Have you had a needle biopsy of a nodule in your thyroid?

[underwaterrhymes]

Come in and tell me about it!

I have a large nodule in my thyroid. My levels are fine. I've done sufficient Internet research to reassure myself that these are usually benign, but would like reassurance that this doesn't hurt like shit.

[tacocat]

I have. It wasn't terrible. The hardest part for me was making myself hold still in the process. The next day or that night I think my throat was a little sore and it looked like I had been bit by a vampire, lol.

[underwaterrhymes]

Liking not because you had one but because it wasn't terrible. ❤️

[frannyr]

I have had several. It's not bad because they numb the area. You just feel pressure, not unlike the ultrasound. I do always end up with a little throat bruising though.

[orangeblossom]

I have. Many times. I prefer ice to numb, rather than a needle, but out of the four different doctors I've had do them, only one has done ice.

Good luck!

[sweetnsour]

I had it a couple times and it didn't hurt. I find it uncomfortable. I had a partial thyroidectomy because my nodule was big enough where I had problems swallowing. Mine wasn't cancerous.

[acr]

It was painless - just weird to see a needle coming at me

[escrow]

I just remember I made a much bigger deal about it than was necessary. It was like nothing.

[underwaterrhymes]

This is good. I appreciate the anecdotes.

[MeMyselfandI]

I've had it done twice. The first time, the numbing was the worse part of it, but not too bad. The second time, they sampled from an area that wasn't quite numb and that hurt a bit. I was already anxious and I cried. They felt bad. But really, both times were bearable.

[underwaterrhymes]

Aug 25, 2016 19:28:28 GMT -5 MeMyselfandI said:

I've had it done twice. The first time, the numbing was the worse part of it, but not too bad. The second time, they sampled from an area that wasn't quite numb and that hurt a bit. I was already anxious and I cried. They felt bad. But really, both times were bearable.

Ugh. I'm sorry.

[vanlatte]

Not painful at all, just sore to touch for a couple of days. Mine turned out to be cancer, so I ended up with a total thyroidectomy, then followup with radioactive iodine therapy. Hoping your biopsy turns out to be negative, but if not, if one is going to have cancer, this is the one to have, as it's rarely fatal. Good luck!

[underwaterrhymes]

Aug 25, 2016 19:40:16 GMT -5 vanlatte said:

Not painful at all, just sore to touch for a couple of days. Mine turned out to be cancer, so I ended up with a total thyroidectomy, then followup with radioactive iodine therapy. Hoping your biopsy turns out to be negative, but if not, if one is going to have cancer, this is the one to have, as it's rarely fatal. Good luck!

I'm sorry it was malignant. but I'm glad the outcome was good!

[Deleted]

Aug 25, 2016 18:48:54 GMT -5 sweetnsour said:

I had it a couple times and it didn't hurt. I find it uncomfortable. I had a partial thyroidectomy because my nodule was big enough where I had problems swallowing. Mine wasn't cancerous.

I was in the same boat. The biopsies happened every two years as long had they turned out ok. Mine was done without an ultrasound guide. The doctor said oops once but I'd like to think he was joking. IIRC, you get the needle inserted like ten times and then they poke around 10 times so roughly 100 jabs? It wasn't just one entry point and mine always looked like a knot you would get when you bump your head (except of course on your neck). I only felt pressure.  I only took OTC pain reliever as a precaution. 

[isabel]

Aug 25, 2016 19:40:16 GMT -5 vanlatte said:

Not painful at all, just sore to touch for a couple of days. Mine turned out to be cancer, so I ended up with a total thyroidectomy, then followup with radioactive iodine therapy. Hoping your biopsy turns out to be negative, but if not, if one is going to have cancer, this is the one to have, as it's rarely fatal. Good luck!

This same thing happened to MIL, but they ended up not having to do the radioactive iodine treatment. The prognosis is like a 10 year 99% survival rate. So, yeah, if you're going to have cancer, this is definitely the one to get. MIL is pretty sensitive about pain, but she was never bothered by the biopsy stuff. She had the surgery in May, had a small adjustment from the Synthroid, and is now feeling great.

[urbancowgirl]

I have. It was uncomfortable and the sensation was unlike anything I've experienced before. I had a bruise on my neck afterward. The nodules were benign, luckily.

[underwaterrhymes]

My MIL is actually going through the same thing right now. We chatted last night about it. Bizarre timing.

[sewf]

I had a golf ball sized nodule. The biopsy was uncomfortable, but not painful. It helped that I had it done at a teaching hospital, so there were about six med students observing and distracting me, asking me about work and family. The doctor did tell me no heavy lifting for a week so I wouldn't squirt blood everywhere, but he was kidding about the squirting, I think.

[underwaterrhymes]

Aug 25, 2016 20:23:33 GMT -5 sewf said:

I had a golf ball sized nodule. The biopsy was uncomfortable, but not painful. It helped that I had it done at a teaching hospital, so there were about six med students observing and distracting me, asking me about work and family. The doctor did tell me no heavy lifting for a week so I wouldn't squirt blood everywhere, but he was kidding about the squirting, I think.

LOL. Not sure how I avoid heavy lifting with a three year old and a toddler. (When did my baby become a toddler??)

[sewf]

Aug 25, 2016 20:25:28 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Aug 25, 2016 20:23:33 GMT -5 sewf said:

I had a golf ball sized nodule. The biopsy was uncomfortable, but not painful. It helped that I had it done at a teaching hospital, so there were about six med students observing and distracting me, asking me about work and family. The doctor did tell me no heavy lifting for a week so I wouldn't squirt blood everywhere, but he was kidding about the squirting, I think.

LOL. Not sure how I avoid heavy lifting with a three year old and a toddler. (When did my baby become a toddler??)

I think he was kidding, but I did use it to get out of any heavy lifting at work!

[kimmyo73]

Doesn't hurt really - sore and bruised the next day.  

I have had several and have been hypo for nearly 15 years.  Two years ago, I was struggling with a larger goiter and could feel it when I swallowed. They did an ultrasound and a biopsy that all came back fine but I pushed to have my thyroid removed for a variety of reasons.  During my followup with the surgeon, I was informed I had thyroid cancer.

The biopsies can be wrong and you should advocate for yourself.  I did not have to have other treatment for the cancer; it was the most anticlimactic cancer diagnosis ever.

[stephm0188]

Mine hurt. I went in thinking it wouldn't and it wound up being painful. But I will say that my neck is pretty sensitive thanks to my thyroid, to the point where I can't even stand to have jewelry or clothing touching it. I think if I had gone into it knowing there was a possibility it might be painful I would have felt better about it. Being caught off guard kind of sucked.

Thinking healthy thoughts for you.