OT--Thyroid Uptake Scan | Arthritis Information

So the nurse from GP called and said ALL my thyroid bloodwork was fine (not sure if they did antibodies...need to ask that) but that the scan found "several nodules" that are "probably benign" but they want to do a thyroid uptake scan just in case. Glad I had researched it or I'd be freaking out. I'm just sort of glad I'm not getting the needle in the neck treatment at this point. She hurried me so much and mainly wanted to know what hospital/facility I wanted her to schedule with. She is going to call me back with a time. I will remember to ask her about the rest of it when she calls back!

I didn't take plaq. this morning and I still feel like i have a cold/virus and achey but I feel SO much better. My body did not take to plaq. I talked to the nurse briefly and her opinion was to lay off the mobic but I did that for 2 days and ache so much now, no more! I took it last night and none this morning and no plaq and was expecting stomach pain after lunch but felt fine

And yay I just got some work. Sounds weird but I need something to occupy my mind while i wait for her to call back.

So I will type this and then no more thinking about thyroids until I am at home. :)

They DID NOT do a T3, T4, or antibodies. Argh!

I am scheduled for Monday, which is the same day as my oral surgeon's appt that I have waited FOREVER for. Now I am worried this test will make me late for that one. It starts at 10 but it sounds like I have to be radioactivized a few hours in advance? My oral surgeon appt is at 2:45. I called to see if I could still have x-rays after this scan and they said yes and if I rescheduled it would be another month. So I will reschedule the scan if I have to, because i have been waiting to decide re biologics based on

Nurse is faxing the report to my parents house, i will get it later tonight. It had the words "complex" "Multi" and nodules but also "probably benign" in it. Blarg. Must work. No more thyroid googling.

Katie,

I have had thyroid nodules for 15 or more years. They are typically benign and have changed little over the years. I am on a levoxyl which the doctors have increased the dosage over the years. It is very common to have more than 1 autoimmune disease. I was just at my endocrinologist's office last week and we had a chuckle because I have the big three: Thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes and now RA. Out of the three, I'd settle for the thyroid one because it is the easiest to manage. Really, take a deep breath and they aren't lying to you. Most nodules are benign. My mother and sister both had thyroid cancer and theirs were removed (over 20 years ago) and they are doing great. Please don't stress over this as it could make managing your ra harder. Good luck to you and keep posting your concerns...hiking_gal

Thanks! The annoying part is that I feel like I'm being choked. But my son now has croup so I wonder if I have a voicebox infection too? Anyway the report says I have "3 small hypoechoic nodules under 5 mm in size" scattered in the right lobe, and a "complex but well marginated lesion" in the left lobe that is 8x4x4. I read where hypoechoic is not good, and complex is not good, but "all nodules have benign imaging characteristics and tehre is no abnormal color-flow to either lobe." Thyroid is "upper normal size" and the report says to "consider thyroid scan with uptake to evaluate function." So I guess that's what I'm doing. I'm upset though because I think I have to reschedule...the doctor gave me no heads up on what this would entail, I looked up the instructions on the hospital's website, and it talks about taking the iodine stuff, coming back 4 hours later for 45 minutes, and also having to return the next day. All of this would have been good to know! It sounds like I would probably miss my oral surgeon appointment if I go as scheduled. Will handle it tomorrow.

Thanks for your post. :) My dad has some sort of thyroid condition where he takes synthroid maybe this will inspire him to learn what condition he has! I think it may be regular hypo though and not hashimotos? Dunno. We shall see. I am not too stressed but well stressd some. Will take deep breaths. Just don't need more doctor's visits and copays and prescriptions but oh well.

Katie - my thyroid problems started in 1990 when I flew out of Alaska to the University of Washington to try to find some medical help, and three nodules were found via palpation. I had the uptake test, and it confirmed Hashimoto's. I too had a slight choking, swallowing problem in the beginning, but it went away. Then suddenly 12 years later I had to have a total thyroidectomy as my thyroid had developed into a goiter that pushed into my throat instead of out like you think of goiters. Your thyroid is like a butterfly and one wing was cutting straight across my feeding tube, the other wing had wrapped around my breathing tube. No wonder I was choking and couldn't breathe. I never felt better after the surgery and four years later was finally diagnosed with RA. I call our thyroid our canaries so don't be freaked out, but be sure you find out why you are choking. Thanks! And I'm glad to hear you were dx by a scan. From what I have read I am confused as to why they are doing that instead of FNA, I wasn't sure that you could dx Hashimotos with a scan. Not that I want FNA! Right now I am at the point where I can't even imagine wearing a turtle neck, I think I would freak out. Not really, but I wore my winter coat up around my neck this morning and it really really bugged me. Kept it on because i was cold but couldn't wait to take it offEvery time my thyroid level goes out of wack usually just up a little that is the first thing I notice is that my throat fill full, I can't wear high necks etc. My thyroid level has to by on the close to hyper side for me to feel my best so we are all different and you just have to find a spot that feel good to you and hopefully a doc that will listen and treat you based on how you feel not just what your test say.

GOOD LUCK

Katie, You need to see an Endo ASAP. DR Why are you using a GP for this? Well because I wasn't sure what was wrong. I felt ill the past few weeks, and I had tightness in my throat. I really didn't know if it was lymph nodes/strep/voice box/thyroid. Now that thyroid is implicated, I am going to schedule with an endo. Unfortunately the word on the street is that there is one that's great for diabetes and the rest don't have stellar reputations (maybe not bad; just not well known in community?) I will start with the diabetes guy and may end up at Vandy, but would prefer not to.Katie G take a deep breath and try bot to worry so much. I too have had trouble with thyroid. I take synthroid and 2 years ago to have thyroid taken out due to a nodule on the isthimus he only took out that part and then a year later have nodules on one of my lobes they call my condition hoshimotos and they keep a watch on it to see if it grows. I didn't have to do the intake I had ultra sound and a biopsy. Good luck with it all. It will be ok. I know what you mean about having trouble swallowing but they said it was due to acid reflux and so I just let it go. And Hashimoto's is a localized autoimmune disease, not systemic like RA. So I am excited about the prospect that some of my fatigue may be caused by being hypothyroid (is that possible with 1.9 TSH tho?) I am EXHAUSTED so much of the time. Just fight it constantly.

Anyway I tried to schedule with the diabetes specialist, but he takes referrals only, AND does not do thyroids. His receptionist referred me to a doctor in North Georgia, but I called her office, and they are also referral-only. I don't know what it is with this town and endos. Anyway, looks like I'll have to bother with another visit to the GP after my test results are back, to get a referral, or will have to convince them to do it over the phone.

Katie- was that test TSH -3rd generation? Mine was 4.92 but I don't know what normal is. I have been complaining about fatigue forever!I don't know! I don't think I've heard that term before...I think 4.92 is pretty high (eg could indicate hypothyroid). 1.9 is lower, closer to normal or even hyperthyroid. But I guess you have to have T3 and T4 for the whole story....
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