1. My Thyroid Nodule Condition
I have been experiencing thyroid nodules since 2014, and every year during check-ups, the doctor has advised monitoring, stating that surgery would be necessary if the nodules reach 2.5CM. Below is the annual check-up status of my thyroid nodules:
• 1. June 2014, left side: 5mm*4mm, right side: none.
• 2. June 2015, left side: 4mm*4mm, right side: 2mm*3mm.
• 3. June 2018, left side: 6mm*5mm, right side: 2mm*2mm.
• 4. June 2019, left side: 5.5mm*4.7mm, right side: not detected.
• 5. June 2020, left side: 6mm*5mm, right side: 3mm*2mm.
• 6. March 2021, left side: 2mm*2mm, right side: 1.5mm*1.5mm.
2. A Friend’s Journey with Thyroid Nodules
I have a friend who developed thyroid nodules at the age of 16. The doctor advised her to monitor the condition. In July 2017, when she was about 36, I called to check on her progress. She informed me that she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent a thyroidectomy in July 2017. Now, she needs to go to the community hospital weekly to test her thyroid levels, requiring blood draws each time, and she takes medication daily to maintain her thyroid levels. In December 2017, I visited a TCM clinic to treat my thyroid nodules.
3. My Journey in Treating Thyroid Nodules
Seeing my friend’s situation motivated me to seek treatment as well, hoping to find a method that could help. I have always been interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), so on December 15, 2017, I entered a well-known TCM clinic. I explained to the doctor that I was primarily there to treat my thyroid nodules. The doctor took my pulse and discussed my condition before prescribing medication. From December 15, 2017 to February 2018, I visited five times, with prescriptions being quite similar each time, adjusted slightly based on pulse readings. Below is the first prescription given to me by the doctor.
Prescription: Du Zhong (Eucommia Bark) 15g, Xu Duan (Dipsacus) 15g, She Gan (Belamcanda) 15g, Hai Piao Xiao (Cuttlefish Bone) 15g, Huang Lian (Coptis) 8g, Wu Zhu Yu (Evodia) 8g, Xian Mao (Curculigo) 15g, Bu Gu Zhi (Psoralea) 15g, Zhe Bei Mu (Fritillaria) 15g, Xia Ku Cao (Selfheal) 15g, Lu Lu Tong (Liquidambaris) 15g, Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum) 15g, Pao Jiang (Dried Ginger) 10g, Lang Pian (Areca Nut) 15g, Chao Mai Ya (Barley Sprout) 20g, Yin Yang Huo (Epimedium) 10g, Dang Shen (Codonopsis) 10g, Shu Di (Rehmannia) 15g, Dang Gui (Angelica) 15g, Huang Qi (Astragalus) 15g, totaling 20 herbs, 7 doses, each prepared for me to take for about 15 days.
Despite the above treatment, the effects were not significant. Later, a friend who works at a beauty salon gave me a box of topical ointment at the end of June 2019, which mainly contained ingredients for promoting blood circulation and resolving stasis. During my check-up in March 2021, I noticed a significant reduction in the size of my thyroid nodules, indicating that the topical application had some effect. Another friend from the beauty salon also gifted me a box of thyroid patches in June 2021, which also proved to be effective when applied.