[lwilk]

#1058622

I will just give you a brief history here. In 2007 I was diagnosed with Graves Disease after being admitted to the hospital with a heart rate of 148. Tests were done along with a uptake scan. At that time my 24 hour uptake was 79%. I was put on Methimazole. I was on the medication for 6 weeks, became extremely hypo and was taken off the meds. I continued to do blood work every year. Earlier this year I started having symptoms again. I went to see a new endo and she ordered blood work, ultrasound and uptake scan. My ultra sound came back as multiple small (5mm or less) nodules in both lobes, and multinodular goiter or thyroiditis, my uptake scan was at 83.2%. She gave me the choice of surgery or RAI. I chose RAI. On Oct 3 of this year I received 25mci of RAI.
Now here it is 2 weeks later and I feel worse than ever. I can not stop the shakes even though my propranolol has been increased to 60 mg 3 times a day. I am so tired, can’t sleep, just can barely function, have not been able to work since. My neck is swollen and it is hard to swallow, guess the thyroid is swelling into my throat. I don’t know how long I can take this. I am now wishing I would have done the surgery. I had a appt. with endo scheduled for Friday but I called today and rescheduled for tomorrow.
How long am I going to feel bad? I just want to feel somewhat normal again. Please help me understand all of this.

[Kimberly]

#1169065

Hello – I haven’t had RAI, but many patients do experience a worsening of their hypER symptoms as the thyroid gland releases stored hormone. Some patients informally call this "dumping" — if you run a search for this keyword, you can read other patients’ experiences with this issue post-RAI.

For most patients, this is temporary and only lasts a few days. A much smaller percentage of patients experience a painful condition called "radiation thyroiditis", which is an inflammation of the thyroid gland. It sounds like you will have an opportunity to see your doctor soon, but if your symptoms continue to be worrisome, don’t be afraid to visit the ER or an urgent care center so that someone can evaluate you in a more timely manner.

As for the overall process, a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine notes that patients generally take from 6-18 weeks to go fully hypo. Hope this helps!

[miltomal]

#1169066

Well, it sounds like you are going thru the ringer after RAI. Please be patient and know that these symptoms will get better in time. Personally, i was more HYPER for almost 3 months after my RAI on May 6th. This is not necessarily a bad thing, today i am much better. i believe that you recieved a large dose of r131 and this will get you to where you want to be, again in time. Keep up on your blood tests and keep copies to refer to because you can drop off a cliff when the time is right and go HYPO very quickly, again this is what happened to me, but since i kept up on my blood work, i was able to go onto Armour thyroid hormones before the HYPO came on very strongly.
I found that deep breathing exercises and a little Qi-gong helped me manage my mental state throughout this time, i could not do much more than that, and that was difficult. Are you on a beta blocker to help protect your heart? anti-anxiety?
make sure to take care of yourself while you are going thru this, whatever that may be for you. and you are not alone, keep talking to people here and everywhere. Do not hold the stress this is putting on you inside.

Best wishes!

[miltomal]

#1169067

Just wanted to reiterate what Kimberly stated in her post, if you feel like you need more urgent attention, please go to the ER or urgent care.

again best wishes!

[lwilk]

#1169068

Thanks all for your help. I did go to see my endo and she put me back on Methimazole and gave me prednisone to reduce the swelling. I am still not able to swallow very good, still eating soft foods, but feel much better in just 2 days, I will just have to be more patient. I know I am on the road to feeling normal again. Thanks again all.

[miltomal]

#1169069

i am glad to hear that you are feeling better after a couple of days. Your body is doing what it needs to do right now. you will get better with time. please take care of yourself!!

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