Thyroid Removal - anyone here have it done?

[sandygirl]

I have graves Disease {form of auto-immune hyperthyroid}. My two options I'm looking at at total/partial removal of my thyroid vs. remaining on methimazole for the rest of my life.

Just wondering if anyone here has had their thyroid removed due to hyperthyroid, and how it went for them. How pleased were you with the results?

[cheynesnana]

Hi... I'm fairly new here and just ran across your message. I also have Graves Disease. I however, did not have my thyroid removed.. instead they gave me radioactive iodine to basically kill the thyroid. So I guess it's essentially the same.. it doesn't work anymore.. I take a thyroid pill everyday.. and will for the rest of my life.. which is fine once you get the dosage tweaked correctly. The only drawback is that once the thyroid is dead.. or gone... you gain weight very easily.. which is not my favorite side effect.. lol. Once they got everything the way it should be... I haven't had a problem since. I hope that helped and if there's anything else I can help with.. please let me know.. :)

[MrsPinecone]

One of the mods on my baby board just had the same radiation treatment for Grave's Disease. She's recuperating right now.

[MaryMary]

For the last 3-6 years a procedure called ablation became more common. Under ultrasound they insert an electrode delivering extreme cold or heat very precisely to the affected areas and killing bad cells. It doesn't require a full blown surgery with general anesthesia, an outpatient procedure under light sedation and without much of incision. People tolerate it better and recovere much faster then from old fashion surgery.

[blueroses]

I had hypothyroidism with four nodules and had my thyroid removed in 1999. I sincerely regret it, worst thing I ever went thru. I recently had some neck pain and the doc took xrays of my neck and I found out I have approx 20 surgical clips in my neck. They are all going different ways and the doc said, boy you had no idea what they did to you huh?
A year after my thyroid removal I came down with cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, I was 30 yrs old and they still don't know why I got it. I just know I was fine before the thyroid surgery.
I wish I would have just stuck with taking my snythroid, I need to take it the rest of my life anyhow. I would NOT do the surgery unless you had thyroid cancer.
HTH

[blte]

Just found this thread -- I also had Graves disease, had my thyroid removed in 1993 when I was 18 beacuse they could not do anything to get my medicaine adjusted correctly. Felt great until 2000, started gaining weight, didn't feel right again. Turns out the thyroid came back!! (not sure if this is exactly what happened, but it's how it was explained to me) I guess this does happen in a small percentage of patients.

So I was going to have the surgery again, but the day before it got canceled because my blood pressure was sky high, and they ended up recommending the radioactive iodine. It took about a year to get the meds right, and ever since I've been OK, other than the weight gain.

[jjganny]

I had my thyroid removed in 1997 and am doing fine. Just take snythroid each day and have my levels checked 1-2 times a year.

[server18]

I started with having a lump or bump on the back of my neck that I knew was not right so went to Doc for that ( whole nother story) and they did a cat scan and when doing that they found two spots on my thyroid so off to another scan and then went to a specialist. They are small enough right now, but have to go back in Aug for another scan to see if they have gotten bigger and go from there. YIKES!!! I don't want to gain weight if anything has to be done.

I know a lady that had hers removed about 3 months ago and the surgery went fine but she has Lost about 40 lbs since.

[couponmommy2008]

Hi... I'm fairly new here and just ran across your message. My Husband has Graves Disease. however, did not have the thyroid removed.. instead they gave him radioactive iodine to basically kill the thyroid. So I guess it's essentially the same.. it doesn't work anymore.. He takes a thyroid pill everyday.. and will for the rest of his life.. which is fine once you get the dosage tweaked correctly. The only drawback is that once the thyroid is dead.. or gone... you gain weight very easily.. which ihas not happened to him yet. Once they got everything the way it should be... He has not had a problem since. Now on the other hand my Mother in Law had her's removed and has had no problems but she also takes throid Meds.I hope that helped and if there's anything else I can help with.. please let me know.. :) I am a nurse I maybe able to help.

[hrdlckwmn]

I haven't had it done yet, but am considering it as the nodules have grown since 2003 so I'm having a biopsy on Friday... 4 nodules, 3-4 sticks per nodule, no fun at all. :nah1: I so don't think so.....

But its that or surgery