Wife has recently found she has an enlarged nodule

[davelinks]

My wife recently took up running, and after a few months she had a cold with a chest infection/cough, it went away and some weeks later she started to get a cough when she when she would start running, it kept on being a nuisance so went to the doctor's who found a swelling in her neck unbeknown to my wife, anyway an ultrasound scan and endocrinologist visit has taken place and tests are still ongoing. The thyroid still seems to be working OK, but is so enlarged it's pushing over her windpipe.

She's been told that the nodule is the size of a Satsuma and may have been growing for up to 30 years, but the coughing may not be linked to the enlarged thyroid, which could be due to running induced asthma. Has anyone one else had this complaint come on? And what they had done about it?

[bluebug]

Which complaint?

Lots of adults are now getting asthma including one of my friends' who also runs. The main causes is apparently air pollution. As asthma kills you wife needs to have her lung function tested to see if she needs an inhaler.

In regards to the thyroid - your wife needs to get the actual results as doctors say thyroid function is "normal" because NICE guidelines mean they don't have to treat anyone whose TSH isn't 10. However those with a TSH over or under the range will definitely be having thyroid illness symptoms.

It is your wife's right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to get a copy of the test results. Once she gets them she should actually join up here and post her own results in a new thread for advice.

So first ensure she get her asthma checked out then see if she needs to have her thyroid treated. Go to thyroiduk.org.uk for more information on the thyroid.

Until your wife gets her test results she needs to stop running and do other forms of exercise that don't make her cough.

[mushumouse]

Hi Dave. I had a 5cm nodule found on my thyroid in May. It didn't cause a cough or anything, but was pushing on my windpipe and restricting my breathing.

I hope they are going to do a fine needle biopsy to check it out for her?

They did one for me and my results looked a bit suspicious so they decided they should operate.

In the end they removed my entire thyroid 6 weeks ago, but everything went very well and I'm just so glad they found the nodule.

So I'm sure your wife has lots of options and if it does come to surgery I'd say it's not too bad and she'll feel a lot better afterwards

[davelinks in reply to mushumouse]

Thanks for your response, yes they did the fnac yesterday, so now waiting for results and what course to take.

The specialist say's that the cough may not be due to the pressure on the windpipe, but could be another condition such as running induced asthma. Think another scan is on the cards to also check on the windpipe size..

I wonder how much pressure the windpipe can take? and how much bigger the module will get before it cause a big problem on breathing, he says the windpipe is very flexible, seems a shame to take out the gland when it's still doing it's job, and she still feels OK. I suppose at the end of the day to be on the safe side it would be best to have it removed, there's not really any hassle in taking a pill every day to keep up the hormones.. we shall see what that the test results are and what they advise..