Hyperthyroidism
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Mrs is OK ta, she's had her thyroidectomy, 2cm papillary tumour and 8 infected lymph nodes removed, is on the low iodine diet and stops the liothyronine (T3) next monday ready for RAI 15 Jun in the same facility that I'm leaving in about 3 hours - hurrah!
What a freak show we present though? Slashed necks together.
We've been married 26 years this year, been through thick and thin together, including 20 years flying Harriers and surviving that - the padre never took the walk up the garden path!! But nothing could have prepared us for this. It's awesome in the way it plays on the mind. The battle is, I believe, 90% mental and we're getting there.
Cheers for now
I'll keep posting to keep a record going should anyone wish to refer to what is an intriguing experience.
What a freak show we present though? Slashed necks together.
We've been married 26 years this year, been through thick and thin together, including 20 years flying Harriers and surviving that - the padre never took the walk up the garden path!! But nothing could have prepared us for this. It's awesome in the way it plays on the mind. The battle is, I believe, 90% mental and we're getting there.
Cheers for now
I'll keep posting to keep a record going should anyone wish to refer to what is an intriguing experience.
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The main thing though is you're both still here and fighting away.
I can confirm that mental attitude makes an enormous difference to how you cope with it all. It made a massive difference to me anyway.
All the best to you both.
I can confirm that mental attitude makes an enormous difference to how you cope with it all. It made a massive difference to me anyway.
All the best to you both.
Join Date: Mar 2001
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I said I'd keep posting so here I am. Got my Class 1 back after Post RAI scan showed no metastasis. 4 weeks it took to recover my blood to Eutyhroid status. CAA sanguine, less than 1% chance in the next 5 years of lung metastsis leading to incapacitation - bingo. Quick Sim - Quick recency fliight with a Trainer and whamo, back into the Short Haul fray at LHR. Typing this on the Champs Elysee, Paris on a layover. Wife also doing well. She's clear too and back to work.
Cheers to all who offered advice and support.
Cheers to all who offered advice and support.
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Update:
Challenge scan clear, thyroglobulin score showing no thyroid activity, still flying, feeling good.
If anyone out there has a thyroid issue please pm me
Challenge scan clear, thyroglobulin score showing no thyroid activity, still flying, feeling good.
If anyone out there has a thyroid issue please pm me
Join Date: Oct 2009
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dear mrs n.
thyroid cancer link to breast cancer is suspected. evidence (you know the internet garbage can) suggests increased risk once you have thyroid cancer treatment. unclear if it is the radioactive iodine or just a straight link. (doesnt appear to be a link for women the other way). personally i think it is the sudden and complete onset of menopause about a nanosecond after they removed my thyroid that triggered the breast cancer mite. mine is a story about looking out for yourself. advice was dont worry about the lump in your throat, multiple tests show it is benign. i then asked for removal of affected half as i didnt want to deal with it being a problem later. hey, guess what - its follicular thryroid cancer!.... goodbye other half, go via lead room for radioactive I and a year and a half to get stable. after finding internet suspected link to breast cancer kept a good lookout. ending up down that sorry path, lost another year of life. all good now. look after yourself Mrs N and dont take any amount of specialist advice that 'its benign' as ok if they or you find a breast lump...get it out / off.
ps i worship the ground my gp and surgeon walk on. (pathologists - well, ya got it wrong repeatedly. nuf said). gp and surgeon looked after me wonderfully once it was clear what was happening.
pm me if you want to talk about it.
now back on track to gaining CPL Heli and blowing my super on a small heli some time soon. K.
thyroid cancer link to breast cancer is suspected. evidence (you know the internet garbage can) suggests increased risk once you have thyroid cancer treatment. unclear if it is the radioactive iodine or just a straight link. (doesnt appear to be a link for women the other way). personally i think it is the sudden and complete onset of menopause about a nanosecond after they removed my thyroid that triggered the breast cancer mite. mine is a story about looking out for yourself. advice was dont worry about the lump in your throat, multiple tests show it is benign. i then asked for removal of affected half as i didnt want to deal with it being a problem later. hey, guess what - its follicular thryroid cancer!.... goodbye other half, go via lead room for radioactive I and a year and a half to get stable. after finding internet suspected link to breast cancer kept a good lookout. ending up down that sorry path, lost another year of life. all good now. look after yourself Mrs N and dont take any amount of specialist advice that 'its benign' as ok if they or you find a breast lump...get it out / off.
ps i worship the ground my gp and surgeon walk on. (pathologists - well, ya got it wrong repeatedly. nuf said). gp and surgeon looked after me wonderfully once it was clear what was happening.
pm me if you want to talk about it.
now back on track to gaining CPL Heli and blowing my super on a small heli some time soon. K.
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Does anyone know if hyperthyroidism can be an issue for Emirates Cabin Crew process? I'm literally desperate!!! although I have my thyroid controlled, my TSH is normal at this moment. if someone can share experiences I would appreciate 
thank you
thank you
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do a search on "adrenal fatigue"....adrenal gland experts say that if you have thyroid issues you also have adrenal gland issues and that you must heal your adrenal glands first before you heal your thyroid issue as you can damage your thyroid. Stress and poor diet can cause issues with our adrenal glands = pilots life style while at work. search "adrenal fatigue symptoms" and "adrenal fatigue hypothyroidism".
Our adrenal glands regulate our blood pressure, blood sugar, cortisol and adrenaline levels and over 50 hormones...they are a big deal and often over looked by most doctors as the root cause of health issues.
To heal your adrenal glands you need a good clean diet no sugar, alcohol, junk food, caffeine as all of these put more stress on the adrenal glands, you may also need vitamins/minerals/hormonal balancing.
see the book Eat to live and the authors PBS special on you tube on how a good clean diet can heal the body as it will give you a good idea of what type of clean diet will help you to heal your thyroid issue or at best prevent you from having to take any meds that might cause issues with your flight medical.
check into a cortisol saliva test
Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery.
Our adrenal glands regulate our blood pressure, blood sugar, cortisol and adrenaline levels and over 50 hormones...they are a big deal and often over looked by most doctors as the root cause of health issues.
To heal your adrenal glands you need a good clean diet no sugar, alcohol, junk food, caffeine as all of these put more stress on the adrenal glands, you may also need vitamins/minerals/hormonal balancing.
see the book Eat to live and the authors PBS special on you tube on how a good clean diet can heal the body as it will give you a good idea of what type of clean diet will help you to heal your thyroid issue or at best prevent you from having to take any meds that might cause issues with your flight medical.
check into a cortisol saliva test
Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery.
Last edited by Irish21; 31st Mar 2014 at 09:54.
Whilst both the thyroid and the adrenals share a common controller - the pituitary - and so we often see problems with both, there is no evidence that the adrenal controls the thyroid or vice versa. It would turn the pathology of pituitary disease on its head. We can easily measure the output of the adrenals so if this were the case we would see it and we dont. Anyhow, failure of the adrenals is called Addisons disease. It was common in the 1800s with TB and the like. Death follows in a month or so. We dont see many people with thyroid disease coming to grief if under medical supervision.
Sorry to be a killjoy, but uncontrolled hypo or hyperthyroidism is dangerous. If your thyroid is over or under active you need to see a doctor. Advising people to change their diet instead is just
Sorry to be a killjoy, but uncontrolled hypo or hyperthyroidism is dangerous. If your thyroid is over or under active you need to see a doctor. Advising people to change their diet instead is just
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Radgirl, I am not saying to not go to a doctor....the opposite...but I am saying that a diet change is necessity also to build the immune system back up which will also heal the adrenal glands and in turn may prevent the person from having to take meds long term for their thyroid issue. A diet change such as eliminating sugar, junk food, caffeine, alcohol etc is needed to heal the adrenal glands and flood the body with much needed vitamins/minerals this is just common sense.
Addison's disease is not the only adrenal gland issue...Adrenal Fatigue is the early stages of Addison's disease. Adrenal fatigue is our bodies check engine light to make changes in our lives. Adrenal Fatigue was discovered over 100 years ago, doctors back then took it seriously as this issue effect peoples health greatly just as it does today. Sadly though the pharmaceutical companies want people to pop a pill for life so they make more money vs first seeing if a diet change will heal the person's immune system which in turn will heal other health issues. Also doctors are not educated enough in med school about adrenal gland issues.
I personally suffered from adrenal fatigue without knowing it for many years and it was not until I found a doctor who not only tested me for it but also changed my diet to a plant based diet did I get better.
There is a connection between adrenal fatigue & hyperthyroidism just do a search on the net.
Addison's disease is not the only adrenal gland issue...Adrenal Fatigue is the early stages of Addison's disease. Adrenal fatigue is our bodies check engine light to make changes in our lives. Adrenal Fatigue was discovered over 100 years ago, doctors back then took it seriously as this issue effect peoples health greatly just as it does today. Sadly though the pharmaceutical companies want people to pop a pill for life so they make more money vs first seeing if a diet change will heal the person's immune system which in turn will heal other health issues. Also doctors are not educated enough in med school about adrenal gland issues.
I personally suffered from adrenal fatigue without knowing it for many years and it was not until I found a doctor who not only tested me for it but also changed my diet to a plant based diet did I get better.
There is a connection between adrenal fatigue & hyperthyroidism just do a search on the net.
Last edited by Irish21; 1st Apr 2014 at 22:05.
Ah yes, the conspiracy theory that the pharmaceutical industry is deliberately hiding data to maximise their profits combined with medical schools around the world too stupid to train doctors properly raises its head again to explain a theory that runs counter to basic science. The other problem with your hypothesis is that the drug involved is good old thyroxine which I suspect has never been under any patent. It is a generic tablet that doesnt make the pharmaceutical companies diddly.
Sorry, dont buy it.
Sorry, dont buy it.
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Radgirl you seem to be angry over this topic, not sure why?
Anyway Pilots are very methodical about doing their due diligence at finding the right answers to their health issues as our health is the most important thing with regards to our job security/long term career. I have every confidence that these pilots (& cabin crew) who wrote on this thread will do plenty of research on adrenal fatigue and how it correlates to their thyroid issue which will guide them to a return to good health.
Anyway Pilots are very methodical about doing their due diligence at finding the right answers to their health issues as our health is the most important thing with regards to our job security/long term career. I have every confidence that these pilots (& cabin crew) who wrote on this thread will do plenty of research on adrenal fatigue and how it correlates to their thyroid issue which will guide them to a return to good health.
I am not angry at all, just sad.Those regular posters will remember a parallel thread on statins - that statins were dangerous, that the drug companies only made them to make money at the cost of peoples' health, that all doctors were under trained, and that doctors were taking backhanders and bribes from the drug companies.
All untrue I might add, and since then several more national bodies have endorsed widespread use of these generic drugs that are out of patent.
I dont have a problem with anyone doing whatever they want in health terms, but those of us who are medically or paramedically qualified have a responsibility to point out when something is advised which has no scientific basis and indeed may be harmful. People can then try the snake venom or eye of newt on the basis of informed consent.
The problem with your hypothesis is that endocrine medicine is a massive nidus of international research. There are literally hundreds of researchers and trainee doctors desperate for publications looking for new angles. If these abnormalities of the adrenal gland existed, they would have been measured, published and accepted.
Lets leave everyone to make their own mind up - as you say they are intelligent and indeed educated people. If you want to persuade me PM me any research and I will happily look at it
All untrue I might add, and since then several more national bodies have endorsed widespread use of these generic drugs that are out of patent.
I dont have a problem with anyone doing whatever they want in health terms, but those of us who are medically or paramedically qualified have a responsibility to point out when something is advised which has no scientific basis and indeed may be harmful. People can then try the snake venom or eye of newt on the basis of informed consent.
The problem with your hypothesis is that endocrine medicine is a massive nidus of international research. There are literally hundreds of researchers and trainee doctors desperate for publications looking for new angles. If these abnormalities of the adrenal gland existed, they would have been measured, published and accepted.
Lets leave everyone to make their own mind up - as you say they are intelligent and indeed educated people. If you want to persuade me PM me any research and I will happily look at it
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I posted on this a day or so ago, then had second thoughts.
Suffice it to say, Radgirl has nicely summarized the view of the vast majority of physicians.
Given the choice between therapies which have withstood the test of time, research, and experience, versus whatever woo treatment pops up on the internet or late night TV, people should think carefully about their choice.
Suffice it to say, Radgirl has nicely summarized the view of the vast majority of physicians.
Given the choice between therapies which have withstood the test of time, research, and experience, versus whatever woo treatment pops up on the internet or late night TV, people should think carefully about their choice.
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Good health requires healthy food not a pill!!
Hippocrates the "Father of Medicine" said "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food".....Hippocrates a physician back in 460BC knew full well food was what kept people healthy and what made them sick. He was a great observer and after much observation he advised people not to eat animals with slit hooves especially swines because they stood in their own bacterial laden deification causing people to become grossly sick. He also advised people to eat lots of veggies, fruit, seeds/nuts. Many religions adopted his food eating ideas for health safety which some stand still to this day. "Medical historians generally look to Hippocrates as the founder of medicine as a rational science. It was Hippocrates who finally freed medicine fromthe shackles of magic, superstition, and the supernatural.
Hippocrates collected data and conducted experiments to show that disease was a natural process; that the signs and symptoms of a disease were caused by the natural reactions of the body to the disease process; and that the chief role of the physician was to aid the natural resistance of the body to overcome the metabolic imbalance and restore health and harmony to the organism". How did Hippocrates do this back in 460BC long before pharmaceutical companies came into profiteering I mean the picture? By directing people towards eating a healthy diet.
How do you ignore the adrenal glands based on simply saying there is no "research to substantiating adrenal fatigue"? Have you check with the largest Med school libraries, Library of Congress or the American Medical Journal or other medical journals around the world and found absolutely nothing on adrenal fatigue? If you did you would find plenty on this very subject all the way back to the 1800's when it was discovered how important they are to our health and well being.
The Adrenal glands sit DIRECTLY on top of our Kidneys....our kidneys are one of the most important organ in our body...would you not think that the adrenal glands being placed on top of the Kidneys to regulate our blood pressure, blood sugar, cortisol & adrenaline levels (fight or flight mode) and over 50 hormones including all the female/male hormones are the lest bit important? Would you also so bluntly assume that the glands would not get fatigue by working to hard? fatigued by not fueling the body with healthy rich in vitamin/mineral food? After all look what happens to your kidneys if you eat a poor diet = you can die!
Adrenal fatigue was discovered in the 1800's...why do you think our soldiers upon returning from WWI and WWII were sent to "Rest and Recovery Hospitals" to deal with their "shell shock" (now known as PTSD = adrenal fatigue)...because doctors knew back then that the adrenal glands could become fatigue due to continual stress and poor diet something all of these soldiers endured along with soldiers today...and they knew to heal the soldiers adrenal glands the soldiers needed a good clean healthy diet to flood their body with much needed vitamins/minerals, plenty of rest & recovery and plenty of sleep to get their adrenal glands back in proper working order. Something pilots can relate to = stressful job, lack of sleep a set bed time on the road/getting less then 8 hours sleep, poor diet (hotel/airline food).
Remember the old saying: You are what you eat...popping a pill is simply a band aid in most cases...eating a health diet WILL build your immune system up while at the same time detoxing your digestive system which house 90% of the good/bad bacteria in our bodies (and detox all organs including the kidneys, liver, blood stream etc)...detoxing helps the good bacteria fight off the bad bacteria = keep you healthy!!
Changing your diet is not "snake oil" as you put it.
What is the first thing a doctor tells a patient with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues or other health issues that can easy be corrected = CHANGE YOUR DIET!! Why? Because changing their diet works better then a pill!!
Changing your diet to a healthy diet will improve your immune system, detox your organs, flood your body with vitamins and minerals including your adrenal glands and return you to good health with LOTS of energy but most importantly it will allow you to NEVER stress again when going for your flight medical!!! Why would you not try a change in diet to not stress about your next flight medical?
Hippocrates collected data and conducted experiments to show that disease was a natural process; that the signs and symptoms of a disease were caused by the natural reactions of the body to the disease process; and that the chief role of the physician was to aid the natural resistance of the body to overcome the metabolic imbalance and restore health and harmony to the organism". How did Hippocrates do this back in 460BC long before pharmaceutical companies came into profiteering I mean the picture? By directing people towards eating a healthy diet.
How do you ignore the adrenal glands based on simply saying there is no "research to substantiating adrenal fatigue"? Have you check with the largest Med school libraries, Library of Congress or the American Medical Journal or other medical journals around the world and found absolutely nothing on adrenal fatigue? If you did you would find plenty on this very subject all the way back to the 1800's when it was discovered how important they are to our health and well being.
The Adrenal glands sit DIRECTLY on top of our Kidneys....our kidneys are one of the most important organ in our body...would you not think that the adrenal glands being placed on top of the Kidneys to regulate our blood pressure, blood sugar, cortisol & adrenaline levels (fight or flight mode) and over 50 hormones including all the female/male hormones are the lest bit important? Would you also so bluntly assume that the glands would not get fatigue by working to hard? fatigued by not fueling the body with healthy rich in vitamin/mineral food? After all look what happens to your kidneys if you eat a poor diet = you can die!
Adrenal fatigue was discovered in the 1800's...why do you think our soldiers upon returning from WWI and WWII were sent to "Rest and Recovery Hospitals" to deal with their "shell shock" (now known as PTSD = adrenal fatigue)...because doctors knew back then that the adrenal glands could become fatigue due to continual stress and poor diet something all of these soldiers endured along with soldiers today...and they knew to heal the soldiers adrenal glands the soldiers needed a good clean healthy diet to flood their body with much needed vitamins/minerals, plenty of rest & recovery and plenty of sleep to get their adrenal glands back in proper working order. Something pilots can relate to = stressful job, lack of sleep a set bed time on the road/getting less then 8 hours sleep, poor diet (hotel/airline food).
Remember the old saying: You are what you eat...popping a pill is simply a band aid in most cases...eating a health diet WILL build your immune system up while at the same time detoxing your digestive system which house 90% of the good/bad bacteria in our bodies (and detox all organs including the kidneys, liver, blood stream etc)...detoxing helps the good bacteria fight off the bad bacteria = keep you healthy!!
Changing your diet is not "snake oil" as you put it.
What is the first thing a doctor tells a patient with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues or other health issues that can easy be corrected = CHANGE YOUR DIET!! Why? Because changing their diet works better then a pill!!
Changing your diet to a healthy diet will improve your immune system, detox your organs, flood your body with vitamins and minerals including your adrenal glands and return you to good health with LOTS of energy but most importantly it will allow you to NEVER stress again when going for your flight medical!!!
Why would you not try a change in diet to not stress about your next flight medical?
Last edited by Irish21; 4th Apr 2014 at 08:26.
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ps Hippocrates was 90 years old when he died..pretty astonishing to live to that ripe old age considering he was born in 460BC. Clearly he knew a good diet led to a long healthy life! read books like eat to live and see the authors pbs special on you tube...it may just open your mind to how you can achieve good health again.
Last edited by Irish21; 4th Apr 2014 at 10:57.
Does anyone on here have recent experience of the CAA and hyperthyroidism?
I have been on carbimazole and propranolol just over a week ago. I'm feeling good now but the endocrinologist says that is because of the medication. I'm going back in two or three weeks, in the meantime it'll be golf for me.
I was just wondering if anyone has gone through this recently and how did your AME deal with it? The CAA seem to have handed everything off to the AME's. I found a thyroid document on the CAA website, it would be much nicer though to be able to call someone though.
Also, what diet or supplement changes did you make?
Thanks.
I have been on carbimazole and propranolol just over a week ago. I'm feeling good now but the endocrinologist says that is because of the medication. I'm going back in two or three weeks, in the meantime it'll be golf for me.
I was just wondering if anyone has gone through this recently and how did your AME deal with it? The CAA seem to have handed everything off to the AME's. I found a thyroid document on the CAA website, it would be much nicer though to be able to call someone though.
Also, what diet or supplement changes did you make?
Thanks.
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Graves Disease
I had Graves Disease diagnosed a few years prior to attempting to obtain a commercial license.
It did not hinder me. I had mine completely ablated via I-131 and was on a full replacement dose of Synthroid/generic that kept my thyroid levels stable and in the normal range.
Looking back, I would have probably preferred to have it partially ablated, so as not to need the daily replacement medications for life.
That being said, as long as I listed "previously reported" on my medical renewals, it never was a problem.
That was 20-some years ago and it has not caused me any major problems. The synthetic thyroid hormones do their job as long as you are diligent in taking them. Even with missed doses, TSH is slow to move, so missing taking them one morning won't have any noticeable impact from my experience.
It did not hinder me. I had mine completely ablated via I-131 and was on a full replacement dose of Synthroid/generic that kept my thyroid levels stable and in the normal range.
Looking back, I would have probably preferred to have it partially ablated, so as not to need the daily replacement medications for life.
That being said, as long as I listed "previously reported" on my medical renewals, it never was a problem.
That was 20-some years ago and it has not caused me any major problems. The synthetic thyroid hormones do their job as long as you are diligent in taking them. Even with missed doses, TSH is slow to move, so missing taking them one morning won't have any noticeable impact from my experience.
