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  • JHinrichsen
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    On the American Cancer Society site it does. People who swallow the RAI increase their risk of breast cancer by 53 percent. I have no family history and am now facing breast cancer. Graves docs should be telling their patients these risks. I would have chose surgery had I been told.

    JHinrichsen
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    Post count: 4

    At age 53 I was diagnosed with Graves and felt he same way. What you are experiencing is ‘normal’ for Graves patients. I chose RAI and while it provided relief for 7 years. I now diagnosed with breast cancer likely from the radiation as there us no family history. At the time I was also just starting menopause and put in hormones. Yet another increase in risk. So thanks to the medical advice I got 7 years ago are now possibly going to cost me my life. Those two medicines made my risk 73 percent likely to get breast cancer. In retrospect I would choose surgery.

    JHinrichsen
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    Post count: 4

    I am 58 and in your same shoes. I regret the choice of RAI because my hormones have never recovered from the onset of Graves. I was so desperate to feel better after the diagnosis that I would have done anything to try to feel better. I have never had a weight problem in the past but for a time it seemed hopeless. However it isn’t. I now have a doctor willing to start testing hormone balances and figuring out foods that will quit working against me. Menopause is not helping but the autoimmune condition is complicating things. I have just been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune, tests are pending for gluten and insulin levels that are also predicted to be out of balance. All the dieting in world will not help until you learn more about the foods and do not concentrate on calories in – calories out. My point is that is isn’t directly the Graves, the thyroid problem, it is very likely the autoimmune condition did not stop at the thyroid gland. And remember the thyroid gland helps control and trigger our other hormones. Find a doctor that will help you figure things out. My doctor has also requested a physical therapy session that does the testing for how I burn calories and fat. Again he suspects wheat/gluten and insulin are turning quickly into sugars and storing fat making all the exercise I do to have little effect. What a struggle we have. 😆

    JHinrichsen
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    Post count: 4

    My general practioner kept telling me this condition was in my head and due to menopause. I was sweating just like you describe. It was embarrassing at work. My general kept gripping, calories in, calories out! Bull. I was gaining weight on 550 calories a day. And my other blood work numbers are still all over the place.

    Have you done RAI?

    I still have many symptoms that are nagging but the worst has passed. That is why I write to you. I felt the hopelessness and remembered all too well. Nit does get better, you have to have faith and hope!

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