[snelsen]

#1061865

Hi Suz,
Well, that is discouraging. Does how you feel reflect your labs? In other words, do you still feel hayper? What are the docs telling you about this? I did not have RAI (had surgery) but at least two of the facilitators on the board did have RAI, and I think both have written recent posts about their experiences. They will probably respond with their knowledge and experience, plus I suggest using the search box to find posts, there a lot of them.
Shirley

[Suz01]

#1017962

Tomorrow I will be at 4 months post rai and not much has changed. Had blood work done yesterday and TSH of 0.01 is the same as it was back in Nov when I was first diagnosed. 2 weeks ago free T4 was 2.48 and now 2.42. I’m still on 5 mg methimazole, 175 mg metoprolol and pradaxa a day. Wonder if the rai will work. I’d like to have surgery tomorrow, go hypo and get on with my life!

[Ski]

#1061866

Just one question ~ are those T4 levels within the normal range for your lab? TSH lags behind T4 levels by a few weeks, giving a result that comes from kind of a "running average" of T4 levels, and after a long period of hyperthyroidism, it can be extremely slow to rise. If that T4 level is normal for your lab, you’re probably very close to where you want to be.

When I had my RAI, I was told to wait at least six months after the RAI to decide whether it had been successful or not. It continues to work for that period of time, and you also have the effect of the antibodies on the thyroid, which "burn out" thyroid cells all by themselves, so I would try to give it a little more time, if it were me. I understand the frustration completely ~ and bottom line, if you want to pursue surgery, you may want to start the process now so that you can go forward with it at the six-month mark if you haven’t gone hypo from the RAI yet by then.

Talk frankly with your doctor about your feelings ~ they should be very helpful. They need to know how you’re feeling and what you are thinking.

[Suz01]

#1061867

Hi Ski,

The normal free T4 range is .7-1.48. I called the UW endo clinic in Wisconsin and pre-registered. The woman I spoke to said to have my endo fax a referral to them. So talked to the nurse, she said he would be back in the office Monday and she would have him send one. They have 2 surgeons in the department and do approximately 300 to 350 thyroidectomy a year.
Its alittle over an hour drive from me but I would like to go ahead and have my consultation so if I haven’t gotten in normal range at the 6 months mark I can go ahead and schedule the surgery.
Hopefully I won’t need surgery but if I do, want to be ready.

Also from earlier post, its weird sometimes I feel very tired and other times I feel hyperthyroid. I really don’t know what it all means.

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