QUESTION ABOUT INCREASED UPTAKE ON ONE SIDE AND NONE ON THE OTHER

[lamkins514]

I have been determined to have a fairly large right lobe nodule.  Just completed ultrasound & nuclear medicine thyroid scan.  All my lab work points to HYPERthyroidism.  My scan revealed INCREASED UPTAKE in right side (which is where the nodule is located) but NO uptake on the left side (which is the 'normal' side) - what does that mean?  I have read that cold nodules are more concerning as the contrast is not even going into that nodule/lobe and hot means increased uptake which is supposedly that the contrast is going through the nodule/lobe which is supposed to be a good thing.  I am curious as to how one side of my thyroid (with the nodule) is having increased uptake and the 'normal side' with no nodule is not.  Any clue?  I'm confused.  Thank you.

[skeeterknitwit]

Hi, I've been away from the board for awhile, but thought I'd reply.  Your scan sounds exactly like mine was 18 months ago.
No uptake on one side of your thyroid means that side is just slacking.  Your Hot Nodule is working overtime.  Your TSH tells your thyroid to get busy.  The lower your TSH, the more your normal thyroid slows down.  But that hot nodule will not follow the rules of the TSH.  It just keeps going.
After you get that hot nodule taken care of, with surgery or radioactive iodine treatment, the other side of your thyroid can wake up and start working again.  Mine did.  I just take 50mcg levo to give it a little help.
Hang in there.  This is a rather long process to get back to normal.

[redheadaussie]

Often that is the case when the nodule is on one side only. It is like the two lobes are acting independently of each other. I had about 10 nodules on one side and Hurthle Cell adenoma in one of those, but the other side had nodules which had no Hurthle Cells.
Your side with the nodule is more than likely trying to cope with the nodule in it and probably producing excess hormone, whilst the other side is more than likely just plodding along normally.