[MilkMoney]

#1017836

Hi all. I was just diagnosed with Graves two weeks ago. I have been feeling ill for a couple months. I just underwent RAI treatment at the University of Michigan on Thursday.

I know this question has probably been answered before but how long before I start feeling better? I have heard anywhere from a few weeks to a year. Ugh…a year? I was just looking for personal experiences.

[valligary]

#1061238

Hello and you have my best wishes for feeling better quickly. My understanding is that it takes a number of months to see a difference in how you may feel. I was told that the body gets used to being Hyperthyroid and it takes it’s own sweet time becoming adjusted. Personally, I noticed feeling better within 9 months to 1 year after the Radiation Iodine Treatment. That being said though, I am still not myself after 2 years. This is probably different for each person. I do wish you a speedy recovery.

[Bobbi]

#1061239

How long it takes to feel well again typically depends upon how ill you were, and how long you were ill before being diagnosed. Damage occurs in the various body systems while we are hyperthyroid. The healing process does not even begin to start, though, until you are at controlled normal levels of hormone. My GP told me at the time that she felt that it would take about 9 months — on average — before people felt relatively normal again. I also think it helps if we can work with the process, getting appropriate nutrition, rest and exercise to help the body heal at its best rate. Just sitting back and waiting to feel good again seems to draw the process out.

Wishing you good days, and soon.

[susanne13]

#1061240

I had a total thydroidectomy (TT) in May 2010 and started feeling a lot better about October. However, I started to feel HYPO in early December. Although I knew this could happen, it was so different than being HYPER for me that it was a shock! My doc is on top of things and after an increase in synthroid, I started to feel better after about a month.

It’s been over a year since the TT and, although I became pregnant in February and have had to steadily increase my synthroid, I feel so much better. I definitely think it’s nice to know that although we all have our own timeframe, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel and you WILL feel better! Since being diagnosed (February 2010), I have learned to listen to my body, so don’t be afraid to call your doc or get your levels checked if you "feel" different/off.

I wish you the very best of luck!

[MilkMoney]

#1061241

Just an update 7 weeks later. My T4 is down to .8 which is the low end of normal. I have felt great for about 2 weeks. This means it took approximately 5 weeks for me to go from feeling completely terrible to pretty much back to normal.

I put back on the 10 lbs I lost (and then about 5 more ugh…). My endo hasn’t started me on the replacement hormone quite yet. She’s gonna wait a few more weeks because I’m feeling so well.

Just thought I’d post this because nearly all of the research I found online said it could be upwards of 9 months before I felt better. There is hope (much faster hope!) for all those who have RAI treatment. It doesn’t have to take forever to feel good again.

[Bobbi]

#1061242

Hi, MilkMoney: I am so glad to hear that you are feeling so much better. And, yes, getting TO normal levels typically does make us feel much better. The issue I raised, though, was how long it takes typically to get back to normal. While I felt immensely better once my thyroid hormone levels were back at the normal level, I was weak as a pup. My normal strength and stamina required months to reestablish, pumping iron, eating well, etc. Be very careful when you start to go back to normal activities, especially normal levels of exercise, to test out your body’s strength and endurance. If you try to do everything the "normal" way right away, you might pull muscles, develop shin splints, etc., even though you aren’t doing a lot. You might be one of the lucky ones that caught things early enough so that there’s little to no damage like muscle loss. But it still cannot hurt to test things out slowly.

[MilkMoney]

#1061243

Just thought I’d drop back by with another update. It’s been 7 months since my RAI treatment and I’m still “back to normal”. My levels are normal according to my Endo (at 125 mcg) and have been feeling fine. My only lasting effects are I don’t tolerate salt all that well, and still get some face puffiness, especially around my eyes.

Other than that, I’m very happy I did the RAI to this point.

[Kimberly]

#1061244

@MilkMoney – Thanks for the positive update!

I am taking Anti-Thyroid Drugs, but I also notice that I am very sensitive to salt. If I dine out at a chain restaurant, I can pretty much guarantee that I will wake up the next morning with major facial swelling. Just in the last year or so, I’ve started to hear doctors mention the connection between excessive salt intake and TED.

[sherri4]

#1061245

I was just diagnosed with GD a few days ago. I am 45. I had a partial hysterectomy in January and then lost my dear Grandma a few days after surgery. I guess I didn’t realize I had an issue with my thyroid. I had just gone through surgery, death and then got sick with a respiratory virus and then strep (first time). I guess losing weight, feeling tired and depressed was all part of what I had been going through. I noticed that my TSH blood test was not right and I questioned it and they re ran the tests at my post op. I am not able to see the specialist until mid March. At this time, I feel pretty down and tired. I am returning to work soon. I have been doing a lot of reading and found this site. I just wanted to post that its scary and sometimes frustrating as I want this taken care of asap but I know it takes time and takes time to get in with a specialist to help you.

[Kimberly]

#1061246

@Sherri4 – Hello and welcome. I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had so much to deal with in such a short period of time.

If your schedule is somewhat flexible, you might call the specialist’s office to see if they can notify you in the event of a cancellation. Unfortunately, lengthy waits to see an endo are fairly common, but this can potentially get you in a little more quickly.

In the meantime, some general practitioners are comfortable getting patients started with Anti-Thyroid Drugs, if there is a definitive diagnosis of Graves’ and a long wait to see an endo.

Take care — and keep us posted!

[Author]

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