Hi Johanna just to let you know yes she does the liver and thyroid every six months. It is hard to tell because of all the pain but i do fine one thing that sticks out when my thyroid is acting up and that is my hair hurts. Just the lightess touch or the wind blowing on it drives me crazy.

Martha- well, I was talking to a friend of mine today and brought this new finding up (when she asked how I was feeling) and turns out her hubby had his thyroid out many years ago because there were nodules growing on it. What type of doc did you see to get your worked up?

My doc did not order any tests or even feel it, though I am pretty sure the funny feeling in my neck is it being swollen right now. I plan to find a new endocrinologist (my regular doc is also one of these, but I never planned to need him for that) and talk at more length with Dr J. and the preop doc, and perhaps the surgeon next week.

My GP doc is too happy to blow stuff off in my opinion.

Mucker- that is really weird about your hair...


my numbers a month ago were
TSH 6.27 Range 0.47-5.01
Free T4 0.84 Range 0.71-1.85
Free T3 3.18 Range 2.30-4.20

a few days ago
TSH 16 Range 0.47-5.01
Free T4 1 Range 0.71-1.85
Free T3 * Range 2.30-4.20 (* means didn't get this one over the phone- I'll add it monday)

so clearly it was changing....I did start taking my B vitamins more regularly once i found out i was a little off, and I have had times where taking a b complex has made me feel really wacky before, like crying all the time, so I am not sure if they are somehow related or not.

Did I read that correctly?! Your TSH is now 16?! Mine was a little above 5 when I finally started going to an endocrinologist and he upped my Synthroid (that my PCP had put me on) and told me that they really like to see a TSH around 1 but mine is now a little above 2 and he's happy with that right now. Over the past few years endos. have lowered the numbers for the TSH that they think is optimal.

yeah, 16 is correct. at TSH= 6.27 he had talked me out of meds, because t3 and t4 numbers were OK- like I said, this guy is not my favorite, and I am going to find a new endo! I had him pull the levels again (he wasn't going to) when he tested for antibodies and he found the 16. The earlier 6.27 was a good day, i guess.


good idea to compare numbers, JO. Thanks!

My t3 and t4 nos. are OK too but he still wasn't happy with my TSH. I'd get another opinion if I was you!

remember, too, that TSH goes on a log scale, not linear...so, the difference between TSH= 1 and 2 is similar in meaning to the difference between 10 and 20.

I fully plan to find a new endo...but for the meantime I have some meds to try ...

My doc was my regular endocrinologist

when he wanted me to get a biopsy of the nodules i got
nervous due to my history of getting tos when I got a bad parathyrioid (different gland behind the thyroid) removed.

my regular endocrin doc wanted me to go have the biopsy in the radiology dept of our local hospital. the interventional radiologist would do the biopsy under guidance of the fluoroscope (if i remember correctly)

i got a second opinion and that doc wanted to do the biopsy in her office

so, i went to the radiology dept at the hospital as i felt he would probably do the most of them and have guidance ( i can't remember if it was ultrasound or the fluroscope)

i have to have followups i think annually

i know of others on the board who have to have this also

ah, well i got my own copies of the blood work today,
TPO antibodies were "to the moon" at 16128 (normal range 0-60)

and he doesn't want me to have surgery because the anistesia causes adrenaline rush...if thyroid is already messed up this can cause heart eurythmia....got to go look up cause i don't know what it means. anyone able to help me?

Could this be what they mean?
***************************************

Medical Encyclopedia: Arrhythmias

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/001101.htm
Alternative names
Dysrhythmias; Abnormal heart rhythms; Bradycardia; Tachycardia Definition
An arrhythmia is any disorder of your heart rate or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Normally, the 4 chambers of the heart (2 atria and 2 ventricles) contract in a very specific, coordinated manner.
The electrical impulse that signals your heart to contract in a synchronized manner begins in the sinoatrial node (SA node), which is your heart's natural pacemaker.
The signal leaves the SA node and travels through the 2 upper chambers (atria). Then the signal passes through another node (the AV node), and finally, through the lower chambers (ventricles). This path enables the chambers to contract in a coordinated fashion.
Problems can occur anywhere along this conduction system, causing various arrhythmias. Examples include:

• Supraventricular tachycardia - a fast heart rate that originates in the upper chambers (atria). The most common are atrial fibrillation or flutter, and atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia.
• Ventricular tachycardia - a fast heart rate that originates in the lower chambers (ventricles).
• Bradycardia - a slow heart rate due to problems with the SA node's pacemaker ability, or some interruption in conduction through the natural electrical pathways of the heart.

The risks of getting a tachycardia or bradycardia varies greatly, depending on the condition of your heart, prior heart attack, blood chemistry imbalances, or endocrine abnormalities.
Arrhythmias may also be caused by some substances or drugs, including beta blockers, psychotropics, sympathomimetics, caffeine, amphetamines, and cocaine. Sometimes antiarrhythmic medications -- prescribed to treat one type of arrhythmia -- can actually cause another type of arrhythmia.
Some types of arrhythmias may be life-threatening if not promptly and properly treated.
Symptoms

• Fast or slow heart beat (palpitations)
• Skipping beats
• Fainting
• Light-headedness, dizziness
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Skipping beats - changes in the pattern of the pulse
• Paleness
• Sweating
• Cardiac arrest

The person may not have symptoms.
Signs and tests
A doctor will listen to your heart with a stethoscope and feel your pulse. Your blood pressure may be low or normal.
The following tests may be performed to identify arrhythmias:

• ECG
• Ambulatory cardiac monitoring with a Holter monitor (used for 24 hours) or loop recorder (worn for 2 weeks or longer)
• Echocardiogram
• Electrophysiology study (EPS)
• Coronary angiography

If an arrhythmia is detected, various tests may be done to confirm or rule out suspected causes. EPS testing may be performed to locate the origin of the arrhythmia and determine the best treatment, especially if a pacemaker implantation or catheter ablation procedure is being considered.
Treatment
When an arrhythmia is serious, urgent treatment may be required to restore a normal rhythm. This may include intravenous medications, electrical "shock" therapy (defibrillation or cardioversion), or implanting a temporary pacemaker to interrupt the arrhythmia.
Supraventricular arrhythmias may be treated with anti-arrhythmic drugs. However, most supraventricular arrhythmias can be treated and cured with radiofrequency ablation, eliminating the need for lifelong drug therapy.
Increasingly, most ventricular tachycardias are treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). As soon as arrhythmia begins, the ICD sends a shock to terminate it, or a burst of pacing activity to override it.
Bradycardias that cause symptoms can be treated by implanting a permanent pacemaker.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outcome is dependent on several factors:

• The kind of arrhythmia -- whether it is supraventricular tachycardia, or a more dangerous arrhythmia such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, which are potentially fatal
• The overall pumping ability of the heart
• The underlying disease and its ability to be treated

With bradycardias treated with a permanent pacemaker, the outlook is usually good.
Complications

• Angina (chest pain caused by imbalance of supply and demand for oxygen in the heart muscle)
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Sudden death

Calling your health care provider
Call your provider if you develop any of the symptoms of a possible arrhythmia. Also call your provider if you have been diagnosed with an arrhythmia and your symptoms worsen or do not improve with treatment.
Prevention
Taking steps to prevent coronary artery disease may reduce your chance of developing an arrhythmia. These steps include not smoking; eating a well-balanced, low-fat diet; and exercising regularly.
Update Date: 11/6/2006 Updated by: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Adam makes no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy, reliability, completeness, currentness, or timeliness of the content, text or graphics. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007, A.D.A.M., Inc. Any dupli

yikes Jkat- that is some high number there- could it be a typo perhaps?
I think I would get it verified that someone didn't just hit a wrong or extra key when they were inputing the results.
maybe call the place where the labs were actually done and have then verify the numbers??

Or did dr say that this can happen the # being soo high?