Guest guest Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. So, I guess my questions are: What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? --------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Hi Chris.... If you're sure this is what is right for you.... remember... it's a last choice.. make sure it's the right one.... Okay.. that said. You'll want to continue to avoid the things that aggravate hyper.. so no stimulants.. no cough remedies... no cold remedies... they all contain stimulants that make hyper worse/harder on the body. If you are already on an allergy med, you don't have to stop that, as far as I know, because of the RAI, you'll just not want to add anything new to the mix.. any stimulants will cause more problems. SOME, not all, but some... folks will have a hyper surge after the RAI... so you want to just keep that in mind so it doesn't freak you out. For myself I got radiation sickness... and didn't know that it was possible or the symptoms... I got sick, thought it was the flu and curled up in bed... the WRONG thing to do..you should be up and about and have fairly normal activity.. this allows your body to expel the radiation more quickly, reducing the affects that it has on the rest of your body... you are taking it for control of your thyroid and then want it out of your body as quickly as possible.. so being up and about breathing, sweating, going to the bathroom, showering.... all those things help your body to get rid of it more quickly. It would be a good idea to avoid as much iodine intake as possible up until you take the RAI.. you want the gland to be sucking up as much of the Radioactive Iodine as quickly as it can to get the job done right the first time. How long it takes to go hypo after RAI.. A few variables there. 1 - what is causing you to be hyper 2 - how long your gland has been over producing and how much excess hormone is stored in your body tissues.. that all has to get used up before you go hypo. 3 - how much radiation they give you - how much of your gland is destroyed. The more that it continues to function the longer it takes for your body to use up the excess. The trick is to give you enough to kill off the right amount of the gland (that depends on what is causing you to be hyper) They could give you too much, kill it all.... or not enough and you'll have to do it again. They do a 'best guess' for how much radiation to give you... they factor in how hyper you are, your body size/weight, your activity level... and then guess. Before you have it done, get yourself set up for your quarantine... the more you do in advance the more comfortable you will be. I have some of the stuff that I learned on the website www.thyrophoenix.com/rai.htm I think I have the suggestion in there to get yourself a throw away keyboard and mouse.... if you go that route you can still gab with us while you're segregated. If you are allowed to stay at the hospital, and you share a room, stay away from the others... you so that you don't re-contaminate each other. What has the doc said about follow up? How often you'll be coming in for labs after the RAI? What time frame he's thinking of for starting replacement? What med choices you have for your replacement... that kind of stuff.... I was in thyroid storm for about a year, and increasing hyper for over 20 years, so I had a lot of excess hormone in my cells... it took a full six months after RAI before I completely bottomed out.. they did it that way to see if there was any thyroid gland function left at all.. and there wasn't.... so that way I knew it was totally whacked and I would be on total replacement.. not all docs do it that way... I've heard that some will start you on replacement shortly after RAI to reduce the severity of the hypo swing.... I'm not sure if that is good or bad...I kinda like knowing that I have no function left... In that way I know what my situation is and don't always have to wonder if there is a variable involved there with a gland that is ebbing and flowing. The RAI itself doesn't hurt or anything, if you are worried about that... it's no different than popping any pill.... (some used liquid, I got a capsule) other than taking care when handling the stuff. I'll stress again.. the more stuff that you can set up in advance.. makes the quarantine go a lot easier and decontamination and such during and after a LOT easier... The thing with staying away from other folks, the reason for the quarantine, is to avoid exposing others to the radiation you will be giving off, thus protecting their glands from damage... and the decontamination, for you and others that will be in that space after is to aim to eliminated contamination after.... I'm not saying any of this to be scary... just so that you know what everything is about and can set up for it... Too many aren't getting the info and get hit with it at the last minute.. like I did.... I didn't have any set up time and, well... that's not any fun at all.... Topper () *16 years post RAI* On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 13:07:58 -0700 (PDT) R writes: After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. So, I guess my questions are: What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Hi Chris.... If you're sure this is what is right for you.... remember... it's a last choice.. make sure it's the right one.... Okay.. that said. You'll want to continue to avoid the things that aggravate hyper.. so no stimulants.. no cough remedies... no cold remedies... they all contain stimulants that make hyper worse/harder on the body. If you are already on an allergy med, you don't have to stop that, as far as I know, because of the RAI, you'll just not want to add anything new to the mix.. any stimulants will cause more problems. SOME, not all, but some... folks will have a hyper surge after the RAI... so you want to just keep that in mind so it doesn't freak you out. For myself I got radiation sickness... and didn't know that it was possible or the symptoms... I got sick, thought it was the flu and curled up in bed... the WRONG thing to do..you should be up and about and have fairly normal activity.. this allows your body to expel the radiation more quickly, reducing the affects that it has on the rest of your body... you are taking it for control of your thyroid and then want it out of your body as quickly as possible.. so being up and about breathing, sweating, going to the bathroom, showering.... all those things help your body to get rid of it more quickly. It would be a good idea to avoid as much iodine intake as possible up until you take the RAI.. you want the gland to be sucking up as much of the Radioactive Iodine as quickly as it can to get the job done right the first time. How long it takes to go hypo after RAI.. A few variables there. 1 - what is causing you to be hyper 2 - how long your gland has been over producing and how much excess hormone is stored in your body tissues.. that all has to get used up before you go hypo. 3 - how much radiation they give you - how much of your gland is destroyed. The more that it continues to function the longer it takes for your body to use up the excess. The trick is to give you enough to kill off the right amount of the gland (that depends on what is causing you to be hyper) They could give you too much, kill it all.... or not enough and you'll have to do it again. They do a 'best guess' for how much radiation to give you... they factor in how hyper you are, your body size/weight, your activity level... and then guess. Before you have it done, get yourself set up for your quarantine... the more you do in advance the more comfortable you will be. I have some of the stuff that I learned on the website www.thyrophoenix.com/rai.htm I think I have the suggestion in there to get yourself a throw away keyboard and mouse.... if you go that route you can still gab with us while you're segregated. If you are allowed to stay at the hospital, and you share a room, stay away from the others... you so that you don't re-contaminate each other. What has the doc said about follow up? How often you'll be coming in for labs after the RAI? What time frame he's thinking of for starting replacement? What med choices you have for your replacement... that kind of stuff.... I was in thyroid storm for about a year, and increasing hyper for over 20 years, so I had a lot of excess hormone in my cells... it took a full six months after RAI before I completely bottomed out.. they did it that way to see if there was any thyroid gland function left at all.. and there wasn't.... so that way I knew it was totally whacked and I would be on total replacement.. not all docs do it that way... I've heard that some will start you on replacement shortly after RAI to reduce the severity of the hypo swing.... I'm not sure if that is good or bad...I kinda like knowing that I have no function left... In that way I know what my situation is and don't always have to wonder if there is a variable involved there with a gland that is ebbing and flowing. The RAI itself doesn't hurt or anything, if you are worried about that... it's no different than popping any pill.... (some used liquid, I got a capsule) other than taking care when handling the stuff. I'll stress again.. the more stuff that you can set up in advance.. makes the quarantine go a lot easier and decontamination and such during and after a LOT easier... The thing with staying away from other folks, the reason for the quarantine, is to avoid exposing others to the radiation you will be giving off, thus protecting their glands from damage... and the decontamination, for you and others that will be in that space after is to aim to eliminated contamination after.... I'm not saying any of this to be scary... just so that you know what everything is about and can set up for it... Too many aren't getting the info and get hit with it at the last minute.. like I did.... I didn't have any set up time and, well... that's not any fun at all.... Topper () *16 years post RAI* On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 13:07:58 -0700 (PDT) R writes: After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. So, I guess my questions are: What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Hi Chris.... If you're sure this is what is right for you.... remember... it's a last choice.. make sure it's the right one.... Okay.. that said. You'll want to continue to avoid the things that aggravate hyper.. so no stimulants.. no cough remedies... no cold remedies... they all contain stimulants that make hyper worse/harder on the body. If you are already on an allergy med, you don't have to stop that, as far as I know, because of the RAI, you'll just not want to add anything new to the mix.. any stimulants will cause more problems. SOME, not all, but some... folks will have a hyper surge after the RAI... so you want to just keep that in mind so it doesn't freak you out. For myself I got radiation sickness... and didn't know that it was possible or the symptoms... I got sick, thought it was the flu and curled up in bed... the WRONG thing to do..you should be up and about and have fairly normal activity.. this allows your body to expel the radiation more quickly, reducing the affects that it has on the rest of your body... you are taking it for control of your thyroid and then want it out of your body as quickly as possible.. so being up and about breathing, sweating, going to the bathroom, showering.... all those things help your body to get rid of it more quickly. It would be a good idea to avoid as much iodine intake as possible up until you take the RAI.. you want the gland to be sucking up as much of the Radioactive Iodine as quickly as it can to get the job done right the first time. How long it takes to go hypo after RAI.. A few variables there. 1 - what is causing you to be hyper 2 - how long your gland has been over producing and how much excess hormone is stored in your body tissues.. that all has to get used up before you go hypo. 3 - how much radiation they give you - how much of your gland is destroyed. The more that it continues to function the longer it takes for your body to use up the excess. The trick is to give you enough to kill off the right amount of the gland (that depends on what is causing you to be hyper) They could give you too much, kill it all.... or not enough and you'll have to do it again. They do a 'best guess' for how much radiation to give you... they factor in how hyper you are, your body size/weight, your activity level... and then guess. Before you have it done, get yourself set up for your quarantine... the more you do in advance the more comfortable you will be. I have some of the stuff that I learned on the website www.thyrophoenix.com/rai.htm I think I have the suggestion in there to get yourself a throw away keyboard and mouse.... if you go that route you can still gab with us while you're segregated. If you are allowed to stay at the hospital, and you share a room, stay away from the others... you so that you don't re-contaminate each other. What has the doc said about follow up? How often you'll be coming in for labs after the RAI? What time frame he's thinking of for starting replacement? What med choices you have for your replacement... that kind of stuff.... I was in thyroid storm for about a year, and increasing hyper for over 20 years, so I had a lot of excess hormone in my cells... it took a full six months after RAI before I completely bottomed out.. they did it that way to see if there was any thyroid gland function left at all.. and there wasn't.... so that way I knew it was totally whacked and I would be on total replacement.. not all docs do it that way... I've heard that some will start you on replacement shortly after RAI to reduce the severity of the hypo swing.... I'm not sure if that is good or bad...I kinda like knowing that I have no function left... In that way I know what my situation is and don't always have to wonder if there is a variable involved there with a gland that is ebbing and flowing. The RAI itself doesn't hurt or anything, if you are worried about that... it's no different than popping any pill.... (some used liquid, I got a capsule) other than taking care when handling the stuff. I'll stress again.. the more stuff that you can set up in advance.. makes the quarantine go a lot easier and decontamination and such during and after a LOT easier... The thing with staying away from other folks, the reason for the quarantine, is to avoid exposing others to the radiation you will be giving off, thus protecting their glands from damage... and the decontamination, for you and others that will be in that space after is to aim to eliminated contamination after.... I'm not saying any of this to be scary... just so that you know what everything is about and can set up for it... Too many aren't getting the info and get hit with it at the last minute.. like I did.... I didn't have any set up time and, well... that's not any fun at all.... Topper () *16 years post RAI* On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 13:07:58 -0700 (PDT) R writes: After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. So, I guess my questions are: What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Hi I had RAI done last October. I didn't feel any different the week following the RAI. I was expecting to feel more Hyper as the excess hormone was released, but that didn't happen to me. Shortly after that I started feeling less Hyper and then about 1 1/2 months later I felt Hypo. I started on Synthroid 8 weeks after RAI. I felt the most Hypo about 10 weeks post RAI. After that the hypo symptoms started decreasing. My thyroid levels were normal about 4 months post RAI. I don't recall any specific instructions concerning over the counter medications, so I can't help you there. I had kept my distance from my family for 3 days following the RAI. I slept in another room, washed my laundry separate, used separate towels, flushed twice, used disposable dishes, etc. Sheila > > After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. > > So, I guess my questions are: > > What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? > On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? > Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? > Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? > Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? > > --------------------- > Chris > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Hi I had RAI done last October. I didn't feel any different the week following the RAI. I was expecting to feel more Hyper as the excess hormone was released, but that didn't happen to me. Shortly after that I started feeling less Hyper and then about 1 1/2 months later I felt Hypo. I started on Synthroid 8 weeks after RAI. I felt the most Hypo about 10 weeks post RAI. After that the hypo symptoms started decreasing. My thyroid levels were normal about 4 months post RAI. I don't recall any specific instructions concerning over the counter medications, so I can't help you there. I had kept my distance from my family for 3 days following the RAI. I slept in another room, washed my laundry separate, used separate towels, flushed twice, used disposable dishes, etc. Sheila > > After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. > > So, I guess my questions are: > > What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? > On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? > Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? > Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? > Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? > > --------------------- > Chris > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Hi I had RAI done last October. I didn't feel any different the week following the RAI. I was expecting to feel more Hyper as the excess hormone was released, but that didn't happen to me. Shortly after that I started feeling less Hyper and then about 1 1/2 months later I felt Hypo. I started on Synthroid 8 weeks after RAI. I felt the most Hypo about 10 weeks post RAI. After that the hypo symptoms started decreasing. My thyroid levels were normal about 4 months post RAI. I don't recall any specific instructions concerning over the counter medications, so I can't help you there. I had kept my distance from my family for 3 days following the RAI. I slept in another room, washed my laundry separate, used separate towels, flushed twice, used disposable dishes, etc. Sheila > > After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. > > So, I guess my questions are: > > What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? > On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? > Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? > Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? > Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? > > --------------------- > Chris > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 Thanks for this info; it was very helpful. Chris Re: RAI scheduled Hi I had RAI done last October. I didn't feel any different the week following the RAI. I was expecting to feel more Hyper as the excess hormone was released, but that didn't happen to me. Shortly after that I started feeling less Hyper and then about 1 1/2 months later I felt Hypo. I started on Synthroid 8 weeks after RAI. I felt the most Hypo about 10 weeks post RAI. After that the hypo symptoms started decreasing. My thyroid levels were normal about 4 months post RAI. I don't recall any specific instructions concerning over the counter medications, so I can't help you there. I had kept my distance from my family for 3 days following the RAI. I slept in another room, washed my laundry separate, used separate towels, flushed twice, used disposable dishes, etc. Sheila > > After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. > > So, I guess my questions are: > > What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? > On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? > Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? > Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? > Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? > > --------------------- > Chris > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 Thanks for this info; it was very helpful. Chris Re: RAI scheduled Hi I had RAI done last October. I didn't feel any different the week following the RAI. I was expecting to feel more Hyper as the excess hormone was released, but that didn't happen to me. Shortly after that I started feeling less Hyper and then about 1 1/2 months later I felt Hypo. I started on Synthroid 8 weeks after RAI. I felt the most Hypo about 10 weeks post RAI. After that the hypo symptoms started decreasing. My thyroid levels were normal about 4 months post RAI. I don't recall any specific instructions concerning over the counter medications, so I can't help you there. I had kept my distance from my family for 3 days following the RAI. I slept in another room, washed my laundry separate, used separate towels, flushed twice, used disposable dishes, etc. Sheila > > After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. > > So, I guess my questions are: > > What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? > On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? > Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? > Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? > Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? > > --------------------- > Chris > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Thanks for the info. My doc told me to make an appt 3 months after the RA --------------------- http://anomadiclife.blogspot.com Re: RAI scheduled Hi Chris.... If you're sure this is what is right for you.... remember... it's a last choice.. make sure it's the right one.... Okay.. that said. You'll want to continue to avoid the things that aggravate hyper.. so no stimulants.. no cough remedies... no cold remedies... they all contain stimulants that make hyper worse/harder on the body. If you are already on an allergy med, you don't have to stop that, as far as I know, because of the RAI, you'll just not want to add anything new to the mix.. any stimulants will cause more problems. SOME, not all, but some... folks will have a hyper surge after the RAI... so you want to just keep that in mind so it doesn't freak you out. For myself I got radiation sickness... and didn't know that it was possible or the symptoms... I got sick, thought it was the flu and curled up in bed... the WRONG thing to do..you should be up and about and have fairly normal activity.. this allows your body to expel the radiation more quickly, reducing the affects that it has on the rest of your body... you are taking it for control of your thyroid and then want it out of your body as quickly as possible.. so being up and about breathing, sweating, going to the bathroom, showering.... all those things help your body to get rid of it more quickly. It would be a good idea to avoid as much iodine intake as possible up until you take the RAI.. you want the gland to be sucking up as much of the Radioactive Iodine as quickly as it can to get the job done right the first time. How long it takes to go hypo after RAI.. A few variables there. 1 - what is causing you to be hyper 2 - how long your gland has been over producing and how much excess hormone is stored in your body tissues.. that all has to get used up before you go hypo. 3 - how much radiation they give you - how much of your gland is destroyed. The more that it continues to function the longer it takes for your body to use up the excess. The trick is to give you enough to kill off the right amount of the gland (that depends on what is causing you to be hyper) They could give you too much, kill it all.... or not enough and you'll have to do it again. They do a 'best guess' for how much radiation to give you... they factor in how hyper you are, your body size/weight, your activity level... and then guess. Before you have it done, get yourself set up for your quarantine... the more you do in advance the more comfortable you will be. I have some of the stuff that I learned on the website www.thyrophoenix.com/rai.htm I think I have the suggestion in there to get yourself a throw away keyboard and mouse.... if you go that route you can still gab with us while you're segregated. If you are allowed to stay at the hospital, and you share a room, stay away from the others... you so that you don't re-contaminate each other. What has the doc said about follow up? How often you'll be coming in for labs after the RAI? What time frame he's thinking of for starting replacement? What med choices you have for your replacement... that kind of stuff.... I was in thyroid storm for about a year, and increasing hyper for over 20 years, so I had a lot of excess hormone in my cells... it took a full six months after RAI before I completely bottomed out.. they did it that way to see if there was any thyroid gland function left at all.. and there wasn't.... so that way I knew it was totally whacked and I would be on total replacement.. not all docs do it that way... I've heard that some will start you on replacement shortly after RAI to reduce the severity of the hypo swing.... I'm not sure if that is good or bad...I kinda like knowing that I have no function left... In that way I know what my situation is and don't always have to wonder if there is a variable involved there with a gland that is ebbing and flowing. The RAI itself doesn't hurt or anything, if you are worried about that... it's no different than popping any pill.... (some used liquid, I got a capsule) other than taking care when handling the stuff. I'll stress again.. the more stuff that you can set up in advance.. makes the quarantine go a lot easier and decontamination and such during and after a LOT easier... The thing with staying away from other folks, the reason for the quarantine, is to avoid exposing others to the radiation you will be giving off, thus protecting their glands from damage... and the decontamination, for you and others that will be in that space after is to aim to eliminated contamination after.... I'm not saying any of this to be scary... just so that you know what everything is about and can set up for it... Too many aren't getting the info and get hit with it at the last minute.. like I did.... I didn't have any set up time and, well... that's not any fun at all.... Topper () *16 years post RAI* On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 13:07:58 -0700 (PDT) R writes: After having a last few days where I feel like my thyroid has gone completely nuts, I scheduled myself for the RAI for early next week. I can finally feel it affecting my heart in a not so pleasant way. So, I guess my questions are: What can I expect as far as how I will feel the week after having the RAI? On average, how long after RAI before symptoms of hypo set in? Am I supposed to take any meds during the week after my RAI? Is it okay to continue taking my allergy meds and multi-vitamin? Are there any over the counter meds I can't take the week after my RAI? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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