Thyroid issues only after wls

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.

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.

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.

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.

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