[Eperez]

#1060568

Hello all! I am newly diagnosed with Graves disease and looking for some advice or experiences on a more homeopathic approach to this disease. I was first placed on methimazole…but quickly found that I was allergic. At present I am taking OUT, although it has only been 2 days. My endocrinologist is really pushing for RAJ but since I am now 33, I was hoping to not have that procedure until after I conceived. I have read many things about experiences with RAI and to be honest, it frightens me quite a bit. Any advice/thoughts? Has anyone had a great RAI experience?

[snelsen]

#1183383

I think the very most important thing for you to consider, is what YOU want, and what you have reservations about. The caveat for surgery, is that you have a good surgeon, they are usually in major medical centers, and that they do around 50 thyroidectomies a year. I had surgery. It is so quick to revert to getting good management, compared to RAI, in my opinion. And thinking of getting pregnant, is another consideration. There are quite a few posts on this, who were in your same situation Inform yourself of the pros and cons of all three treatments, and use the Search option, putting in key words to read the experiences of others.
Shirley

[snelsen]

#1183384

Oh, sorry. I meant to mention that in this situation, homeopathic options are not good considerations, and if anything, you will find out this yourself sooner or later, and the passage of time will make things drag on longer. I have no idea what OUT is, I will look it up after I post this.

Again, my thoughts and opinions, but backed up by evidence based studies and literature.

Shirley

[Kimberly]

#1183382

Hello – I’m thinking that maybe OUT was supposed to be PTU? Gotta love autocorrect!

The “Treatment Options” thread in the announcements section of the forum has a couple of nice links that go through the treatment options, and also explains why the GDATF recommends conventional treatment via anti-thyroid meds, surgery, or RAI rather than alternative therapies.

Shirley’s suggestion to use the search option is a good one, as many people here have shared their stories post-RAI. (You do need to be logged in to use the search function).

Take care!

[snelsen]

#1183386

YEP!! Eperez said she was taking OUT. Maybe that is a typo, too! Dunno!
Shirleuy

[joy123]

#1183387

Hi Eperez
I`m two months post RAI and still learning a lot, as you`ll see by my posts. But one thing is definite after RAI is that I don`t feel so down right ill.
I`m struggling with hypo symptoms and waiting for the thyroid supplements to reach their full potential. I feel debilitating tiredness, joint and muscle aches but certainly not as ill as I was before the RAI.
Unfortunately it`s a long road whichever treatment we decide.
Please don`t get me wrong, I`m not suggesting you have RAI. We each have to decide the best treatment for ourselves- I`m saying how RAI has been for me.
Whatever you decide, I hope you soon feel much better.
(Joy)

[dragonteeth]

#1183388

New to the forum, 50 hours out from RAI admin. (Feeling good, no side effects despite a 14mCi dose). When I went over pros and cons with my endo, she only put a limitation of not getting pregnant for six months. That was it. I suppose if you were worried about the quality of your eggs after RAI you could always talk to a fertility doc about freezing some for later in vitro.

Something to think about – folks with Graves have a higher chance of developing pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, which can cause some significant issues for both mom and baby. If anything, perhaps it would be a safer choice to do RAI or surgery before pregnancy rather than waiting?

And don’t go down the homeopathic route on this one. The stakes are way too high when your heart and eyes are involved.

[Kimberly]

#1183389

dragonteeth wrote:

When I went over pros and cons with my endo, she only put a limitation of not getting pregnant for six months.

Hello and welcome! One other issue to be aware of post-RAI is that Graves’ antibodies can spike and remain elevated after this treatment and can potentially be passed on to a fetus. The latest medical guidance on pregnancy recommends antibody testing for all women with a past history of Graves’ at the 20-24 week mark, with the involvement of a maternal-fetal specialist recommended if antibodies are extremely elevated.

This is rare, but it’s something that everyone should be aware of. We do have posters here who have gone on to have successful pregnancies after RAI or surgery and also while taking anti-thyroid meds. (Getting pregnant without receiving any treatment for Graves’ is dangerous for both mom and baby, as you mentioned).

Take care!

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