#thyroiditis

I woke up a few days ago with a smallish goiter on the left side of my thyroid (kinda hurts, not firm feels like water balloon, has never happened before) :/ Called my endocrinologist who kinda blew it off and said to go see my gp; gp was concerned and had me redo some bloodwork and here are the pictures of the results from quest. She is also recommending I get an ultrasound of my thyroid again, but I’m waiting to hear back from her or maybe my endocrinologist if she gets the results.

I haven’t had any illnesses this month apart from my usual chronic stuff:

-hEDS

-secondary adrenal insufficiency

-psoriasis

-anxiety/depression/cptsd

Had a uti last month (treated w/macrobid)

Had to have a steroid injection in my sacroiliac joint for inflammation (hEDS) a couple months ago.

No uterus, gallbladder, tonsils or large intestine anymore, so I don’t know whether my flow would be being affected and I have constant stomach stuff, so I wouldn’t be able to say if it was being affected either :/

Only taking pristiq 100mg and some vitamins/supplements: multivitamin (with iodine in it), d3, probiotic, melatonin 5g, and magnesium glycinate 420mg

Have a family history on mother’s side if thyroid issues.

------------------------

Chapter 2 : Thyroiditis.

-----------------------

Thyroiditis:

Inflammation of the thyroid gland that it can be:

1. Acute : bacterial infection

2. Subacute : ➡ painful : Viral (De Quervain's )

➡ silent (painless) : postpartum. Autoimmune.

3. Chronic: Hashimoto's & Riedel's

4. Other: Amiodarone and thyroiditis

------------------------------

De Quervain's:

🔮 follows a viral illness.

🔮 also called : subacute granulomatous thyroiditis.

🔮 clinical features:

🎯 prodromal phase lasts few weeks : fever, flu-like illness.

🎯Transiet hyperthyroidism ➡ euthyroid state ➡ hypothyroid state.

The transiet hyperthyroidism is due to the leakage of hormones from the inflamed gland.

🎯 Painful, tender thyroid gland. Maybe enlarged

🎯 ⏬⏬ Radioiodine uptake

🎯 ⏫⏫ ESR

🔮 Treatment.

🚨 Mild symptoms : NSAIDs and Aspirin

🚨 More severe: Corticosteroids

🔮 Recovery:

Most patient have recovery within few months to 1 year.

--------------------------------------

Hashimoto thyroiditis:

🔮 Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis.

🔮 Most common cause of autoimmune thyroid disorder.

🔮 More common in women

🔮Causes:

🔆 Genetic

🔆 Antithyroid antibodies.

🔮 Clinical manifestation:

🎯 Goiter

🎯 Hypothyroidism often later in the disease.

🔮 Normal thyroid lab works unless hypothyroidism is present.

🔮 Antithyroid antibodies:

Antiperoxidase antibodies (in 90% of patients)

Antithyroglobulin antibodies (in 50% of patients)

🔮Treatment : Thyroid hormone

--------------------------------------------

Reidel thyroiditis:

🔮 Fibrous tissue replaces the thyroid tissue ➡ firm thyroid.

🔮 The fibrosis doesn't stop at the thyroid gland but it can destroy nearby tissue.

🔮 in severe cases the parathyoid, trachea and muscles, nerves fuse together into one solid fibrous mass :(

🔮 Symptoms:

🎯 Goiter (hard like a rock) ➡ pressure on surrounding structures ➡ shortness of breath & Dysphagia.

🎯 Voice hoarseness.

🎯Hypothyroidism symptoms :

Lack of energy

Constipation

Dry skin

Cold intolerance.

🔮 Diagnosis:

⏬ thyroid hormones

Enlarged gland on Ultrasound/ CT-scan / MRI

On tissue biopsy : Fibrous tissue & ⏫ T-cells & IgG 4 antibody-producing plasma cells.

🔮Treatment:

Corticosteroids

Thyroid hormone

Autoimmune diseases refer to problems with the acquired immune system’s reactions. Immune cells target the body’s own healthy tissues by mistake, signaling the body to attack them. Normally Your immune system is the network of cells and tissues throughout your body that work together to defend you from viruses, bacteria, and infection. It tries to identify, kill, and eliminate the invaders that…

I have a question to ask the trans* community, but I feel there needs to be a bit of context first. (Also, anyone in the same boat I am, or has gone through this, I'd greatly appreciate your thoughts and advice along with trans* persons.)

At around springtime of last year, my chronic depression became unbearable. I can't even begin to describe the dark, lonely, crippling depths I was in. Soon after, I would stop eating, be in a lot of pain literally everywhere, disgusting amount of weight gain, and would sleep over 18+ hours a day. And don't even ask about showering-it was too much work, and no matter what I did, ate, drank (or lack there of) everything, and I mean everything was soul crushingly exhausting. There's more, too. Brain fog so bad I basically had to give up writing because I could remember this or focus, and don't get me started on remembering what was said 5 minutes ago. And Christ Almighty, the dissociation....

But, none of this was seemingly out of the ordinary. The brain fog was probably to blame for not seeing the symptoms, but, it all just seemed like the new top score for depression.

Long story short, some sinus issues forced me to see a doctor, and he found an issue straightaway. In short, I had hypothyroidism. When the results came back, I asked my doctor to not use pandering speech and just tell me straight how bad off I was. Well. Two weeks (give or take) left to live. I had to quit my job, and stay in bed for the foreseeable future.

"Cool story bro, why do you need trans* people to weigh in on the sob story?"

Well, hormone treatment has been....brutal, to put it lightly. None of the meds seem to be working, but I'm on day 3 on another medicine that has been the only one that's ever worked for my family.

But. I know hormones are tricky, whiny little snowflakes if you even dare sneezing in their presence. They flip out, so your body does too. This I know. And I also know the constant meds shuffle hasn't helped.

But, to trans* people's and those who've had thyroidism....is there hope? For trans*, yes, I know our situations are leagues away from each other, but what we share is hormone therapy.

I can barely eat because I'm in a constant state of the worst nausea I've ever had. (probably TMI, but if my body wants to reject something by way of throwing up, trust me, it doesn't wait for nausea. So this is a bit new for me.) I'm horribly moody, and more. So for those with thyroidism and/or trans* people, I have to ask if it gets better.

I won't claim to know what hormones therapy is like for trans* folk, because I don't. (But I am curious if they have some of the same side effects I do) But I just was thinking it's all hormones in the end. Different hormones, but hormones all the same.

I don't know anymore, about anything. It's been a rough ride, and I've left out a lot of details, but, I've wrote out the pertinent information.

Does it ever get better? Easier? I've been dry heaving for two days, and it's to the point where I'm having issues sleeping at all. And so on. I guess.... I'm just looking for someone who knows what hormone treatment is like will just tell me it won't always be like this. That it'll be okay.