How does my doctor know that I don't have an enlarged goitre?

[Molliemoo1]

Picked up my referral letter today and it says that I do not have any symptoms!! And I don't have an enlarged goitre.

GP has never looked at or examined my neck. In fact, I'm sure I've always been wearing a scarf when I've seen him.

I think my neck looks swollen but don't know if it's thyroid related.

Can the gp tell if it is enlarged or not just by looking at me?

[Hidden]

Considering GPs seem to know naff all about the thyroid it therefore follows they know nothing about goitres!

Interestingly the NHS Endo I was under only palpated my neck once.

Clinical skills gone the way of the dodo.

Sorry, not much help!

[Beverleyb]

I had a Goitre growing for ten years, I asked several GPs to examine my neck, as I had put on 3 stone (always been slim) they said it was fat! I was really embarrassed so left it, when I look back it was the size of a small ball.

I saw a ENT consultant about snoring, once we got talking he stopped , I saw he was looking at my neck, examined my neck, took some fluid from the goitre to be tested, had a scan , within 2 weeks I had my thyroid removed, the doctor said it was very big, his reply when I asked about goitres was, just one of those things!

From my experience, GPs as, cinnamon_girl said know naff all about the thyroid.

Have you felt a lump on your neck? if you think you have a goitre then ask your GP to refer you for a scan.

Good luck with everything Bev.

ps, 20 years have past and im waiting to see an ENT consultant about my snoring!

[Molliemoo1]

Thanks for your replies.

Wow I just looked at Google images at goitres, hard to miss them I guess.

I think my neck looks swollen but nothing as obvious as that.

[Hidden]

if u google self check thyroid for nodules u will find a u tube video. basically find your thyroid, tip head back, drink water and watch for lumps. I can feel mine, but it took me ages looking in the mirror to be sure. Feeling carefully, one side is bigger.

The pix tend to be of dramatic examples of enormous goitres.

you could write to the gp, copying the endo, saying u do have symptoms and detailing them, if u have.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

ps wearing scarf everywhere is a classic thyroid symptom too tho prob not one to go in the letter.

[Mouldyoledoll in reply to Hidden]

How can you look at your neck and drink water with your head tipped back? I've tried... Its near impossible! 😖

[Hidden in reply to Mouldyoledoll]

can u feel a difference on one side?

[SilverAvocado]

Molliemoo1, I wonder if this is an example of that "differential diagnosis" style diagnosing, where doctors just seem to assume that if something is fairly uncommon then it can't be present in a specific patient.

I've just got hold of a copy of my medical records, and they are full of this - doctors writing summaries of my condition, and making loads of mistakes assuming things are 'normal', or describing the details of my cancer as the most common type, rather than the specifics of my tumour!