Swollen lump in throat

[crashdoll]

I have a swollen lump in my throat. It's a bit sore. It does make swallowing difficult and I do lose my voice quite frequently because of it.

My self-diagnosis is Rheumatoid Arthritis of the cricoarytenoid joint - not the most common of problems. I had similar symptoms a couple of years ago - although less severe - and my rheumatologist mumbled "maybe" when I asked if it was an RA issue.

I finally get around to seeing my GP who thinks it's a thyroid problem and I have a blood test booked next week. If it is my thyroid, does this mean I definitley have some sort of thyroid problem?

Yes. It could be underactive or overactive. Tablets usually control the problem with blood tests every 6 months to ensure levels are correct and adjust tablets accordingly. The lump is probably a goiter, associated with the thyroid problem. Sometimes these go away once the thyroid levels are corrected with medication, sometimes they need to be removed by surgery.

It might also be a very large or awkwardly placed thyroid nodule. These are really common and don't mean you have any form of thyroid disease. Best wait for the blood test results and I am sure they will send you off for an ultrasound or something?

Thanks for the replies. It was the thought of possibly needing more medication that was worrying. I'm on 10 different kinds and they all come with side effects - some worse than the actual condition itself. Fingers crossed all will be fine!