[RhondaG4]

#1071554

Thanks Ski….what I was trying to say but wasen’t coming out right!!!!!

[pattiwilliams]

#1071555

What else is not cured with RAI? I have skin irritations and dry eyes. I will get little bumps that itch (one derm called it dermatitis) or a patch of skin that will severely itch (with no bumps). So I have been on antibiotics for over 10 years. For a short time I was tried Cortef (natural cortisone pills) with great skin success but that put me back into osteopenia. So now back on the antibiotics. Prescribed cortisone creams help but my new derm says they are more harmful in the long run.

I also have the worst finger and toe nails. Fingernails have vertical splits into the nail bed. Sometimes they are so thin and peeling that they are in pain.

I work out often and my skin (lumps) and muscle tone are really getting poor. I realize at 49 I will not be perfect, but in this area I look older than my mother.

Any suggestions??

[Blessed]

#1071556

ski,
Thank you! You really are very knowledgable about all this and thanks to you and many others I will be too very soon it seems. Each day I learn something new. Yes, it was very helpful, now I just need to find out my levels so I can see what it all entails for ME and MY thyroid. I’ve started back on the tapapzole and still feeling ok, although my life is full of stress lately and my parents are concerned for my health b/c of that. I know GD can be a stress related thing but while I’m on medication can stress disrupt things? Also, is it true that the tapazole needs to be taken at the same time everday and if so when I miss it at that time can i take it later or will that screw it up? Thanks again!
Leah

[Ski]

#1071557

Even on meds, stress can have an effect on your levels. Less of an impact than if you are untreated, but it’s something to consider as you go through your day. Anything you can do for yourself to lessen the overall impact of the stress in your life is a good thing. A walk, a hot bath, a funny movie ~ whatever it is that helps you, that’s what you should do. Remember also that it’s impossible to remove stress completely. It’s partly about how we deal with it, not necessarily that it exists, so if you can find a way to "Zen out," as I think of it, that can help you feel better as well.

I’m not sure how critical it is to take Tapazole at exactly the same time each day ~ PTU has more of an issue with timing, since it is taken three times a day ~ but your med instructions should have some comment on that for you. I believe you can take it when you remember, as long as it isn’t right before your NEXT dose, but that’s something to discuss with either your pharmacist or doctor. If it becomes a chronic problem to take it at the same time each day, you may end up with difficulty managing your levels, so it is a good idea to figure out some way to remember it. Set a timer on your cell phone, or always take it when you wake up, or take it always at lunchtime ~ whatever works best to help you remember.

[Kimberly]

#1071558

Ski wrote:Even on meds, stress can have an effect on your levels.

Yep, I’m a good example of this. (Or bad example, depending on how you look at it).

My thyroid levels were normalized within about 3 months of starting ATDs. Then I went through a hugely stressful situation at work and went slightly hyper again for about 6 months.

I have really worked hard lately on how I respond to situations (and people) that would normally cause an immediate anger/stress reaction. I’ve also been doing weekly Reiki sessions, which is a Japanese energy healing practice. I feel that has really helped me get my head in the right place — and I now have a set of mid-range labs to show for it. ” title=”Very Happy” />

[Ems]

#1071559

Hi Blessed, I really felt for you with all your questions, but like everyone else I cant stress how important it is to go on meds while you are deciding what to do – I left it far too long this second time, often you dont realise how unwell you are until much much later.. as for exercise I was told to do very little as you do get muscle wasting and damage your body further!
Take care glad you got some good answers to your questions. I have wasted far too much time so do what you can as soon as you are able Emsx

[DebbieLBurton]

#1071560

I was treated with RAI eight years ago and I have once again come out of remission. I am prepared to do RAI again due to the past years have been good. I am not feeling well now and can hardly wait to get back to myself. It is true that the RAI does not cure the disease but it helps when dealing with some of the other issues. I have also been fortunate to not have had any eye issues other than they feel like there is gravel in them and are very tired. This journey is a personal one and when I went through it the first time I didn’t have the support of this group…what a blessing!

[Ski]

#1071561

Just writing for a quick clarification for those who are new ~ RAI (these days) typically aims to destroy the thyroid. In the past, doctors gave low-doses to see if they could return the thyroid to "normal" thyroid hormone release levels, so an RAI patient could have some period of time after the treatment without any meds at all (not even needing thyroid hormone replacement). As has occurred with Debbie, they have discovered that the remaining tissue can still be stimulated to overproduce thyroid hormone, necessitating further treatment. A large enough RAI dose, an ablative dose, should not result in a future hyperthyroid episode.

Debbie ~ I’m glad you’ve found us for this round! I’ll be hoping for the best, whatever you choose!

[mojomom]

#1071562

Blessed,

I made the decision to go with RAI last fall and do not regret the decision, I just wish I had done it earlier. A routine blood test several years ago showed that I was hyper, but I was not diagnosed with GD at the time and really *thought* I was not having any symptoms. I was prescribed ATDs but after taking them for a while I went off them. I had one normal test after I was off them and forgot about the whole thing. Last spring/summer I started losing lots of weight and muscle strength, not to mention shakiness/nervousness and exhaustion. My daughter was getting married, I was/am in a stressful occupation and I just wrote it off to stress, not enough physical activity and menopause. So I ignored it. Of course, it got worse and I experienced a couple of frightening eposodes of severe dizzyness. More blood work and a thyroid scan confirmed GD. I immediately opted for RAI in September. It took a while for it to work — I was still very hyper 6 weeks post RAI — and I had to go on back on ATDs for a couple of weeks, but eventually the RAI worked and I went very hypo. It then took several months to find the the correct dosage of Thyroid Hormone to bring my levels back to normal. But now that levels are normal, I realize that I was experiencing more symptoms and feeling far worse than I knew for a long time. It is really true sometimes that you don’t know how sick you were until you get better. That is really the point of my post — don’t think you aren’t having symptoms — they may have grown so gradually that you don’t know what it like to feel normal anymore. In any case, I’m doing great and can tell a huge difference! I still hope to continue rebuilding muscle strength, but I can already tell that I’ve rebuilt a lot. An objective measurement for me is that we went on two ski trips this year. In December, I could only ski a few easy runs without my legs wearing completely out. By our March trip, I had regained so much muscle strength that I could ski all day. Just my story, but I hope it helps.

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