Re: K-RAI

[Guest guest]

Hi -

First, I have to apologize about writing about my experiences like I did. I

assumed you hadn't had RAI yet (things are pretty crazy around here) and I

try to couch it a little differently for new people at first. Once a

patient already has had RAI, it does nothing but scare them and there's

nothing other than imperfect thyroid hormone modifications that can be done

anyways if there is a problem.

The thing that bothered me the most was the " sick " fatigue that was either

attributed to depression or chronic fatigue syndrome (I certainly didn't

feel depressed-just frustrated that I had no energy). I also had anxiety

and panic attacks and was very slow-thinking (before that I was a quick

thinker). These problems can be brushed off as mentally induced. Of

themselves, those weren't the symptoms that caused my endo to think I was

hypo.

The visually physical symptoms were: swelling of my hands, face and neck;

arthritis (some of which is autoimmune, some is not); acne; brittle dry

hair; dry flaky itchy skin; cracked and bleeding skin.

Physical symptoms that weren't visual were: muscle pain and aches; sleep

apnea (my husband is a physician that vouched for me and I'm not

overweight); irritable bowel syndrome; neuropathies; infertility.

By the time I was 29, I had high cholesterol (230+). Despite the fact that

high cholesterol does not run in our family, was young, and I had no risk

factors for it (I was in excellent shape) my doctor insisted that I had to

go on a low cholesterol diet. When I saw the doctor the next year, my

cholesterol hadn't budged (and I had already been exercising), he told me

that I'd have to go on cholesterol-lowering drugs if my cholesterol went any

higher. My disgusted husband (who knew I didn't have high cholesterol

before RAI) prescribed me additional Synthroid. I switched doctors, got

retested a couple of months later and my cholesterol levels were low-normal.

The only time since then that I've ever had a cholesterol problem is when

I've gone hypo.

Anyhow, when all those symptoms are viewed separately they can be attributed

to just about anything. However, the endo did not do that and viewed my

problems as a whole. When he treated me with T3 many of them went away

(there are downsides to T3-the biggest is it's short half-life).

Thyroid function is poorly understood by the medical community. They freely

admit that yet they insist on removing thyroids or ablating them.

Personally I think, until they have a much better handle on it, they

shouldn't use permanent measures unless the temporary ones can't be used.

Take care,

dx & RAI 1987 (at age 24)

" Would you mind telling me about your physical problems that you mentioned?

I'm one of those people probably not even listening to my own body "