Im just looking for experiences really... i went to the drs last Wednesday due to chronic acid that hadnt gone away for over 2 weeks. With this i have a sensation of a lump inside when swallowing. She has put that down to gord but whilst checking the the neck area she has found a small hard nodule on the left side of the thyroid lobe.
She has done a urgent 2 week referall to ent which is next friday to be seen.
Im wondering what will happen at the first appointment? Will they be able to give me insight there and then? I think its likely they will ultrasound if needed there and then as the lady who booked me in said shes sending me to a specific hospital because they have a machine there that they can use if needed.
I wasnt aware of the lump but now i can feel it and am a little panicked.
I am anemic currently on tablets for that, i always suffer with aches and pains and calcification on joints so no new symptoms as such just the chronic acid and slight food sticking when swallowing.
Id like to hear others stories from their first ent app to the results please and thankyou
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Lifeofmex
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Thankyou for your reply, she actually hasnt sent me to do the thyroid blood tests i did find that weird but assumed this would be done with the hospital?
Anemia i think is due to rubbish eating habits and heavy monthlys ive had a pelvic scan to clear anything else - i have been anemic for many years and didnt like taking tablets but i have stook to taking them now so due to be retested in march.
vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 - all came back ok except ferritin and i dont think vitamin d has been done but last time was 2020 i was low then - last test was november 2022
Serum vitamin B12:
254 ng/L
Serum folate:
8.5 ug/L
Serum ferritin:
3 ug/L
Regarding the goitre is that a visible lump on the neck as i dont have that, this is one is felt inside on the left lobe? Thankyou
Iron has also been at that consistently since 2015 i just didnt take the medication - the last dr wanted to investigate but only sent me for a pelvic exam which came back clear.
The range on b12 is 150 to 620
Folate is 3.1 to 19.9
Thankyou ill try that, also will ring the doctors tomorrow for a full thyroid test
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement
A week later add a separate vitamin B Complex
Then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12 few times a week
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
Do you have a diagnosed thyroid condition? Are you on any thyroid hormone replacement? I realise you want to know about nodules and are looking for first-hand experience, but giving details like that can help people know if they're in the same type of situation as you. We're not prying by asking questions, we're just trying to help.
Nodules are pretty common on thyroids, whether you have a thyroid condition or not. I have several on my thyroid But, your mentioning 'chronic acid' makes me think you do have a thyroid condition. I imagine you're talking about acid reflux? The important thing with that is to find out if you have high stomach acid or low. Doctors always assume that it's high acid, but the symptoms are the same, and hypos usually have low stomach acid. And, your difficulty swallowing could be down to a swollen thyroid, rather than GERD. But, doctors tend to put everything gastro connected to GERD.
The only way to find out if your nodule is causing problems is an ultrasound, as you said. I had one when I was first diagnosed. It was no big deal but they didn't give me any information immediately, I had to go back to the endo for that. Have you seen an endo?
I havent been diagnosed with anything, this is all new to me. So it just started with acid reflux but all upper in the throat rather than tummy and heartburn although i did have some of this to begin with.
Nothing shifted it, even omeprazole. The doc thinks it is a separate issue to the nodule but i actually do think now that the nodule is actually the issue as the acid reflux has calmed but food still sticks and i have hoarseness here and there and a constant feeling of something in the throat which throat clearing doesnt help.
The only symptoms i have is increased anxiety but ive always had this - exhausted but again with being anemic i put it down to that - and lately ive always feel hungry but ive put that down to eating better as ive started being healthier since christmas - eating better as i was shocking.
I just dont know what to expect with the nodule - probably will be benign but i am thinking now maybe it is a thyroid issue
Well, you do have a lot of hypo symptoms: anxiety, fatigue, acid reflux (and if it's due to low stomach acid, omeprasole will make it worse, rather than better), hoarseness and the feeling of something stuck in the throat... They can all be hypo symptoms. The best thing to do would be to ask your doctor to test your thyroid. She might not do all the right tests, but it would be a start. Then, get a print-out of your results - don't just rely on your doctor's opinion! - it's your legal right to have one. And if you post the results and ranges on here, we can help you understand them.
Agree completely with the problems caused by being on omeprazole when having low stomach acid. Been there, though actually it was the less powerful ranitidine I was on, and that was bad enough. I was on it for a year (thanks to Covid) before 24hr ph testing revealed that whatever was causing the problem, it wasn’t acid reflux. During that year what was thought to be silent reflux (due to the non asthma breathing issues it was causing, particularly at night) got slowly worse. I’d been having digestive issues, all thought to be acid reflux related, on and off for nigh on ten years by that time. Things improved once I was taken off the ranitidine (funny that!!) though I had to wait six weeks for the follow up appointment after the test results came back before I was allowed to come off it. My GP was horrified when she heard!!
It wasn’t the GP who put me on the ranitidine - it was the consultant (and I only ended up on it because I refused the more powerful PPI’s - thank goodness I did). The GP would have liked me off the ranitidine the moment we knew that I didn’t have acid reflux. It was the consultant who told me I had to stay on it for longer, even after the 24hr ph testing had revealed that I didn’t have acid reflux. I wasn’t impressed with him for doing that. My GP was shocked!
The really interesting thing is that - almost certainly - another consequence of being on that medication was the development of a feeling of a lump in my throat whenever I swallowed something. Initially it was intermittent, but as the months went by it got worse. Eventually the GP got me an urgent referral to ENT to get it checked out. Nothing was found. Again, the problem went away after I came off the ranitidine.
Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency.
Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing.
It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron
Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.
Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:
Females 18 ≤ age < 40. 30 to 180
Females 40 ≤ age < 50. 30 to 207
Females 50 ≤ age < 60. 30 to 264
Females Age ≥ 60. 30 to 332
Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442
Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518
The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven years. This is the most extensive study on ferritin reference ranges, and we hope to achieve journal publication so that these ranges can be applied more widely.
Nothing to do with the thyroid but have you checked if you have Endometriosis? My daughter suffered for years with her monthlys- being told that it was normal and she was being over dramatic by different drs until an enlightened gynocologist got her tested and confirmed she had endometriosis .Take care
I had a pelvic transvaginal ultrasound about 2 weeks ago all came back ok but it did say something on the scan that they couldnt check the lining due to the coil shadow so its actually still a possibility.. what checks do they do? Thankyou for the reply
She was pumped full of water and then given a pelvic transV ultrasound to get a better reading. Not very comfortable but it confirmed the dr's diagnosis. It is a miserable condition with heavy painful periods and tummy upsets. However the hospital put her on the pill permanently which has helped her enormously only stopping the treatment for her to have 2 children.
I have thyroid nodules and have had them for 38 years. My grandmother had them . Genetics play a big part. But you have had many very expert answers regarding your question so I won't add anything .
Here's my experience of a benign nodule (large and now small)
In 1994, I had a large nodule on one side of my thyroid (I think it was 1.5cm maybe more, I can't remember). I never could feel it but my endocrinologist (and ENT) could feel it. After an ultrasound and suction, it was diagnosed as benign (most thyroid nodules are). This was diagnosed after a really bad sore throat. I saw an ENT who referred me to an endocrinologist as he could feel the lump. This is where I was diagnosed as having hypothyroidism and ... but I had no idea it was auto-immune and what I should do, what symptoms could arise... why I was sometimes down and really really tired, why I should have taken more Levothyroxine when pregnant (this is important and now standard but even at a good hospital - UCLH in London - the staff had no idea )...
I had another ultrasound as a check-up around 2009, just as a precaution. The staff could barely see the nodule. it had shrunk to a few millimeters.
I recently had a suction (of a slightly enlarged lymph node - benign) and thyroid ultrasound and it is rather quick (I'd say 10 min in total) and nearly painless.
The latest ultrasound shows (the other day - Jan 2024) a nodule of less than 5mm, which appears to be benign. The radiologist said that by looking at my thyroid he could not guess that I have had hypothyroidism for nearly 30 years.
I believe (I am no doctor though) that suction is done on all larger nodules, to determine if it's benign or not and shall be removed.
Many many people have nodule(s) on their thyroid - a very large majority are benign and do not need to do anything (and maybe it will shrink like in my case).
As I get older, I have more symptoms of hypothyroidism (hiatus hernia and silent acid reflux since 2012, fatigue, sore throat, dry mouth) but if I have a good lifestyle, if I am not tired and not stressed, I am OK.
Thankyou for telling me your experience this has helped loads.
I just put all my symptoms down to the anemia as its been that long - the only difference now is my throat area funnily enough i do have a sore throat but again i put that down to the acid.
I was reading the symptoms of hypo and hyper but i seem to be on the hyper side symptom wise or a bit mixed because i always have cold hands and feet muscle aches etc but then the nervousness and a few other symptoms are hyper. I havent put weight on i would say skinny build but stable.
I thought this was worth adding thinking about it but in the past 3 years i have suffered with inflammation of the joints in various places - but never got a diagnosis bloods was fine at the time except inflammation markers. I had a lump on my wrist - a few drs said it was a ganglion cyst even one dr tried to aspirate it! I ended up in hospital with suspected sepsis as it went huge and painful - had naproxen and antibitocs and it eventually disappeared - the xray shown calfication but as my bloods was ok they didnt really know what was causing it. They just named it tumoral calcinosis.
I also had the same in my shoulder joint and neck - so painful! calcification of supraspinatus infraspinatus and subscapularis.
I never got to the end of why i had calcifciation but maybe one day i will
Wow! I never connected the dots.. i remember reading up on it but it said it was rare and i probably missed the autoimmune bit. Theres definitely something out of balance i just hope i get to the bottom of it
hello I had a nodule on my right side, and I had several fine needle biopsies, they put a thin needle into the lump whilst using ultrasound camera and aspirate to get cells out then they put them on a glass slide to send away to test, it is a bit uncomfortable, but bare-able and some hospitals numb it but mine didn’t, basically my tests came back inconclusive so the only way to truly tell what it was, was to have a partial (hemi) thyroidectomy where they take the lobe of the thyroid out - this totally spun me out and I was scared to death BUT, I’ll be honest I’ve had a few experiences with head and neck issues and this operation wasn’t no where near as bad as i had imagined. But this was only last resort as they couldn’t take any chances with me personally! You’ll prob have the biopsies and it’ll be left at that. Thyroid nodules are very common and are often nothing sinister but if they are it’s very treatable so I’ve been told. Hope this helps. Jane you had your thyroid tested for function via bloods to see if you are under active, I’d insist on some bloods also I’m under active now and take 175 Levothyroxine daily, I was before this saga but never tested correctly so much been like that for years undiagnosed had aches pains etc.‘good luck try not to worry too much high chances you’ll be fine 🙏🏻
Sorry you had to go through that, did you find out what it was?
What makes them worry on the ultrasound to end up doing a biopsy?
Did it also take a while to find everything out?
Sorry for all the questions im just so impatient haha!
Did they do the ultrasound on the first appointment for you? I just dont want to be left wondering what it could be although im quite certain it wont be the worst case scenario.
I think they have to check what the nodule is and make sure it’s benign but I’ve had other issues in my neck area so mine needed to come out …my consultant did say if you are to get the C anywhere this was better and a pussycat compared to what I’d had previously…..so I just went though it all and it was ok. I dreaded the operation but to be honest it was ok as I’ve had a radical tonsillectomy couple years before and I would rather have ten 9 pound babies then go through that again. The thyroidectomy didn’t phase me at all it didnt even really hurt to be honest. But you may not need ANY of this that’s just my journey and I had my nodule from 2014 to 2020! had about 6 fine needle aspirations through that time all inconclusive they couldn’t get cells out of it..so hence the surgery. worry when you have to they are very good at knowing what’s what etc…it could be absolutely nothing.
at the first referral I expect you will have an ultrasound. Then if needed quickly after a fna (fine needle aspiration) and then again quickly after a follow up with a consultant.
I am not saying this is what you have but my lump was cancerous. TBH they knew from the ultra sound, they didn’t say but were clear I needed a fna. I think I realised that evening it was likely to be cancer as my gp called me out of the blue to say they were there to support me. I had a total thyroidectomy & neck dissection as the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes. I couldn’t have follow up radio active iodine as apparently I had had unbeknown to us thyroiditis The only life changing element for me is to remember to take my medication daily.
Everything then happened really quickly - results, mri scan, allocation of a cancer nurse & prep for removal. It took a bit longer than planned as I got covid and they don’t (or didn’t) operate until 7 weeks after an infection. I was chilled about everything but terrified about the op - it was all fine. Recovery for me was fine and exactly as they explained in advance.
I felt a lump but it wasn’t really big and not obvious. It was in 2021 so I didn’t actually raise it till the November when I saw GP following a fall. I mentioned she said she just thought lymph nodes and only referred me for an ultrasound as I mentioned my mum had had her thyroid ablated. Remember this was coming out of the pandemic - I chased early Jan and was told they were busy. I was seen beginning of Feb & then it all happened very quickly. They knew at the ultrasound - they can tell by the size. FNA was very quick, I think the week after - it wasn’t painful but uncomfortable. Then I went to see my consultant the following week - mine was papillary thyroid cancer. He did say other than skin cancer this was the best kind to have. I didn’t find that helpful as a friend had died from skin cancer the week before. He referred me for an MRI to see if it had spread from my lymph nodes - that was very quick and took place at 7pm on a Sunday evening. He talked about op dates but I said I wanted to do my own research & be clear there were no other options. He was a bit irritated by that but my GP was very supportive. There weren’t any I quickly realised so we progressed from there. It is quite a complicated op as near your airway so you are automatically in a high dependency ward after with only 4 of you. I had my thyroid, 25 lymph nodes (cancer was in 5 of them so he left a gap) & 2 parathyroid glands removed. It was fine, I didn’t experience any pain after other than when the drains were removed and that was over on 5 mins. I had to have a calcium drip and was in hospital a week due to low calcium levels, I wasn’t ill, I was bored. It was the tail end of Covid so no visitors. My voice was very horse and weak & I did opt for the speech therapy which helped strengthen it. I now feel a new woman, more energy, less restless legs, more able to sleep and for the first time in 10 years able to lose weight.
I now have annual check ups - including an ultrasound.
I think it is the unknown which is worrying - once you know you then have a plan and it is ok.
Good luck - a 2 week scan can be worrying but I am not sure whether they do that automatically now and it doesn’t necessarily mean cancer. My husband had one recently and had an appointment with in a week. Try not to worry.
Aww i bet that was a stressful time, so sorry it happened to you. Im glad your feeling yourself now - are you on medication now for the rest of your life?
Before examining the neck she was just sending me to normal ultrasound but then felt the lump so she said shes doing a urgent referral due to waiting times and as she didnt know what it could be.
Im glad im going down the fast route though as i can then stop worrying haha im just impatient but mainly because my dad died of throat cancer in 2018 it was really awful to see him the way he was he couldn't eat etc and had a tube in his throat if he had gone to the drs earlier things could of been different but when he finally went after complaining for a few weeks of a ulcer in his mouth it had already gone to advanced stage 4
I have had difficulty swallowing/feeling like there's a lump for about 3 months and my GP referred me to ENT. GP couldn't feel any nodules on my thyroid but she wanted to rule out "anything nasty" so I was fast tracked for a 2 week appointment.
ENT consultant put a tube with a tiny camera on the end up my nostril down just past my throat. He couldn't see anything wrong but referred me for a barium swallow.
I've never been offered an ultrasound, despite 25 years of Hashi's.
I put the swallowing issues down to the acid reflux - it feels like there is skin off a bean stuck in my throat sometimes its worse then sometimes its just noticeable and doesn't bother me but there is a constant feeling of something stuck there. Awful feeling isnt it?
I hope they do a ultrasound as there is a hard lump there but i suppose it's down to them on the day.
Yeah, I wonder why I've never been offered an ultrasound too. But I could write a book about NHS neglect/mis diagnoses and plain mess ups in my treatment over the years!
You're right, it is a horrible feeling. I even get tiny things stuck where I feel there is the throat constriction. Now, I crunch up my meds before swallowing them, into a paste.
Good that they are looking into the cause of yours. Fingers crossed for you, that they scan you on the day.
No, nothing found on the barium swallow. I wasn't worried about cancer, it was just a precaution. Personally, I think I may have Sjogren's as I have just about every symptom for that there is. Also, some Lupus symptoms. Deep joy trying to get a diagnosis for those 🤔.
hi there, I have had a thyroidectomy a few years ago but I had one small lump on the left side of neck a few years back and then another showed up after scan recently. I Had FNA, a bit uncomfortable but I managed and then was sent an appt within 2 weeks as suspicion of cancer, then haematology was involved but refused to see me as I didn’t fit the criteria so eventually after another couple of weeks was informed by letter that it was not cancer (after several scans) and have an appt with ENT next month March brought forward from April to discuss. I suspect mine has something to do with salivary gland as it goes around to the ear lobe weirdly and if I lay on either side by the morning the ear on the cartilage is swollen and painful. I have had the first lump since 2018 and the new one they found recently but I’m no further forward to what it is til March. I wonder if the dr. Knows too as the consultant appt has been downgraded to a clinician or member of the team. In other words try not to worry, lumps pop up all the time in the neck this one does tend to press on trachea if I lie on my side but apparently it’s nothing and I get sore throats all the time. 🫤
Sorry you had to go through all that, makes you worry more when different consultants say different things. I also have had this sore throat for a while ive just put it all down to acid reflux, atleast the ball is rolling now though and hopefully know more by fri but sounds like a long road ahead!
Good luck for your app in march hope all goes well
Hi Lifeofmex,Lump felt on left hand side of thyroid. That's great to hear you are being sent for an urgent ENT appointment. Think that maybe one of the better options if an urgent referral to endocrinologist is out of the question or too long a wait !
First appointment should be your history and the ENT doctor should have looked at all your blood test results.
The ENT doctor should send you for an urgent ultrasound scan of your thyroid gland
( could be another 2 week wait or they might do it on the day!) and do repeat bloods tests and also they should include in blood tests a thyroid panel, bone profile, cortisol levels, and possibly a PTH blood test. If there's a PTH blood test you should have it done first thing in the morning as early as possible, its a fasting test too and no water either as it can skew results. Same for bone profile and thyroid tests. All should be blood tests at the same blood draw early as possible ( 8am to 8.30am, or latest 9am.) This should give a clearer picture of what's going on. The Thyroid ultrasound scan is the same as having an ultrasound on your belly.
They don't usually give results at the time, so could be a 2 to 3 week wait.
It is possible that the ENT doctor will say something like- you shouldn't have been referred here !
It's OK, it's not your fault. Go with it and ask - will you still help me and find out what's happening??
So be prepared for a bit of a wait. :/
Hopefully, you'll get a great ENT doctor and they will just do all the tests without moaning ! Good luck.
Initially it was just an ultrasound seconds before she examined the neck area so then she went with 2ww referal to ent as there wa no other concerns relating to it except the swallowing but she has put all of this on the referall. I think this was the route due to unexplained lump found
What do endocrinologist do?
Im confused to why my dr hasnt ordered blood tests although she stated on the referal form no clynical symptoms of hyper or hypothyroidism but she wouldnt actually know without a blood test
This is what was put on the form
Complaining of a lump on her throat and some dysphagia for solids.
Also severe gord and on examination red pharynx .
On examination of neck possible small hard nodule on left thyroid lobe./
Unable to exclude sinister pathology .
lump in throat likely due t severe gord and also dysphagia ??.
please exclude thyroid significant pathology ?? and pahryngeal pathology/ due to dysphagia above sterna;l notch.
Im dreading the waiting time ill be honest! But ill be happy if they mention atleast something on friday so i can stop worrying haha
The nurse who booked me in did say shes sending me to a hospital with a machine so if needed i could be scanned so i assume it may be the same day, fingers crossed
Hi. Are you saying your referral is to ENT, not Endocrinologist?
I am just going through the process of checks for thyroiditis (privately as given up on my area of nhs…can’t even read an abnormal blood test..but sure other areas are better). I’ve had all the symptoms for years.
Usually first test will be the ultra sound. I’ve had so many neck ultra scans over the years for thyroid you wouldn’t believe.
It took 4 ultra soundwithin a shortish time, for my atrophied thyroid to be picked up. I then went on to have PET , iodine uptake, scans.
On US it’s the electronic scan colours and edges of findings that indicates possible problem. For example is a nodule smooth outlined ?What is the screen image colour to the areas? Example abnormal vascularity in a thyroid shows up as a different colour on the doppler screen/images. They also take measurements. That said further tests maybe required as US is not an exact science.
Interested to read about reflux. This is the first time I have read that acids reflux can be relative to thyroid issues. I have terrible reflux, and permanent sore throat, red throat too.
Please don’t worry about having the ultra sound, it’s not uncomfortable. They just put gel on and move a little hand held device on and around your neck. It’s very quick too. It’s reported that most often thyroid nodules are benign.
Try not to worry and think of this as a process that will be checking all for you in a short space of time.
Thankyou for your reply i will definitely keep all updated.
I have been referred to ent it was a 2 week urgent referal process my first app is friday 16th. The endo hasnt been mentioned so not sure if ill be seeing them at some point.
I am also wondering if the acid reflux is related? I never connected any dots i initially only went drs because it hadnt gone away after 2 weeks and thats when she found the lump.
I have the same issue, I was sent for a throat scan. The radiologist identified 2 possibly 3 nodules growing inside my throat. He told me as long as my thyroid meds (100mg Levothyroxine a day)are managed there should be no issue, but any changes then get referred back. My GP told me that a small percentage of people with low thyroid have internal nodules which press into the throat rather than a Goitre. Although the consultant I saw said it would be nothing(!), he then wrote a letter that read nothing like my appointment....and only 1 nodule! List any questions, if anything is inconclusive, press for answers and plan of action (if needed). If consultant is dismissive then question.
Don't worry, it's all moving fast enough for investigation. Let us know how it goes. There are some nasty side effects with low thyroid
I think i need to start with thyroid blood tests as that may give an insight to the nodule as theres no concerns to hypo or hyperthyroidism as of yet but many symptoms do link with them both?!
Well I still have them, but I would get an ultrasound ASAP at a different hospital if there are any changes. I still have swallowing problems nd dry mouth, dry eyes, skin, muscle & joint probs along with severe Fibromyalgia. Just all part of the big plaster🤦♀️xx
Im suffering with dry mouth too! And tight sensation, my skin is dry but i do tend to get that anyway as had eczema as a child. Joints and muscles too, i havent been diagnosed with fibro but my friend has and she always says 'i bet you have it' i feel like im always moaning about pain haha!
I hope I can reduce your stress with my experience. I am having investigations for swollen lymph glands in my neck. I’ve had them for a year. The first ENT I saw said there were nothing to worry about. But the lumps didn’t go away so I saw another ENT at another hospital. He was totally different. When I first saw him, he put a camera down my nose and into my stomach. Don’t worry, it was nothing major just a bit uncomfortable it’s a small tube and very quick. He found I had silent reflux and sent me for an ultrasound on my neck. Apparently my thyroid is atrophied, basically very very small and they found something on my parathyroid. I am now waiting to have a nuclear scan. My Endo has recommended surgery and I have an appointment with the ENT next week. I am just telling you this so that you know what happens it’s nothing to worry about as it’s a two week wait it will all be sorted very quickly. I have calcification of my joints also I hope this explanation helps to reduce your fears Come back to us when you have had your appointment and let us know how you got on. There are lots of people on here who help and care and have a lot of knowledge
Don’t worry about the camera. Your Dr might not do it. I went to the appointment and wasn’t expecting the camera. However it’s not an endoscopy. I can’t stand those either. You don’t need sedation for this. It’s nowhere near as bad as an endoscopy where it’s put down your throat and it’s so much bigger tube. By going through your nose, all they ask you to do is swallow and it gently passes the throat and into oesophagus. Honestly, it’s nothing to worry about it’s over in seconds. I’ve had this done several times and it’s not a problem. If it was an endoscopy you would see me running for the hills! This is nothing like that.
I hope its not the 2nd camera haha! Id cry.. but dr has put on the referral;please exclude thyroid significant pathology ?? and pahryngeal pathology/ due to dysphagia above sterna;l notch.
So looks like both will be checked - can the first camera check them both?
thyroid significant pathology will probably be blood tests. Your doctor is being ultra cautious like mine who said “we don’t like lumps so always refer. On 2 week wait.” The small camera could rule a lot out or they could give you scans. As your Dr is sending you to a specialist unit with up to date equipment they tend to be less invasive.
If they do say you need endoscopy they will not do it at this visit and you must INSIST on sedation if that’s the case then you won’t remember a thing. You will wake up to coffee and biccies 😄
Hi, I went to Doctors with lump in throat approximately 18 months ago, he was very dismissive of my symptoms and stated I had reflux, gave me a month's supply Lansoprozole. The Lansoprozole didn't work for and still had lump in throat, I tried really hard to get follow-up appointment but kept getting fobbed off by receptionist. In the end I went into surgery to make an appointment but kept hitting stonewall. I filled complaints form. I got, an appointment but not with gp, but Advanced Nurse Practitioner, the following week.
The nurse listened to my symptoms and signs and stated that she thought I'd got Oral Thrush and gave me Fungal tablets for a week and to return to an appointment in a week. I returned to see nurse who upped my dose. Another appointment followed, I stated that I wanted to see consultant. Nurse said she had no idea what was wrong with me. I had an emergency appointment with ENT consultant in 17 days.
The consultant also stated he didn't know what was wrong with me, however he would do some tests. He did a camera test that went up my nose, only reached as far as tonsils. He said he couldn't see anything.
I had Barium swallow test and Neck Ultrasound. Then back to see a different consultant who said, he couldn't see anything. So I had a cat scan.
This proved to be best scan of all-
It showed I had Thyroid nodules on right and left side of throat, also it had grown down back of sternum, Retrosternal Thyroid. Finally a diagnosis, the consultant stated the the other tests, proved useless and they wouldn't have been able to see anything. Should have just gone for cat scan.
Now waiting for thyroidectomy whenever that will be.
Oh you poor thing! I was dismissed as being fat by my GP in 1993 after months of pestering I looked in the mirror one day and saw the moon face (my late Brother was hyperthyroid and he had the same) so I insisted on a blood test. The hospital rang to go there straight away as I was hypothyroid and almost at the point of going into a coma. At least GPs are more aware that we have a thyroid these days. My GP must have missed that lecture ! 🙄
Here is how mine played out (have not read all your replies so might be overlap) -
*first - just so you know for more peace - nodules are not uncommon, apparently up to 60% of the population will have them in their lifetime. Some will be found by a fluke, a la scanned for another reason. Besides suspicious ones being biopsied regularly, ones that are symptom-free need no intervention
Mine found due to -
*feeling of something in my throat, slight breathing issues (including wheezing) & mild choking at times
*delayed on everything due to crucial part of pandemic ( went in to early 2020, after issues the year before)
*directly to ultrasound
*multinodular goitre found (five or six nodules) - some nodules were mixed consistencies two solid or nearly solid. You will hear terms describing consistency
*Fine needle biopsy booked for two of the nodules due to size and consistency. Besides cancer, the cut-off for intervention due to size is 4 cm. Some nodules are in mm. Two of mine were high 3 plus cm but their placement is where they were being little buggers
*fine needle biopsy is where they send a needle through your throat into the nodule, guided by a scan. Sounds awful but no pain at all (for me) just an awkward feeling of pressure
*No cancer found
*GP wanted surgical intervention and directly to an ENT surgeon
* I fought to see an endocrinologist first
*At this time I did research and decided did not want surgery and simply would scan and do biopsies on a suitable schedule (I believe it was six months? a year? for my type and size of nodules)
*However two things happened during this waiting period
*One I nearly drowned. I am a strong swimmer, jumped off my sister's boat with glee. Came up and struggled almost immediately. She had lost her anchor and was nowhere near me. No problem will simply swim to her. But I just weirdly could not last, this was within seconds that I was going under - it was such a shock
*Secondly, insight at the endocrinologist on why this happened. She did a physical test. Asked me to raise my arms above my head & lower my chin to my chest & talk. Again like swimming (night this is like the position of front crawl & jumping off a boat,) I thought nothing of it. Okay no problem. Do it and immediately I could not breathe & my voice sounded like the devil (& could barely get any words out). I was so off in my thinking I swear I forgot that I was in control for a second, and could bring my head back up 🤩 (if you try this you should be able to easily talk & breathe)
*Decided to accept referral to ENT surgeon
* Quite the wait due to pandemic issues & our normal times for specialists (Canada)
*Another fine needle biopsy during this period - again no malignancy.
*ENT surgeon explained it was a good time for surgery. She felt the size of two of them meant biopsies could miss cancer (think needle into a walnut- size could hit one area but not another)
*At this appointment or the next one did that camera up my nose down into throat to check my voice box
*I asked about ablation. She explained we do not do it in Canada, due to cost & that she has operated on patients where the goitre has simply returned, which she said was not uncommon
*She felt nodules would only get bigger - I am not sure I even understand this but there are stories online of nodules decreasing or disappearing but that was not her thought on it.
* Had to be a total thyroidectomy simply due to position of nodules
*got a second opinion on it all mainly due to first ENT's hospital shutting down all elective surgery at peak pandemic so might as well
*Same thoughts
*So after being determined no surgery just go through life monitoring them , surgery was suddenly my choice
*First ENT's hospital opened up but in that time many more emergency type surgeries bumped up list. I told them I would take any cancellation at the last minute.
*And they actually listened!!!! 🤩
*moved one week, next week on Friday got a call & asked if I would accept an operation on Tuesday due to someone cancelling
*Yes!
*Surgery was smooth. No issues. Overnight stay. Filled painkiller prescription , took none
* Thought I would be completely vain about scar, nope no issue at any point
*So for me symptoms reported 2019 - total thyroidectomy 2022. But the pandemic is responsible for some of that delay
*Hormone replacement.has not been easy (an understatement at times and almost two years out still not balanced) but despite that fact I do not regret the surgery. Felt a mass instantly gone, could not believe the difference. My loved ones commented day one "Your voice is finally back". I can breathe easier and no choking
*Final pathology- no cancer. But although all my thyroid labs were normal before surgery my surgeon said it was totally diseased on arrival. Report (my words!) Colour off from normal, twice the size of a normal thyroid, and lymphocytic thyroiditis noted - chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is Hashimoto's. So who knows. I do know that I felt like the hormones were a dreamlike quality I had never felt in my life, day one (then an issue later). So I would say something was off that was not showing on my labs.
Okay, well that was a novel. Your order could be different & of course it might be a situation to choose monitoring, but these are the things you can expect going forward.
Sounds like similar symptoms to mine too, sounds like a stressful time hope your feeling better now?
I hate the idea of being on medication as it takes a while to know what actually works, so glad the operation worked well for you. The main concern for me is the swallowing but i dont know if its acid or the lump.
Thankyou for telling me your story i will keep all updated
Just take it one step at a time. The nodule or nodules might make you feel that lump in your throat.
Being hypothyroid alone might make you feel that lump in your throat.
Silent reflux can also make you feel like you have a lump in your throat An ENT can use a quick camera to see if there is any silent reflux.
So at some point things will become clear.
As for hormones, many people get along just fine their entire journey. They are not online with us trying to get balanced, they are living their lives happy with how they are feeling. So remember that. It is easy to forget when you see a lot of people suffering.
As for me, I am not quite there yet but absolutely *okay*. ☀️
Hi , I've had a sore throat for some time. I went to see about it and was referred to ENT. I had a module removed some years ago. First appointment was for a camera up my nose to look closer at my neck. And her finger down to my tonsil. She felt a lump. So I was referred for an MOT to another hospital 4 days later. They did bloods, ECG. Weight, height and blood pressure. Then a week later referred again for a MRI. It's been 7 days since then. And no word yet. But hopefully all's well. That's what happen to me. You might expect similar
my friend had two nodules removed over ten years ago and nothing untoward happened after. Re acid reflux there’s often a dietary reason. After 60 years of suffering acid reflux and with a pretty good diet I tweaked things … no refined sugar or flour, no processed food (no pastry, cream etc which makes your stomach produce more acid to break them down) no wine, and what was the biggie was only having sourdough bread. Result …no reflux and took an antacid tablet maybe 3 times last year. Good luck with the op!
Thankyou for your reply i do think the acid is dietry i was shocking at eating but then decided to eat well and more and its just not sat well within me haha
I think bread diary and pastry are the worst for me i have tried to hold of these but i seem to want alot of chocolate lately that's hard haha
they may do a scan of your neck . They could also want to look inside your throat . they will give you some numbing stuff to numb throat and nose and run tiny camera up nose and down back of throat. Doesn’t hurt may be tad uncomfortable but nothing serious. They could also get you to do a swallow test where you eat food and they take images while you swallow if your having trouble with that. I have the same problems as you . Hope you get the help you need
Hi guys just thought id give a little update... i decided to go for a private ultrasound (i know very impatient) but its eased my mind lots! They did find another nodule on the right side of the thyroid aswell as the left but they arent big.. this is part of the report,;
Within the right thyroid lobe is a well-defined spongiform, mixed cystic and solid nodule with a
favourable width to height ratio measuring 0.8 x 1.0cm. No internal vascularity, echogenic foci or
microcalcifications noted. Identical nodule noted in the left lobe measuring 0.5 x 0.6cm.
Both thyroid lobes and isthmus are of average sizes, normal parenchymal echotexture, and vascularity.
No overt thyromegaly noted. Normal submandibular and parotid glands. No cervical
lymphadenopathy.
Impression: Single nodule in each thyroid lobe with features consistent with a follicular thyroid
adenoma. No FNA required.
I am also booked in for thyroid blood test on wednesday. Ill still go to the appointment on friday.
Afternoon - 16 years ago I had a lump on the left side of my thyroid. It was aspirated and then I had a left hemi thyroidectomy. The lumps removed were benign but the drs felt it was a good idea to remove them! We only need a fifth of our thyroid to function apparently and I’m not on any medication! I hope your situation is resolved quickly for you.
Hi all a little update.. had the ent app yesterday it was chaotic they didnt have my referal letter so they didnt know what i was there for. I shown them my nhs app.. so they did a hearing test and that came back fine. She checked my neck by hands and said she couldn't find any lumps but will send me for a us anyway which i dont know when that will be, also i had gone for a private one so i know there is 2 nodules! I didnt mention it as they will soon see with the ultrasound themselves.She did the camera up the nose down the throat - wasnt too bad! But she couldnt see anything.. she is sending me for a barium test and im booked back in 3 weeks time to see her with all results. Ive no idea what is causing this food stuck in the throat feeling but its driving me mad
A few results for bloods are back although they seem to be in normal range?!
Hi, had the barium swallow test today... wasnt too bad as i really hyped myself up for this. She did see acid and also when eating a tiny piece of biscuit with the barium she seen it had stuck, she asked me to swallow a few times but it didnt budge and finally had water which must of helped it down. Just got to wait for the ultrasound tuesday then back to the consultant on the 7th for all results. Hopefully will all make sense soon because i absolutely am fed up of this food sticking!!
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Good luck. 
Can I insist on a fine needle aspiration if a single nodule is detected?
Possible thyroid issues - Doc has referred me to the ENT dept.
Confirmed acid reflux
thyroid nodules... terrified :(
