About Karen Brawner Expertise I will answer any questions you have regarding the thyroid whether it be cancer, cysts (types), hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, blood tests for thyroid problems, surgery, fine needle biopsies etc...
Experience My complex cysts on my right thyroid gland and the isthmus were found my accident when my doctor thought I was having a TIA. The ultrasound found a complex cysts the size of a golf ball (which turned out to be the size of a tennis ball when it was surgically remove). Doctors were totally surprised because for 5 years, including the day I went to surgery, all of my thyroid blood work was "within the normal range". So much for blood work being conclusive..
Question Good Morning,
I have just been told i have Hypothyroidism and im a little
confused as to what it all means, i am 28 and i was trying to
have a baby, but was not ovulating, i have two children, aged 2
and 7months.
i am unable to see a specalist untill march 7th and i dont want to
spend the next 3 week worrying about it, i wanted to know what
are the standard "normal" levels?, how serious is it? will i be able
to get pregnant again? how long will it take to get my levels
regulated to the "norm"? will i lose weight and my symptoms
disapear as soon as my levels return to normal?will i be on
tablets and tested for the rest of my life?
im sorry for so many questions, im very confused about what
hypothyroidism involves.
Thank you for your help
Answer Dear Felicity, I can't tell you what the normals are for the lab that your doctor used to diagnose your hypothyroidism be ALL labs have different normals and probably your specialist will even have a different lab that he/she uses and this is why it is SO important that you stick with the specialist once you see him/her and that way each time you have to have blood work, your doctor will be able to compare it with prior blood work and know that the same lab is being used and the results will be more accurate....
As for how serious hypothyroidism is, it is NOT life threatening, but it can cause all types of problems like infertility, body matabolism, and problems with the other endocrine gland functions... The specialist will be able to explain all of this and should even give you pamphlets etc...
I don't know if you will be able to get prgnant again, but the specialist can help you with that question.. It may be more of a FEMALE thing (clock has already stopped), but the specialist and maybe even a fertility specialist working together may be able to help.....
As for how long it will take to get your thyroid hormone levels back to normal, this could be weeks, months or even 1-2 years.... This is why it is VERY important to stick to all the appointments that you are given, take your medication when you are suppose to and NOT miss any doses..
There is NO GUARANTEE that you will loose weight or that other symptoms will go away, but it is up to you to eat and proper diet, avoid things that you would normally if you were actually dieting and if the symptoms don't settle down, you need to tell the doctor....
YES, you will be on medication for the rest of your life...
