[Anonymous]

#1165567

I had the RAI treatment 9 months ago and recently a mylagram. When I received the
RAI, the Thyroid uptake test was given in both my thighs, had an large circled area where different areas of the skin had peeled and also a rash. That area became even worse after the RAI and stayed that way for 2 months. This area healed and went back to normal until I recently had the mylagram where they inject radioactive dye in your spine, and wouldn’t you know it those two areas have become inflamed again with skin peeling and a rash. Also, after the mylagram was done,that whole day once the dye gets up into the brain, I had small black flecks floating in front of my eyes most of the day at the hospital. All and all, these leads me to believe this radioactive stuff doesn’t just go away, it stays around for a long time.

[Anonymous]

#1057270

The pill is taken from a lead container because it is radioactive. Like an xray. Having it in a leaded container protects the medical personnel who work around this stuff eight hours a day, five or six days a week. If you think about it, when you have an xray, the technician leaves the room before the machine is turned on. They go behind a shield in some cases (like in the hospital). This is to keep their daily exposure to radioactive materials to a safe level for them. They get a lot more exposure to these things than we do as patients, so precautions are taken.

Keeping a baby away from your throat is a similar precaution. It limits the amount of exposure the baby might get to any radioactive rays that could be eminating from your thyroid area. Radioactive exposure accumulates in a person. It isn’t smart to have unlimited exposure to the stuff. I always limited the times the dentists wanted to xray my children’s teeth, for example. Once in a while was OK, for diagnostic purposes, but I never let them use xrays unless there appeared to be a valid reason for it. Taking precautions after any kind of RAI is just common sense.

Hope this helps.

Bobbi

[Anonymous]

#1165568

Yep, the myelogram stuff stays in the body for a long time, but the radiation therapy stuff stays just a little less longer, or should I say, it stays in there for a shorter period of time. My myelogram was done back in 1978, about what, 18 years ago? and you can still see the evidence of it. Now, for the effects of the RAI, I believe that the radiation stuff goes away, but really screws up the weak parts of your insides. Sounds logical to me, I guess.

[Anonymous]

#1165569

When I had my uptake test my doctor advised me to bring a towel to the
hospital. I rolled it up into a tube and put it under the small of my
back. That helped alot because you can lay on the table for quite a
long time. Good luck….Carolyn

[Anonymous]

#1165570

Are you allergic to shellfish??? One of the radiology nurses or my endos nurse asked me that before the radioactive uptake test. I had two tests done on the same day. The first comprised of my coming the in the day before and swallowing a pill with radioactive iodine in it and coming back the next day and have some sort of scan of my neck and then my right thigh for a compaison. The second test was radioactive iodine injested directly into a vein, like when blood is taken.
after which another type of machine was used to t ake a scan of my neck. for me the anxiety of the test was far greater than any discomfort felt at the test : before, during, or after.

[Anonymous]

#1165571

amee,
I would also suggest that you call your md/endos office and talk to the doctor or his/her nurse etc and ASK ASK ASK. If that isn’t enough call the hospital radiology dept that will be administering the test and ASK
ASK. Go to your local library READ READ READ. For the Radioactive Isotope treatment that i had there were more precautions and the hospitals md of radiology came in and talked with me. Her main conern was if i would be around small children and not hugging them or anyone else for that matter for about 3 days. I had to sign a form both times acknowldeging that i wasnt pregnant and that i understood that i was having such in such procedure done. Again for me the anxiety accompaning graves disease or my anxiety in having the various tests and / or treatments has/ did multiplied my “fear” much out of porpotion
what was done etc…..
bty i am not an authority on this subject as i gather not many of us are and i am just expressing my understanding of what happened to me.
ASK READ

[Anonymous]

#1165572

I was supposed to have the uptake test last week but my endo wants to get me stablized first. He is hoping for mid May. What do the do for this test? Does it show results right away? Having bad tremmers today very hard to type.
Thanks,
Deb

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