Re: would you do RAI, again?

[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]

, 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.

> >

> > ...

> >

> >