiter (whatever the lowest dose is, that's what I had).

After several years of taking the Synthroid, I decided to stop it when 1) my dr. left practicing medicine  2) I saw no change in the goiter  3) my insurance company decided to only pay for the generic levothyroxine and it was still running about $10 a month. I decided I had better things to do with $120 a year.

That was just under a year ago. Several months after stopping it, I was diagnosed with an aggressive BC. If anything, I think the thyroid medication might have been keeping the BC in check, as it wasn't until I stopped taking it that the cancer grew quickly. But then, it may have not been related at all. I don't think there's any way to tell, but I will be looking for another endochrinologist after I get my finished with my BC treatment.

Hi Bluesky:

I know thyroid medications can cause all of thse and more, but so can anxiety, etc.

Best to check with your dr.  You are on a very tiny dose of thyroid hormone, but you may be super sensitive to changes in it, I was myself. 

Also, are you drinking alot of caffeine?  I plead guilty to that as well and I know it does have that effect.

But basically, if you have a thyroid disorder where the thyroid isn't working, you do need to take this.  It's a natural hormone, not a drug, just like your own body would be making if it could.

In some cases, if the body can't tolerate the synthroid, but the levels are still too low, they may opt to destroy the remnants of the remaining thyroid to stop its function and replace it with the thyroxine so they can get you to a stable level.  This is not as dramatic as it sounds!  They give you a kind of drink that is radioactive, you use a designated potty at your own home so as not to contaminate anyone else (super powers anyone?) and it's done.

It's very common and the drs. are very good at regulating it, but sometimes it takes awhile to get it right.

Dont worry, just run it by your endo and I'm sure they can get it right.

Good luck!

(Hi harley, I just think both of us are chatty )

xoxo

annie

to Otter:

Yeah, I've been having alot of weight gain, puffy face, all the stuff I had before they fixed the thyroid.  Chilly, anxiety, all of it.

My onc says it does nothing at all (chemo) to the thyroid, but you had better believe I'll be checking those levels when i am done!!

I don't believe that one for one second.

xxo

Interesting conversation...  I have a question about the dry skin.  I've had extremely dry skin on my hands - more so than anywhere else on my body.  I finished chemo on 4/3/08. 

I'm looking at all of the blood test results since I started chemo and my most recent one, and I don't see anything like "TSH/T3/T4" on any of the reports.  Is that a usual test?  Should I be asking for it?

My most recent blood work came back all within normal limits with the exception of TCO2 which was just a little high (I think that's total carbon dioxide??) and creatine which was just a little low.  Serum estradiol was <20. 

I saw the oncologist for my first post-chemo appointment last week and have an appointment with my pcp at the end of this month.  Is there anything special I should be asking for/about?

Thanks so much!

Sunshine

Here are my thyroid thoughts..... I lost my thyroid to radiation in 1989.  I have been on synthroid since that time.  I am on a very high dose of .125 x2 per day. (.250).  I started to gain weight and wanted to blame the thyroid but in actuallity it was me getting into my 40" and not exercising enough or at all.  I started to go to the gym about two years ago and lost 25 lbs.  Since the bc diagnosis in feb I have put 6-8 back on.  I do not think synthroid medication has anything to do with the bc.  My endo explained to me if you have to lose an organ or have to take any medication the thyroid is the only some that does not know it is medication or its own doing so it is the best problem to have.  Hope that helps you feel more positive about medication.  See your onc...see your endo...and cross compare.