Hi all,
I quit smoking several years ago for almost a year and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (the opposite of hypothyroidism). I went to an endo and was given a pill to take for a fairly long time and it got things back to normal. All bloodwork readings were fine after I finished the pill. Unfortunately, I started smoking again. I've quit smoking again (three weeks now) and I've been feeling like crap. I was initially diagnosed with a sinus infection and was given antibiotics. I started feeling better in terms of congestion, but am now having other issues (can't sleep, dizzy, antsy, racing heart, etc) so the Dr. decided to do bloodwork.....and, I'm waiting for his office to call me back, but I've got the results & just like last time, my thyroid numbers are off enough to suggest hyperthyrodisim again. As a side note, I also have a lump above my left collarbone that I'm going to have to have a CT scan for, but I don't think it's related to quitting smoking because I had it before I quit. You can get a swollen thyroid or a tumor in your thyroid, but I believe that swells up in the front of your neck, and this swelling is not on my neck, it's on the front of my shoulder, right above the collarbone.
Has anyone else noticed a correlation between quitting and thyroid issues? I know smoking can mask thyroid issues, but the meds made my hyperthyroidism better. I don't know whether starting smoking again caused my thyroid issues to come back and the smoking masked it, or quitting smoking messed up my system enough that it messed up my thyroid again. If it's my body in shock from quitting, maybe it will level itself off by itself? I know from last time when I mentioned to the endocrinologist that quitting smoking kicked it off, he looked at me like I had two heads and said smoking/not smoking had nothing to do with it, but I knew better since I had blood work just a few months before I quit and it was fine. That was close to 10 years ago though so maybe they are more aware now of the connection between smoking & thyroids. Anyway, has anyone been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism twice? Were you able to take the meds both times, or did they press you to have your thryoid removed the second time? I would much rather take a risk and take the meds again.
