COULD IT BE MY THYROID ? ? ?

[joedev51]

I had a CT scan with contrast on my stomach back in November, a few weeks after that I started having these pains on the sides of my neck down near my thyroid. I had just had my blood work done in October and everything was fine including my thyroid. But since I had this test I've been having these pains. It hurts when I sneeze, cough, and even yawn. But I don't have a sore throat. I went back to my doctor and told him, but I don't think he understood what I was saying because there were so many people in the office that day. I looked up thyroid problems and I'm not losing hair, my blood pressure and pulse are fine. I am not gaining or losing weight. I am a little tired, but I think its because I am getting myself worked up over this, I have never had any pains in my neck like this before. I do have stomach problems, but I don't think that would cause pains in my neck. If anyone has any idea what might be causing these pains it would be greatly appreciated. Someone said, I should have my blood work done again and someone else said, an ultrasound of my throat.

[Barb135]

You're in the U.S. so your doctor is obligated, by law, to give you a copy of your labs upon request.  I never leave my doctor's office without a copy of my labs.

Unfortunately, lab results can fall within the reference ranges and the doctor will say everything is "fine", when it really isn't fine for you.  We're all different and we don't all fall within those ranges.

Also, unfortunately, anxiety, and GI disorders/acid reflux are also caused by hypothyroidism and many doctors either miss that or are unaware of it.

If your doctor is taking phone calls and his nurse is running in and out while he's doing an exam on you, plus he doesn't give you copies of your labs, I'd suggest that you probably need a different doctor who will pay attention to you and only you, when you're in for your exam.  While I understand that emergencies happen and the doctor could get called away, there should be no phone calls or other people running in and out during YOUR appointment.

[joedev51]

I don't have the results from my blood test, my doctor has it, he looked it over and said, everything was fine. I already suffer from anxiety disorder, I don't have diarrhea, sweating, rapid heart beat, palpitations, hand tremors, cold intolerance. Constipation comes and goes, but that's from my stomach problems my GI doctor told me. I'll have to make another doctor's appointment and try to get one later in the day when he isn't so busy and he will have time to check me out without having phone calls and his nurse's running in and out. I do have little bumps on the back of my tongue, but my GI doctor told me years ago that it was caused by the acid reflux.

[Barb135]

What were the results of your thyroid related blood tests?  Please post them, along with reference ranges, which vary lab to lab and have to come from your own report.

Does your thyroid area seem to swollen?  A thyroid ultra sound would be a good idea to rule out swelling, nodules or any other characteristics that could cause the symptoms you're experiencing.

You could ask for new blood work, but that really is mostly necessary if you have thyroid related symptoms.  Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include constipation, cold intolerance, low heart rate, depression, brain fog, muscle/joint aches/pains.  Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include diarrhea, sweating, rapid heart rate, palpitations, depression, anxiety, hand tremor, mood swings.

The blood tests to ask for are Free T3, Free T4 and TSH, along with thyroid antibodies.