Swollen thyroid

I recently had a full physical and check up. The docter noticed that my thyroid gland was slightly swollen. I did research on it and found out what happens to the body. Aside from the metabolism slowing down, you experience extreme fatigue and loss of energy, cold hands and feet, feelings of melancholy and weight gain. I’ve had all of those symyptoms except for weight gain. I want to know what I can take to bring back my thyroid back to normal. I read taking extra virgin coconut oil helps with thyroid as well as Ginseng. Any other thing I could use?

“extreme fatigue and loss of energy, cold hands and feet, feelings of melancholy and weight gain”

You are describing symptoms of a thyroid that is underactive i.e. hypothyroid. Changes in size do not always go with changes in function. Have you had thyroid function tests? If they are normal i.e. well within normal limits and not borderline, then I would not worry about changes in size (unless it becomes a cosmetic issue)

Hey T-Warrior,

Did your doctor verify your suspicions with a blood test?

T-Warrior,

Abnormalities of thyroid function are among the most common of all endocrine disorders. You need to perform certain laboratory measurements to completely assess your thyroid function. You need to perform either a radioimmunoassay (RIA) or a competitive protein-binding assay that can measure T3 and T4. Another common test of thyroid function is the radioactive iodine uptake test (RAIU). Also, you could perform a thyroid suppression test; a TSH stimulation test; or a TRH stimulation test. These tests should adequately assess your true thyroid function. Talk to your doctor about them.

T-Warrior, increase your iodine intake. This will often solve the problem. This is the exact reason why they started iodizing salt.
If you don’t take enough in your thyroid increases in size, I forget exactly how it works.

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

Also considering taking goitrogenic food out of your diet. There`s a thread on these foods in this section of the Forums somewhere in the archives.

I’m new to this forum but had thyroid CA many years ago. Get in touch with an endocrinologist stat for a proper evaluation and tratment.


T-Warrior~

The best thing for you to do at this point is to consult with your physician who will do lab tests, which will then direct you toward the most appropriate managament of your condition. You should do this first and foremost before initiating any theraputic measures, as treatment will be a little different based upon the underlying cause of your Goiter, or Thyroid gland enlargement. In the U.S., goiters caused by iodine deficiencies are extremely rare, especially with the availabilty and use of iodized salt.
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00217.html This is a link to information on goiter and it’s many causes. I would also recommend your physician run TSH, T3 and free T4 levels as soon as possible, and also inform her/him of your symptoms. Some people with hypothyroidism (assuming from your symptoms that your thyroid gland is secreting less hormones) may have “normal” levels, but are symptomatic, and fare better with levels in the higher-normal range.

DanC is right about foods being goitrogenic…they interfere in a sense with the thyroid hormone pathways. Some of these foods include all soy products, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage.

One complaint related to bodybuilding is that thyroid patients have a more difficult time losing and keeping off body fat, even when taking medications. Hence, cardiovascular exercise and exercise in general, as well as a clean diet, may be even more important to thyroid patients, in order to attain/maintain leanness.

Good Luck!!

Love and Aloha,
Chinadoll :slight_smile: