Altho ‘blessed’ with many other medical problems pre cancer, I’d never dreamed of problems with my thyroid. The first I heard of it was from my Pain Man (Palliative care) who asked me who was keeping an eye on my thyroid and I said no-one and he told me to get it checked next time I had a blood test.
I did, it came back marginal at the low end of the scale, so my GP said check agin in 3 months, We did, still marginal, and he wanted to leave for another 3 months, but I was feeling particularly tired and washed out at the time, so asked if I could try thyroxene. Started on 50mg and felt almost immediately better - less tired. Have it regularly checked now and dose has increased by 25mg a time to 100mg and same effect each time. The thyroid stimulating hormone levels were last time off scale downwards - th echemo nurse commented on them - and again each increase has perked me up.
I’m now asking phlebotomist to check TSH every 3 weeks as she drains me then for my Cap, she has no problem with that and it’s made a big difference. The fact the Pain Man asked about it makes me think the highly toxic mix of morphines, anti inflams nerve drugs and chemos a lot of us are taking may have an effect, and given it costs me no more pain to have a TSH sample with the CAP one I’m quite happy to continue getting it checked.
Just a thought
Hi Broomsticklady Adding to your post with my experience so hopefully it will bump it up a bit. Two weeks before I was dx with BC I was dx with an Overactive Thyroid. I had lots of symptoms (weight loss, tiredness, etc) which had masked the bc too so I was lucky they picked up on it. I was not able to have surgery due to thyroid problem (Thyroid Storm risk !) so have had chemo first. I have been on Carbizamole to bring down the TSH levels and hopefully will remain stable now to have surgery next week. Not much research has been done on the link between thyroid and BC but I have seen a few articles and think, especially in America, that they are looking more into the links. Especially as thyroid problems are more common in women and as it affects your mdone a specialism in Thyroid disorders so he is on the ball - but oncologist not so. I definitely think that TSH T3 + T4 levels should be checked as part of the regular blood screens we have - once dx it can be medicated well with thyroxene (underactive) or carbizamole (overactive). Any other ladies out there with thyroid problems? - would be good to hear your experiences.
Sorry tdon’t know what happened - damned autocorrect. Sentence should read " Especially as thyroid problems are more common in women and as it affects your metabolism and oestrogen levels (I am highly ER+/PR+) I am lucky as my surgeon has done a specialism in Thyroid disorders so he is on the ball - but oncologist not so." Makes sense now!
Hello,
I was diagnosed with a severely overactive thyroid in the middle of chemo, was discovered because my pulse was extremely fast, i had also lost weight but had put that down to being so ill through treatment, was put on carbizamole to bring it down, it worked too well and it crashed to underactive! so i’m now taking 75mg of Thyroxine which seems to have stablized it, having it checked again this week, my doctor wont confirm its to do with the chemo but said he has seem alot of cases, so certainly worth getting it checked…
Take care all…
Jay x
Hi I have had Thyroid problems for 36 years mine was over active whilst pregnant, so was put on carbimazole for several years, it did stabilise for maybe 5 years then it went under active 20 years ago, I am currently on 200 mcg of thyroxine , have been on this dose for 6 years, I do wonder if theres a link to Bc as this has been mentioned before.
Hi everyone, I have had an underactive thyroid for about 20 years and been on thyroxine since, when I had blood checked 3 months ago doc said I was now slightly overactive!! I think with all the meds and treatments it must effect thyroid balance too. I do wonder if there is any connection, my mum had thyroid problems in her late thirties and was on thyroxine she deuterine cancer of the uterus at 49 so who knows eh!!
Marina x
Evening all - I was interested to see this post mentioning a thyroid problem. I finished my treatment last May (surgery, chemo and rads but nothing else because I’m TN). I started having trouble with very prickly skin when suddenly going very warm. I thought it was from being put into an early menopause from the chemo but began to panic that it may have been something to do with my ovaries when I also developed a lot of pelvic pain and fatigue. Blood tests showed an overactive thyroid. This has now gone back within normal range of its own accord but because I tested positive for an autoimmune problem I’ve been told it will probably happen again so I’m having regular blood tests now.