shortness of breath and upper chest tightness after total thyroidectomy

Hello. I’m sick to my stomach because I feel worse now then before my surgery. No one takes me seriously and I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do. Sounds like I’m going to have to live With this forever. I’m not seeing anyone saying they’ve been healed from this. Any help ?

I'm in the same boat,I increased my synthroid about every 2 weeks till "I " felt good then went and had labs done all was normal, YOU HAVE TO PLAY AROUND WITH THE DOSE, WHAT WORK IN A LAB OR ON PAPER IS NOT U

I had total thyroidectomy along with parathyroid done January 9th 2018. I had follow up with same issues. Surgeon explained with the surgery they cut a lot of tissue so it take a while for it to all heal back together. My levels has been crazy doctors just upped meds of synthyroid to 125. However I’ve had to take leave at work. Heart has been racing, chest pain, dizziness, fatigue. I’ve picked up a cold I guess this is week 2 I feel horrible. I struggle to eat some days & some days I feel as I can eat everything. All I can do is sleep at this moment & my energy level sucks

I recently had a total thyroidectomy at the beginning of February 2018 because I had 8 nodules on my thyroid and which 2 where becoming larger. At one point they thought that the obstruction was because of reflux which that did not help then they sent me to a hormone doctor afterwards they sent me back to the reflex ENT doctor he suggested a CT scan. Afterwards they decided to do a total thyroidectomy. After my surgery I've had shortness of breath, tightness in my chest and feeling like I'm having panic attacks (heart pumping ou my chest) I mean shortness of breath while I'm laying down, sitting and not doing anything. Sometimes wheezing in my chest and sometimes when I swallow I can feel something on the lower side of my neck and sometimes on both sides of my neck. I've been back and forth to the doctor's I've actually had to strongly addvocate to get someone to even pay attention. My incision area is still swollen and what was told to me was that I had lymphedema. The doctor at that time did not explain to me what that was I had to find it on the internet and had to advocate from that point on. The surgeon cut me in the same area of my neck that I was cut when I had neck spinal fusion surgery so the lymphedema therapist told me that because there were scar tissue already in place before I was cut again in the same incision it's going to be difficult to bring the swelling down. She stated it's reversible but honestly she said it was some hesitation. Personally I feel the doctors been giving me the runaround and they really don't know what they're doing I haven't been able to find a picture on the internet that shows a neck after thyroidectomy that has lymphedema. They want me to massage my neck which is becoming very sore with the touch and they want me to put on this contraption that looks like a ace band with some scraps of fabric.
( can you really believe that) that you put around your neck to move the blood around. I truly think they really don't know and beginning to feel like a trial and error patient. I personally have been depressed since the surgery I know my body also and I know that the shortness of breath the tightness of the chest and this excessive sweating that won't go down has definitely come from the surgery but they want to put it off on something else and just kind of pass the buck. This is my unpleasant experience

I had my thyroid taken out in Jan.of this year I just got part of my voice back but having breathing problems and can't cough. I was told my cords were not workin g getting a trechea Wed. They said it could take 6 months to a year. Don't give up hope.

LJ, ,I know this is a late reply, but how have you been feeling?? Have you gotten any answers pertaining to you symptoms yet?? I too am going through the same symptoms that you had experienced after your total thyroidectomy. My procedure was done in August of 2017, and I have been suffering the same symptoms you have been suffering with every since. All of the doctors seem to think that I'm okay, and have no other answers. I wish I had done more research pertaining to my thyroid before I decided to let them remove it. I had nodules that turned out to be benign, so I could have kept my thyroid. Hope you are feeling better, and please let me know if you have any new answers for your symptoms. Thanks!

Thank you Thank-you Thank-you for posting this! I had a thyroidectomy and shortness of breath ever since. Been feeling like I'm crazy, out of shape, a hypochondriac or dying! I've been scoped by my ENT several times and he says I'm fine. Before surgery I had a cardiac work up that was also normal. Yet I feel like I can't catch my breath and just standing makes me breathe like I'm running. My heart pounds out of my chest, I get hot and flushed.
I appreciate everyone's comments. I'm going to show this to my doctor on Friday and see what she thinks. I'd love to hear how you or others here are doing.

I am going on 4 weeks with a total thyroidectomy and have shortness of breath. It has gotten better but not completely. I'm glad I'm not losing my mind! Just want to feel better!

I have the same thing and I am 2 years after TT. What I realized is that it always happens a day or two before my period and I get the tightness around my throat and it also happens a few days after and before ovulation . I take 125 Eltroxin everyday when I took 125 for 6 days and 100 for 1 day I didn’t have the problem with the breath but I felt like my heart rate slowed down to much . So now back to 125 x7 but I might try 100 one a month or twice a month. It makes no difference in the blood tests and it takes 3 months to see an improvement but it feels different especially helped my anxiety.

Hello. I am so happy to have found this site. I had surgery on 2/1/18 to remove my thyroid. I was FINE immediately after but my doctor said my dosage (Synthroid 125) was too high. He changed me to the Levo (generic brand) 100 and my problems started. I have been hoarse for about 6 weeks now. It's hard for me to talk and I feel like there is phlegm in my throat that I can't get rid of no matter how much I cough. I'm also having trouble breathing and I can't even walk and talk without feeling like I'm about to pass out. When I look in the back of my mouth one side appears to be swollen. Most of the pain, phlem, etc. seems to be on the right side. This sucks! I was fine before surgery. My doctor just says to be patient but I'm really starting to worry! Help!!!

I to have had thyroidectomy and experience this also my thyrory is the thyroid is a protector of the windpipe ect. once it's out of the way dropping my chin causes the feeling no thyroid nothing to keep the pressure off the pipe simple just get used to chin up.

I have the exact same, I had a full thyrodiectamy 6 weeks ago now I am 22 years old and had to have mine removed due to cancer genes in my family. I have been really short of breathe still I just put it down to not doing as much exercise as I used to go to the gym a lot before surgery. Just wondering how long before anyone started to feel better and not short of breathe as it’s really affecting me ?

I do have the same shortness of breath after 10 months of TT. My doc asked me to take my medication only on weekdays. My thyroid reading is tsh less 0.010 ft4 29.3 ft3 6.1. What should I do? Is that normal or should I consult a second opinion?

Hi did u find any relief. Thanks

GL
I had a total thyroidectomy back in April 2018 and did the iodine tablet several months later. As a result of one of the 2 above procedures i have a partially collapsed lung which is due to phrenic nerve damage. Phrenic nerve controls the diaphragm that opens and closes the lung which for me results in shortness of breath when exercising only (fortunately) The way this was diagnosed was that after all the scans were done after the iodine tablet they noticed something going on with my lungs - they wanted me to do a chest xray which I did and fortunately the radiologist had seen this type of issue before after having surgery and he also had a chest x ray from a year or 2 prior to this one that showed everything was normal. He recommended a sniff test x ray which looks at the opening and closing of the diaphragm during an x ray. This confirmed the diagnosis. I spoke to my surgeon and he said he had never seen this in his 25 years of doing these surgeries but didn't say it was not possible.
He said he would do more research which of course never happened. I have only found one reference that mentioned iodine tablet and phrenic nerve damage that the phrenic nerve surgeon said was related to the iodine tablet. SO i am not sure which caused my issue?? but one of them did. My surgeon said that I need to wait another 6 months to see if the phrenic nerve heals itself, so I have a few more months to go.
Here is the link that I found which mentioned the phrenic nerve and the iodine tablet but it doesn't say how they came up with that diagnosis.
https://www.advancedreconstruction.com/dr-matthew-kaufman-performs-specialized-phrenic-nerve-surgery-on-25-year-old-ohio-woman/