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Just a quick update – I am now 10 months post TT. I just saw my endo this week and we finally had my levels up high enough. In fact, I am just a teensy bit too high. I have been feeling really good for the last 2-3 months. I am happy to be at the fine tuning stage of replacement. It has taken a little longer than I had hoped but I still have no regrets about the TT. It was a good choice for me.
Best regards,
LaurelLaurel,could your graves not be controlled by radiation therapy?im just asking because ive had it done 20 years ago.and i had a bad episode recently.and im weighing my options should it happen again.Can graves still flare up even after taking out the thyroid?and will it help with the eyes? conny
Laurel,could your graves not be controlled by radiation therapy?im just asking because ive had it done 20 years ago.and i had a bad episode recently.and im weighing my options should it happen again.Can graves still flare up even after taking out the thyroid?and will it help with the eyes? conny
Hi Connypie,
My endo left all 3 options open to me including staying on the ATD longer but I felt I was ready for a permanent solution. My endo leaned toward the surgery over the RAI. I live in an area with several good surgeons to pick from. What appealed to me is that I wouldn’t have to wait for the thyroid to die out but rather could start replacement right away. My eyes were not much of a concern. I had had some allergy type symptoms but that is not unusual for me. I also liked the idea that it would just be out and gone. With the TT I think it would be a medical miracle for me to ever go hyper again.
I hope that helps.
Laurel
hi lauren, i guess you dont have eye involvement with your graves? i do, thats why i asked. connypie
@LaurelM – Thanks for checking in – so glad to hear that you are feeling well post-TT. It’s also really helpful for our new members to read success stories from other patients!
@connypie – If you have eye involvement, that is definitely a factor in the treatment decision, as RAI can worsen the eye involvement in some patients.For patients with mild and active eye involvement, the latest medical guidance says that RAI is considered an “acceptable” therapy, although it recommends that patients who are “high risk” should receive steroid therapy concurrently with the RAI treatment. (Smokers and patients who have extremely high T3 or antibody levels are considered “high risk”). Of course, steroids come with their *own* set of risks that should be carefully considered.
For patients with active and moderate-to-severe or sight-threatening eye involvement, the guidance says that methimazole or thyroidectomy are the preferred treatment options.
Kimberly wrote:@LaurelM – Thanks for checking in – so glad to hear that you are feeling well post-TT. It’s also really helpful for our new members to read success stories from other patients!
@connypie – If you have eye involvement, that is definitely a factor in the treatment decision, as RAI can worsen the eye involvement in some patients.For patients with mild and active eye involvement, the latest medical guidance says that RAI is considered an “acceptable” therapy, although it recommends that patients who are “high risk” should receive steroid therapy concurrently with the RAI treatment. (Smokers and patients who have extremely high T3 or antibody levels are considered “high risk”). Of course, steroids come with their *own* set of risks that should be carefully considered.
For patients with active and moderate-to-severe or sight-threatening eye involvement, the guidance says that methimazole or thyroidectomy are the preferred treatment options.
You wouldn’t happen to have those studies or what they are referring to. This is the first time I’ve heard that having RAI is safe for those with eye involvement with out an increased risk of to the eyes.
@WWWI2 – This info was from the AACE/ATA guidance on the treatment of hyperthyroidism. You can find a link in the “Treatment Options” thread in the announcements section of the forum.
I did not use the word “safe”, and my recollection is that the guidance doesn’t use this word, either. It says that treatment with RAI for patients who have *mild* TED and who are *not* considered high risk is “acceptable”. There are risks with ALL three treatment options, so personally, I wouldn’t use the word “safe”.
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