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DEN53

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Sachs | 13:33 Fri 12th Feb 2010 | Body & Soul
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Just read your comment there about feeling bitter not knowing thyroid contributed to osteo. Could you have changed that outcome though? I have thyroid x
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Afternoon Sachs - sorry just seen your post - been food shopping.

I had an over active thyroid from the age of 10 - came of medication at the age of 15 and was fine up until I reached 39 then went over active again. I was offered a dexa scan around the age of 45, thats when it was found I had osteoporosis in my spine. I also did have a hysterectomy at the age of 42, which I suppose also did'nt help.

With an overactive thyroid, obviously this works on the metabolism which is excelerated. I was told that even though I was on medication to control the thyroid, this still would have an effect on my bones. I had my thyroid gland removed 4 years ago, and if I would have know how well I have felt since the operation, I would have had this done years ago. It took a couple of years to get the thyroxine medication at the right level - I take 100mcg and then 75mcg on alternate days.

Mind you I wasn't offered the operation on the NHS they wanted me to have the radioactive treatment, in fact the consultant kept phoning me at home trying to persuade me, it was like he was trying to sell me a set of double glazed windows - it was that persistant.

I found a surgeon privately and went ahead and have never regretted.

Could having known sooner prevented it - I am not sure Sachs, but if I had had that knowledge I perhaps could have taken some precautions.
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Hi DEN,
I'm amazed! You were just 10? I honestly think, when you have a thyroid complaint, you automatically gain joint problems. You were only 10 when it started, an important time for growth. Were you o.k between then and 15? Did you suffer phsychologically? Do you have nail problems? Sensitivity to light? I think you're probably right regards the hysterectomy not helping. Did you suffer exopthalmus ( bulging eyes ) I had a thyroidectomy in the late 70s and have been on thyroxine ever since. I would say phsychologically it knocked a lot of confidence out of me. I have just had my thyroxine dose lowered from 175mg to 150. I struggle with tiredness , light sensitivity in the summer & joint pain.
Hi Sachs - from the age of 10 up until I was 15 I was on medication and that seemed to control the thyroid. It was also discovered when I was 15 that I had Gilberts Syndrome - an inherited condition (yellowing whites of eyes and raised billirubin levels). I know what you mean about the confidence being knocked - I felt that I was always ill - I was offered a modelling contract when I was 18 but did'nt have the confidence to continue with it.

I also had lots of problems with my teeth - I was plagued with tooth abcesses - in fact I lost my first front tooth when I was 18 - I was devasted - I had bridge work done a couple of years later.

I think having a thyroid problem, even if is controlled, does throw up all sorts of health problems, I am only beginning to understand this now. I also had endometriosis and must have had it for years - I did'nt have my son until I was 35 and then I had problems with the birth. Hence the hysterectomy.

I never had the bulging eyes though - thank god - yellow bulging eyes would'nt have been a good look (:0( - I do have to wear my sunglasses a lot more now though. My optician also keeps checking my eyes as one eye is an oval shape, apparently instead of round and I have an enlarged nerve at the back of my eye.

I also seem to take ages to get over a common cold - I feel completely washed out for at least 3 weeks.

Apart from a breast lump when I was 30 - I am fine ...................god reading this back, I may eat that bar of galaxy I have just bought.
devastated ^^^^ - I also can't spell
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lol! Eat it! x
I 'did' have the bulging eyes! You can imagine! I was in my teens, it had a devastating effect on me & I did something stupid. I couldn't cope with the remarks. Anyway, after medication, slowly things returned to relative normality. I too have had teeth problems. I find the tiredness thing my biggest hurdle, it annoys me x
how old are you now Sachs? I am 54. Have you had a dexa scan for your bones.?
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51 DEN,
I have had a bone density test & things seem o.k so far. I am aware things could change though & I will keep an eye on it. By the way, did any of your blood family suffer with auto immune disease/ thyroid? My mum had thyroid & her mum a goitre. My brother at 54 has just had a momentary lapse with an overactive thyroid where his weight plumetted! That was scary! He was treated and has since stabalised & come off treatment!
The hospital kept asking me that Sachs - did anyone in the family have thyroid problems and no they did'nt. I seem to be the only one (lucky me). They do say it can be a stress related problem as well.

Even though I was born and spend my early life in the East End of London we did move to Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire to a brand new house, my Dad got a job a Vauxhall in Luton. I absolutely loved it there. It was still very rural at that time, a child's dream. My Mum hated it there and we moved to Barking with a view to going back to the East End, but my Mum liked it in Barking and we stayed. We actually moved on my 8th birthday - I hated it. I went from a happy outgoing child to a withdrawn one. Whether this contributed towards the thyroid problem, we will never know. I am also an only child and bore the brunt of my Mum & Dad's constant arguing and fighting, perhaps this also contributed.

I think Sachs, by you having your thyroid removed at that young age, has actually protected you from Osteoporosis. I would'nt think you would have any problems with your bones now.

I also went for the operation because the palputations were getting worse and the radio active scan revealed quite a lot of nodules on my glands, which they could'nt tell if it was cancerous. Fortunately it proved negative.
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I think you're right DEN,
it's possible that stress/ shock could have brought your condition on. I'm really sorry, you've been through so much! Was your son routinely heel pricked for the condition when born?
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I'd love sqad to have an input here. I would like to know his views on thyroid & the osteoporosis link.
Sachs - my son did have his heel pricked at birth - but I think thats just for the vitamin K deficiency. Funnily enough Sachs - when I was diagnosed with the thyroid I was referred to the London Hospital, Whitechapel under a Dr. Jackson and consultant Mr. Stewart-Mason - which the young Dr. Sqad was a junior doctor. So quite possibly he may have examined me or been at one of the lectures, that I got paid to attend for the med students. How spooky is that.
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Hi DEN,
both my children had the heel prick and I was told it was to test them for thyroid!
That's a strange coincidence regards sqad. DEN, want to thank you for your thoughts!! xxx
To think I may have had the young Sqad feeling my bumps - ha ha ha

Been nice talking Sachs. Speak again soon
Love Den xx
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Speak soon DEN xxx
Sachs......there is an association between hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid) and osteoporosis....scientific fact. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) no such scientific link.

Hypothyroidism and stress...no scientific link, but in my opinion it is stress related.

DEN mentioned Dr Stewart Mason who was the Endocrinologist at the London Hospital under who I was a junior.....HOWEVER....of more importance, he had a brother who ran an off licence in Greek Street Soho and I worked for him part -time at nights and weekends for pocket money, delivering drinks in a wheelbarrow to the seedy joints of Soho.

That is my main claim to fame.
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LOL!!
I'm just picturing that sqad! What a colourful life you've had! Thanks for your input! x
Sachs - Sqad has more colourful tales to tell about his time at the London Hospital. I think he should write his autobiography.
Apologies for butting in!!

The worst thing for me (my thyroid was removed because of cancer) is what they don't tell you.

My op was done at one hospital and my care (endocrine part) passed to another. Although the hospital that did the op had the necessary ENT dept it didn't have an endocrine, so they told me about swelling and stitches and further tests but didn't mention anything else.

Within one month I had two ops to remove the thyroid was passed to another hospital and got ready for the radioactive iodine.
When after two goes of this they found it hadn't worked I was passed back to the other hospital for a further more radical operation.

I was told about anything they felt I could sue about and nothing else!!

I have numb ears, neck, chest down to top of boobs. I can't feel hot or cold on those areas either. Muscle problems with shoulder and neck. Extremely tight scarring (ear to ear).

I have found that my skin had gone from combination to really oily, hair which was curly is now fairly straight and the weight gain (Horrendous!!).

But out of all of it I agree with Sachs the tiredness is the worst. My energy levels sometimes are almost zero.

Sorry for rambling on and hijacking your thread xx
Evening Chickadee - this sounds terrible - have the hospital discharged you ? the numbness sounds like nerve damage, did the hospital not offer any explanation ?
I am assuming you are taking thyroxine - perhaps the levels are not quite right yet and this would account for the tiredness Chicky. My levels took 2 years to get riight. I also had extreme tiredness.

Did they damage your parathyroid when they operated. These are the size of a grain of rice and sit behind the thyroid gland and quite often can get damaged with this operation. They normally do warn you before the op. This affects the calcium levels.

You should not be suffering like this Chicky - how long ago was your op. ?
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Chickadee,
I'm really sorry to hear that x The treatment you were given is awful! Did you sue?

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