[mrsapa]

#1060558

Hi, I’ve been reading a lot of posts from people in the GDATF forums and I’m a little frightened. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism last January after being hospitalized for “appendicitis” but there was no appendicitis. I had actually had a thyroid storm. A month later I was diagnosed with Grave’s disease. Two months after that I found out I was pregnant with my second child. I started off taking Methimazole and Propranolol. Now I’m taking Propylthiouracil and Propranolol and have opted to have a thyroidectomy because I felt as if having the RAI with two small children would not be a feasible option.

I guess my question is for those of you who have had either the thyroidectomy or the RAI, what Grave’s Disease issue do you have now that your thyroid is no longer an issue? Or is it?

Please help!

[Kimberly]

#1183327

Hello and welcome! Hopefully, others who have had RAI & Thyroidectomy will jump in here with their experiences.

You can also use the “search posts” feature in the top right-hand corner of the screen to search for keywords like RAI, radioiodine, thyroidectomy, etc. and read stories from other posters here.

I’m not 100% clear on the timeline – has your second child been born? If you are pregnant, that will affect the ability to do thyroidectomy (usually done during 2nd trimester) and if you are currently breastfeeding, RAI would affect your ability to continue.

Is there a reason you have chosen to not continue with the medication? That should be an option for you as well, unless you are having side effects, or you are having trouble getting your levels stabilized.

Take care!

[mrsapa]

#1183328

Thanks for responding.

I’ve been on the meds now for a year. The methimazole caused a rash so they took me off and waited before starting the PTU. Every time I take a thyroid function test, my doctor increases my dosage. I think that taking 150mg of PTU three times a day is quite excessive. My TSH is not changing at all and my T3 and T4 is slowly moving. Maybe my understanding of which numbers matter is off.

My doctor suggested the surgery which is crazy because my previous endo reccomended RAI. It’s al so confusing to me. How long should I stay on ATDs?

[mrsapa]

#1183329

Oh and I did have my baby. She was born two months ago.

[Kimberly]

#1183330

Hello – The medical guidance recommends a period of 12-18 months on anti-thyroid drugs, although some doctors are now supporting longer-term use of ATDs if you are able to maintain stable levels on a low dose – and if you don’t experience any side effects.

TSH can stay suppressed for quite some time, so is not a good benchmark for making dosing decisions. The critical piece is for you to see T3/T4 moving back into the normal range. If your T3/T4 are still outside the normal range after a year on the meds, that might be why the doctor is recommending surgery.

All three options have risks and benefits, so it’s important to do your research before making a final decision. The “Treatment Options” thread in the announcements section of the forum has a couple of good links that go through the pros and cons of each option.

Take care!

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