[Starlite]

#1019889

Hi, exactly 12 years ago I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. I had a 10 month old so chose to go with meds. The meds. helped & I have been fine all these years.
I have bipolar & have taken Lithium for many years, this usually causes hypothyroidism. I did read an article stating it can cause hyper. I was hospitalized in June & prescribed many different psych meds since then. I reacted negatively to all of them.
In the past few months I have felt more depressed, angry & very fatigued. I felt week every time I stood up. My Psuch. doc wanted to test my thyroid & had my MD order the tests. I was just tested 6 months ago & I was fine. I went to my MD. & she said my heart was racing. She thought that & the tremors was the lithium.
When the results came back they said my thyroid levels were very out of whack. I was referred to an Endo. Of course I can not get in until the end of Jan. I read that usually when you use meds. for graves, it does not usually work the second time. I know the treatment options, yet I have no idea what to do.
Is there some place I can get more info on the RAI?

[Bobbi]

#1074842

Hi, Starlite,

I assume you mean about the meds not "working" the second time around, that they do not lead to remission. That is correct. There is a significant decline in the percentages of people who go into remission for a second time. But the meds can "work" in the sense that they would control thyroid hormone levels.

RAI information can be found in the books recommended on the NGDF home web site. I encourage you to find a book and read up on it, as well as the other options. There you will find factual, medically valid information. On the web, you will often find a profusion of opinions based on a person’s interpretation of how RAI worked for them — and this is not always helpful to someone trying to decide whether or not to undergo a procedure or treatment. In the world of medicine there are always pros and cons, and some people do not have optimal experiences with any type of medical intervention, but we need to make our treatment choice based on logic and facts, not fears and opinions. There can be medically valid reasons for any individual to do one treatment as opposed to another, and your doctor is the only person to give you advice like that.

I hope that you are being treated at this point — not waiting for the endocrinologist. Unless there is a medical reason against it, most GPs will give us a prescription for the antithyroid meds (ATDs) to fill in the gap between blood test diagnosis and endo appointment. You truly do not want to remain hyperthyroid any longer than you need to be. It just isn’t safe.

Most of the moderators on this board (including me) had RAI, so we can answer factual questions that you might have about the treatment — but we won’t give you advice: that is for your doctor.

Take care,

[Author]

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