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 Dear Karen,
in 1985 I suffered from graves disease I was on neomercazole until 1995,when they took me opff it because it looked like I had beaten the disease, they said I would eventually have b12 deficiency and raynoids.Each year I have my thyroid checked and it shows tsh normal,what I am concerned about is that icannot handle cold windy weather and I also get ringing buzzing ears.
I literly feel like my blood is freezing if there is a southerly blowing,I did not have any specific tests for raynoids so how do they know that I would suffer faynoids disease?My last tsh test was 1.8 normalis between 0.4 and 4.0
I suffer panicattacksand very tight nmusclesI am 50 year old and am wondering I could be slighly underactive even though the doctor sain it is normal I have lost weight not put it on.
Thank you for any advice you can give me.
Answer Dear Scenter_rose, Raynaud's Disease (proper spelling) is an autoimmune disease and so is Grave's Disease... Once a person is diagnosed with an autoimmune disease it is entirely possible for more than one autoimmune disease to come about....
As for having an underactive thyroid, I seriously doubt that, since having had Grave's Disease, you would be MORE prone to having an OVERACTIVE thyroid since that is basically what Grave's causes.... This would hold true too, based on the fact that you are LOOSING WEIGHT and not gaining weight....
Unfortunately, thyroid blood work such as TSH tests are NOT a one size fits all... Since TSH is produced by the Pituitary gland, this does not mean that your thyroid is working properly.... The thyroid gland produces T3 and T4, NOT the TSH.... I am and know people who have normal thyroid hormones and TSH levels who have had Hashimoto's Disease, Grave's Disease, thyroid cancer, and thyroid nodules/cysts/masses..... Their/my condition is just NOT severe enough to change the blood test results, but still suffer from thyroid complications.... So, blood tests are NOT conclusive and doctors, such as mine, have found out that they need to pay more attention to the complaints/symptoms of the patient and NOT the blood test results....
Therefore, your doctor needs, I feel, to run more tests to see if your Grave's Disease has/is returning and pay more attention to your symptoms and treat the symptoms....
