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Q: Enlarged Thyroid

asked by: Girrly on October 30th, 2004

Experienced User

Hey girls,

i went to the Dr. Yesterday for my first pre-natal. This is my second pregnancy. I didn't have any major problems with my first. However this time when he checked my blood pressure not only was it a bit high my heart rate was super high. He checked my thyroid and said it felt like it might be enlarged but he wasn't sure because the skin on my neck could just be really thick. He took my blood pressure again a couple of minutes later and my heart rate when down a bit and he said "that's much better". This is what scared me. I asked him what it could be and he said "we'll see if its anything first before we go into that" I mean i'd like to know. And then the lady that took my blood. I asked her when the results would be in and she said tuesday or wednesday. Then she went on to say "no news is good news". I know that is pretty obvious with anybody who gets blood tests. Unless its a pregnancy test and your hoping for the better. I looked up on the internet and found some websites that say its common for pregnant women to get englared thyroids. I also went to see the symptoms of graves disease and I have a couple including the fast heart rate and hair loss.

My question is did anybody else ever have an enlarged thyroid during pregnancy? And if so how did they treat it? I don't think I can wait till tuesday or wednesday. So if anybody has any advice or knows of anything i'd appreciate and answer.

Replies(9)

melanie18058

replied on October 30th, 2004

New User

I have hypothyroidism......Its kinda like slow metabolism. There are 2 types.... The other is hyperthyroidism and that is kinda like fast metabolism. I was diagnosed about 3 yrs ago. The way I found out was cuz I gained a whole bunch of weight in a little period of time and my hair was thinning a little bit and I was always tired. If it turns out that you do have a thyroid problem, they will put you on a thyroid hormone like synthroid and monitor your blood every month for medication reasons. If it continues after you have the baby then you most likely will have to take pills for it for the rest of your life (like me).

Girrly

replied on October 31st, 2004

Experienced User

Hey thanks for the reply

i was just wondering. When you found out you had it we're you pregnant or was it before you got pregnant?

And did it come back in a blood test or did you have to do the ultrasound? I have to do both but i'm hoping it comes back in the blood test because that is already done. I'd have to wait almost a month for the ultrasound.

Thanks for the reply I appreciate it.

melanie18058

replied on October 31st, 2004

New User

I found out while I wasnt pregnant. They didnt find it with blood tests, so I had to get an ultrasound. Do you know if anyone in your family has a thyroid disease? I inherited mine from my mother but she had the opposite, she had hyper, where she lost alot of weight. My advice to you, if you do have a thyroid problem, eat real healthy during ur pregnancy, dont go overboard with junk cuz if it turns out to be hypo, you could have a hard time losing the weight after the baby.

Girrly

replied on November 1st, 2004

Experienced User

Thanks mel,

looks like I might have to wait until the ultrasound. I'm now hoping that's what i'll have to do. I'd rather that then something more serious maybe turn up in the blood test. Nobody in my family has a thyroid problem. I don't think I had one before I got pregnant because I was able to lose weight fairly easy and I didn't gain lots of weight. It all started when I got pregnant. I noticed more hair falling out when I was washing. I haven't even gained that much weight. I gained more quicker with my first pregnancy. I think what made the dr check was the heart rate. Hopfully I just have thick skin around my neck and my heart rate was fast because i'm in terrible shape and the Dr. Office is on the second floor. That would be the best answer.

I'll keep you posted if I hear anything back from the blood test this week.
Thanks again
steph.

Girrly

replied on November 30th, 2004

Experienced User

Mel,

or anybody else who has had this.

My test results for the blood came back normal. But I went in for the ultrasound yesterday and the results said that my thyroid was indeed enlarged. They now want me to take the blood test over again. And then they said they'd do further testing from there. If anybody as been in this situation could they tell me what kind of other testing they do? Like is it going to be a biopsy or what? I'm kind of getting nervous now.

Thanks
steph

mommax3

replied on November 30th, 2004

Extremely eHealthy

melanie18058 wrote:

i found out while I wasnt pregnant. They didnt find it with blood tests, so I had to get an ultrasound. Do you know if anyone in your family has a thyroid disease? I inherited mine from my mother but she had the opposite, she had hyper, where she lost alot of weight. My advice to you, if you do have a thyroid problem, eat real healthy during ur pregnancy, dont go overboard with junk cuz if it turns out to be hypo, you could have a hard time losing the weight after the baby.

sorry, don;t want to change the subject... But I want the hyperthyroid, I need to lose some of this baby weight!!!!! Embarassed

l2at24

replied on November 30th, 2004

Extremely eHealthy

Thinking the same thing here. :d

melanie18058

replied on November 30th, 2004

New User

The other test that I can think that they would do is this thing where you have to go to the hospital and take a radioactive dye pill and they xray your thyroid, but in your case, since you are pregnant, you might not be able to do that. I dont know of anything else, cuz thats as far as they went, testing wise, with me. Hope that helps girl! Any other questions, just give me a shout. Good luck!

Girrly

replied on November 30th, 2004

Experienced User

Hey,

thanks mel

i read up on hypothyroidism and apparently in the early stages of it when you go in for the tsh blood test the levels can be normal. As they were with me. My Dr. Wants me to go in for another tsh test i'm going to assume thats because he wants to see if the level has dropped. So maybe that is all that is wrong with me. I was talking to my mom and apparently my dad (he is old) just remembered that when he was younger he was diagnosed with an englarged thyroid. He went to see a specialist and they told him that it was nothing and he's been fine since then. If I have any other questions i'll give you a shout.
Thanks again

steph

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