Thyroid Problem

colleen10 · Jun 17, 2004

Hi Clara,

Don't want to speculate too much but the information you have from tests could be any number of different things. Looks like your values are normal except for your TSH which is a bit high.

If you do not have any sypmtoms of a Thyroid Disorder such as Hypo or Hyper- Thyroidism then you could have nodules on your Thyroid which can be quite common and not indicative of a major disease.

I know it's hard but try not to worry too much until you get to the Doctor's. A friend of mine had Thyroid nodules which needed to be biopsied. She had no sypmtoms and they were palpated during a typical doctors examination. She had to have a ultra sound and then a biopsy and they turned out to be nothing but an over growth.

Depending on what you have, I'm quite sure you can most certainly continue your plan of going into nursing. You have the rest of the summer to figure out what is wrong and if you do have Hyper or Hypo-thyroidism, time to get it under control.

Good luck and I wish you the best.

AcosmicRN · Jun 18, 2004

I don't even see where the TSH is high, but both books I have indicate the test in mU/ml (2-10 mU/ml) but the guide in my PDA shows it as WNL.(0.4-6 mU/ml). I'd bet its just a benign growth being that it's WNL and asymptomatic.

Even so, like you say, she has the whole summer to correct it. A thyroid problem wouldn't keep someone out of nursing, I wouldn't think. I wouldn't think it would even fail them in a pre-nursing physical. But that's just my opinion.

Acosmic

EarthChild1130 · Jun 18, 2004

I have hypothyroidism, and it has not presented any problems for me at all. I was diagnosed last year, and have since gotten it under control with Synthroid, and all is well! In fact, I just had my bloodwork done again and it was totally WNL!

I would be willing to bet it's just a nodule, as the other posts have said. Good luck in nursing school! :)

J Lynn · Jun 18, 2004

My sister also has Hypothyroidism and is on Synthroid. She had nodules removed last year.....turn out to be cancer. She's fine now. She was in nursing school at the time. Now she has to get bloodwork done on a regular basis. Let us know what the Dr. says.

kfry · Jun 18, 2004

I am also going back for my second degree in nursing, and during my physical they also discovered that I have Hashimoto's disease, which is a type of hypothyroidism. It's not a problem at all. Just a little inconvenienced at having to take Synthroid at the same time everyday for the rest of my life :)

Don't presume too much before you are diagnosed by a doctor. You will drive yourself crazy!

Hypothyroidism is very common in women, and alot of women go undiagnosed if no signs and symptoms are observed.

Good luck in school!

LeashRN · Jun 18, 2004

I have Hypothyroidism also and am taking Armour thyroid, my doc has a strong dislike of Synthroid and the company that manufactures it (they falsifyed results of their clinical trials for this drug and have just paid large fines to the FDA regarding those trials - why it is still being scripted my endocrinologist does not know). I am a nursing student in my second year and have no problems.

It looks to me that your T3 is low (depending whether the test was a "free" or an "uptake" - an important difference). Depending on the diagnosis for the enlarged right side of your thyroid, which could be the cause of abnormal levels, all thyroid probelms seem to be treatable - keep listening to your doc but do your own research too.

Good luck in school - it's hard work but so worth it.

Rhoresmith · Jun 18, 2004

My daughter (17) had a TSH of 31 and they did not understand how she even raised her head off the pillow but she was functioning (found this in the middle of a terrible Migraine cycle) One student in my school now was diagnosed just this March and she was a little more tired than normal but who knows what normal is once you are a nursing student haha, My daughter takes Synthroid and it took a little time to get the levels adjusted but should not keep you out of school. Come here if you get worried and we will [{(hrjang)}] give you a squeeze and listen

CHATSDALE · Jun 18, 2004

I have worked w/many nurses who have had problems with thyroid one way or another....did not effect work in that I could see...what other symptoms are you having....take good care of your self...and keep informed

Rep · Jun 18, 2004

Hi Clara!

Twelve years ago, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The tumor was removed. And I am ok eversince. I was able to find a job as a nurse even with a past medical history of cancer. Don't worry, you live in a country with advanced medical technology that could help you deal with the problem you are facing now.

With prayer for your good health.

Rep,

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2004

My daughter (17) had a TSH of 31 and they did not understand how she even raised her head off the pillow but she was functioning (found this in the middle of a terrible Migraine cycle) One student in my school now was diagnosed just this March and she was a little more tired than normal but who knows what normal is once you are a nursing student haha, My daughter takes Synthroid and it took a little time to get the levels adjusted but should not keep you out of school. Come here if you get worried and we will [{(hrjang)}] give you a squeeze and listen

Rhoresmith- I can identify and sympathize with your daughter!

When my hypothyroidism was discovered, my tsh was 57. Every movement was an effort. I was diagnosed at age 13. My thyroid failed when I was 7. I basically grew up without a functioning thyroid, and have many related problems as an adult.

(((((((hugs)))))))) to you and your daughter!

The OP's tsh level is low, not high. This is indicative of hyperthyroidism. Her doc will have to dx the cause and present tx options.

I went to nursing school w/ a girl who had hyperthyroidism. She got the readioactive iodine tx to destroy her thyroid tissue. This causes hypothyroid in the pt, and the pt then takes replacment thyroid hormones, such as Synthroid or Armour. This is standard tx for my classmate's type of thyroid disease, and she is doing fine.

Bush Sr. and Barbara Bush both have the Grave's Disease form of hyperthyroidism, and they were treated without problems.

NurseChick · Jun 20, 2004

When I was 17, I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease or hyperthyroidism. I also drank the radioactive iodine and have taken synthroid ever since. I go in for yearly bloodwork to monitor it. If you ever have to have your dose changed, they will wait for about 6 weeks before they do another blood test because it takes awhile for everything to get evened out again.

I have also been asking for a copy of my bloodwork. I had been going to a Nurse Practitioner for several years because she is in the town that I live in, so I started having her do my bloodwork. Every year after she got my results back, she would ask if I was feeling ok. I was, so I always said yes. About that same time I also found my birthmother, (I'm adopted) and she has hypothyroidism. She is the one that told me I should get copies of my labwork. Well, when I did, I noticed that one of the results had an asterik by it and it said "low". I then went back to my regular MD just to have a second opinion and he did a repeat lab and then decreased my dosage down 50mcg. He said it wasn't really that much, but it makes your heart beat just a little faster if you're on a higher dose, and that isn't necessary. He also said that not everyone understands what the difference between a 'High" value and a "Low" value mean. If the value on your labwork says "high", it means your pituitary gland is sending out a lot of signals for your body to send in the thyroid hormone which means that your thyroid is low and you need a boost, so you are hyp"O"thyroid. If your value says "low" it means that your pituitary gland is not sending out much of a signal for thyroid hormone because it already has enough, so you need a decrease in your med or you are hyp"ER"thyroid.

When I was younger and had first started on my thyroid pills, the Dr. told me that if I miss a dose one day, I should take 2 doses the next. I asked my Dr. that I have now about that and he said that since the medicine is rather slow to absorb into your system, that it wasn't necessary to take 2 doses the next day if you missed a dose. That's not to say that you should be lax in taking your meds, but it's not an end of the world type thing if you do miss a dose.