Thyroid issues only after wls

irishblue422
on 4/21/15 10:44 am - Tulsa

I have never had any thyroid issues, ever. Now at almost 3 months out, my dr today, found that my thyroid is enlarged.  I should have the lab work back tomorrow and she ordered a ultrasound.  Has anyone ever heard of wls causing thyroid issues?

    

HW: 336, CW: 266                    VSG on 1/23/2015

GW: 150

hollykim
on 4/21/15 11:38 am - Nashville, TN
Revision on 03/18/15
On April 21, 2015 at 5:44 PM Pacific Time, irishblue422 wrote:

I have never had any thyroid issues, ever. Now at almost 3 months out, my dr today, found that my thyroid is enlarged.  I should have the lab work back tomorrow and she ordered a ultrasound.  Has anyone ever heard of wls causing thyroid issues?

no,never. I honestly don't think it was the surgery. You were likely on the way to a thyroid problem and would have had it even if you never had surgery. It is a coincidence it is happening after you had surgery,IMHO.

 


          

 

ChristineB
on 4/21/15 11:54 am - Western 'Burbs Chgo, IL

I am with Hollykim. It has nothing to do with WLS. You have the internet because you are on this website so I suggest that you do a lot of research.

On a side note all of the females in my family have thyroid problems. I developed Graves Disease WELL after having WLS, my sister who had WLS had hypothyroid well before her WLS. WLS is no connection. I question why you are only having an ultrasound of the thyroid and not a radioactive uptake at the same time. I had those together and they caught my Graves before I wasted away to nothing. I lost close to 30# and a lot of sleep before they found Graves.

Good luck to you. It is a frustrating disease to get under control. It took a lot of blood tests to find the correct dose of Levothyroxin for me. AND as you age the levels of drug needs to go up.

 
Open RNY May 7
260/155/140 




 

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version

on 4/21/15 12:12 pm - OH

I had Graves as well, but until they know what her levels are -- the thyroid might be enlarged due to cancer or something rather than because of hyperactivity -- they certainly don't want to blindly destroy part of it.

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

ChristineB
on 4/21/15 12:37 pm - Western 'Burbs Chgo, IL
On April 21, 2015 at 7:12 PM Pacific Time, ****rogirl, The PhD Version wrote:

I had Graves as well, but until they know what her levels are -- the thyroid might be enlarged due to cancer or something rather than because of hyperactivity -- they certainly don't want to blindly destroy part of it.

While I can appreciate what you are saying about why the thyroid is enlarged ( I had a full panel of blood work that called for other tests) . . . and if I am reading this correctly - I need to mention that my doctor did not "blindly destroy part of it" The Graves was discovered after the uptake, he ruled out any other cause - then he suggested a radioactive treatment to kill off my thyroid. Yes, I am hypoactive now but controlled with Levothyroxin and regular blood work. Her doctor should have first ordered a full thyroid panel.

Just my opinion and what I went through. I lived through hell for almost a year before the Graves diagnosis. I was accused by my husband of taking too many naps and that was why I slept when getting off of work - evening - night - being wide awake at 2am - practically sleeping at my desk at work at 10am or other times. The uptake is a measurement of thyroid function and is a very useful tool.

Sorry, but you struck me with a finger pointing at me and this was a time of great hurt in my life. (and do not tell me to put my big girl panties on) Blood work reads a lot to direct a physician to go.

 
Open RNY May 7
260/155/140 




 

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version

on 4/21/15 1:31 pm - OH

Yes, I understand all of that.  I, too, spent close to a year with all sorts of out of control things happening before they diagnosed the problem.  But that's my point... You and I already had our lab results and knew that the problem was Graves.  The OP doesn't even know that her levels are elevated yet -- just that the thyroid is enlarged -- and it is completely premature at that point to schedule an uptake.

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version

on 4/21/15 12:22 pm, edited 4/21/15 12:23 pm - OH

No, I have never heard of any relationship between the two.  An enlarged thyroid can be caused by a number of things, but I have never read of anything being related to a vitamin deficiency which would be the way a change to your digestive system would impact the endocrine system (but with a sleeve, you don't have any vitamin malabsorption, so that significantly lessens that possibility).

If your thyroid is enlarged because of Graves Disease (which is what I had years before my RNY), however, it is possible that your surgery is indirectly involved.  Graves often comes on after a time of intense physical or emotional stress.  Clearly, having WLS (and the body trying to heal from surgery when your food intake is so limited) is a huge stress on the body, so that might have acted as a trigger.

Once you know what the cause of the enlargement is, though, you could ask the doctor what caused it (if it is something where they know the cause).

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

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