Hey

[Teegee27]

Hi there,

I'm new to all this! I was wondering if anyone has some advice.

I have just been told I have a 3mm hypoechoic nodule on right side of my lobe (throat) I don't know what that means!

I get my latest blood test results tomorrow after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism last month.

Do I need to ask my GP anything tomorrow?

Best wishes

Teegee 27

[MissGrace]

I can’t say I’ve had the same but it may be worth doing some research on the internet - don’t trust your GP to know any more about it than you do. I think my first question to my GP would be when do I see the specialist and my second would be is that a specialist in these types of thyroid conditions. My third would probably be what are the treatments available, how do they work and what difference do they make. Then what should I do/not do about this condition - that is diet, exercise, medication. Then - how regularly will you be monitoring me and taking blood tests. I’m no expert, but they might be of some help.

[Ruby1]

Welcome Teegee27

I think nodules are very common in hypothyroidism. I have them and they were discovered by an ultrasound scan. That was over 10 years ago. I take levothyroxine every day and that manages my condition with no problems.

It may be worth asking if your hypothyroidism is autoimmune - they test for antibodies - in which case you know that it will probably fail more as you get older. This is what I have, though I have been on the same dose for many years now.

Some people on here do seem to have trouble with their medication. There is plenty of advice available here re vitamins and diet to help things along if you are struggling. I've not had to go down that path.

By the way, if you can change the title of your post (I think you can?), something like 'Help I've been told I have a nodule' may draw in more people who can help. 'Hey' might make people think you are just saying hello.

Best of luck with your journey in controlling your hypothyroidism.

[MaisieGray]

Teegee27 The term “hypoechoic” refers to the way a nodule looks on an ultrasound. Ultrasound machines produce sound waves that penetrate your body, bouncing off tissues, bones, muscles, and other substances, and the way that these sounds bounce back to form an image is known as echogenicity. Something with low echogenicity appears dark in the image and is called hypoechoic, while something with high echogenicity looks light and is called hyperechoic. A hypoechoic nodule, sometimes called a hypoechoic lesion, on the thyroid is a mass that appears darker on the ultrasound than the surrounding tissue, which often indicates that a nodule is full of solid, rather than liquid, components.

So you might be asking your GP what is the NHS protocol for responding to these findings, and therefore what needs to happen next.