Re: Conflicted

[Guest guest]

Hi Anne,

Tapazole is rarely used in pregnancy. People on Tapazole are switched to PTU

if they become pregnant since it is less likely to cross the placental

barrier. As with any drug, it's important to use the smallest drug dose

needed for managing symptoms. In the third trimester, the ATD dose usually

needs to be reduced because the increased estrogen levels and normal immune

suppression at this time naturally reduce symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

People who develop agranulocytosis generally do so within the first 4 weeks

of starting the drugs. It's rare for it to develop with long-term use. Take

care, Elaine

[Guest guest]

Hi Anne,

I sure can imagine you would be conflicted.

Here is one thing I have not seen mentioned. You said they took you off the Tap

and it has

been two months.

Studies say, and my experience backs it up... that if ATDs are withdrawn to

quickly, you

will most likely go hyper.

If you have gone two months now, and are not a hysterical mess, my feeling is

that if you

went back on the Tap, address the underlying nutritional problems caused by

Graves' and

then VERY slowly withdraw the drug.. your chances would be great of remission.

And I mean

slowly. I took 6 mo. reducing. Checked labs every 4 weeks, and even if my FT4

was a bit

lower than I would like, I stuck with only reducing my PTu ( which is 10 times

stronger

than Tap), one quarter of a pill every month. So with Tap it would be one

quarter of a 5

mg. tablet.

The last few months, I even had trouble with such a small amount, and ended up

using small

amounts of bugleweed and lemon balm, as they work much the same as the ATDs, but

are

longer lasting, and I was able to measure a smaller amount. As the 1/4 tablet of

PTU was

taking me up and down too much, which seemed to set me off, and I believe

interrupted the

healing process I had going on.

'IF' you did not achieve remission, as fast as you wanted, you would then be on

such a

small amount of the drug, you chances of any long term problems with it, would

be GREATLY

reduced, and you could continue working on diet.

Have you reduced your iodine, added goitregins, added any supplements ?

Are you hyper enough now, that thinking this through is more difficult?

Would going back on a low dose, give to time to think more clearly, and try some

of the

things that have worked for others of us here ?

-Pam- remission after 3 1/2 years of PTU, but only 6 mo. after I got it

together... thanks

to the help from the wonderful folks here :-)

The pills only covered up the symptoms ! Then I had to address the real problem.

[Guest guest]

Hi Anne,

No matter how understanding and compassionate a doctor may be, they do not

have to live in our bodies for the rest of our lives, we do, and the

consequences of RAI are many.

You also spoke about fertility problems. I hope you will do a search on

, fertility, infertility. She has shared so much with us regarding

these problems she has faced since having RAI. I-131 is also taken up by

the reproductive organs, the pancreas and the breasts, and quite frankly no

one really knows for sure if it ALL ever leaves us.

If you want children, I do hope you will reconsider and look hard at the

option of surgery, either a total or sub-total thyroidectomy. Carolines

experience with this that she shared while making the decision, the surgery,

her rapid recovery, her pregnancy a month after surgery, and now in her

second pregnancy are all in the archives. You can do a search on Michale

, the story begins in Sept. of 2000 and she just posted an update

last week.

I have now met several people who have all had surgery and are so glad they

did that rather than RAI. Their recovery from the surgery was quick, very

unnoticable scarring, and doing much better than far to many of us who had

RAI more than 5 years ago. They begin their replacement doses immediately

following surgery, which kept them stable. With RAI, you can't begin your

replacment dose until after you have gone hypo, and then it could take

several dosage changes to get your replacement hormone regulated because it

will take much more time for your thyroid to die from the radiation.

I hope you will reconsider the RAI decision, and at least look at the

possibility of surgery.

Take care, it is tough making permanent decisions on our body,

Jody

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