Hi Janet,
This is a little complicated. In one study, many years ago, it was found that about 16% of patients experienced a "temporary worsening" of eye symptoms following RAI. In that same study, patients who had a short course of Prednisone before & after the RAI experienced 0% worsening in eye symptoms.
More recent studies have not been able to duplicate this result, meaning that far less patients have experienced the "temporary worsening" (which, by the way, was not well defined even in the first study, in terms of what "temporary" specifically meant, and how much "worse" the patient’s symptoms were).
Prednisone can be very risky. Several of its side effects are serious.
If your daughter is already having eye symptoms, if her eyes are significantly bulging, very uncomfortable, and if she has pain upon moving her eyes, it is likely that your doctor would recommend using Prednisone to avoid any further symptoms from making her even more uncomfortable.
If your daughter has little or no eye symptoms, you may not want to take on the risk of Prednisone against the very small likelihood that the RAI could "temporarily worsen" her eye symptoms.
It’s something to discuss very frankly with the doctor. Write down all the questions you have. Look up Prednisone in a reputable medical site so that you understand some of the pros and cons before you speak with the doctor.
