Nodules come in two types: hot and cold. As you might guess, a "hot" nodule is one that sucks up all the iodine you take in and pumps out way too much thyroid hormone, and a "cold" nodule is just a "dead space" in your thyroid that doesn’t affect your thyroid hormone levels, but feels like a lump. Cold nodules, I believe, are more likely to be cancerous than hot nodules. It is not all that common, from my 12+ years here, to have had Graves’ Disease, gone into remission, and then experienced a hot nodule (vs. a recurrence of Graves’). Not to say it can’t happen, but as I say, I haven’t seen it much in our online community.
If you had an uptake/scan in conjunction with your Graves’ diagnosis, it would have been very simple to see a nodule, vs. Graves’-like activity in the thyroid. They would have noted it at that time. Still, definitely worth asking the doctor about.
I understand the hesitation to jump into the world of Graves’ Disease again, but if that’s your path in life, we’re here to hold your hand and help you through, so try not to worry too much! At least you’re seeking help early in the process, that’ll definitely lead to a quicker resolution.
Let us know how it’s going!
