I developed an overactive thyroid about a year ago after a period of severe stress. My symptoms included a painful goiter and difficulty speaking without coughing. Blood tests performed led my doctor to tentatively diagnose me with Hashimoto's.

Several months later (March- June of this yer) new symptoms appeared, including hot spells, rapid heartrate, breathing and speech difficulties,severe insomnia and muscle weakness. I went to the ER when I developed a fever. I lost 12 pounds that week despite increased appetite. Tests revealed a mass in my thyroid and one in my thymus, but I was not made aware of this, and the follow-up endocrinologist apparently did not look at this information. He told me that it appeared I just had reoccuring thyroiditis, and advised me to simply monitor my symptoms for two months.

I continued to have insomnia, a feeling of something in my throat accompanied by some throat pain and even pain into my left ear. I have soreness/tiredness in the muscles at the nape of my neck. However, I do not have a goiter anything like I had previously, my rapid heartrate has disappeared, and weight loss has not been an issue. Still, last week's TSH/Free T4 tests (I went to a new doctor) show my thyroid remain about the same (overactive), and that my thyroid, though smaller than before, remains enlarged.

I am scheduled for a thyroid dye test next week, and a PET scan the following week. I am preparing for the worst, but am not sure what my symptoms are indicating, as they are all over the place. Is it common for an individual to have a wide variety of symptoms? What causes the variations and even the periods of seemingly no symptoms in between? Why would the thyroid AND thymus have masses- what is the relationship between the glands that would lead to this? I have not had a biopsy- should I have had one? What should happen next in my tests and treatment?