Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

[Guest guest]

,

Yes, there are a few different treatments options. I can get really in

depth if you want to (let me know).

In short, there are anti-thyroid drugs (ATD's) that block the production of

thyroid hormone. This has been used with " hot " nodules also. More invasive

is thyroid surgery to remove the offending " hot " nodule or by taking the

RadioActive Iodine treatment (RAI). I do not recommend the RAI treatment.

There are also herbs that can be used. I do not recommend self treatment

with herbs. Get with someone who really knows what they are doing if you want

to go this route.

I do recommend you check out ithyroid.com. It has alot of info on thyroid

disorders.

Hope this helps some,

Kim

aka Hyperkim

Note: Hyperthyroidism can also be caused by Graves Disease. The marker for

graves is the Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI). The TSI antibody

mimics the TSH in stimulating the thyroid. Before you daughter does any

permanent treatment you might have her antibody level checked to rule out

graves

disease. (Permanent treatment of the thyroid will NOT get rid of the graves

disease.) Nodules can be present with (although not caused by) Graves Disease.

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,

I'm in the learning phase of all this. It does get confusing at times. I have

read many messages and many do not recommend the RAI treatment. We were hoping

it could be just with drugs as the first option. We live in Ontario, Canada. Is

anybody else on this list from there? We see an endocrinologist in

Hamilton(McMaster University Medical Centre). Wondered if anybody has a good

endo they recommend.

I do have a natruopathic dr. I would definitely pick his brains before I would

self treat. I will check out the website. Thanks.

~ ~

All kids are gifted; some just open their

packages earlier than others.

Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

,

Yes, there are a few different treatments options. I can get really in

depth if you want to (let me know).

In short, there are anti-thyroid drugs (ATD's) that block the production of

thyroid hormone. This has been used with " hot " nodules also. More invasive

is thyroid surgery to remove the offending " hot " nodule or by taking the

RadioActive Iodine treatment (RAI). I do not recommend the RAI treatment.

There are also herbs that can be used. I do not recommend self treatment

with herbs. Get with someone who really knows what they are doing if you

want

to go this route.

I do recommend you check out ithyroid.com. It has alot of info on thyroid

disorders.

Hope this helps some,

Kim

aka Hyperkim

Note: Hyperthyroidism can also be caused by Graves Disease. The marker for

graves is the Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI). The TSI antibody

mimics the TSH in stimulating the thyroid. Before you daughter does any

permanent treatment you might have her antibody level checked to rule out

graves

disease. (Permanent treatment of the thyroid will NOT get rid of the graves

disease.) Nodules can be present with (although not caused by) Graves

Disease.

[Guest guest]

Hi

I live about 45 mins away from Hamilton. But I can't recommend an endo. I had

to go to Kitchener and was thoroughly unimpressed with the endo there! She

allowed 5 minutes per visit - she didn't have time to answer questions.

I did take RAI and do regret it. I wish I had tried the anti-thyroid drugs. My

doctors all said that they didn't think I would go into remission. Foolishly,

as it turns out, I listened to them and took the RAI. I do wish that there was

a chance for remission for me but after RAI there is none. The endo wanted to

'ablate' my thyroid and succeeded.

The local scuttlebut here is that Hamilton docs are pretty good.

Kate

Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

,

Yes, there are a few different treatments options. I can get really in

depth if you want to (let me know).

In short, there are anti-thyroid drugs (ATD's) that block the production of

thyroid hormone. This has been used with " hot " nodules also. More

invasive

is thyroid surgery to remove the offending " hot " nodule or by taking the

RadioActive Iodine treatment (RAI). I do not recommend the RAI treatment.

There are also herbs that can be used. I do not recommend self treatment

with herbs. Get with someone who really knows what they are doing if you

want

to go this route.

I do recommend you check out ithyroid.com. It has alot of info on thyroid

disorders.

Hope this helps some,

Kim

aka Hyperkim

Note: Hyperthyroidism can also be caused by Graves Disease. The marker

for

graves is the Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI). The TSI antibody

mimics the TSH in stimulating the thyroid. Before you daughter does any

permanent treatment you might have her antibody level checked to rule out

graves

disease. (Permanent treatment of the thyroid will NOT get rid of the

graves

disease.) Nodules can be present with (although not caused by) Graves

Disease.

[Guest guest]

,

First the RAI does go to the whole thyroid. So the whole thyroid is

effected not just a nodule.

In rare cases (I think less than 1%) " hot " nodules can be cancerous. I have

a nodule and am hyperthyroid. I also have the TSI anitbody causing graves

diesease which can also cause hyperthyroidism. So its a toss up on which is

the real culprit in making me hyper. My dr and I have chosen to keep an eye

on the nodule with sonograms. Cancerous nodules grow. If mine shows growth

then we'll do something about it at that time. (My dr has had multiple

nodules herself - most of them have shrunk on their own.) For now we are

treating

the hyperthyroid with vitiamins and such. The jury is still out on how that

will work for me. At last labs my levels had come down a bit but were still

on the high side. I had labs drawn again yesterday, so we'll see.

On the weight issue...In 10-20% of hyperthyroidism there can be weight gain

instead of weight loss. I am one of those lucky few. WooHoo! I read

somewhere that this is because we are able to keep up with the increased

hunger.

Although we should be really large for the amount of food we eat our increased

metabolism does still burn off alot of the excess. Make sense?

I recommend you and/or your daughter check out the thyroid group on

Mediboard.com. It has hyperthyroid members that have been very successfull

with the

ATD treatment route. They do not mind helping you monitor your dosing by

what has worked for them(personal experience). The true risk with ATDs is

finding a dr that truly " knows " how to dose ATDs. Any dr can write the

prescription. Get my point?

I personally know several people that have been on ATD's for several years.

One has been on them for 25 years. And without the horrible side effects.

Again I think the trick is finding a dr that " know " how to use ATD's and how

to properly monitor patients taking ATD's.

Hope that helps some. Best wishes,

Kim

aka Hyperkim

[Guest guest]

We had our appt with the endo yesterday. His suggestion was surgery to remove

the nodule. His other option was RAI. He said with surgery the other side of the

thyroid would take over and produce enough hormones. He said with her being

young at 23 that would probably be the best option. She'd know for sure there

weren't any cancer cells in there(I thought that's what the RAI scan was

supposed to tell as it was hot nodule, confused on this?). With RAI treatment

does that kill out the whole thyroid, or just go to the nodule portion. I've

read about some of you saying you become hypo after RAI or can they just do a

portion. He mentioned the antithryroid meds lastly and he said this would have

to be monitored. She wants to get on with her schooling and plans to leave for

New Zealand June 4th. We are trying to see if it can be monitored over there for

the next yr. I would rather try the medication first. Seems the least invasive

of treatments and may give her more time to decide on surgery later when she

gets back. This RAI thing sounds really scary. Some of this sounds like quick

fixes. The way he talked about the RAI made it sound good and quick, but, from

what I've read here, it's not top on the list. I'm afraid of what she'd be like

after treatment and be worse off.

Another question about hyper. People talk about losing weight. My daughter is

gaining weight. She's hungrier. She's worried too about doing all of this

treatment and gaining even more weight. She doesn't seem to have a lot of the

symptoms. Mainly hunger, little tired and some thinning hair.

~ ~

All kids are gifted; some just open their

packages earlier than others.

Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

,

Yes, there are a few different treatments options. I can get really in

depth if you want to (let me know).

In short, there are anti-thyroid drugs (ATD's) that block the production of

thyroid hormone. This has been used with " hot " nodules also. More invasive

is thyroid surgery to remove the offending " hot " nodule or by taking the

RadioActive Iodine treatment (RAI). I do not recommend the RAI treatment.

There are also herbs that can be used. I do not recommend self treatment

with herbs. Get with someone who really knows what they are doing if you

want

to go this route.

I do recommend you check out ithyroid.com. It has alot of info on thyroid

disorders.

Hope this helps some,

Kim

aka Hyperkim

Note: Hyperthyroidism can also be caused by Graves Disease. The marker for

graves is the Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI). The TSI antibody

mimics the TSH in stimulating the thyroid. Before you daughter does any

permanent treatment you might have her antibody level checked to rule out

graves

disease. (Permanent treatment of the thyroid will NOT get rid of the graves

disease.) Nodules can be present with (although not caused by) Graves

Disease.

[Guest guest]

Hi

The current theory here (in Canada) is that the doctors want to destroy the

thyroid completely if you choose RAI. They don't want any damaged cells

remaining. The entire thyroid absorbs the RAI - not just the nodule. I do know

of one person who had the surgery and was able to go on without anything

further. It caught up with her in her 50's but she was okay til then.

No matter which course your daughter chooses, she is likely to need monitoring.

Even with the surgery it will be necessary to see how the remainder of her

thyroid works. And with RAI and meds, constant monitoring for the first while

(year?) seems to be inevitable.

I think your plan to try the anti thyroid medicine first is a good one. See how

her body manages, and have the nodule monitored. If there is any concern, the

doctor can do a 'fine needle aspiration' of the nodule to determine it's

contents. I chose RAI and am living to regret it.

I gained while I was hyper. In fact for me it is one clue that I'm hyper on my

meds. My appetite goes crazy and I eat frantically. If I'm hypo, my appetite

is much less, but I gain weight anyway. Seems like a lose-lose situation but

when the meds are right, I can maintain my weight and even lose some. So it's

all in the balance. Same with hair loss. As for fatigue, I still have no

energy 6 years later. But maybe I'm the exception. I don't know. I do take a

multiple vitamin with iron, and I take calcium because when you are hyper the

thyroid may strip the calcium from your bones, leaving you with osteoporosis.

This happened to me. The doc has no idea how long I was hyper - may have been

many years.

Be patient. This is a long-term disease and takes quite a while to get stable.

Do keep asking questions.

Kate

Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

,

Yes, there are a few different treatments options. I can get really in

depth if you want to (let me know).

In short, there are anti-thyroid drugs (ATD's) that block the production of

thyroid hormone. This has been used with " hot " nodules also. More

invasive

is thyroid surgery to remove the offending " hot " nodule or by taking the

RadioActive Iodine treatment (RAI). I do not recommend the RAI treatment.

There are also herbs that can be used. I do not recommend self treatment

with herbs. Get with someone who really knows what they are doing if you

want

to go this route.

I do recommend you check out ithyroid.com. It has alot of info on thyroid

disorders.

Hope this helps some,

Kim

aka Hyperkim

Note: Hyperthyroidism can also be caused by Graves Disease. The marker

for

graves is the Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI). The TSI antibody

mimics the TSH in stimulating the thyroid. Before you daughter does any

permanent treatment you might have her antibody level checked to rule out

graves

disease. (Permanent treatment of the thyroid will NOT get rid of the

graves

disease.) Nodules can be present with (although not caused by) Graves

Disease.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/22/2006 10:28:27 AM Eastern Standard Time,

Fraserk@... writes:

multiple vitamin with iron,

Dear Kate,

It was my understanding that if you no longer are menstruating (I don't know

if you still are), that you don't need to take iron, and in fact it can be bad

for you. Maybe this is causing some of your symptoms.

Just a thought,

Joan

[Guest guest]

That's interesting...the only time I'm not anaemic is when I take the

iron...been that way for the past 6 years at least...and definitely

menopausal...

Kate

Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

In a message dated 3/22/2006 10:28:27 AM Eastern Standard Time,

Fraserk@... writes:

multiple vitamin with iron,

Dear Kate,

It was my understanding that if you no longer are menstruating (I don't know

if you still are), that you don't need to take iron, and in fact it can be bad

for you. Maybe this is causing some of your symptoms.

Just a thought,

Joan

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/22/2006 5:46:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Fraserk@... writes:

That's interesting...the only time I'm not anaemic is when I take the

iron...been that way for the past 6 years at least...and definitely

menopausal...

Dear Kate,

Shows what I know! I guess everyone is different, and if someone is anemic,

maybe they need to keep taking iron. Generally, though, postmenopausal women

are told they don't need it.

Best,

AntJoan

[Guest guest]

Kim,

Thanks! The endo didn't say the whole thryoid would be affected with

RAI. Another thing to consiser then because she was under the

impression it would just be the nodule. Sounds like the RAI is the

last resort for her. He did say with surgery they only took the 1/2

of the thyroid out and then the other 1/2 would take over and

compensate. Is this correct? Also with surgery, they would know for

sure if there was any cancer. Would she need any meds if 1/2 of the

thyroid is taken out? I still like the idea of ATD to try at first to

buy some time(1-2 yrs). Feels like we are being pushed into making a

rushed decision. The whole problem is that she plans leaving for New

Zealand for teacher's college for a yr. If we could get someone to

monitor the ATD over there, then that might buy us some more time to

decide surgery later if the meds didn't resolve it. He never said

anything about going into remission. Is this possible with

medication? We see the ENT surgeon tomorrow. He was the first dr we

were referred to after the ultra sound. He did say that he studied in

NZ and knew of a good thyroid dr. We are hoping he can send her to

him. I'm not sure what this entails getting medical

treatment/monitoring in a different country. Anybody know? We live in

Ontario, Canada and are under provincial medical insurance coverage.

How long can someone live with hyper and it go unnoticed. Wondering

how long it takes for a nodule to grow where the notice it. Could she

have been living with hyper for yrs before? She doesn't have that

many symptoms. They keep asking her and she says no to most. How long

can someone go on with hyper before it really gets serious?

>

> ,

>

> First the RAI does go to the whole thyroid. So the whole thyroid

is

> effected not just a nodule.

>

> In rare cases (I think less than 1%) " hot " nodules can be

cancerous. I have

> a nodule and am hyperthyroid. I also have the TSI anitbody

causing graves

> diesease which can also cause hyperthyroidism. So its a toss up

on which is

> the real culprit in making me hyper. My dr and I have chosen to

keep an eye

> on the nodule with sonograms. Cancerous nodules grow. If mine

shows growth

> then we'll do something about it at that time. (My dr has had

multiple

> nodules herself - most of them have shrunk on their own.) For now

we are treating

> the hyperthyroid with vitiamins and such. The jury is still out

on how that

> will work for me. At last labs my levels had come down a bit but

were still

> on the high side. I had labs drawn again yesterday, so we'll see.

>

> On the weight issue...In 10-20% of hyperthyroidism there can be

weight gain

> instead of weight loss. I am one of those lucky few. WooHoo! I

read

> somewhere that this is because we are able to keep up with the

increased hunger.

> Although we should be really large for the amount of food we eat

our increased

> metabolism does still burn off alot of the excess. Make sense?

>

> I recommend you and/or your daughter check out the thyroid group

on

> Mediboard.com. It has hyperthyroid members that have been very

successfull with the

> ATD treatment route. They do not mind helping you monitor your

dosing by

> what has worked for them(personal experience). The true risk with

ATDs is

> finding a dr that truly " knows " how to dose ATDs. Any dr can

write the

> prescription. Get my point?

>

> I personally know several people that have been on ATD's for

several years.

> One has been on them for 25 years. And without the horrible side

effects.

> Again I think the trick is finding a dr that " know " how to use

ATD's and how

> to properly monitor patients taking ATD's.

>

> Hope that helps some. Best wishes,

> Kim

> aka Hyperkim

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm going to sum this up as quickly as I can:I had an undiagnosed

hyperthyroid for years.

Went to doc after doc due to heart palpitation , nervousness etc...,

I got so bad the hyperthyroid was affecting my muscles. I could

hardly walk. Went to my family doc and told her I felt like I was

ready to die. She did tons of labs and discovered I was hyperthyroid

w/Graves disease. I did extensive research, spoke to many doctors

and decided RAI was the best choice. I've heard of people dying

trying to " cure " their hyperthyroid with herbal cures , vitamins,

etc.. I was on the antithyroid medication before my RAI and develped

a sunburn looking rash that itched terribly. Who knows what that

medication did to the inside of me.I've also heard of people that

died due to taking anti-thyroid meds and their livers went bad. I

had RAI, a simple procedure of just swalling a pill, Dec. 9th, 2005.

I am finally starting to feel better, I've lost weight instead of

gaining because I'm not eating as much as I was when I was

hyperthyroid. It took 2 months for my thyroid to stop working. I'm

now on Synthroid whis is a natural hormone your body makes anyways.

(Anti-thyroid meds are not natural) I've had no side effects from it

at all. Untreated hyperthyroid can be very dangerous. I've known

many people, including both ex president Bush and his wife that

chose RAI. So far nobody I've known of had any problems with it. The

surgery can be very dangerous because there is a nerve behind your

thyroid that controls your voice box and breathing. I also belong

to a group of people that have chosen RAI that you may want to visit-

gravesandrai/?yguid=2207753

Take Care, Amy-- In hyperthyroidism , kkmwn@... wrote:

>

> ,

>

> Yes, some people can function with just one lobe of their thyroid

gland. From what I understand anyway. I still have all of mine. I

think some people may need replacement meds till the remaining half

of the thyroid takes over. Sometimes the half being removed may

have a nodule or be enlarged...either could have been producing the

majority of thyroid hormone. So after surgery there might me a

significant drop per se. I think replacement meds would be

temporary in that case. Can't say for sure as I have not been there

personally.

>

> Don't be rushed. I don't see why she can't start on the ATDs and

see how that works. And yes remission is possible with meds.

Remission is not possible after RAI or surgery For some reason, RAI

is the main the course of action to treat hypers in the USA. But

overseas they mostly treat with ATDs and herbs are more openly

used. I find that very interesting.

>

> I recommend you check out the thyroid disorders group on

mediboard.com. There are people there from all around the world.

So they may be able to help you with the drs and insurance and

travel questions.

>

> Alot of hyper symptoms are mild enough that they don't really

raise a red flag. I was diagnosed due to abnormal labs in Nov 05.

After looking at symptoms lists...I have had most symptoms listed on

hyper and hypo lists off and on since childhood. So yes it is

highly possible to live with symptoms and go undiagnosed for years.

I have fought fatigue and complained about it to my drs for nearly

20 years now. Finally since starting to treat my hyperT this is

getting better. That tells me is was thyroid related all along.

>

> You can't always feel a nodule. Some may never get that big. And

sometimes they shrink and/or disappear. And it is very slim chance

that it would be cancerous. Cancerous nodules grow. I have a

nodule. My dr and I have decided to monitor my nodule with

sonograms. If it shows growth then we will talk about having a

biopsy done to test for cancer. If it ever comes back positive for

cancer or my thyroid (with goiter or nodule) becomes obstructive in

size (restricting swallowing or breathing) then I will have it

removed.

>

> Keep in mind some nodules never bother anyone. She may just have

mild hyperT that can be controlled with dietary changes (avoiding

iodine and calcium rich foods to start). In the past year my sister

had an xray done looking for a reason for abdominal pain. Her dr

referred her to an internal med dr. He just about laughed. He

said the other dr mentioned spots on her liver in the dr referral

notes. He showed us the xray. And yep there were these spots all

over the liver in the pic. Dr said that these were actually tumors

and everyone has them everywhere in their bodies. Most tumors are

harmless. It is when they develop in an abnormal shape or start to

grow abnormally that you need to be concerned. He told my sis not

to worry. My mother was told in January that she had cysts on her

kidneys. That dr said basically the same thing. Lets wait and

watch....these things are harmless and sometimes even go away on

their own. So when my dr said the same thing about my thyroid

nodule it didn't worry me.

>

> The main thing to worry about is the heart symptoms. These can be

bad for obvious reasons. As long as she is being monitored she

should be ok. If heart problems start they can put her on a beta

blocker to protect her heart from damage. There is risk of thyroid

storm. But then I recently met someone that had a storm while in

normal thyroid lab range. So I think if that's going to happen its

going to happen. Although it is supposed to be more of a risk with

higher thyroid levels. I am 38 and do not have any of the heart

symptoms. (That I know of anyway. And I am being monitored by a

dr.)

>

> You might see what this ENT dr has to say and check out the NZ dr

he knows.

>

> Hope that helps some,

> Kim

> aka Hyperkim

>

> PS. On rare thing...I did meet one girl, can't remember where

though. She said she was a wierd one in that her " normal " just

happened to be above the " normal " lab ranges. For years drs messed

with her trying to get her down in the normal range and to her point

of least symptoms. Her point of least symptoms turned out to be

above the " normal " ranges. She was not really suffering from

hyperthyroidism. This was her normal. You daughter may be close to

her normal if she doesn't have many symptoms. Just a thought.

Don't fire all the drs yeat though.

>

> Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

>

>

> Kim,

> Thanks! The endo didn't say the whole thryoid would be affected

with

> RAI. Another thing to consiser then because she was under the

> impression it would just be the nodule. Sounds like the RAI is the

> last resort for her. He did say with surgery they only took the

1/2

> of the thyroid out and then the other 1/2 would take over and

> compensate. Is this correct? Also with surgery, they would know

for

> sure if there was any cancer. Would she need any meds if 1/2 of

the

> thyroid is taken out? I still like the idea of ATD to try at first

to

> buy some time(1-2 yrs). Feels like we are being pushed into making

a

> rushed decision. The whole problem is that she plans leaving for

New

> Zealand for teacher's college for a yr. If we could get someone to

> monitor the ATD over there, then that might buy us some more time

to

> decide surgery later if the meds didn't resolve it. He never said

> anything about going into remission. Is this possible with

> medication? We see the ENT surgeon tomorrow. He was the first dr

we

> were referred to after the ultra sound. He did say that he studied

in

> NZ and knew of a good thyroid dr. We are hoping he can send her to

> him. I'm not sure what this entails getting medical

> treatment/monitoring in a different country. Anybody know? We live

in

> Ontario, Canada and are under provincial medical insurance

coverage.

> How long can someone live with hyper and it go unnoticed.

Wondering

> how long it takes for a nodule to grow where the notice it. Could

she

> have been living with hyper for yrs before? She doesn't have that

> many symptoms. They keep asking her and she says no to most. How

long

> can someone go on with hyper before it really gets serious?

>

>

>

>

> >

> > ,

> >

> > First the RAI does go to the whole thyroid. So the whole

thyroid

> is

> > effected not just a nodule.

> >

> > In rare cases (I think less than 1%) " hot " nodules can be

> cancerous. I have

> > a nodule and am hyperthyroid. I also have the TSI anitbody

> causing graves

> > diesease which can also cause hyperthyroidism. So its a toss up

> on which is

> > the real culprit in making me hyper. My dr and I have chosen

to

> keep an eye

> > on the nodule with sonograms. Cancerous nodules grow. If mine

> shows growth

> > then we'll do something about it at that time. (My dr has had

> multiple

> > nodules herself - most of them have shrunk on their own.) For

now

> we are treating

> > the hyperthyroid with vitiamins and such. The jury is still

out

> on how that

> > will work for me. At last labs my levels had come down a bit

but

> were still

> > on the high side. I had labs drawn again yesterday, so we'll

see.

> >

> > On the weight issue...In 10-20% of hyperthyroidism there can be

> weight gain

> > instead of weight loss. I am one of those lucky few. WooHoo!

I

> read

> > somewhere that this is because we are able to keep up with the

> increased hunger.

> > Although we should be really large for the amount of food we

eat

> our increased

> > metabolism does still burn off alot of the excess. Make

sense?

> >

> > I recommend you and/or your daughter check out the thyroid group

> on

> > Mediboard.com. It has hyperthyroid members that have been very

> successfull with the

> > ATD treatment route. They do not mind helping you monitor your

> dosing by

> > what has worked for them(personal experience). The true risk

with

> ATDs is

> > finding a dr that truly " knows " how to dose ATDs. Any dr can

> write the

> > prescription. Get my point?

> >

> > I personally know several people that have been on ATD's for

> several years.

> > One has been on them for 25 years. And without the horrible

side

> effects.

> > Again I think the trick is finding a dr that " know " how to use

> ATD's and how

> > to properly monitor patients taking ATD's.

> >

> > Hope that helps some. Best wishes,

> > Kim

> > aka Hyperkim

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

This is the other group that has been so helpful to me. If it

doesn't work by clicking on, just go to MSN groups and type it

in.http://groups.msn.com/GRAVESDISEASEANDRAI

In hyperthyroidism , " Amy " <AIMEECAKES@...> wrote:

>

> I'm going to sum this up as quickly as I can:I had an undiagnosed

> hyperthyroid for years.

> Went to doc after doc due to heart palpitation , nervousness

etc...,

> I got so bad the hyperthyroid was affecting my muscles. I could

> hardly walk. Went to my family doc and told her I felt like I was

> ready to die. She did tons of labs and discovered I was

hyperthyroid

> w/Graves disease. I did extensive research, spoke to many doctors

> and decided RAI was the best choice. I've heard of people dying

> trying to " cure " their hyperthyroid with herbal cures , vitamins,

> etc.. I was on the antithyroid medication before my RAI and

develped

> a sunburn looking rash that itched terribly. Who knows what that

> medication did to the inside of me.I've also heard of people that

> died due to taking anti-thyroid meds and their livers went bad. I

> had RAI, a simple procedure of just swalling a pill, Dec. 9th,

2005.

> I am finally starting to feel better, I've lost weight instead of

> gaining because I'm not eating as much as I was when I was

> hyperthyroid. It took 2 months for my thyroid to stop working. I'm

> now on Synthroid whis is a natural hormone your body makes anyways.

> (Anti-thyroid meds are not natural) I've had no side effects from

it

> at all. Untreated hyperthyroid can be very dangerous. I've known

> many people, including both ex president Bush and his wife that

> chose RAI. So far nobody I've known of had any problems with it.

The

> surgery can be very dangerous because there is a nerve behind your

> thyroid that controls your voice box and breathing. I also belong

> to a group of people that have chosen RAI that you may want to

visit-

> gravesandrai/?yguid=2207753

> Take Care, Amy-- In hyperthyroidism , kkmwn@ wrote:

> >

> > ,

> >

> > Yes, some people can function with just one lobe of their

thyroid

> gland. From what I understand anyway. I still have all of mine.

I

> think some people may need replacement meds till the remaining

half

> of the thyroid takes over. Sometimes the half being removed may

> have a nodule or be enlarged...either could have been producing

the

> majority of thyroid hormone. So after surgery there might me a

> significant drop per se. I think replacement meds would be

> temporary in that case. Can't say for sure as I have not been

there

> personally.

> >

> > Don't be rushed. I don't see why she can't start on the ATDs

and

> see how that works. And yes remission is possible with meds.

> Remission is not possible after RAI or surgery For some reason,

RAI

> is the main the course of action to treat hypers in the USA. But

> overseas they mostly treat with ATDs and herbs are more openly

> used. I find that very interesting.

> >

> > I recommend you check out the thyroid disorders group on

> mediboard.com. There are people there from all around the world.

> So they may be able to help you with the drs and insurance and

> travel questions.

> >

> > Alot of hyper symptoms are mild enough that they don't really

> raise a red flag. I was diagnosed due to abnormal labs in Nov

05.

> After looking at symptoms lists...I have had most symptoms listed

on

> hyper and hypo lists off and on since childhood. So yes it is

> highly possible to live with symptoms and go undiagnosed for

years.

> I have fought fatigue and complained about it to my drs for nearly

> 20 years now. Finally since starting to treat my hyperT this is

> getting better. That tells me is was thyroid related all along.

> >

> > You can't always feel a nodule. Some may never get that big.

And

> sometimes they shrink and/or disappear. And it is very slim

chance

> that it would be cancerous. Cancerous nodules grow. I have a

> nodule. My dr and I have decided to monitor my nodule with

> sonograms. If it shows growth then we will talk about having a

> biopsy done to test for cancer. If it ever comes back positive

for

> cancer or my thyroid (with goiter or nodule) becomes obstructive

in

> size (restricting swallowing or breathing) then I will have it

> removed.

> >

> > Keep in mind some nodules never bother anyone. She may just

have

> mild hyperT that can be controlled with dietary changes (avoiding

> iodine and calcium rich foods to start). In the past year my

sister

> had an xray done looking for a reason for abdominal pain. Her dr

> referred her to an internal med dr. He just about laughed. He

> said the other dr mentioned spots on her liver in the dr referral

> notes. He showed us the xray. And yep there were these spots

all

> over the liver in the pic. Dr said that these were actually

tumors

> and everyone has them everywhere in their bodies. Most tumors are

> harmless. It is when they develop in an abnormal shape or start

to

> grow abnormally that you need to be concerned. He told my sis not

> to worry. My mother was told in January that she had cysts on her

> kidneys. That dr said basically the same thing. Lets wait and

> watch....these things are harmless and sometimes even go away on

> their own. So when my dr said the same thing about my thyroid

> nodule it didn't worry me.

> >

> > The main thing to worry about is the heart symptoms. These can

be

> bad for obvious reasons. As long as she is being monitored she

> should be ok. If heart problems start they can put her on a beta

> blocker to protect her heart from damage. There is risk of

thyroid

> storm. But then I recently met someone that had a storm while in

> normal thyroid lab range. So I think if that's going to happen

its

> going to happen. Although it is supposed to be more of a risk

with

> higher thyroid levels. I am 38 and do not have any of the heart

> symptoms. (That I know of anyway. And I am being monitored by a

> dr.)

> >

> > You might see what this ENT dr has to say and check out the NZ

dr

> he knows.

> >

> > Hope that helps some,

> > Kim

> > aka Hyperkim

> >

> > PS. On rare thing...I did meet one girl, can't remember where

> though. She said she was a wierd one in that her " normal " just

> happened to be above the " normal " lab ranges. For years drs

messed

> with her trying to get her down in the normal range and to her

point

> of least symptoms. Her point of least symptoms turned out to be

> above the " normal " ranges. She was not really suffering from

> hyperthyroidism. This was her normal. You daughter may be close

to

> her normal if she doesn't have many symptoms. Just a thought.

> Don't fire all the drs yeat though.

> >

> > Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

> >

> >

> > Kim,

> > Thanks! The endo didn't say the whole thryoid would be affected

> with

> > RAI. Another thing to consiser then because she was under the

> > impression it would just be the nodule. Sounds like the RAI is

the

> > last resort for her. He did say with surgery they only took the

> 1/2

> > of the thyroid out and then the other 1/2 would take over and

> > compensate. Is this correct? Also with surgery, they would know

> for

> > sure if there was any cancer. Would she need any meds if 1/2 of

> the

> > thyroid is taken out? I still like the idea of ATD to try at

first

> to

> > buy some time(1-2 yrs). Feels like we are being pushed into

making

> a

> > rushed decision. The whole problem is that she plans leaving for

> New

> > Zealand for teacher's college for a yr. If we could get someone

to

> > monitor the ATD over there, then that might buy us some more

time

> to

> > decide surgery later if the meds didn't resolve it. He never

said

> > anything about going into remission. Is this possible with

> > medication? We see the ENT surgeon tomorrow. He was the first dr

> we

> > were referred to after the ultra sound. He did say that he

studied

> in

> > NZ and knew of a good thyroid dr. We are hoping he can send her

to

> > him. I'm not sure what this entails getting medical

> > treatment/monitoring in a different country. Anybody know? We

live

> in

> > Ontario, Canada and are under provincial medical insurance

> coverage.

> > How long can someone live with hyper and it go unnoticed.

> Wondering

> > how long it takes for a nodule to grow where the notice it.

Could

> she

> > have been living with hyper for yrs before? She doesn't have

that

> > many symptoms. They keep asking her and she says no to most. How

> long

> > can someone go on with hyper before it really gets serious?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > >

> > > ,

> > >

> > > First the RAI does go to the whole thyroid. So the whole

> thyroid

> > is

> > > effected not just a nodule.

> > >

> > > In rare cases (I think less than 1%) " hot " nodules can be

> > cancerous. I have

> > > a nodule and am hyperthyroid. I also have the TSI anitbody

> > causing graves

> > > diesease which can also cause hyperthyroidism. So its a toss

up

> > on which is

> > > the real culprit in making me hyper. My dr and I have chosen

> to

> > keep an eye

> > > on the nodule with sonograms. Cancerous nodules grow. If

mine

> > shows growth

> > > then we'll do something about it at that time. (My dr has

had

> > multiple

> > > nodules herself - most of them have shrunk on their own.)

For

> now

> > we are treating

> > > the hyperthyroid with vitiamins and such. The jury is still

> out

> > on how that

> > > will work for me. At last labs my levels had come down a bit

> but

> > were still

> > > on the high side. I had labs drawn again yesterday, so we'll

> see.

> > >

> > > On the weight issue...In 10-20% of hyperthyroidism there can

be

> > weight gain

> > > instead of weight loss. I am one of those lucky few.

WooHoo!

> I

> > read

> > > somewhere that this is because we are able to keep up with the

> > increased hunger.

> > > Although we should be really large for the amount of food we

> eat

> > our increased

> > > metabolism does still burn off alot of the excess. Make

> sense?

> > >

> > > I recommend you and/or your daughter check out the thyroid

group

> > on

> > > Mediboard.com. It has hyperthyroid members that have been

very

> > successfull with the

> > > ATD treatment route. They do not mind helping you monitor

your

> > dosing by

> > > what has worked for them(personal experience). The true risk

> with

> > ATDs is

> > > finding a dr that truly " knows " how to dose ATDs. Any dr can

> > write the

> > > prescription. Get my point?

> > >

> > > I personally know several people that have been on ATD's for

> > several years.

> > > One has been on them for 25 years. And without the horrible

> side

> > effects.

> > > Again I think the trick is finding a dr that " know " how to

use

> > ATD's and how

> > > to properly monitor patients taking ATD's.

> > >

> > > Hope that helps some. Best wishes,

> > > Kim

> > > aka Hyperkim

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

That web site looks like a sales pitch for homeopathic medications,

herbs and books. There are cases where people have died trying to

cure their hyperthyroid this way. I asked my doctor about

the " thyroid storm " and she said they monitor people very well and

usually put them on a short term dose of anti-thyroid medications

before the RAI. My doc is the Endocrinology professor at Ohio State

University and had years of training and studies. I have a very good

friend of mine that had RAI 18 years ago and is doing great. As far

as cancer, just about everything causes cancer anymore. Strange

about the percentages you pointed out. Where did you get your

information because I'm getting alot of different information. Like

I said, I did very extensive research before I decided on RAI. Amy---

In hyperthyroidism , daisyelaine@... wrote:

>

> Hi Aimee,

> I'm glad to hear you're doing well. But I wanted to point out

that levothyroxine and anti-thyroid drugs are both synthetic

compounds. Neither is natural although both thyroxine and the sulfur

molecules found in ATDs are naturally-occurring. Also, there is only

one reported fatality from ATDs in the literature and it was due to

an unusually high dose. ATDs cause toxic effects in less than 1% of

patients taking them and most are due to inappropriately high doses.

> There have been more than 100 fatalities related to RAI caused by

thyroid storm, several within the last few months alone, which can

occur during the first 8 weeks after RAI.

>

> Having had RAI, I can assure you that most long-term effects do

not show up until 5-6 years after hypothyroidism develops. RAI

profoundly stimulates the immune system, making the original

autoimmune condition worse. Several years after RAI, thyroid eye

disease and other autoimmune diseases and manifestations of

hypothyroidism such as fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis are more

likely to occur.

>

> It is very misleading to evaluate treatment response after 2

months. Your gland continues to die over a period of one year and

antibody production is increased for at least 10 years.

Hypothyroidism is a serious disease that causes a number of

complications even when levels are corrected. We do not utilize

synthetic hormone the way we use our own hormone. Also levothyroxine

only represents a fraction of the various hormones that our thyroid

glands produce. Best, Elaine

>

> Visit my new Autoimmune Disease Topic at

http://autoimmunedisease.suite101.com

>

>

> Re: Daughter with Hyperthyroid

> >

> >

> > Kim,

> > Thanks! The endo didn't say the whole thryoid would be affected

> with

> > RAI. Another thing to consiser then because she was under the

> > impression it would just be the nodule. Sounds like the RAI is

the

> > last resort for her. He did say with surgery they only took the

> 1/2

> > of the thyroid out and then the other 1/2 would take over and

> > compensate. Is this correct? Also with surgery, they would know

> for

> > sure if there was any cancer. Would she need any meds if 1/2 of

> the

> > thyroid is taken out? I still like the idea of ATD to try at

first

> to

> > buy some time(1-2 yrs). Feels like we are being pushed into

making

> a

> > rushed decision. The whole problem is that she plans leaving for

> New

> > Zealand for teacher's college for a yr. If we could get someone

to

> > monitor the ATD over there, then that might buy us some more

time

> to

> > decide surgery later if the meds didn't resolve it. He never

said

> > anything about going into remission. Is this possible with

> > medication? We see the ENT surgeon tomorrow. He was the first dr

> we

> > were referred to after the ultra sound. He did say that he

studied

> in

> > NZ and knew of a good thyroid dr. We are hoping he can send her

to

> > him. I'm not sure what this entails getting medical

> > treatment/monitoring in a different country. Anybody know? We

live

> in

> > Ontario, Canada and are under provincial medical insurance

> coverage.

> > How long can someone live with hyper and it go unnoticed.

> Wondering

> > how long it takes for a nodule to grow where the notice it.

Could

> she

> > have been living with hyper for yrs before? She doesn't have

that

> > many symptoms. They keep asking her and she says no to most. How

> long

> > can someone go on with hyper before it really gets serious?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > >

> > > ,

> > >

> > > First the RAI does go to the whole thyroid. So the whole

> thyroid

> > is

> > > effected not just a nodule.

> > >

> > > In rare cases (I think less than 1%) " hot " nodules can be

> > cancerous. I have

> > > a nodule and am hyperthyroid. I also have the TSI anitbody

> > causing graves

> > > diesease which can also cause hyperthyroidism. So its a toss

up

> > on which is

> > > the real culprit in making me hyper. My dr and I have chosen

> to

> > keep an eye

> > > on the nodule with sonograms. Cancerous nodules grow. If

mine

> > shows growth

> > > then we'll do something about it at that time. (My dr has

had

> > multiple

> > > nodules herself - most of them have shrunk on their own.)

For

> now

> > we are treating

> > > the hyperthyroid with vitiamins and such. The jury is still

> out

> > on how that

> > > will work for me. At last labs my levels had come down a bit

> but

> > were still

> > > on the high side. I had labs drawn again yesterday, so we'll

> see.

> > >

> > > On the weight issue...In 10-20% of hyperthyroidism there can

be

> > weight gain

> > > instead of weight loss. I am one of those lucky few.

WooHoo!

> I

> > read

> > > somewhere that this is because we are able to keep up with the

> > increased hunger.

> > > Although we should be really large for the amount of food we

> eat

> > our increased

> > > metabolism does still burn off alot of the excess. Make

> sense?

> > >

> > > I recommend you and/or your daughter check out the thyroid

group

> > on

> > > Mediboard.com. It has hyperthyroid members that have been

very

> > successfull with the

> > > ATD treatment route. They do not mind helping you monitor

your

> > dosing by

> > > what has worked for them(personal experience). The true risk

> with

> > ATDs is

> > > finding a dr that truly " knows " how to dose ATDs. Any dr can

> > write the

> > > prescription. Get my point?

> > >

> > > I personally know several people that have been on ATD's for

> > several years.

> > > One has been on them for 25 years. And without the horrible

> side

> > effects.

> > > Again I think the trick is finding a dr that " know " how to

use

> > ATD's and how

> > > to properly monitor patients taking ATD's.

> > >

> > > Hope that helps some. Best wishes,

> > > Kim

> > > aka Hyperkim

> > >

> > >

> > >