Re: NEW - question about RAIU

[Guest guest]

Hi ine,

You can have a blood test for TSI to diagnose GD. TSI (thyroid stimulating

immunoglobulins or stimulating TSH receptor antibodies) are the antibodies that

cause hyperthyroidism in GD. A positive test or a positive test for TPO or

thyroglobulins can be used to confirm that your hyperthryoidism is autoimmune or

GD.

The uptake can only suggest GD by showing a diffuse scan with no nodules and

an increased uptake. It's not as specific or sensitive as the blood test. Take

care, Elaine

[Guest guest]

Hi ine,

There is NO reason to do the RAIU scan unless you are going to do RAI

(please read all you can before you opt for this form of treatment, as it

is permanent and 30% of people have problems afterward, including onset or

worsening of thyroid eye disease), and in some cases, people may want to do

it IF nodules have been found with an ultrasound and they want to rule out

cancer (tho people may opt to do FNA or fine needle aspiration instead, as

a scan cannot rule cancer out, only in). So the short answer is, get an

ultrasound instead, to see if there are nodules. Also, get tested for TSI

and TPO-Antibodies. This will confirm whether you have autoimmune thyroid

disease. If you have TSI, then that confirms you have Graves'. It is also

good to know whether you have TPO-Ab, as these are often found in Graves'

but more often in Hashi's, and you'll want to make sure that these are

absent once treated with meds, if you decide on using ATDs (antithyroid

drugs) as your mode of treatment. Most of us here are in favor of the ATD

route.

I will never do RAI. I am doing very will on ATDs, and if someday I should

need to do something permanent, I would opt for surgery. I will do

everything I can to avoid needing surgery, as it carries its own risks, and

one needs to find a very experienced surgeon. But it is preferable, in my

opinion, to RAI. I had a RAIU scan done, and the darn doctor who slipped it

on me before I knew anything gave me a tiny dose of I-131, which is the

destructive form, and I actually got worse after that tiny-tiny dose.

Thankfully I found a different doc who was fine with giving me medication.

Best wishes,

At 02:00 AM 9/1/2003, you wrote:

>Hi everyone. My name is ine and I am new to your group. I just

>learned last week that I have GD and I wanted to know if there are

>other ways that the doctor can find out information about one's

>thyroid without doing an uptake and scan. I have reservations about

>any type of radiation test/treatments and I just want to know if

>there are other avenues. I am seeing another doctor on Thursday for

>a second opinion...and I just want to educated myself better.

[Guest guest]

Hi again ine,

This I just found from the Mediboard.com Graves' Section, by Elaine .

From her response, it seems that even in the case of nodules (which we

don't even know if you have -- ultrasound will tell), RAIU is not helpful.

Also keep in mind that nodules are almost always benign, so don't get worried:

" The RAI-uptake will tell if a nodule is hot or cold, that is if it takes

up more or less radioiodine than the cells around it. Some cancers are

caused by hot nodules and some by cold. The RAI-Uptake can't tell if the

radioiodine absorption is cancer.

Only a fine-needle aspiration can tell if you have cancer. In this

procedure a sample of cells is taken, and the cells are examined under a

microscope and with special stains to see what cell type the nodule is made

of. Most nodules are benign adenomas and benign adenomas often cause

hyperthyroidism.

I'm not sure what type of radiation they plan to use if they're not using

radioidine but often technetium is used. If you have arranged to have the

procedure and have gone off the meds, you could have it. But an ultrasound

or MRI can also determine the size of the nodule, and this is the most

important criteria for deciding if a fine needle aspiration is indicated. "

Also, for more information, go to the Files section of the site for this

group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/graves_support/files/ and start with

the Open Letter to Newly Diagnosed, and go to Mediboard.com and start with

the Thyroid Awareness 101 thread

http://www.mediboard.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004549.

Best,