Thyroid Diseases

Any medicine to shrink thyroid nodules

02/27/2008 06:38PM

Question:

I have had overactive thyroid since after I had my baby and now the ultrasound showed I have benign nodules on both left and right side of the thyroid. Is there any medicine that might help in shrinking the nodules without surgery?

Answer:

I assume from your question that your nodules are either less than 1.0-1.5 cm in size, or else have had fine needle aspiration biopsies showing that they are benign. In that case I would just repeat the ultrasound periodically to make sure they aren't growing. In the past, endocrinologists have sometimes used thyroid hormone pills to try to shrink thyroid nodules, but the evidence that this really works is controversial at best. Options you should discuss with your doctor are for you either to have surgery (probably not necessary) or just let the doctor keep an eye on the nodules to see if they are changing.

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Response by:

Thomas A Murphy, MD, FACP, FACE
Director and Assistant Professor
Endocrinology Division
MetroHealth Medical Center
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University