Guest guest Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I had RAI fifteen years ago... it's good that you are getting prepared for the quarantine.... We can gab more about that.... First.... Are you sure that you need RAI? Depending on what is causing you to be hyper RAI is often not the best choice..... it might be well worth your while to look into it a bit more closely..... Too many docs feel that RAI is the 'easy way out'... it is, for them... but leaves us with issues down the road that might have been preventable.. I'm not saying don't do it.... it may be right in your circumstance... but I would like to encourage you to be sure... once you've done it you can't undo it... Now.. quarantine after RAI... I have some stuff that I've listed on the web site... to give you some ideas of what to consider... www.thyrophoenix.com/rai.htm Others have said that they were going to check into a motel.. but you are right.... doing that saves your family members, but puts the staff where you'd be staying at risk.... Could you set yourself up at home so that you could stay mostly in a room by yourself and would you be able to have a bathroom to yourself? If you could set up at home you'd be able to take care of the cleaning and such on your own and still be separate from your mom..... The more active that you can be the faster the radiation will pass from your body... so going outside and walking and such is a good thing to do... it expels the stuff into the open air where it can dissipate. Have they given you an actual diagnosis or just that your hyper and have nodules? I know it's all scary.. but you've got folks here to talk to so that you can make the right choices for you.... no one will judge no matter which direction you take... we're all here to help each other by sharing our experiences and things that we've learned along the way... Topper () *16 years post RAI, no remaining gland function* On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 23:52:43 -0000 "valecia6969" writes: My mother is 88 years-old and we live together. I am going to have the radioactive iodine treatment in the near future. I took routine blood tests during a routine Complete Physical Examination and the results showed that I was hyperthyroid. I then took the thyroid scan and the result was toxic multi-nodular goiters. I am 51 years-old.I was planning to check in and to a Residence Inn type of facility to keep my mother, other family members and friends safe from exposure. I had planned to just leave the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door for the duration however I am concerned about the housekeepers exposure through the linen etc. upon my departure. I am afraid and confused and I would appreciate any advice from the support group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I've had three RAI treatments and several of the smaller doses for tests. The best way to get it out of your system is to suck on hard candy and drink, drink, drink!! The second time I had an RAI treatment my son was a little over a year old. I was worried about going home from the hospital and not being able to touch him. After 3 days in the hospital they told me I could go home, but not to touch him for two weeks. When the radiologist came into the room to check my levels, he was amazed at how much was gone from my body. I only had to wait 3 days to touch my son. Robin"The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to theutmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richerexperiences." Eleanor Roosevelt Re: Radioactive Iodine I had RAI fifteen years ago... it's good that you are getting prepared for the quarantine.... We can gab more about that.... First.... Are you sure that you need RAI? Depending on what is causing you to be hyper RAI is often not the best choice..... it might be well worth your while to look into it a bit more closely..... Too many docs feel that RAI is the 'easy way out'... it is, for them... but leaves us with issues down the road that might have been preventable.. I'm not saying don't do it.... it may be right in your circumstance... but I would like to encourage you to be sure... once you've done it you can't undo it... Now.. quarantine after RAI... I have some stuff that I've listed on the web site... to give you some ideas of what to consider... www.thyrophoenix.com/rai.htm Others have said that they were going to check into a motel.. but you are right.... doing that saves your family members, but puts the staff where you'd be staying at risk.... Could you set yourself up at home so that you could stay mostly in a room by yourself and would you be able to have a bathroom to yourself? If you could set up at home you'd be able to take care of the cleaning and such on your own and still be separate from your mom..... The more active that you can be the faster the radiation will pass from your body... so going outside and walking and such is a good thing to do... it expels the stuff into the open air where it can dissipate. Have they given you an actual diagnosis or just that your hyper and have nodules? I know it's all scary.. but you've got folks here to talk to so that you can make the right choices for you.... no one will judge no matter which direction you take... we're all here to help each other by sharing our experiences and things that we've learned along the way... Topper () *16 years post RAI, no remaining gland function* On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 23:52:43 -0000 "valecia6969" writes: My mother is 88 years-old and we live together. I am going to have the radioactive iodine treatment in the near future. I took routine blood tests during a routine Complete Physical Examination and the results showed that I was hyperthyroid. I then took the thyroid scan and the result was toxic multi-nodular goiters. I am 51 years-old.I was planning to check in and to a Residence Inn type of facility to keep my mother, other family members and friends safe from exposure. I had planned to just leave the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door for the duration however I am concerned about the housekeepers exposure through the linen etc. upon my departure. I am afraid and confused and I would appreciate any advice from the support group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 > > My mother is 88 years-old and we live together. I am going to have the > radioactive iodine treatment in the near future. I took routine blood > tests during a routine Complete Physical Examination and the results > showed that I was hyperthyroid. I then took the thyroid scan and the > result was toxic multi-nodular goiters. I am 51 years-old. > I was planning to check in and to a Residence Inn type of facility to > keep my mother, other family members and friends safe from exposure. I > had planned to just leave the " Do Not Disturb " sign on the door for the > duration however I am concerned about the housekeepers exposure through > the linen etc. upon my departure. I am afraid and confused and I would > appreciate any advice from the support group. > With multiple nodules I thought the treatment of choice was surgical removal of the thyroid? Do realize you have other options other than RAI.. RAI will cause you to become hypo and stop the over production of thyroid hormones, but because it slowly kills the thyroid the nodules will still be there and will have to monitored. Surgery removes the thyroid and by removing the thyroid the nodules will also be removed. Both surgery and RAI will cause you to be hypothyroid and need replacement medication. AS you are learning RAI has it own built in set of precautions and side effects.. Surgery also has cautions..but less long term side effects. There is also medication called ATD's ( anti thyroid drugs) they will reduce your hyper symptoms by blocking the hormone production of the thyroid.. although it has its own issues and requires more monitoring there is also controversy over whether it will shrink the nodules.. Depending on size location and how many nodules there is also a new procedure which consists of injecting nodules with Ethanol to kill only the nodules. Do you know your lab values? Symptoms ? How hyper are you? I ask this as you really need to evaluate your options and be comfortable with your decision..right now posting as a newbie on a web site looking for info and freaking about RAI does not sound like you are comfortable, but being hyper in itself is also not very comfortable..depending on labs and symptoms you can ask the doctor for a beta blocker..namely Inderal to help with heart palps and to keep the heart beat from racing.. a short term on ATD drugs will stabilze you until you are sure of what your options are and are comfortable with what decision you want to make. Kats3boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 I want to begin by saying thank you so very much to those of you who have responded so quickly to my posting:) As stated in the original text this whole thing came as a "surprise" to me. Different doctors have given me the same choices in terms of treating my diagnosis: 1. Do nothing (not a smart choice) 2. Medication (told me that it may lose its effectiveness over time) 3. Radioactive Iodine (according to the doctors it is the best option:/) The Harvard Family Medical Guide basically concurred with the doctors. However, after reading your experience based responses I intend to ask more questions regarding alternatives to the RI. It seems like there should be a medication available out there to address my needs especially since the diagnosis came without any "symptoms". Calico wrote: I've had three RAI treatments and several of the smaller doses for tests. The best way to get it out of your system is to suck on hard candy and drink, drink, drink!! The second time I had an RAI treatment my son was a little over a year old. I was worried about going home from the hospital and not being able to touch him. After 3 days in the hospital they told me I could go home, but not to touch him for two weeks. When the radiologist came into the room to check my levels, he was amazed at how much was gone from my body. I only had to wait 3 days to touch my son. Robin"The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to theutmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richerexperiences." Eleanor Roosevelt Re: Radioactive Iodine I had RAI fifteen years ago... it's good that you are getting prepared for the quarantine.... We can gab more about that.... First.... Are you sure that you need RAI? Depending on what is causing you to be hyper RAI is often not the best choice..... it might be well worth your while to look into it a bit more closely..... Too many docs feel that RAI is the 'easy way out'... it is, for them... but leaves us with issues down the road that might have been preventable.. I'm not saying don't do it.... it may be right in your circumstance... but I would like to encourage you to be sure... once you've done it you can't undo it... Now.. quarantine after RAI... I have some stuff that I've listed on the web site... to give you some ideas of what to consider... www.thyrophoenix.com/rai.htm Others have said that they were going to check into a motel.. but you are right.... doing that saves your family members, but puts the staff where you'd be staying at risk.... Could you set yourself up at home so that you could stay mostly in a room by yourself and would you be able to have a bathroom to yourself? If you could set up at home you'd be able to take care of the cleaning and such on your own and still be separate from your mom..... The more active that you can be the faster the radiation will pass from your body... so going outside and walking and such is a good thing to do... it expels the stuff into the open air where it can dissipate. Have they given you an actual diagnosis or just that your hyper and have nodules? I know it's all scary.. but you've got folks here to talk to so that you can make the right choices for you.... no one will judge no matter which direction you take... we're all here to help each other by sharing our experiences and things that we've learned along the way... Topper () *16 years post RAI, no remaining gland function* On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 23:52:43 -0000 "valecia6969" writes: My mother is 88 years-old and we live together. I am going to have the radioactive iodine treatment in the near future. I took routine blood tests during a routine Complete Physical Examination and the results showed that I was hyperthyroid. I then took the thyroid scan and the result was toxic multi-nodular goiters. I am 51 years-old.I was planning to check in and to a Residence Inn type of facility to keep my mother, other family members and friends safe from exposure. I had planned to just leave the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door for the duration however I am concerned about the housekeepers exposure through the linen etc. upon my departure. I am afraid and confused and I would appreciate any advice from the support group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 The most important first step, I think... is to find out what is causing you to be hyper... the root cause determines the best form of treatment.... Taking the easy first choice isn't always the best choice.... learning about and considering options means that the choice the you do make will be the best one for you and you don't have to look back later saying "I wish I'd have known better" Do you have copies of the tests that were run on you so far? If we could take a look at them we'd be able to get a better idea of what is going on.. Some things to keep in mind while you are considering options.. It's pretty much a given that no mater which choice you make you will be on a daily medication. Whether it's an antithyroid medication to slow the gland or thyroid hormone replacement when the gland is unable to provide sufficient hormone for you to be healthy and feel well.Find out what your doc's plans are for after initial treatment, long term goals for hormone levels and such. What types of meds does he prescribe for replacement ( here the ideal is that he offers both synthetic and natural so that you can determine which type your body responds best to.) What the docs goals are for hormone level maintenance after initial treatment. (also an ideal here... there should be mention of both optimizing levels and maintaining as well as monitoring and reducing symptoms) I'm not try to be the doom sayer.... just trying to mention things that are really handy to be aware of before... rather than fighting with things after... keeping everything moving in a positive direction is FAR better then doing a yo-yo treatment after like so many of us have dealt with. Our whole reason for being here is to help the new folks be aware of options and realities and save them from what some of us went through cuz we didn't have anyone to fill us in on the details. Knowledge is power... Ask any questions of us that you have... we have folks here that have dealt with just about every aspect of thyroid disorder, treatment and care.... so someone should be able to jump in and answer your questions. Again... the first step is to find out the WHY, then you can make the best choice for treatment from there.... IMHO, of course. Topper () On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 06:51:23 -0700 (PDT) Cookie writes: I want to begin by saying thank you so very much to those of you who have responded so quickly to my posting:) As stated in the original text this whole thing came as a "surprise" to me. Different doctors have given me the same choices in terms of treating my diagnosis: 1. Do nothing (not a smart choice) 2. Medication (told me that it may lose its effectiveness over time) 3. Radioactive Iodine (according to the doctors it is the best option:/) The Harvard Family Medical Guide basically concurred with the doctors. However, after reading your experience based responses I intend to ask more questions regarding alternatives to the RI. It seems like there should be a medication available out there to address my needs especially since the diagnosis came without any "symptoms". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Thank you so much!topper2@... wrote: The most important first step, I think... is to find out what is causing you to be hyper... the root cause determines the best form of treatment.... Taking the easy first choice isn't always the best choice.... learning about and considering options means that the choice the you do make will be the best one for you and you don't have to look back later saying "I wish I'd have known better" Do you have copies of the tests that were run on you so far? If we could take a look at them we'd be able to get a better idea of what is going on.. Some things to keep in mind while you are considering options.. It's pretty much a given that no mater which choice you make you will be on a daily medication. Whether it's an antithyroid medication to slow the gland or thyroid hormone replacement when the gland is unable to provide sufficient hormone for you to be healthy and feel well.Find out what your doc's plans are for after initial treatment, long term goals for hormone levels and such. What types of meds does he prescribe for replacement ( here the ideal is that he offers both synthetic and natural so that you can determine which type your body responds best to.) What the docs goals are for hormone level maintenance after initial treatment. (also an ideal here... there should be mention of both optimizing levels and maintaining as well as monitoring and reducing symptoms) I'm not try to be the doom sayer.... just trying to mention things that are really handy to be aware of before... rather than fighting with things after... keeping everything moving in a positive direction is FAR better then doing a yo-yo treatment after like so many of us have dealt with. Our whole reason for being here is to help the new folks be aware of options and realities and save them from what some of us went through cuz we didn't have anyone to fill us in on the details. Knowledge is power... Ask any questions of us that you have... we have folks here that have dealt with just about every aspect of thyroid disorder, treatment and care.... so someone should be able to jump in and answer your questions. Again... the first step is to find out the WHY, then you can make the best choice for treatment from there.... IMHO, of course. Topper () On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 06:51:23 -0700 (PDT) Cookie writes: I want to begin by saying thank you so very much to those of you who have responded so quickly to my posting:) As stated in the original text this whole thing came as a "surprise" to me. Different doctors have given me the same choices in terms of treating my diagnosis: 1. Do nothing (not a smart choice) 2. Medication (told me that it may lose its effectiveness over time) 3. Radioactive Iodine (according to the doctors it is the best option:/) The Harvard Family Medical Guide basically concurred with the doctors. However, after reading your experience based responses I intend to ask more questions regarding alternatives to the RI. It seems like there should be a medication available out there to address my needs especially since the diagnosis came without any "symptoms". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Thank you so much!topper2@... wrote: The most important first step, I think... is to find out what is causing you to be hyper... the root cause determines the best form of treatment.... Taking the easy first choice isn't always the best choice.... learning about and considering options means that the choice the you do make will be the best one for you and you don't have to look back later saying "I wish I'd have known better" Do you have copies of the tests that were run on you so far? If we could take a look at them we'd be able to get a better idea of what is going on.. Some things to keep in mind while you are considering options.. It's pretty much a given that no mater which choice you make you will be on a daily medication. Whether it's an antithyroid medication to slow the gland or thyroid hormone replacement when the gland is unable to provide sufficient hormone for you to be healthy and feel well.Find out what your doc's plans are for after initial treatment, long term goals for hormone levels and such. What types of meds does he prescribe for replacement ( here the ideal is that he offers both synthetic and natural so that you can determine which type your body responds best to.) What the docs goals are for hormone level maintenance after initial treatment. (also an ideal here... there should be mention of both optimizing levels and maintaining as well as monitoring and reducing symptoms) I'm not try to be the doom sayer.... just trying to mention things that are really handy to be aware of before... rather than fighting with things after... keeping everything moving in a positive direction is FAR better then doing a yo-yo treatment after like so many of us have dealt with. Our whole reason for being here is to help the new folks be aware of options and realities and save them from what some of us went through cuz we didn't have anyone to fill us in on the details. Knowledge is power... Ask any questions of us that you have... we have folks here that have dealt with just about every aspect of thyroid disorder, treatment and care.... so someone should be able to jump in and answer your questions. Again... the first step is to find out the WHY, then you can make the best choice for treatment from there.... IMHO, of course. Topper () On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 06:51:23 -0700 (PDT) Cookie writes: I want to begin by saying thank you so very much to those of you who have responded so quickly to my posting:) As stated in the original text this whole thing came as a "surprise" to me. Different doctors have given me the same choices in terms of treating my diagnosis: 1. Do nothing (not a smart choice) 2. Medication (told me that it may lose its effectiveness over time) 3. Radioactive Iodine (according to the doctors it is the best option:/) The Harvard Family Medical Guide basically concurred with the doctors. However, after reading your experience based responses I intend to ask more questions regarding alternatives to the RI. It seems like there should be a medication available out there to address my needs especially since the diagnosis came without any "symptoms". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 These are the INITIAL levels that resulted in a Thyroid Scan. A second set was taken to confirm the first set but I do not have a copy as of yet. A third set was taken after I had a CT Scan but I have not received a printout of the reported levels to date:/ TSH L0.002 FT4 1.4 THYROID BIND GLOB 17.4topper2@... wrote: The most important first step, I think... is to find out what is causing you to be hyper... the root cause determines the best form of treatment.... Taking the easy first choice isn't always the best choice.... learning about and considering options means that the choice the you do make will be the best one for you and you don't have to look back later saying "I wish I'd have known better" Do you have copies of the tests that were run on you so far? If we could take a look at them we'd be able to get a better idea of what is going on.. Some things to keep in mind while you are considering options.. It's pretty much a given that no mater which choice you make you will be on a daily medication. Whether it's an antithyroid medication to slow the gland or thyroid hormone replacement when the gland is unable to provide sufficient hormone for you to be healthy and feel well.Find out what your doc's plans are for after initial treatment, long term goals for hormone levels and such. What types of meds does he prescribe for replacement ( here the ideal is that he offers both synthetic and natural so that you can determine which type your body responds best to.) What the docs goals are for hormone level maintenance after initial treatment. (also an ideal here... there should be mention of both optimizing levels and maintaining as well as monitoring and reducing symptoms) I'm not try to be the doom sayer.... just trying to mention things that are really handy to be aware of before... rather than fighting with things after... keeping everything moving in a positive direction is FAR better then doing a yo-yo treatment after like so many of us have dealt with. Our whole reason for being here is to help the new folks be aware of options and realities and save them from what some of us went through cuz we didn't have anyone to fill us in on the details. Knowledge is power... Ask any questions of us that you have... we have folks here that have dealt with just about every aspect of thyroid disorder, treatment and care.... so someone should be able to jump in and answer your questions. Again... the first step is to find out the WHY, then you can make the best choice for treatment from there.... IMHO, of course. Topper () On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 06:51:23 -0700 (PDT) Cookie writes: I want to begin by saying thank you so very much to those of you who have responded so quickly to my posting:) As stated in the original text this whole thing came as a "surprise" to me. Different doctors have given me the same choices in terms of treating my diagnosis: 1. Do nothing (not a smart choice) 2. Medication (told me that it may lose its effectiveness over time) 3. Radioactive Iodine (according to the doctors it is the best option:/) The Harvard Family Medical Guide basically concurred with the doctors. However, after reading your experience based responses I intend to ask more questions regarding alternatives to the RI. It seems like there should be a medication available out there to address my needs especially since the diagnosis came without any "symptoms". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Do you have the ranges for the FT4 and the TBG? Is that all they tested? Do you remember them saying anything about thyroid antibodies?? Topper () On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 15:27:23 -0700 (PDT) Cookie writes: These are the INITIAL levels that resulted in a Thyroid Scan. A second set was taken to confirm the first set but I do not have a copy as of yet. A third set was taken after I had a CT Scan but I have not received a printout of the reported levels to date:/ TSH L0.002 FT4 1.4 THYROID BIND GLOB 17.4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700 TBG Reference Range 14.0-31.0 No mention (that I can remember) of thyroid antibodies:/topper2@... wrote: Do you have the ranges for the FT4 and the TBG? Is that all they tested? Do you remember them saying anything about thyroid antibodies?? Topper () On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 15:27:23 -0700 (PDT) Cookie writes: These are the INITIAL levels that resulted in a Thyroid Scan. A second set was taken to confirm the first set but I do not have a copy as of yet. A third set was taken after I had a CT Scan but I have not received a printout of the reported levels to date:/ TSH L0.002 FT4 1.4 THYROID BIND GLOB 17.4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Your Free T4 does not show that you are hyper..... TSH .002 (.3 - 3.0) FT4 1.4 (.200 - 4.700) THYROID BIND GLOB 17.4 (14.0 - 13.10) I'm not a doc.... the great disclaimer... .I'm not a doc or a medical pro... Just someone that is living without a thyroid gland and had to learn this stuff VERY well on my own to get my life back..... Low TSH alone is NOT an indicator of hyperthyroid. Free T4 that low in it's range is NOT an indicator of hyperthyroid. In my OPINION you need to have some more tests done to be sure of what is going on. What are your symptoms? There are a LOT of symptoms that are common with hyper... I'm not gonna list any... I'd like to hear what you've noticed before we talk more. I'd especially like to know your resting pulse rate. Do you have a history of thyroid problems in your family? Again... not a doc here.... but just to ramble off the top of my head.... The most common of the thyroid disorders is Hashimoto's thyroiditis (Hashi's) it is an autoimmune disorder that causes thyroid hormone levels to fluctuate moving back and forth between hyper and hypo stages. One of it's commonalities is nodules. They can test for thyroid antibodies to see if that is what is going on with you. Hashi's swings can be over a period of days, weeks, months, years or decades... Another cause for hyper (and from the tests results you've given so far I'm not seeing hyper right now) is another autoimmune disorder, Grave's Disease. Grave's causes you to be hyper, in varying degrees... there is no swing back and forth. The least common cause for hyper is genetic defect... that's my case. There are other causes.... but those are the big three.... Thyroid cancer... as a GENERAL rule involves more hypo than hyper (anyone know more specifics on that, please jump in) If I were you... I'd be having more tests..... To start... the labs again. TSH Free T3 Free T4 and thyroid antibodies (antithyroglobulin and antithyroidperoxidase) The CT will show the number, size and location of the nodule(s). It might be a good idea to have a biopsy done to rule out cancer. But first have the labs done... To be hyper the labs should show that the TSH is bottomed out and both of the Frees are over the top of their ranges. High antibody levels will determine if there is an autoimmune issue going on, and if so, if it's Hashi's, Grave's or Both..... Depending on what is going on with you...... physical symptoms..... I just flat out don't see why, with the numbers you have, that they want to up and nuke you without even knowing what is going on.... I have an attitude about this.... so keep that in mind... it taint's what I say.... But if you can... list any symptoms that you have... even funny little things that don't seem like that big a deal but are 'different' from what you remember from past years of that is odd compared to others.... Are you on any medications for anything else? Do you take supplements or herbals at all? Are you on any type of an eating plan that is not ...... usual? I mean other than 3 meals a day, balanced carbs, protein, fat (here I'm not judging.... I'm curious about extremes, cravings.... things that point toward hyper or hypo) You still may need to be doing something if your gland is having problems... it may be RAI, it may not.... right now there isn't enough info (in my humble opinion) to be so drastic right off the bat.... Topper () *who's just about ready to shut down for the night.... it's been a loooong day* On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 16:34:49 -0700 (PDT) Cookie writes: Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700 TBG Reference Range 14.0-31.0 No mention (that I can remember) of thyroid antibodies:/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 According to the Thyroid Scan I was diagnosed with Toxic Multi-Nodual Goiterstopper2@... wrote: Your Free T4 does not show that you are hyper..... TSH .002 (.3 - 3.0) FT4 1.4 (.200 - 4.700) THYROID BIND GLOB 17.4 (14.0 - 13.10) I'm not a doc.... the great disclaimer... .I'm not a doc or a medical pro... Just someone that is living without a thyroid gland and had to learn this stuff VERY well on my own to get my life back..... Low TSH alone is NOT an indicator of hyperthyroid. Free T4 that low in it's range is NOT an indicator of hyperthyroid. In my OPINION you need to have some more tests done to be sure of what is going on. What are your symptoms? There are a LOT of symptoms that are common with hyper... I'm not gonna list any... I'd like to hear what you've noticed before we talk more. I'd especially like to know your resting pulse rate. Do you have a history of thyroid problems in your family? Again... not a doc here.... but just to ramble off the top of my head.... The most common of the thyroid disorders is Hashimoto's thyroiditis (Hashi's) it is an autoimmune disorder that causes thyroid hormone levels to fluctuate moving back and forth between hyper and hypo stages. One of it's commonalities is nodules. They can test for thyroid antibodies to see if that is what is going on with you. Hashi's swings can be over a period of days, weeks, months, years or decades... Another cause for hyper (and from the tests results you've given so far I'm not seeing hyper right now) is another autoimmune disorder, Grave's Disease. Grave's causes you to be hyper, in varying degrees... there is no swing back and forth. The least common cause for hyper is genetic defect... that's my case. There are other causes.... but those are the big three.... Thyroid cancer... as a GENERAL rule involves more hypo than hyper (anyone know more specifics on that, please jump in) If I were you... I'd be having more tests..... To start... the labs again. TSH Free T3 Free T4 and thyroid antibodies (antithyroglobulin and antithyroidperoxidase) The CT will show the number, size and location of the nodule(s). It might be a good idea to have a biopsy done to rule out cancer. But first have the labs done... To be hyper the labs should show that the TSH is bottomed out and both of the Frees are over the top of their ranges. High antibody levels will determine if there is an autoimmune issue going on, and if so, if it's Hashi's, Grave's or Both..... Depending on what is going on with you...... physical symptoms..... I just flat out don't see why, with the numbers you have, that they want to up and nuke you without even knowing what is going on.... I have an attitude about this.... so keep that in mind... it taint's what I say.... But if you can... list any symptoms that you have... even funny little things that don't seem like that big a deal but are 'different' from what you remember from past years of that is odd compared to others.... Are you on any medications for anything else? Do you take supplements or herbals at all? Are you on any type of an eating plan that is not ...... usual? I mean other than 3 meals a day, balanced carbs, protein, fat (here I'm not judging.... I'm curious about extremes, cravings.... things that point toward hyper or hypo) You still may need to be doing something if your gland is having problems... it may be RAI, it may not.... right now there isn't enough info (in my humble opinion) to be so drastic right off the bat.... Topper () *who's just about ready to shut down for the night.... it's been a loooong day* On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 16:34:49 -0700 (PDT) Cookie writes: Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700 TBG Reference Range 14.0-31.0 No mention (that I can remember) of thyroid antibodies:/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 > > These are the INITIAL levels that resulted in a Thyroid Scan. A second set was taken to confirm the first set but I do not have a copy as of yet. A third set was taken after I had a CT Scan but I have not received a printout of the reported levels to date:/ > TSH L0.002 > FT4 1.4 > THYROID BIND GLOB 17.4 > Can you also post the ranges given with the lab work.. I am only guessing but with most ranges I have seen your FT4 looks well in range.. FT4 being the storage hormone does not mean 100% not hyper, it just means a FT3 is needed and with that being in range because of a low TSH a MRI or Cat scan is needed.. this may explain why you don't feel hyper.. Kats3boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700 Double check and see if that is the T4 range or the TSH range? Kats3boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 > > According to the Thyroid Scan I was diagnosed with Toxic Multi- Nodual Goiters > Where did the toxic diagnosis part come from? Multinodular thyroid..yes the scan can be used to pick that up.. but the toxic part I ma thinking they are guessing as you are missing tests and do not have proper readings to confirm toxic on these tests alone. Kats3boya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 TSH Reference Range 0.200-4.700 kats3boys wrote: Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700Double check and see if that is the T4 range or the TSH range?Kats3boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 And the FT4 range is?? > Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700 > Double check and see if that is the T4 range or the TSH range? > > Kats3boys > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 My FT4 is 1.4 which is Within Range?kats3boys wrote: And the FT4 range is??> Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700> Double check and see if that is the T4 range or the TSH range?> > Kats3boys> > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Sorry, this sounds like it is getting confusing, when you posted your labs you posted FT4 being 1.4 and the range being 0.2-4.7..which I asked you to double check as it did not sound right and sounded like the TSH range.. you said yes it is the TSH range.. so if your FT4 is 1.4 what is the range the lab gave for FT4? Kats3boys > > My FT4 is 1.4 which is Within Range? > > > TSH Reference Range 0.200-4.700 > > Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700 > > Double check and see if that is the T4 range or the TSH range? > > > > Kats3boys > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 I know that you are trying to help me and I am sorry for the confusion:/ TSH Outside Range Within Range Units Reference Range L 0.002 UIU/mL 0.200-4.700 (FT4) 1.4 ng/dL 0.8-1.8 THYROID BIND GLOB 17.4 ug/mL 14.0-31.0kats3boys wrote: Sorry, this sounds like it is getting confusing, when you posted your labs you posted FT4 being 1.4 and the range being 0.2-4.7..which I asked you to double check as it did not sound right and sounded like the TSH range.. you said yes it is the TSH range.. so if your FT4 is 1.4 what is the range the lab gave for FT4?Kats3boys>> My FT4 is 1.4 which is Within Range?> > > TSH Reference Range 0.200-4.700> > Ranges for FT4 0.200-4.700> > Double check and see if that is the T4 range or the TSH range?> > > > Kats3boys> > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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