Goitre? Help....

[lcg]

hi everyone....i suspect i have a goitre at the front of my neck. additionally, i am feeling run down, very tired all the time, sluggish, have tremors (put that down to my medication), swallowing problems and very watery eyes. i do reckon that my thyroid gland is a little bit wonderfully fluffed. am going to the dr's on monday - apart from the thyroid blood test - what other treatment/interventions can i expect to start happening? thanks.....x

[PringlesQueen]

If it is a goitre, there is some useful information found on this NHS page: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Goitre/Pages/Treatment.aspx

[lcg]

yep....already read about the condition (and i am a nurse) but was wondering what the dr would actually specifically do on monday.....thanks tho x

[CheekyChops]

I've got a similar swelling. My blood tests came back fine, I've had one ultrasound already (showed some cysts) and tomorrow am due to go for a second ultrasound scan and a fine needle aspiration biopsy.

I've got no other symptoms at all though, just the swelling on my thyroid.

[PringlesQueen]

The GP will probably do an examination and order some blood tests. Depending upon those results, you may get referred on to the hospital for further investigations.

[lcg]

thanks, cheeky chops - hope all goes ok for you. what sort of dr do you get referred to (i have no clue)....i like to know these things! x

[anneasquith]

quite a few years ago i had a goitre.but thankfully TFT were normal.

[lcg]

and what happened to your goitre, anne? did it go away, or is it still there....and did you have any other tests.....? x

[PringlesQueen]

It would be an endocrinologist you would be referred to if it was goitre related

[CheekyChops]

My GP referred me to the hospital for the ultrasound scan, done in the x-ray department. That showed that I had some cysts and some more solid bits. I then got referred back to the hospital to the endocrinology dept, just for a consultation and another blood test - that was about 4 weeks ago.

Tomorrow I'm back to the x-ray dept where they are doing another scan and a biospy to make sure there is nothing nasty going on. To be honest, the lump/cyst or whatever it was has gone down of its own accord recently so I'm hoping the scan will be sufficient and I won't need the biopsy!

[anneasquith]

it just became less swollen.

[lcg]

ok....thanks cheeky chops and anne. am not too worried about things at present, but fed up with feeling rubbish all the time! as i said earlier,cc - i hope it's positive for you tomorrow and i'll be thinking of you. regards....lisa x

[anneasquith]

good luck cc. why do you have such awful side effects from medication icg ?

[Sqad]

\\\i suspect i have a goitre at the front of my neck. \\\

Why? is your neck enlarged or can you feel a lump?

Your GP will feel and examine your neck and possibly look for any tremors in your hands an listen to how you are feeling at the moment.e.g tired, voice dry etc.

The neck may be normal.....no thyroid problem.
It my be uniformly enlarged...thyroid problems.
There may be a lump palpable which may or may not be in the thyroid gland.

Depending upon what he does or does not find will depend upon what investigations are arranged......bllod tests perhaps ...ultrasound perhaps.

just a point....most Consultants either surgical or medical can deal with thyroid problems....one doesn't need the opinion of an Endocrinologist.

[lcg]

squad - lump at the base of my neck which is quite shallow but extends around both sides. is not hard, but definitely there. i have been feeling much more tired, achy and run down than normal and not had my thyroid checked for over 18 months, i think. i have a definite tremor to both hands and swallowing stuff is painful and difficult - i feel like there is something stuck in my throat all the time. thanks for letting me know the ins and outs of things - anne....i take a lot of meds for psychiatric and medical problems (about 25 tablets a day) so side effects are usually out in force! x

[Sqad]

OK, well don't be surprised if he just feels your neck and sends you for blood tests........................

[PringlesQueen]

Is one of your medication lithium lcg? It can cause problems with thyroid function

[Sqad]

Pringles........good point.

[lcg]

nah....no mood stabilisers. i wouldn't take lithium if it was the last drug on the planet. i like my kidneys too much. (i should have reminded everyone i'm a psych nurse!) thanks everyone x

[PringlesQueen]

How did you get on today lcg?