Nodules

[Bug257]

I was having some difficulty swallowing several years ago.  On the left side of my throat I seem to always have pain when I yawn, etc.  Now it seems to be affecting my left ear.  My doctor sent me for tests and I was told that I have 2 or 3 nodules on my thyroid.  The doctor said several years ago not to be concerned with them because they were small in size.  This year I asked about them again and she told me not to worry about them.  My question now is since I'm still having pain and it's now affecting my ear should I inquire about them again?  I also believe I'm in early stage menopause.  Things that I've been reading suggest that menopause and hypothyroidism can many times go hand in hand.  I'm having many symptoms of hypothyroidism but they could also be symptoms of menopause.  I turned 47 in November.  My gyn says I'm a little young and that menopause typically happens age 50-52.  I'm having severe hot flashes it seems every couple of minutes.  I can't sleep through the night. I'm either sweating or freezing.  I'm extremely tired all the time, gaining lots of weight and just all around feel sick.  Past thyroid tests have come back normal.  I get tested all the time because I've always had many symptoms of thyroid problems.  I used to be cold all the time when others were either hot or normal.  Now I can't get my body temperature right.  I'm never normal.  Either extremely hot or cold.  Is this menopause (period stopped 2 months ago) or is it thyroid?  This all began last summer when taking Chantix to quit smoking.  Periods stopped for 2 1/2 months then, came back extremely heavy and now I'm back to not having it again.  I'm absolutely miserable.  Help!

[Bug257]

Thank  you for your insight.  I've been thinking for quite a while now that this is just my age creeping up on me but something inside also keeps telling me that aging shouldn't be THIS hard!  I keep thinking that something must be wrong.  It isn't right to feel this bad.  I look bad too.  My skin is turning sort of gray, my eyes are always red and they hurt.  It feels like there's sand in them all the time.  I'm experiencing lots of anxiety and I'm always so tired!  My body aches but I do have some osteoarthritis.  I also have fibromyalgia in my shoulders.  I just think I'm too young to be having all these problems.  47 isn't that old!  The doctor that told me not to worry about the nodules was my general practitioner.  I never told my gyn about any of this.  I guess I need to find an endocrinologist.  My thyroid levels always come back normal but from what I've read that happens much of the time.  Thanks for your help!

[pep88]

I would NOT ignore these nodules!  Especially with the symptoms you're having.  I'm not sure what kind of doc you're seeing (maybe only the GYN), but you need to see an ENT or a Endocrinologist, period.  Most nodules are benign - 90% - 95%.  BUT, I am one of the fabulously lucky 5% who got the big c.  (Only I made it a little one, cause it's really a very curiable "c".)  

In hindsite, I had tons of the same symptoms that you have, but ignored them, thinking it was age.  But I was only 43 when I was dx'd.  And after they found the nodules, I did have bloodwork done b4 the TT, and all was "normal".  (I question what that even means now as it seems to be a very subjective range everywhere you go and depend on what doc looked at the results...)

If you are feeling poorly (we all have that funny little inner voice that says "this just isn't right..."), investigate it further!  I had that funny feeling when they told me about the nodules, and guess what?  I was right.  Not happy I was right, but happy I persued it to it's finality.  Now I'm cancer free.

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