Aa
Ed in the ER After RAI
I ended up in the emergency room again last Wednesday. I swear I really felt like I was dying. It was the BIG one. I'm not really afraid of death, but I didn't want it to happen that way. I felt like I was going into A-Fib again and thought my heart was going to explode or give out. I was driving when it started but pulled over, feeling sick and feeling like I needed to lay down but at the same time had to keep pacing around to keep from falling apart. I eventually made my way to my stepdad's place and, after a few minutes there, had him take me to the hospital. (I didn't even think I was going to make it.)
I didn't get admitted to the ICU this time or have to spend the night like I did in August. They checked my vitals and did an EKG and figured out it wasn't A-Fib. My blood pressure was a little up but, meanwhile, before I had my stepdad drive me to the hospital I had popped a few Xanax. At the hospital they gave me a big dose of Ativan and made me rest a while until I got to feeling better. They had me recount just what happened:
Earlier, I was hungry and decided to pull into a Wendy's drive-thru. I got a burger, fries and a Frosty. (I know dairy always messes with me but I was craving some.) I scarfed the Frosty down and started feeling a little sick. (Why do I feel sick after I eat certain things--including those nutrition drinks like Ensure?) Meanwhile, I only ate half of the fries because they were so smothered in salt I couldn't stand it. Further up the road, about twenty minutes later, this monster attack...that felt like a heart attack or REALLY bad anxiety, came on all of a sudden.
My question is: Can eating a lot of salt (iodine) shortly after RAI (this experience was twelve days after the treatment) cause such an attack? It was really horrible, folks. I just KNEW I was dying. It makes sense. I didn't think about it until later, but there's all this radioactive iodine still in my 'roid and, since that's the only organ that uses iodine, I wonder if the combination of too much dairy and VERY salty food was just too much for it to handle. The only blood test result I got while still at the hospital was a .006 TSH, so I AM still hyper. Also, they said I was a bit dehydrated.
I didn't get admitted to the ICU this time or have to spend the night like I did in August. They checked my vitals and did an EKG and figured out it wasn't A-Fib. My blood pressure was a little up but, meanwhile, before I had my stepdad drive me to the hospital I had popped a few Xanax. At the hospital they gave me a big dose of Ativan and made me rest a while until I got to feeling better. They had me recount just what happened:
Earlier, I was hungry and decided to pull into a Wendy's drive-thru. I got a burger, fries and a Frosty. (I know dairy always messes with me but I was craving some.) I scarfed the Frosty down and started feeling a little sick. (Why do I feel sick after I eat certain things--including those nutrition drinks like Ensure?) Meanwhile, I only ate half of the fries because they were so smothered in salt I couldn't stand it. Further up the road, about twenty minutes later, this monster attack...that felt like a heart attack or REALLY bad anxiety, came on all of a sudden.
My question is: Can eating a lot of salt (iodine) shortly after RAI (this experience was twelve days after the treatment) cause such an attack? It was really horrible, folks. I just KNEW I was dying. It makes sense. I didn't think about it until later, but there's all this radioactive iodine still in my 'roid and, since that's the only organ that uses iodine, I wonder if the combination of too much dairy and VERY salty food was just too much for it to handle. The only blood test result I got while still at the hospital was a .006 TSH, so I AM still hyper. Also, they said I was a bit dehydrated.
I had taken Zanax and everytime felt heart palipatations. One night I was 185/110 and running sweating I was admitted. After, I stopped taking Zanax I stopped having anxiety. I don't know if this helps just putting it out there. I can't stand milk makes me sick always.
I am now taking 1200 mg of Cardizem a day. This is what they shot into me in the ambulance that morning--and again later just before being admitted to the ICU--back in August.
My medicines now, two and a-half weeks after RAI:
80 mg Inderal LA
1200 mg Cardizem
5 mg Zyprexa
50 mg Trazodone at night (which I am reducing to 25 or nothing although the doc prescribed 100 mg)
1-1.5 mg Xanax
Along with the sleep aid benefit, the Trazodone (which I had been on years before) seems to have a "pleasant" antidepressant effect that works right away--the very next day after taking it. I feel more positive and confident about myself, somehow, when taking it, and feel like there is something to look forward to in my life, but it seems after a few days I start feeling to "up," like what a bipolar person would call manic. Then... it seems to make the anxiety worse, so I might just quit taking it. It is known to cause rapid heartbeat in some people.
My medicines now, two and a-half weeks after RAI:
80 mg Inderal LA
1200 mg Cardizem
5 mg Zyprexa
50 mg Trazodone at night (which I am reducing to 25 or nothing although the doc prescribed 100 mg)
1-1.5 mg Xanax
Along with the sleep aid benefit, the Trazodone (which I had been on years before) seems to have a "pleasant" antidepressant effect that works right away--the very next day after taking it. I feel more positive and confident about myself, somehow, when taking it, and feel like there is something to look forward to in my life, but it seems after a few days I start feeling to "up," like what a bipolar person would call manic. Then... it seems to make the anxiety worse, so I might just quit taking it. It is known to cause rapid heartbeat in some people.
Yes, I was a little dehydrated too when I had the last blood work done--and I thought I was drinking a LOT of water. Man! Hearing about PERMANENT tachycardia and heart damage--and taking beta blockers for LIFE--is very discouraging for me. I don't know if I could accept that. I really don't think I could. Also, folks talk about having the anxiety attacks even months or years after the RAI--and even when they are hypo. Not very much light at the end of the tunnel. I was also told I'd probably have to be on some sort of antidepressant/anti-anxiety for the rest of my life.
If my first endo hadn't drug her feet for two ____in' years, maybe I could've salvaged my health. I almost feel like she was experimenting with me, seeing how much a severely hyper person can take before they croak--or like she was just pushing me away because she had too many patients and I'm not one of the wealthier, more "imporant" ones. Her office is in a fairly rich area, and a little dirt factory worker from across the Indiana state line is just not priority. At least this third endo seems concerned and is trying to help.
Yesterday I was supposed to have blood work done again, but I sat and waited and waited until I got fed up and left. Hehe. I'm sick of this. I had another attack tonight, but I ate a double dose of Xanax real quick. Sometimes my heart HURTS and I can't breath and feel nauseated when those come on. It's like the gates of hell opened up, and some invisible force behind me tried to push me in, but I fought back. I rode the lightning. I steel feel like I'm falling apart. Since my TSH was.006 last week, I know I'm hyper. And I'm probably more hyper now. If this is what I have to look forward to, even if the RAI works, and I eventually go hypo, I just don't know if it's worth hanging on for. There's no way I can live a normal life like this. Deep, dark ugly depressions and severe, deadly anxiety attacks... and A-Fib and tachycardia and all the drugs. Something pretty darn spectacular would have to happen in my life, and things that good just don't happen in this world.
If my first endo hadn't drug her feet for two ____in' years, maybe I could've salvaged my health. I almost feel like she was experimenting with me, seeing how much a severely hyper person can take before they croak--or like she was just pushing me away because she had too many patients and I'm not one of the wealthier, more "imporant" ones. Her office is in a fairly rich area, and a little dirt factory worker from across the Indiana state line is just not priority. At least this third endo seems concerned and is trying to help.
Yesterday I was supposed to have blood work done again, but I sat and waited and waited until I got fed up and left. Hehe. I'm sick of this. I had another attack tonight, but I ate a double dose of Xanax real quick. Sometimes my heart HURTS and I can't breath and feel nauseated when those come on. It's like the gates of hell opened up, and some invisible force behind me tried to push me in, but I fought back. I rode the lightning. I steel feel like I'm falling apart. Since my TSH was.006 last week, I know I'm hyper. And I'm probably more hyper now. If this is what I have to look forward to, even if the RAI works, and I eventually go hypo, I just don't know if it's worth hanging on for. There's no way I can live a normal life like this. Deep, dark ugly depressions and severe, deadly anxiety attacks... and A-Fib and tachycardia and all the drugs. Something pretty darn spectacular would have to happen in my life, and things that good just don't happen in this world.
Being hyper for long priods can damage your heart.
I am not sure how much damage is reversible. A certain ammount is.
Drinking Ensure when you are hyper is a bad thing to do. Ensure has iodine in it. 1/4 of your minimum daily rquirement. If you were drinking three or four or six a day like I was, it makes the hyperthyroidism worse.
Being dehydrated is a big problem when you are hyper. You have to drink a lot of water to keep up. I went to the emergency room several times with heart symptoms that seemed very serious only to find out I was just dehydrated.
One time they gave me three bags of saline, and I am not a big person.
If you are having problems with dehydration, a Gatorade or something with electrolytes in it might help if you drink one once a day or so. It will replace the electrolytes you lose when you are dehydrated.
The gatorade thing is a theory of mine more than a medical fact. So I may be wrong, but when I was having problems with dehydration it seemed like cheap insurance to drink a Gatorade every once in a while.
But then I thought the Ensure was a good idea, too. That didn't work out so well...although it taught me to read labels a little more closely.
I hope things get easier for you, Ed.
I am not sure how much damage is reversible. A certain ammount is.
Drinking Ensure when you are hyper is a bad thing to do. Ensure has iodine in it. 1/4 of your minimum daily rquirement. If you were drinking three or four or six a day like I was, it makes the hyperthyroidism worse.
Being dehydrated is a big problem when you are hyper. You have to drink a lot of water to keep up. I went to the emergency room several times with heart symptoms that seemed very serious only to find out I was just dehydrated.
One time they gave me three bags of saline, and I am not a big person.
If you are having problems with dehydration, a Gatorade or something with electrolytes in it might help if you drink one once a day or so. It will replace the electrolytes you lose when you are dehydrated.
The gatorade thing is a theory of mine more than a medical fact. So I may be wrong, but when I was having problems with dehydration it seemed like cheap insurance to drink a Gatorade every once in a while.
But then I thought the Ensure was a good idea, too. That didn't work out so well...although it taught me to read labels a little more closely.
I hope things get easier for you, Ed.
I was hyperthyroid as well; had a PT to remove the overactive nodule and the left half of my thyroid. Although it seems that my hormones have leveled out, I have permanent tachycardia and high blood pressure (something I never had before; was always low-normal). Now I'm on a beta-blocker for the rest of my life. So, in my opinion, yes, having been hyper I do believe that it can cause permanent heart damage. I still get episodes of tachy and strong palpitations even on the beta blocker.
Good Luck and I hope you get everything sorted out.
Maggie
Good Luck and I hope you get everything sorted out.
Maggie
Endo #3 is also sending me to an electrophysiologist, whatever that is. He said it's not a big deal right now, but the EKGs showed I have an "inherited" short PR interval, whatever that means. With the tachycardia and the A-Fib episode, I'm concerned that fighting this stuff for two and a half years has done damage to my heart. Even though everything looks normal on the papers, I can FEEL something just isn't right.
hell yes diet can effect you after RAI dont listen to any one who tells you other wise. Learn what triggers you and avoid it like the plague. ANY iodized salt would send me spinning off into a agitated psychosis. Sea food with the high levels of iodine just made me so sick. Caffine would set my heart off and then the anxiety. I just started eating beans. and then slowly readded other things to my diet till I was eating healthy again without triggering the mental/pysical symptoms.
I spent 4 months fighting the "If I eat, I feel sick. If I don't eat, I feel sick." and to have the doc's telling me "its all in my head" (cow excritment!). Once I went hypo things got better with my appetite and nausea. I still have taste disturbances 5 months po-RAI.
Are you having headaches?
peace be the journey
Paja
I spent 4 months fighting the "If I eat, I feel sick. If I don't eat, I feel sick." and to have the doc's telling me "its all in my head" (cow excritment!). Once I went hypo things got better with my appetite and nausea. I still have taste disturbances 5 months po-RAI.
Are you having headaches?
peace be the journey
Paja
I totally belive that it is related!!! I would consider to watch my diet and stay away from the WHITE death foods. Sugar, SALT, Flour and use in moderation. For now!! I know how it is! I went through it all as well due to Papillary Carinoma and 2 surgeries as well as a neck dissection!!! Watch what you eat and document it. See waht may be the trigger of this and SOY maybey Milk you have a no tolerence to after TT!! Or the RAI! Take care of you and really watch. I notice with salt intake I get sick and really need to watch that!! That is me. I feel for you and know that all the thyroid does many crazy things to us. It is in control of may things I am battling hair loss. I had LONG blong hair that is now half gone getting ahir cut tomorrow and blood work Tues to see if the synthroid is regulated. THe generic DOES not work for me. Have you blood checks for Antibodies as well as TG. see if there is a bug in there! You might want to consider a Iron test as well. GOOD luck I am thinking of you!
Rodeo Queen
Rodeo Queen
I forgot to add that two nights later, on Friday, I had another smaller attack. I popped some more Xanax and ate some popcorn and it helped. Hehe. Am I so metabolically screwed up? If I eat, I feel sick. If I don't eat, I feel sick. At least since the Zyprexa I have an appetite again.
AR, is this what you meant a by a hormonal "dump?"
AR, is this what you meant a by a hormonal "dump?"
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
