Re: would you do RAI, again?

[Guest guest]

I was diagnosed with Graves at age 13... took PTU until I was about

19, when doc talked me into having RAI. I actually was fine for

about 15 years or so, but the last five have been horrid.

No. I would NOT do it again if I could go back. But then again, Id

never go back in time for so many other reasons anyway!!! Things

happen to test us everyday. This is just another test. Those doctors

who look us in the face everyday and deny the truth to us, are also

being tested. Who's to say what/how any particular person

should/would act. You know? Some people fail the tests given to

them. Point blank. It will be interesting to see all the replys to

this great question! Im a FIRM NO.

> Is anyone happy that they did RAI? Knowing then what you know now,

would you do RAI, again?

>

> I turned down radiation for tracheal carcinoma in 1998 and I am

grateful everyday that I did. I still have the carcinoma, too.

>

> ...

>

>

[Guest guest]

I was diagnosed with Graves at age 13... took PTU until I was about

19, when doc talked me into having RAI. I actually was fine for

about 15 years or so, but the last five have been horrid.

No. I would NOT do it again if I could go back. But then again, Id

never go back in time for so many other reasons anyway!!! Things

happen to test us everyday. This is just another test. Those doctors

who look us in the face everyday and deny the truth to us, are also

being tested. Who's to say what/how any particular person

should/would act. You know? Some people fail the tests given to

them. Point blank. It will be interesting to see all the replys to

this great question! Im a FIRM NO.

> Is anyone happy that they did RAI? Knowing then what you know now,

would you do RAI, again?

>

> I turned down radiation for tracheal carcinoma in 1998 and I am

grateful everyday that I did. I still have the carcinoma, too.

>

> ...

>

>

[Guest guest]

I was diagnosed with Graves at age 13... took PTU until I was about

19, when doc talked me into having RAI. I actually was fine for

about 15 years or so, but the last five have been horrid.

No. I would NOT do it again if I could go back. But then again, Id

never go back in time for so many other reasons anyway!!! Things

happen to test us everyday. This is just another test. Those doctors

who look us in the face everyday and deny the truth to us, are also

being tested. Who's to say what/how any particular person

should/would act. You know? Some people fail the tests given to

them. Point blank. It will be interesting to see all the replys to

this great question! Im a FIRM NO.

> Is anyone happy that they did RAI? Knowing then what you know now,

would you do RAI, again?

>

> I turned down radiation for tracheal carcinoma in 1998 and I am

grateful everyday that I did. I still have the carcinoma, too.

>

> ...

>

>

[Guest guest]

, every thyroid lists I'm on, I hear how people wish they hadn't done

it. The ones that say they are glad haven't been nuked very long. For some

reason about 7-10 yrs later is when they realize that what they are on (usually

T4 only) isn't doing the job and it brings on other problems.

I was offered RAI for my hyperT/Graves in late 2001, and I knew it wasn't for

me. RAI won't cure autoimmune thyroid disease, which I have, so the best it

could do was make it worse. I'm very grateful that I didn't cave in to

pressure, even when the dr made me live hypo for that first year + on too many

anti thyroid drugs. I am actually grateful to him, because he showed me what

living hypo is like. Not many people go hypo, after being hyper, when they

still have a thyroid, but I'm one. I take a full dose of thyroid meds daily,

and I don't regret having to self medicate either. My dr's told me I was a

'perfect candidate' for RAI, but they tell that to everybody.

SandyE~Houston

would you do RAI, again?

Is anyone happy that they did RAI? Knowing then what you know now, would you

do RAI, again?

I turned down radiation for tracheal carcinoma in 1998 and I am grateful

everyday that I did. I still have the carcinoma, too.

...

[Guest guest]

I had RAI in October of 2002 - endo didn't even give me

alternatives. I will say that it " cured " the Graves' Disease - no

more racing heart, sweaty, clammy, shaky. However, it caused me to

go hypot - not sure if there's any real thyroid function left - (the

endo story was that they try to " kill " just enough to make your

thyroid function normally, but most of the time they kill too much).

I still had a lot of the symptoms that can be either hyper or hypo,

like being tired/exhausted, difficulty going up stairs, etc...

Anyway, after becoming hypot, I was put on, yes, you guessed it,

Synthroid. After 1 year on the same dose (.125) the endo said I was

stable and allowed my GP to test. I went to the GP, told him I still

wasn't feeling normal, and it wasn't hyper symptoms....Well, my GP

saw the TSH of .01 and decided I was hyper and reduced the Synthroid

to .112. My TSH went way up, so he then went to .112 and .125 on

alternating days. Now it has been 6 months that I'm even worse

hypot. The GP decided to put me back on the original dosage of

Synthroid - but by then it was too late for him - I had found this

group and was learning all kinds of things no doctor ever told me.

So I made an appointment to TALK to the GP and told him I wanted

Armour - I told him that I didn't think the endo would have been

open to even listening to me about this - he did put me on Armour,

but still has some knowledge gaps in how to dose, etc.

The good that has come out of this is that I found this group and

I'm beginning to take responsibility for my own health. Of course it

has only been 2-1/2 years since the RAI, so I haven't been

undertreated for as long as many of you, and hopefully the damage

will be resolved when I get to the optimal dosage of Armour!

- My opinion about the RAI is that so far it did just what it was

supposed to do - it stopped the " hot flashes " that were driving me

crazy. But it caused other problems instead and the doctors have

dropped the ball there!

Sorry this is so long

Joyce

> > Is anyone happy that they did RAI? Knowing then what you know

now,

> would you do RAI, again?

> >

> > I turned down radiation for tracheal carcinoma in 1998 and I am

> grateful everyday that I did. I still have the carcinoma, too.

> >

> > ...

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I had RAI Feb. 12, 2004 and my TSH has always been suppressed but I am hypo by

looking at my t4 and going by my symptoms. I have read articles that Elaine

has written and now understand that my TSH can be suppressed. I would

explain it all but forgot what it all mentioned.

Joyce Bickford joyce_bickford@...> wrote:

I had RAI in October of 2002 - endo didn't even give me

alternatives. I will say that it " cured " the Graves' Disease - no

more racing heart, sweaty, clammy, shaky. However, it caused me to

go hypot - not sure if there's any real thyroid function left - (the

endo story was that they try to " kill " just enough to make your

thyroid function normally, but most of the time they kill too much).

I still had a lot of the symptoms that can be either hyper or hypo,

like being tired/exhausted, difficulty going up stairs, etc...

Anyway, after becoming hypot, I was put on, yes, you guessed it,

Synthroid. After 1 year on the same dose (.125) the endo said I was

stable and allowed my GP to test. I went to the GP, told him I still

wasn't feeling normal, and it wasn't hyper symptoms....Well, my GP

saw the TSH of .01 and decided I was hyper and reduced the Synthroid

to .112. My TSH went way up, so he then went to .112 and .125 on

alternating days. Now it has been 6 months that I'm even worse

hypot. The GP decided to put me back on the original dosage of

Synthroid - but by then it was too late for him - I had found this

group and was learning all kinds of things no doctor ever told me.

So I made an appointment to TALK to the GP and told him I wanted

Armour - I told him that I didn't think the endo would have been

open to even listening to me about this - he did put me on Armour,

but still has some knowledge gaps in how to dose, etc.

The good that has come out of this is that I found this group and

I'm beginning to take responsibility for my own health. Of course it

has only been 2-1/2 years since the RAI, so I haven't been

undertreated for as long as many of you, and hopefully the damage

will be resolved when I get to the optimal dosage of Armour!

- My opinion about the RAI is that so far it did just what it was

supposed to do - it stopped the " hot flashes " that were driving me

crazy. But it caused other problems instead and the doctors have

dropped the ball there!

Sorry this is so long

Joyce

> > Is anyone happy that they did RAI? Knowing then what you know

now,

> would you do RAI, again?

> >

> > I turned down radiation for tracheal carcinoma in 1998 and I am

> grateful everyday that I did. I still have the carcinoma, too.

> >

> > ...

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I had RAI Feb. 12, 2004 and my TSH has always been suppressed but I am hypo by

looking at my t4 and going by my symptoms. I have read articles that Elaine

has written and now understand that my TSH can be suppressed. I would

explain it all but forgot what it all mentioned.

Joyce Bickford joyce_bickford@...> wrote:

I had RAI in October of 2002 - endo didn't even give me

alternatives. I will say that it " cured " the Graves' Disease - no

more racing heart, sweaty, clammy, shaky. However, it caused me to

go hypot - not sure if there's any real thyroid function left - (the

endo story was that they try to " kill " just enough to make your

thyroid function normally, but most of the time they kill too much).

I still had a lot of the symptoms that can be either hyper or hypo,

like being tired/exhausted, difficulty going up stairs, etc...

Anyway, after becoming hypot, I was put on, yes, you guessed it,

Synthroid. After 1 year on the same dose (.125) the endo said I was

stable and allowed my GP to test. I went to the GP, told him I still

wasn't feeling normal, and it wasn't hyper symptoms....Well, my GP

saw the TSH of .01 and decided I was hyper and reduced the Synthroid

to .112. My TSH went way up, so he then went to .112 and .125 on

alternating days. Now it has been 6 months that I'm even worse

hypot. The GP decided to put me back on the original dosage of

Synthroid - but by then it was too late for him - I had found this

group and was learning all kinds of things no doctor ever told me.

So I made an appointment to TALK to the GP and told him I wanted

Armour - I told him that I didn't think the endo would have been

open to even listening to me about this - he did put me on Armour,

but still has some knowledge gaps in how to dose, etc.

The good that has come out of this is that I found this group and

I'm beginning to take responsibility for my own health. Of course it

has only been 2-1/2 years since the RAI, so I haven't been

undertreated for as long as many of you, and hopefully the damage

will be resolved when I get to the optimal dosage of Armour!

- My opinion about the RAI is that so far it did just what it was

supposed to do - it stopped the " hot flashes " that were driving me

crazy. But it caused other problems instead and the doctors have

dropped the ball there!

Sorry this is so long

Joyce

> > Is anyone happy that they did RAI? Knowing then what you know

now,

> would you do RAI, again?

> >

> > I turned down radiation for tracheal carcinoma in 1998 and I am

> grateful everyday that I did. I still have the carcinoma, too.

> >

> > ...

> >

> >