I had the surgery 3 weeks ago, and I am on 100 mcg synthroid until I see the endo on Dec 10 for first post surgery app. I have symptoms of hypo at the moment plus serious weight gain. I have gained about 12 pounds in last 3 weeks, I am not looking forward to exploding. I am doing my research and will ask the endo all the questions I have (one of then is why she didnt include free T3 in my blood work)
Please share if you had TT done and what helped with the symptoms and weight gain.
Thanks.
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
really no one here has any experience to share. Anyways my update is that I controlled my intake and started walking again so alhalmolilah I didnt gain any weight and what I did is coming off. My endo adjusted my med she gave me higher dose for synthroid.
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
I haven't had a total thyroidectomy done or know anyone who has, but I'm very familiar personally with hypothyroidism.
About the symptoms and weight gain it will take some time for your thyroid levels to become normalized. Synthroid takes awhile to work and can only be adjusted (at the earliest) a month at a time. Once the levels normalize, eating healthy and exercise will help take off the extra weight and symptoms disappear.
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
the only way i control my weight is diet, honest when you take a look at what i dont eat you would assume i should be a size 0 
i an on such a healthy streak that even the odd days when we have guest and i have just slightly cheated (cannot exagerrate the slightly enough) i still put on weight 
: i would dread to think what my size would be if i went back to my normal eating habits (even though i consider myself to be moderatly healthy before)
Im on 50mg at the moment, and it hasnt moved from this for at least 2 years, however my weight can fluctuate overnight
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
yes thats what I am noticing too, my wt can fluctuate over night, I could stuff myself with my fav foods without gaining a gram, but now even without doing that my wt is up and down without any reason or rhyme :( oh well...
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
May I ask why you went for a total thyroidectomy?
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
i had partial one done 15-16 years ago, it grew back and i was diagnosed with greaves disease, and after surgery i found out that the multiple nodules were malignant. i had thyroid problem since I was 9-10, and my endo thinks when it starts that early in life it is better to take it out early otherwise it causes too many issues later in life. greaves caused severe inflammation in my body and as a result i have other health issues now.
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
I see. Hopefully everything will work out fine. It is always a bit difficult in the beginning getting a hypothyroid patient adjusted to the right dose and that can usually take time, especially as a lot of factors as diet, exersize have an impact on the thyroid levels in your body.
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
I have struggled with hypothyroidism for decades now. The weight is on a roller coaster particularly if I become lax with the testing and adjusting of synthroid dosage. All the regular symptoms are a part of daily life for me now.
While there are a couple of tumours present, I have avoided having anything removed. Every two years we do ultrasounds to check on the growth and blood supply in/of the tumours and as long as there is no change I keep avoiding the surgery.
I have met two individuals in my extended family that have both had TT and have regretted it because their symptoms not only became more difficult to manage but other complications that didn't exist before, began to manifest. Just seeing those two suffer has kept me from having the thyroid removed altogether.
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
I agree, until and unless there comes a point where TT is necessary, almost like a life saving surgery I would suggest keep the thyroid. Are your lymph nodes intact in the neck area??
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
I agree, until and unless there comes a point where TT is necessary, almost like a life saving surgery I would suggest keep the thyroid. Are your lymph nodes intact in the neck area??
yes....though some have a tendency to enlarge at times.
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
really...and did you ask your doctor why are they enlarged sometimes, usually that happens with viral/bacterial infections, not with permanent thyroid or lymphoma issues. Not sure exactly what would it be other than an infection, I mean being swollen sometimes and then be normal. I can tell you only from my experience, mine were enlarged for the last 2 years, and they only got worse from that point onward.
Re: Total Thyroidectomy, please share your exper.
I haven't really gotten a clear answer as to why they are sometimes enlarged. Perhaps there is an imbalance at times when I notice that they are swollen but not enough to be a full-fledged infection? I'm just speculating here.