I had a very very slight cough the other night and just reached up and touched my throat and found a lump on the right hand side of the thyroid.
I was as the doctors yesterday and he said I def had a nodule on my thyroid and I am now waiting for an ultrsound and bloods will be taken on monday.
I had been having headaches over 2 weeks slight throbbing in my ear up my jaw and at the lower back of my head. I do feel like there is something slight in my throat but nothing major.
the right hand saide of my throat is warmer than the other side. I is hard to sellp on that side, and I feel at night when I lie down, pressure on my chest, and stiffness in my neck.
I cant tell you how worried and stressed I am waiting to find out what this is. I keep thinking it is cancer and has spread. i have 3 young children, 11 13 and 14.
anyone else have these symptoms and were ok?
thank you in advance for listening to me, x
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madeline05
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Nodules on the thyroid are actual pretty common most go unnoticed & the vast majority which are detected are both benign & do not affect thyroid function in any way.
Ultrasound & blood test is right next step.
Ultrasound scan will look at health & size of thyroid and blood test will indicate if there’s an issue with function. (Ultrasound down show function)
I recommend you get a copy of the blood test results & the ultrasound report when you have them done.
Doctors / labs don’t always complete a full thyroid test. So you’ll need to check both what been tested & what the results are. Doctors accept anything “in range” but if a result is low or high you might need to push for further testing or there is the option to pay a private company & complete a finger prick test at home.
Nodules over 1 cm are often given a fine needle aspiration, which sounds scary but is a really straightforward procedure. 19 out of 20 samples need no further investigation. My 5cm nodule was benign & I was told everything normal, but there was a function issue (which was missed). This is why you need to check the results yourself. This is now treated & under control.
The cough, throat pressure, aches & headaches could be related to a thyroid nodule which can cause a physical compression or could be affecting function, but it may be unrelated.
I could say try not to worry but it’s natural to be concerned no matter how small the possibility is that there is an issue.
Thyroid problems also develop very gradually, so try not to stress.
Thank you so so much for you reply. You really have helped me to relax. Im actually thinking of going in to work now this week but before your message I wasn't. I have actually taken 2 xanex to calm my nerves as I'm so distressed. Finding it hard to not think of worst case scenario. Thank you again if you have helped me. I hope you are feeling well in yourself now xx
my doc rang and said that I have a multinodular thyroid. He said a have a few nodules and one dominate one 2.6cm he said that they rad said it looks mainly cystic but that i will need it biopsied.
Obviously this has taken the edge of this for me but until I hear there is no cancer I wont relax.
Still waiting on thyroid bloods but I have received my other run of the mill bloods.
I have put up a separate post but sure Il paste them in here too incase ye can help folks.
Vitamin B12 170 ng/L Range 140 - 844
Serum Folate 6.0 ng/mL 3.1 - 19.9
Serum Ferritin 18 ng/mL 11 - 307Pr
25-OH Vitamin D 29 nmol/
Cholesterol 5.7 mmol/L
WBC 5.9 x10^9/L Range 4.4 - 11.3
RBC 4.23 x10^12/L Range 3.9 - 5.3
Any comment would be appreciated.
I would have thought that I have a good enough diet, don't know why cholesterol is up there.
Nutrients are far from optimal & cholesterol can rise if FT4 / FT3 low, so will be interesting to see your thyroid results. I hope FT3 was tested & thyroid antibodies.
Follow the good advice given by others on supplements.
FNA procedure itself very straightforward. I had local anaesthetic & was asked to lightly bite end of tongue, this just prevents unintentional movement. Then several samples were taken guided by ultrasound. I left with a small plaster on neck. Worked a busy shift after as wasn’t forewarned just just done at time. Worrying about it is likely worse than having it done. I had no bruising or pain afterwards.
Thanks purplenails and thanks for telling what happens at biopsy. I'll definitely get the local haha.
On another note-I came out in an itchy rash all over my stomach under breasts and around my hips. I use to get this on and off over the past 3 years but this was the first time in a long time and so bad, its died off today. There was some spot like hives. I'm also very light headed like dizzy. people are talking to me and its like I can't get the words out..omg feels like my brain cells are dying off.
Hi there, stress really impacts mine, try not to worry. Mine has been aspirated and is benign but they will keep checking to be safe, they want to remove the right half. The advice in the previous reply is completely sound. Once you have more info from the scan etc. You will feel better or more in control. There are alternative treatments depending on your particular case. You are not alone.
Thank you blueberries 1 for your helpful reply and taking the time to reply.How are you feeling? Do you mind me asking why they want to remove half of yours? Is it in one side and causing tightness? I wonder this with myself too as mine is just on the right side but I do think it's gone into my chest. Thanks xx
I feel the pressure, they removed quite a bit of fluid when aspirating which reduced the size a bit so pressure reduced a bit. I live on an island and there is only one specialist who you can see. He is at the end of his career. Don't get scared but in some cases these can become risky, he feels simpler to remove it and just go on meds. That is not my personal preference and I am using changes in diet and lifestyle, if no change I will ablate but I will have to go off island and pay for that and find someone good to do it. Saving up my pennies for it.
I think many of us have these. I do and I’m a singer which has caused me problems. Had them (yes, them) untrasounded twice and drs see nothing to worry about. Don’t worry yet - they are much more likely benign.
I was in the same position as you nearly two years ago, could see a lump when a photograph was taken of me. I was seen by my GP quickly and put on the two week pathways to have an ultrasound and then see a specialist at ENT. I was terrified! They were lovely and kind at the appointments, very understanding when I explained my needle phobia regarding having a fine needle biopsy. I have two nodules, both under 1cm and surprisingly on the other side of my throat than I had expected. I have been discharged from ENT with the proviso I go straight to my GP if I am concerned.
In short, try not to worry. My experience of ENT and the tests I had were good. The hospital staff were kind to me and reassuring. Ask any questions you have and keep coming back to this site. People here have gone through similar and there is a wealth of experience and advice available.
thank you beeorchids for your response. How are you now if you dont mind me asking? 1cm seems small but yet you were able to see it in photos. Did you have any symptoms at all? I am noticing now I am started to get get a bit hoarse in that when I speak my voice kind of goes. My throat feels a bit stingy too. O my god Im dreading the news but want it over at the same time so I know.
I’m relatively fine now. I was surprised too that such a small nodule was visible and think it was the angle I was sitting at for the photo. I found my neck and shoulder that side were very painful sometimes particularly at night but replacing the pillows on my bed has seemed to help. It’s awful waiting for the tests and results I know but as said upthread most nodules are benign.
Im glad you are good now beeorchids ..It was a blessing you spotted it in the photo. Always good to get to these things fast. Yes I can only sleep on the other side now as that side hurts.
Thank you for the positivity in your thread, it helps for sure xx
Hi. I was 50 and thought I was going through the menopause when I found a lump in my neck. I automatically thought "cancer" and was at the GP that afternoon. I had bloods and an ultrasound and it was Graves Disease. I was started on Carbimazole as soon as the bloods came back and ended up with Radio Iodine a year later. It took a while to settle on Levothyroxine after the RI, but I have been stable for over a decade now and just have annual tests. Someone said to me "when you hear hooves expect horses rather than zebras until you see the stripes". I know it's difficult to be calm when you have any sort of lump and I can't say you have nothing to worry about, but I remember how I felt and how it turned out. Take care of yourself and try to stay calm unless you see stripes
Thank you so much jools1213 what a lovely reassuring thing to say. I will keep this in mind over the next few days. That's brilliant you are doing so well now. Decade on xx
I had the RI in 2010, but it took a while to become stable after. I thought the palpitations and night sweats were the start of the menopause, so I hadn't realised there was something else going on until I found the lump and, by then, I had a rampant hyperthyroidism that couldn't be controlled with carbimazole. My lump disappeared after the RI and didn't need any further treatment.
It's really easy to downplay things when you get a diagnosis that it isn't cancer, and hopefully that is what will happen for you, but you still need to take care of yourself. You will have a busy family life and it's important you remember self care because you can't look after your family if you don't look after yourself. All the usual suspects are important: diet, exercise, rest.
Another analogy - remember your oxygen mask! Imagine an aeroplane decompresses and all the oxygen masks come down. Mum panics and her first instinct is to get the oxygen mask on her baby, but the baby is scared and struggles. Eventually they both become unconscious. If mum takes 10 seconds to put her own mask on first she will get the mask on her child.
And finally a funny one. Eagles soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!
Sorry jools1213 I had thought I had replied to you.
Thank you for your lovely analogies. They are so true. We need to be well too look after our babas.
What does rampant hyperthyroidism feel like? Im interested to know as this is all new to me.
I'm in Tom for the ultrasound.. Relieved to finally get one. Not sure what happens with results.. Its love then to tell me there n then.. Its the waiting that is torture.
Hi Madeline. Hope the ultrasound goes well. I was lucky because they said they would send the report to the endocrinologist, but told me right away it wasn't malignant. I don't think they all do that, so don't expect it.
I was losing weight, had night sweats, hot flushes, sweating profusely with any exercise and palpitations. I also developed a tremor, swollen ankles and had large cholesterol deposits around my eyes. When I read it now it is so obvious I was hyperthyroid, but it crept up on me slowly and I was convinced I was having a horrible menopause and was taking herbal remedies like red clover to try to improve things.
When I found the lump one morning putting on my moisturiser I realised that something was wrong and went straight to the GP. I saw a GP trainee first and he asked if he could listen to my neck because sometimes you can hear the blood flowing through the thyroid with a stethoscope. Seemingly it's a bit rare, it's called a thyroid bruit (I think that's how you spell it). He was so excited by hearing it he went to get other GPs to hear it too! Although I needed to wait 24 hours for the blood results he was satisfied it was Graves. I got a phone call the next afternoon at work basically telling me I had to go home as my results were literally "off the scale". I ended up on 60mgs of Carbimazole, which is higher than the approved dose, and they decided I had to have the RI. When I handed in my prescription for 60mgs the Pharmacist came out and demanded to know who had prescribed it as he wasn't keen on dispensing it. He did once he knew it was prescribed by the Endo. The worst thing was that it took 3 years from diagnosis to being stable on Levothyroxine. Your thyroid dies off gradually and you have to make the transition from Carbimazole to Levothyroxine and the End described it as like "turning round a tanker". I'd be fine for a while then I'd go hypothyroid again and need an increase in the Levo. But I've been stable for 10 years with only annual checks now. I had to take statins as well to sort out my high cholesterol, 7.6, which was also a result of the Graves. The cholesterol deposits round my eyes completely disappeared. When I was at work last year I noticed a colleague had the same fatty deposits, xanthelasma, and I asked her if she'd had her thyroid checked. It turned out she needed treatment too.
So that's my rampant hyperthyroidism in a nutshell. It was a bit extreme, so don't assume your journey will be the same as I'm sure you have gone to the doctor much quicker than I did.
Thank you for writing your story out and sharing it . Its amazing how peoples journeys are all so different.
Janey mac you have been through the mill you poor thing. You must have found it so hard working before you were diagnosed with all those symptoms. So you have graves. I heard its harder to manage than hashimotos. I have seen people with those marks around the eyes and never knew what they were. Gosh learning so much on this website. The RI how did you find that? was there side effects? did it get rid of your lump?
I'm so glad you have been stable the past 10 years and that those clusters have cleared up in your eyes. How do you feel these days? how did you find going back to work when you started medication?
Firstly don't panic. It's probably an underactive thyroid, possibly caused by Hashimoto's auto immune disease. A biopsy will show the true result. Then you may have a thyroidectomy (removal of goitre) and you'll be put on levothyroxine T4. It may take 6 months to get the dose right and you may need liothyronine (T3) as well. I've been through it and come out the other side. Hope it all goes well.
Just to add, I had a partial thyroidectomy in 1996 and was put on T4 levothyroxine. But by 2008 I was overweight. lethargic,depressed. Luckily I had heard from a Greek girlfriend that T3 liothyronine was routinely prescribed for an underactive thyroid in Greek as well as T4. Managed to get a Prof of Endocrinology at Royal Devon & Exeter to prescribeT3. Then the NHS refused to purchase T3 because the price had risen so much, so had to resort to buying in Greece on trips there. Then that stopped because I didn't have a Greek prescription. (Of course I should have seen a Greek endo). So now on Armour, porcine thyroid, prescribed by a private doctor in Bristol. And feel so much better and back to normal. Even better than T4 and T3. So the op is the first part. Getting the dose right for your particular body is the most important thing after that. Don't be put off by endocrinologists who tell you your blood results are ok. If you're not feeling 100% when things have calmed down, make a fuss! You won't get T3 on the NHS atm but things are changing. In Somerset 12 mcg is the max dose of T3 on offer. No good for me. I was on 25mcg of T3 per day and 75mcg T4. Good luck!
Wow sounds like you really have to advocate for yourself and do your own research. Thats fantastic that you are on armour now, found a product that works for you. Its sounds like such a struggle to get yourself feeling better once your thyroid goes awol.
I had my biopsy done today on my dominate nodule. It was 2.6 in size. The endo said the results from the ultrasounds I had 2 weeks ago shows that's its mainly cystic.
Today I had another USound done before the biopsy. It was 1.9cm today. The doc said it wasn't cystic but saying that, he was wondering why my endo wanted it biopsied?!! Then later he said as it was over 1.5 in size they must biopsy. The biopsy wasn't really sore for anyone waiting to have one done. I was soo nervous, but they numb you before. You do feel the motion of the needle going in and grabbing but no ouch pain.
So my question is has anyone had a nodule that reduced in size and it was ok?
Hi Madeline05, I have a nodule which was confirmed by Sonar a year ago. I am waiting for a needle FFPA which is what it is called in Spain where I live. I am dreading it to be honest as I have a strong gagging reflex so anything to do with my mouth, teeth and my throat I am likely to gagg. Reading how you got on as helped. Did you have any issues following your biopsy needle test? Hope your results are good. X
Honestly I am a big baby it wasn't sore. They give you a tiny needle to numb you first anesthetic. I thought like dentist I would have to wait for it to numb but no, he went straight in and dud what he had to do. I just closed my eyes and squeezed my toes and it was finished is like 3 mins. They put a massive plaster on, but no need as I took it off and there was nothing there just a tiny dot. Don't be afraid... X
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