I will be going on meds for the first time ,I did talk with me Dr. yesterday They did leave 3 parthyroid glands and I have been having calcium checked evry couple days and it has come back over 8 ,They say that is wonderful?. Anyway my ? is The Dr. said he was going too put me on Sythroid as soon as the Path report comes back and we know if it was cancer or not , I am still prayer that it will come back cancer free.. ( or contained) The Dr. did say everything else looked real good, back too the ?'s I here allot about Vit. B?? Why ?and Armour ? Is it that 1 med doesn't work alone? I have also heard allot of talk about being on , Sythroid,Vit. B and Cytomel ? what is this all about? Also how many of you had the RAI done and was off meds tell it was over?? I here allot about Coma?? What is this about? I read this board sevral times a day and have went as far back in it as I can and read ( I love this board <IMG SRC="http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif"> you are all so helpful and I want you all too know I pray for you all .. I am dong real well sence the surgery May 2 , and am looking forward too getting on with the meds etc just had a few ??'s first... Thanks allot for all your time.. God Bless you , Marcia
Everyone is deficient in B vitamins, and when we are under stress, such as dealing with the stress of thyroid problems that take time to resolve, we need them all the more.
The body needs certain nutrients to convert thyroid hormones at the cell level, such as the ones mentioned in the Information Archive topic.
Thyroid has several identified amjor components, such as T3 and T4.
The meds we are given may be T4 only, on the basis that the body will convert what it needs from the T4 to the T3 we need. However, sometimes one does better to get the pure T3, since they may not convert it well, or may have problems digesting the med. Taking it orally is not the same process, as you know, as getting it from the thyroid gland. One may need to take T4 and add a little T3, it is all found out by trials, and takes about six weeks between changes to know for sure what the does will do.
The process of getting treated properly is so slow it can be maddening, esp. when one has disabling symptoms.
So, taking B vitamins to feed the nerves really helps.
Synthroid and Levoxyl are synthetic T4, Cytomel is a synthetic T3. Armour is both from a natural source.
Untreated hypothyroidism may have the end result in a coma if it is allowed to progress that far. We do need thyroid hormone or nothing else in the body can be balanced. We can't function without the balances we each personally need. We don't need to fear hypothyroid dementia or coma if we take the thyroid hormone replacement.
Just responding to add my name to the tally of folks who were off all meds until the RAI was over, and am about to do it again for a follow-up scan. It's uncomfortable, but much easier when the weather's not so cold.
Oh, gosh. I just re-read my message and it's easily taken out of context. When I said "it's uncomfortable, but easier when the weather's not so cold" I was referring to the discomfort of being hypothyroid while off your medication. The scan itself is completely painless.
The "scan" to which I was referring is an Iodine Uptake Scan, which you may already have had. They typically scan you about a week after the RAI (also known as RIT) treatment to make sure that all the functioning thyroid tissue is gone. It's just like an MRI or any other nuclear resonance test -- you lie on the table, it moves you through the half-dome, and you're outta there.
After that, you have a follow-up scan done as a re-check once a year. But they can give you Thyrogen to stimulate any existing hormone-producing tissue (if any grew back) for the re-checks. That way, you don't have to stop taking your meds and go hypo the way that I currently am. My doc just prefers not to use the Thyrogen for the first scan after a cancer thyroidectomy.
No worries, really.<p>[This message has been edited by ArtfulD (edited 05-07-2002).]
