Thyroidectomy: Still have a constant cough 3 months later. Normal?

@maymay1966 Good morning and welcome to MayoClinicConnect. We’re a community who shares health issues and support and what’s worked for us. But we’re not doctors. What has your doctor said about the coughing and choking? Do you ever cough up blood or pink-tinged sputum?

@maymay1966 I wanted to let you know about myofascial release therapy. All surgery creates scar tissue in the fascia, and that tightness potentially can put pressure on the neck. I had cervical spine surgery which also causes choking sensations and potential swallowing issues because of the frontal approach at the base of my neck. I did feel like that for a while after my surgery and it got better. The hyoid bone sits on the front of the spine in the neck held there by muscles, and it is part of the swallowing mechanics. I have done MFR therapy with my physical therapist which helps a lot. There are also speech therapists who retrain patients in swallowing if there is something wrong in the mechanics of it. My dad went through that. If it is that type of an issue, they do a test with a moving X-ray while the patient swallows a thick drink. The danger of swallowing incorrectly is aspiration into the lungs. That was an issue for my dad and it got worse as he became elderly. If the problem is scar tissue that prevents proper movement, physical therapy with myofascial release can help break up the scar tissue. A therapist can give you directions how to stretch and self treat. Here is our Connect discussion on MFR. You can find a provider finder on the MFR website.

https://myofascialrelease.com/find-a-therapist/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

Hi @maymay1966, I'd like to add my welcome. I'd like to bring @jjren @vivib and @blulilbaby into this discussion. They may have experiences to share about symptoms post surgery.

May, why did you need to have a thyroidectomy?

I had serious swallowing and choking issues before my Thyroidectomy. I had a small bit of trouble swallowing after surgery for maybe a week but I did not have any coughing or choking issues and I haven't had any issue with either since. I am 2 1/2 years out from surgery now. I have some residual movement issue in the left Thyroid's muscle but nothing that causes discomfort or overall problem.

I had coughing after my thryroidectomy. It turned out I was allergic to acacia, an inactive ingredient in my generic levo. The allergy is common in people with tree pollen allergies. When I switched to brand name Syntheroid, my cough clears up in a week or two. This may not be what you are dealing with, but it is worth a look ...

@booky, is this a common allergy? How did you or your team discover that the allergy was the issue?

My doctor is less than helpful. While I was searching out a new endo doc, I followed a link down a rabbit hole that discussed it. As I read the article, it was as if they were talking about me. I actually took it to my pharmacist and they were able to help me switch brands and try it out.

I am not sure how common an acacia allergy is, but I do know that it is quite common for people to react better on one brand of levo as opposed to another. It all depends what they use as a binder to create the tablet. This becomes especially important to check the inactive ingredients in medications if you do have certain allergies. Many people celiac Disease are surprised to find out that many medications are not gluten free and may, in fact, cause a great deal of trouble. It can be hard to track this down, but a good pharmacist can help. Most physicians done have a clue about what is in the medications they prescribe.

Hi, I had a lobectomy and a couple of lymph nodes around a parathyroid gland two week ago and have a terrible cough. It's partly in my lungs (we thought initially it was just irritation from intubation) but I can feel a rawness and rattling more in the region under the incision. I've read that post-surgical cough, particularly if there is malignancy, is not uncommon. Just wondering if anyone else has experience with this and if so did it resolve/resolve quickly.

Thanks in advance!

Lise

Hi @lise01, I moved your question about post-lobetomy and cough to this existing discussion:
- Thyroidectomy: Still have a constant cough 3 months later. Normal? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/thyroidectomy-1/

Has your cough improved over that past couple of weeks?