RAI questions

[TC08]

I don't have answers about the longterm effects of RAI, but wanted to send my support to you via this thread Cardshark. Here is a HUGE {{{{HUG}}}} for you!!!!!

I echo DesertRose. I feel for your frustration - you have every reason (and more) to feel so frustrated / discouraged. Because you do have a strong faith, do try to hold tight. I'm sending prayers of peace & comfort to you this very minute

[mkgbrook]

I am not an RAI expert. I did dig up the risks and side effects of RAI versus TT for patients trying to kill off their thyroid. My Aunt went through 2 RAIs and then needed a TT to remove her thyroid. Her thyroid was a pain. If you go to a good nuclear med MD that knwos thyroids.. he will do a targeted study on you a determine what level of RAI treatment you need.. if you neeed it. As to the side effects and symptoms of an RAI look over this post of mine. It may fill you in on the accepted NIH recognized pro's and con's of RAI.

[url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=610550[/url]

I am wishing you the best of luck and health.
MG

[rexcatz]

I can't speak to the long term effects of RAI either since it's only been just over 3 weeks since I had it. I will say that I had no side effects from it other than a very slight sore throat for a few days. I didn't feel nauseous at all. I was kept for 20 min. after taking the pill just to make sure I didn't vomit. I drove home immediately after the 20 min. and was just fine. Of course I had to keep at least 3 ft. between myself and others, including pets, for a week, and I had to sleep in a separate room. I also had to wash my clothes and dishes separately and flush the toilet twice after use. I was told to drink lots of fluids to help flush out my body of the iodine my thyroid didn't take. I didn't lose any hair, and in fact, the huge clumps that were coming out, along with massive shedding, for the last 4 mos. from Tapazole have stopped. Good thing, I have very little hair left; it has to be arranged to cover my scalp. I was afraid of getting the saliva thing since when I had the thyroid storm this past Feb. my mouth was so dry that I had splits and cracks all over my lips, mouth, tongue and throat, and had had really dry mouth problems for a couple of years before the storm. Nope, didn't happen. So RAI wasn't a big deal for me, and I'm 60, so I should be more likely to get side effects. Didn't have any problems at all though.

[DR37]

Thanks MKG asnd Rexcatz! What both of you say was very similar to what the oncologist told me today. He added that a few people have had dry mouth and that food doesn't taste the same to them anymore. Those were both long term effects. He said that, because I already HAVE cancer, the ADDED risk from RAI is only 1%, much lower than the risks of doing nothing about it.

Turns out my cancer was stage 3 so I have to do 200 millicuries. He gave me a 50/50 chance of having to do it again in 6 months. Kind of a bummer. Good news is they'll test my blood levels Aug. 1st so, with luck, I can do the RAI Aug. 4th. If I'm not ready, I'll probably do it Aug. 11th (which is my anniversary so I'm REALLY pulling for the 1st, lol). He was going to offer me cytomel, but since I haven't been on anything yet, he decided against it. Should make it easier to bring up my TSH that way, he said. One thing that confused me: he is only waiting for TSH to be above 30 to do the treatment. Isn't that a little low? I though I'd seen levels up to like 70 before doing the treatment. Maybe it has something to do with the double dose, hmmm...

Just a funny bit of info, he said he's worked about 200 of these cases and that mine is one of the rarest. LOL, I've ended up being the exception to the rule almost the WHOLE time. "You have multiple growths so it's probably not cancer. You're one of 25% of patients that have extended hospital stays because of calcium problems. Most cancers are confined to a large tumor, not throughout your thyroid." I wish I could show you the picture of the thyroid. It's gross, measured 11 cm across and was so full of tumors it didn't look like a thyroid at all!!

On that happy note, have a great weekend, all!