I have a thyroid goitre - can this make you put on weight?

Question

I have a goitre which has steadily got bigger and bigger but the doc says the thyroid function tests show I am neither under or overactive but i have put on so much weight!! she says I am just prone to be overweight - its in the gene pool... but I really have put on a load of weight over last 3 years ever since this goitre started being noticable? Has anyone else had similar probs? I am on wating list to get goitre removed but she reckons i wont loose any weight.

Answer 1

I find it hard to believe that all your thyroid levels are "normal" if you have a goiter, which is not normal for the thyroid. There are several types of thyroid tests.
I am hyperthyroid (and have a goiter), but am overweight. My endocrinologist says that is because the extra thyroid causes me to be more hungry. (I have had great difficulty trying to lose weight). Some hyperthyroid people cannot gain weight.
Hypothyroidism - the metabolism is slower and people gain weight.
Having the thyroid removed and then getting on regular replacement thyroid medication should help you with your weight. A friend at work had thyroidectomy several months ago, and he said this is the first time he's been able to lose weight.
Seriously consider getting a second opinion (from an endocrinologist - a doctor that specializes in thyroid disease) and good luck to you.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Sounds like your doctor hasn't done the proper testing. You should have had a free t3, free t4, and an antibody test. Your doctor should have had an ultrasound done as well. Find another doctor or ask to be referred to an endocrinologist. Medication might shrink the goiter and I don't understand why your doctor isn't attempting this first before removing your thyroid gland.

Removing the gland will probably make you gain more weight as you will be hypothyroid then and require lots of medication adjustments.

I had a goiter a few months after my daughter was born. I was put on an antibiotic and in a week or so it shrunk. I often wonder if that episode has anything to do with me being hypothyroid now.

Get further testing...always test in the morning for thyroid blood work, as an afternoon testing will not give the correct TSH because TSH is at its lowest point around 2PM.

Answer 4

Well, I am not a doctor and so your doctor probably knows a whole lot more about this than me...I am certain. But, I have also been correct in what I have felt about my own body, and have had doctors really miss the mark. I will give you an example. I have chronic sinuitis. I went to the doctor with a sinus infection. He asked if my face hurt and started pushing on different sinus points. I told him it did not. He said that I didn't have an infection then because, his point was I would have had sinus pain. I had just recently had surgery for what was thought to be a tumor in my left sinus. When the doctor did the surgery he discovered that it was not a tumor, but a very severe sinus infection and yet, i did not have pain. I believe that doctors don't know everything, and there is still a whole lot to be discovered. Sometimes we are the better at knowing what is wrong with our bodies than the doctors.Trust your own instincts. You are probably right.

Answer 5

I knew someone who was hyperthyroid and his doctor put him on steroids to gain weight. I personally was hyperthyroid and had radioactive iodine treatment and I started to feel better about 2 or 3 months after. I noticed I started gaining weight about 5 lbs every year. Now I am about 10 lbs over my recommended weight for my age and height but find it almost impossible to lose any weight.
Just make sure you get proper treatment as a thyroid problem is more delicate than what people think. Also a good doctor who listens to you really helps. Good luck.

Answer 6

Your Dr needs to take the size of the goiter more seriously.
A goiter that grows is not something to be taken lightly and if there is increased weight gain during that time.. that is an indication of thyroid malfunction.. no matter what the tests say, there are another test that will show better thyroid function, as well as a liver function test, it will show if you have fatty liver disease.. which can contribute
I suggest seeing anoher Dr, always get a second opinion on any surgery

Answer 7

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that sits low on the front of the neck. Your thyroid lies below your Adam’s apple, along the front of the windpipe. The thyroid has two side lobes, connected by a bridge (isthmus) in the middle. When the thyroid is its normal size, you’re unlikely to be able to feel it.
All types of hyperthyroidism are due to overproduction of thyroid hormones, but the condition can develop in several ways.
Thyroid hormone production can be suppressed or halted completely in these ways: https://tr.im/eN96l

Answer 8

Thyroid disease is one of the most common health problems we face today. From a practical standpoint, there are many ways to approach this issue. Learn here https://tinyurl.im/aH6rs Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is a very common problem, and there are many reasons for this, including drinking chlorinated and fluoridated water, and eating brominated flour. Chlorine, fluoride, and bromine are all in the same family as iodine, and can displace iodine in your thyroid gland. Secondly, many people simply aren't getting enough iodine in their diet to begin with. The amount you get from iodized salt is just barely enough to prevent you from getting a goiter.

Answer 9

If you are hyperthyroid then you need treatment. They can give you radioactive iodine treatment, surgery or thyroid supplements. If you get the radioactive iodine treatment the common side effect is hypothyroid. You will gain weight and will be more on the heavier side for the rest of your life. In time, you will just slowly gain more weight and find it hard to lose the extra weight.

Answer 10

Goiter And Weight Gain