Will Missed Synthroid Doses Accelerate The Thyroid Cancer?

Posted on Tue, 10 Mar 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 Answered on

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I have a small thyroid nodule,less than 1cm. My endocrinologist did not biopsy because it did not have worrisome characteristics and was stable for a long time. I got pregnant with twins and took small dose of synthroid throughout, XXXXXXX dose was 75 mcg/day. Babies are now 6 months...my dose was changed to 50 after I had them but to be honest, most days I forget to take because I am busy. Can this cause/ accelerate thyroid cancer. I am scared

Answered by Dr. Binu Parameswaran Pillai (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
follow up rewuired

Detailed Answer:
Good day
Noted your concern. Not to worry. Please get a repeat ultrasound done.

Your thyroid nodule was less than 1 cm earlier without any sinister features in ultrasound and hence the endocrinologist decides not to do the needle test. However, it is important to follow up these nodules by ultrasound to look at change in size and character.

Less than 0.5% of thyroid nodules harbour malignancy. Again I must say that, nodules may grow in size if the TSH levels are high. So it is better you take Synthroid in proper dose to keep your TSH under control.
Regards.
Binu

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar