[geostyv]

#1059436

Hi All,

Well, today I took the pill. It was a pretty shade of blue and the dosage was 21.6 mCi. The radiological tech was very reassuring and explained everything that I would need to know precaution wise. My wife and I are fortunate enough to have two bedrooms and two full baths so we can stay in the same house together. She is off taking the dog to the boarders for the next few days.

Right now I feel good and am thinking that I will play a lot of golf this week since I have taken off work and golf is one of those things were I can be out in big open spaces alone.

I stared at that little pill for a long while. I’ll never know if I would have just gone into remission or not, being subclinical; however, I have a minor heart defect that will require surgery later in life so I figured I would try to get the thyroid thing under control early and not risk heart muscle damage. Still, pulling the trigger is hard. I have found these boards a great source of information and comfort over the last few months. I will share my story here, too, in hopes that it provides some help for someone else.

Stay tuned in for the continuing adventures of Radioactive Man!

geostyv

[Kimberly]

#1174670

Thanks for the update! You might also check out the posts from AZGravesGuy and metalsfr, as they have recently documented their experiences with RAI.

Wishing you all the best!

[geostyv]

#1174671

Just checking in … it has been three days since my dose of radiation. I really don’t feel any different at all. I haven’t had any neck tenderness or any hyperthyroid symptoms, though I am still taking my beta-blocker.

I played 2.5 rounds of golf by myself. I walked 9 holes twice (2.5 miles each with 10 pound bag). I worked in the yard and then just tried to relax. I feel like myself. In short I am trying to enjoy the time off work because I know that the eventual hypO thyroid crash will come.

I have my dog home now. He was sent away for a few days but now is home – yippie!! I am still making sure to keep him sleeping on his pillow, a good 15 feet away from me. He is an old dog and likes sleeping so it works. My wife’s cat is still at her sister’s house and I hope that maybe he’ll find a new home there. He is a mean cat.

Hoping all is well with everyone!
geostyv

[Kimberly]

#1174672

Thanks for the update!

LOL, maybe something good will come of this if the mean cat finds a new home. I had a college roommate who had an EVIL cat, and that certainly makes everyday activities challenging! (Like trying to walk down the hall *without* getting a chunk of your calf clawed out…)

[geostyv]

#1174668

Well, it has been one week (with 15 mins.) since I took the magic pill. My wife’s “devil” cat is still out of the house, which is a bonus, but he’ll be back soon.

I felt OK on Tuesday. I had my last day off work and I did a lot of work in the yard — digging up plants, planting new plants, and generally getting the yard ready for fall. I worked hard and felt great.

The next day was my first day back to work and I felt lousy. I was fatigued and moody. I sweat through my clothes and was a little “jittery” all day. Nothing that was unmanageable but definitely not as good as I had felt the day before. I definitely feel like I am having a mix of symptoms — some hypER, like the thyroid dump, and some HypO.

I know my Free T4 (at the top of the normal range) was never that high since I was still subclinical so I wonder if that will make me go hypO faster or not. Any ideas?

That’s the update … mostly normal but definitely more fatigued than normal.

geostyv

[Kimberly]

#1174673

Thanks for the update! The question about T4 levels would be a good one for your doctor. I do know that the amount of radioactive iodine that the thyroid gland gobbles up following treatment has an impact on the amount/timing of the destruction of thyroid tissue, but I’m sure there are other factors at play as well.

Glad you are still getting a break (for now) from the devil cat!

[Bobbi]

#1174674

Geostyv: About one week after RAI dying thyroid cells release their stored supplies of thyroid hormone into the blood, causing us to be more hyper than normal for a few days. Keep the positive thoughts going. If you are feeling more jittery, fatigue, etc., it means the RAI is “working” to bring you back to health. (We feel fatigued while hyper, too, although you may not have noticed that symptom as much if you were subclinically hyper.)

[geostyv]

#1174675

Hi Everyone,

Well, is has been just over two weeks since I did RAI. I have felt pretty good so far. I have a heart palpitation everyone once in a while and I am still taking my beta blockers, but on the whole I do feel better. Sort of peaceful in a way. There has been a lot of work stress in the last week and my wife has been suffering from peri-orbital cellulitus (sp?) so she has had to be home for a few days and I’ve had to juggle work to take her to the doctor. Her doc prescribed oxycodone today for pain, she is really hurting. Meanwhile we are in the middle of trying to get some of my mother’s property, which is in another state, through closing and sold. The RAI seems to be the least of my worries right now!

I guess if I could say if I feel bad at all it would be that I am a little tired and my knees and hips have been a little achey. Both these things could be stress and the changing seasons or they could be the hypo — who knows?

I am worried about the eventual cliff I will drive off where I will go hypO and not be able to function. There are a lot of people who depend on me being able to do my job and I worry about them. I teach and have a lot of students who paid a lot of tuition and there is no one to cover my subject if I am out for a day or two. I have administrative responsibilities, too. People at work who know have been understanding and maybe I am being dramatic. Still, work is a concern.

The cat is still evil — he has not been understanding.

On the whole feeling good and at peace with my decision.

geostyv

[Bobbi]

#1174676

Hi, Geostyv

The key to not “going over the cliff” into hypo, is to have periodic blood tests at rational intervals. My doctor had me have my first check at 5 weeks and I had “just” gone over the hypo bump (it was not a cliff — I felt fine, and was functioning well). What I experienced with hypo (TSH of no more than 13) was that while I was a bit fatigued at times, I could work through it. I could get out, get a bit active — like taking a short walk or something — and I would feel better. When I was hyper, I was fatigued, and if I tried to do anything, I felt worse. So, what I’m really saying is that you shouldn’t borrow troubles you might not experience.

Wishing you a steady progress towards good health,

[geostyv]

#1174677

Bobbie,

Thanks for posting. That is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to know. Even before we scheduled my RAI we set up a post-6 week appointment. The endo said he wanted to get my TSH to 15 (not sure the range or units) so he would know the RAI and really worked. I have a good deal of confidence in him; he is engaged and compassionate. It is good to know that there shouldn’t be too much in the way of hypO cliff so long as I follow up with him — which I definitely plan to.

On the hypO front, I did go back to the gym for the first time since I had this done and lifted weights. The exercise felt good and I made a point not to over do it, but my endo said it would be OK. Overall, I feel pretty good!

Thanks for your reply.
Geostyv

[geostyv]

#1174678

Well, it has been five weeks since my RAI. I had my follow-up blood draw Tuesday and an appointment with the endo next week. I have been very tired and achy. Despite the scale at the gym saying I have lost a bit of weight, I feel very bloated. I haven’t been able to comfortably wear my wedding ring in the last week and have even bought some larger slacks for work. I just don’t feel good and energy seems to come and go.

This week I have even been having some palpitations and tremors, as though I was going back to being hypER. At night I have pounding heart rhythm, though I am still taking my betablockers. It is nothing I can’t handle, but still not great. Some of my work colleagues have started to notice that I look tried.

I seem to be bouncing between hypER and hypo. Yesterday at noon I was talking and talking and excited (my wife side I was bouncing off the walls) and then at 5:30 I came home and crashed. I haven’t been able to sleep well and woke up this morning achy.

There’s not a lot to say. I am working very hard and that may be contributing to my poor energy level. I don’t seem to be sweating, as much as I was before, so that is an improvement.

I don’t feel horrible, but I don’t feel good either.

The cat is still mean — he has no sympathy, but my wife does and that is great.

Can anyone tell me what is “normal” post-RAI hypo? I know that it varies a lot from person to person, but I am curious about anyone else’s experiences.

Thanks!
geostyv

[beach45]

#1174679

It sounds like you are right on track as I had a cross between hyper and hypo symptoms too post RAI at about 3 months post RAI later than the timeframe you are experiencing.

First two months post RAI I felt great! After being on antithyroid Methimazole about 23 months of horrible up and down and symptoms all over the place, feeling kind of normal was very welcomed. I actually lost weight in that timeframe!

Then about 3 months into my post RAI I had the tremors still like you yet the fatigue and feeling cold and other symptoms you describe here.

I spoke to my endocrinologist who tested me post RAI once a month to test me sooner than that as I felt I was crashing. I was drug induced hypothyroid one time in Winter 2011 on Methimazole so I knew something was wrong.

Then I crashed about 3rd week of August were I got clumsy, confused and felt unsure about driving as I was not myself. I was very cold (which I ran warm for most of my life and worse with Graves!), gained 10 lbs fast in spite of diligent diet and exercise, clumsy, confused, achy all over, extreme bloat, face and around eyes very puffy, sleeping too much yet with sometimes not being able to sleep well, cramps in legs, headaches and very irritable. You talk of not sleeping well as I had that off and on whether hyperthyroid or hypothyroid as when I get to balance I sleep much better. I felt that I should have gotten on thyroid hormone sooner so hopefully your doctor does not let things progress too far. In fact the doctors said I went hypo later than a lot of people with the amount of I-131/RAI that I received yet in my journey I have not been the norm at all! My TSH was 60 and quickly they put me on Synthroid at a higher dose than my endocrinologist normally does for a woman over 50. Now 6 months later and now on Generic Synthroid 125 mcg I’m starting to feel human and my only issues are the weight and joint pain and muscle pain which I am hoping in time with the right amount of thryoid hormone (and type) and working with the right doctor that too will improve. Some more tiredness too than usual yet nothing like when I was post RAI hypo or back when Graves was in full swing before proper treatment! Sounds like you are on a normal post RAI track at least from what I experienced! Good luck with this!

[Author]

Posts