My problem is the same after thyroid surgery.They are keep telling me that I have panic attack and anxiety:((
I have difficulty breathing..I am going to see some other specialist other than ENDO and ENT..
If you have any other advice plaese let me know..
Thanks
There are also autoimmune disorders that can have similar symptoms, but with as many people that have this very concerning symptom on the same thread, you can't ignore that it is most likely due to thyroid hormone imbalance. Please continue to push your doctors to balance your hormones and if you can, consult with an alternative practitioner that can help balance things more with diet and nutrition. Listen to your body, it knows what is and isn't right!
:-)
Hi there, i was just reading your post and let me tell you i have the same happening to me right now,i had atotal thyroidectome in Feb last year 2011 now a year has gone by and still have a lot of disconfort around my neck, shortness of breath ,aches and pains ,i am like you since this op my life has never been the same, i take 100mg of Oroxine i have never changed this med,however all the Doctors that i have seen no one can give me a conclusive answer.
Hope you are much better now, i like to hear how you are feeling now,i guess i am looking for answers like you were back then
All the best to you and greetings from Sydney :-D
regards
Carmen Badaoui
I had a total thyroidectomy and a left radical dissection as well as a tumor removed that was "wrapped" around my vocal chords in August 2012. I suffer terribly from breathlessness and difficulty swallowing as well as a Minnie Mouse voice. I finally got an appt at Sloan with a pulmonary dr and was late getting there, so between walking fast, partial running across streets, getting to the doctors office, I started crying - I lost all ability to breathe - they wanted to give me oxygen, but I was not oxygen depleted - my throat had simply closed up! I took some tests and he said my lungs were fine, but said I had problems breathing in (hello???). I sleep with 6 pillows to elevate my head at night. I have to sit in a straight back chair with a pillow wrap around my neck to hold it in place. I can't bend down without feeling like I'm choking. I also had a problem drinking water - projectile vomiting, until I found that if you "Flavor" the water with some OJ or milk or whatever, your throat is able to translate that something is going down as water has no taste! Believe me, it works. Also, I found that when I am at my worst, wheezing, trying to get air in, I take one Percocet - cut it into 4 pieces, eat it with applesauce because I still can't swallow pills, and within 15 minutes I am able to breathe normally for at least several hours. My doctors think I am nuts and are loathe to prescribe it, I don't know what pharmacology is in the pill that makes such a drastic change, but you do not get high - it doesn't even stop the pain in my shoulder (!) just allows me to talk and relax. Try it. It works. One a day - I usually take it at 3 pm, at the end of my full time work day. I've been in ER's with inability to breathe - given a steroid shot that appeared to have sort of worked, but doctors say: "Are you agitated?" and I usually respond with "I wasn't agitated until YOU agitated me!!". I also feel like a rope is constantly tied around my throat. I also wish I had never had the surgery, even tho my cancer is papillary carcinoma tall cell variant which is an aggressive form of cancer..I wonder if I would have been better off just letting it run its course, because I too, believe, my life has been irrevocably changed since this surgery and my quality of life is nothing. My family and doctors don't understand. When i read what everyone has written, i feel vindicated. WE ARE NOT ALONE. WE HAVE TO FIGHT OUR DOCTORS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND FOR THE TRUTH!! I have to take the radio iodine treatment in 3 weeks. I want them to admit me for 24 hours because I live too far away to keep my husband (the car driver) from being exposed to my radioactivity and because some of the side effects may be life threatening based on my difficulty breathing - my insurance will cover it - their response: We can't find a doctor to admit you" I told them I would sleep in a park with a blanket on and set off all the radiation detectors in the neighborhood rather than put my husband at risk. They think I'm kidding - I'm not. I am heartbroken at the turn my life has taken. My voice was my strength and that has been taken from me. i have been ridiculed by people, laughed at (Minnie Mouse voice) and constantly told to talk louder, which I can't do. Quality of life...I have none. In hot humid weather - I can barely make it to my car without being in A/C. I can't walk and talk at the same time. I haven't even been able to cry over the loss of my regular life because when i cry, my throat totally closes and I can't talk nonetheless breathe. Everyone says, be happy you're alive! it could be worse! It's not that bad, I can understand you when you talk. Then why can't you understand what I am saying...
I have lost a lot of my sense of taste and smell and the whole left underside of my neck is numb - no feeling at all. I fear my radio iodine treatment because what if I can't feel a side effect like swollen salivary glands? My endocrinologist was not very friendly nor did she try to make me comfortable with the understanding of the procedure. I can't be near smokers!! If you can, try the Percocet - ask your doctor for a small prescription to see if it works, then let him know. As I said, I take 1 pill in the late afternoon, split it into 4 pcs cos I can't swallow pills yet. I have found it a lifesaver when it comes to severe breathing issues and talking issues. Let me know if you try it and it works. my name is Kerry. Good luck to us all, no?
sophiab3 wrote:
I have the same simptons. lf i get close to offensive smells I lose my breath and can't talk for about 15 minutes. i had a thyrodectomy about 5 years ago. Shorting of breath does not get better, it gets worst. Now i am short of breath at least twice a day. My ent said it was a result of my thyrodectomy. He said my throat collects fluids and causes breathing problems. Now i am alergic to more things than i can count.
I have lost a lot of my sense of taste and smell and the whole left underside of my neck is numb - no feeling at all. I fear my radio iodine treatment because what if I can't feel a side effect like swollen salivary glands? My endocrinologist was not very friendly nor did she try to make me comfortable with the understanding of the procedure. I can't be near smokers!! If you can, try the Percocet - ask your doctor for a small prescription to see if it works, then let him know. As I said, I take 1 pill in the late afternoon, split it into 4 pcs cos I can't swallow pills yet. I have found it a lifesaver when it comes to severe breathing issues and talking issues. Let me know if you try it and it works. my name is Kerry. Good luck to us all, no?
Thanks for your advice. By the way, my name is Nora. I too can not be around smoke nor any other stronge smells, not even perfumes.
I am just learning about the possible injuries from thyroid surgery in medical school right now (these are called iatrogenic injuries - they're caused by a doctor or a procedure). There are a few nerves in danger with a total thyroidectomy, most predominately the recurrent laryngeal nerve, but also the sympathetic trunk and vagus nerve. If you have hoarseness, it's due to injury to your recurrent laryngeal nerve. Damage to your sympathetic trunk can cause a lot of things including pupil dialation, lack of sweating on your face, flushing on one side of your face, drooping eye lids, etc. Damage to the vagus nerve can cause difficulty breathing, among other things. Hope this helps.
I had a partial thyroidectomy as well on 11/06. My vocal chord had a 'branch' from the main nerve which was severed and they subsequently performed a vocal chord injection to push the one chord more to the center. Voice is gradually improving although still hoarse. More concerning is that I also have an extreme shortness of breath. I am unable to climb a flight of stairs or even walk a normal pace for 2 minutes without wheezing and gasping for air. The surgeon doesn't think its related to his procedure. Thinks it may be attributed to some swelling. I see the Ontalarynoligist tomorrow and hope he can provide more insite. However, being unable to breathe is not an option at this point. I will be restressing that point tomorrow and have them consult with a pulmanologist as well or they must see to it I'm seen quickly. I was also very active. I hope you have successful feedback and full recovery. I agree with you, your doctor is crazy with stating youre out of shape in just 2 weeks.
I had a complete thyroidectomy 2 weeks ago because I had 3 large nodules in my thyroid that was cancer.I never felt any problems before I found this out..My health was fine..So I had the surgery and now I feel all messed up..My main concern is that I have a funny feeling when I swallow..It feels like their is something small in my thorat,then I have a hard bump right underneath my incision..I have shortness of breath and I just feel weird.When I went for my 1 week postopp appointment I told the dr all of my concerns.He said that is does look a little swollen but that everything I am feeling is normal.That my body has to get used to the hormones they gave me..Now another week later I still don't like the way I feel but of course when I called the Dr.he is on vacation.I am just glad that I am not the only one who feels this way..I hope it goes away soon..I do not like this feeling..But thanks for letting me know that I am not crazy or alone.
i think that once the surgeons finish their job, they want nothing more to do with their patients, based on my own personal experience and what I read here. I called 2 weeks ago to see if I could see a dermatologist for possible skin cancer issues and would the radio iodine treatment I just took have any repercussions with it - no call back yet. Wish we could hold back their fee until we felt all right. I bet it would be different then. 3-1/2 months in from my total thyroidectomy and lateral neck dissection and tumor wrapped around my vocal cords (!) I have had 3 "events" of sudden loss of breathing - total closure of throat without warning, during times of calmness and no stress, During Thanksgiving, I had to pull down on my neck in order to eat normally. I sweat. I'm cold. My whole body aches. And the doctor /hospital has yet to release the operative report. I found that Tramadol works better than the Percocet - it gave me back my voice, my breathing and most of the swelling in my neck goes down. Doctor says, "Coincidence" that 20 minutes after taking pills, everything feels so much better... you are not crazy. You are not alone - we are all stuck in a place with no answer and I think that is the worst - no doctor claims responsibility. I think if so many patients feel this way after surgery, it most definitely is a result of the surgery. Happy holidays, all.
yes i had thyroid cancer in june 2012 have the same symptoms. the cancer evidently did not go to my lymph nodes but i do have all your symptoms.
I feel so vindicated reading everyone's postings, stating the same symptoms I have, as well as doctors responses to our problems (which we all did not have before the surgery) and the way they consider us "nuts", crazy" and as I was called "agitated"!! I do have to say, I had mentioned Percocet being a means of curing a lot of what symptoms I was having - Minnie Mouse voice, trouble breathing, neck swelling, but I have found Tramadol is even better. I take between 1/2 4x/day to 1 4x/day - it is not a opioid, so should not be a problem getting it. I don't know what route it takes, but my Minnie Mouse voice was gone in about 3-4 days, my breathless is just about gone and the only problem I really can say I still suffer from is swelling in my neck and what I call "Noon-Breathing Events" where I suddenly can't get air in AT ALL....I never know when it's going to happen and it is frightening. I found that by breathing OUT heavily, it releases the spasm, as that is what I think it is, a spasm. And like I've mentioned before, it happens when I am relaxed, not stressed. Somehow doctors - surgeons, oncologists, ENT's, pulmonary - they have to figure out why some of us are having these strange symptoms - and if you read the posts, they are all the same symptoms. HAS to be as a result of the surgery. To the person who said they wished they had never had the surgery - Yes, I said the same thing - quality of life was certainly much, much better, but my children and my husband keep telling me that I would have died from it...so, maybe they are right. Maybe quality of life is not all that matters, but rather, life itself, that does. We all have to remember that there are hundreds if not more of us out there, suffering from these things, we know these symptoms are real, we know we are not crazy, and best of all - we are not alone. Try the Tramadol - it changed my life dramatically - I would hope it would help you too.
Happy holidays all.
Kerry