Please someone help me.

[budscar1019]

I currently work in radiation.  I have so for 4 years.  I am really needing some advice or answers because it seems as though the specialists and PCP I have been seeing are chasing their tails trying to figure out what is wrong with me.  There is no history of thyroid disorder in my family history.  I work under fluoroscopy daily, sometimes all day.  Prior to obtaining my job as an xray tech, I never had blood work that was abnormal.  After 7 months of being exposed to radiation on a daily basis I started to get symptoms of extreme weakness, pain in all of my joints, discoloration of my skin to a shade of purple.  My hands swell constantly.  When I was sent for my first labs since working in radiology, my TSH level was at 15.03.  When the nurse at the Endocrinologist saw my first labs she commented that was a dangerous level and could have shut down my organs.  Without disclosing what I did for a living she then asked me if I worked in a hospital.  She then stated that radiation can cause someone to go hypothyroid.  She asked me how often I was in radiation at the hospital and I told her daily.  I was exposed to radiation mainly during the first 6months of my employment but have continued for 4 years to be exposed.  I have never felt so sick in my life.  The specialist came in after the nurse and didn't want to discuss radiation with me.  He tip toed around the subject.  He told me that I had hashimoto.  I am 32 years old.  I never had abnormal bloodwork prior to working as an xray tech.  Two other people have severe health issues with their thyroid as well.  One person is on their death bed with terminal cancer.  I am concerned.  Does anyone know if being exposed to radiation while being an xray tech could have caused this problem?  Anyones help would be appreciated.  At this point I am scared of the possibility of a reality of cancer knowing that radiation is unpredictable.  I have read that radiation can even attack you 10 to 20 years later. Could someone please help me and advise me what I should do at this point.  Also, being hypothyroid, I am 106 pounds.  The specialist is baffled as to why I am so skinny being hypo.  Noone understands and it seems like noone wants to confront my physical symptoms as well.  If someone could please respond that knows anything about this, I would appreciate it more then anyone could know.  Thank you to all for reading this.  I am frightened.

[Totie]

I have seen higher levels of TSH. It will not shut down your organs. The only time my organs were effected was when I hit a thyroid storm because of graves/hyperthyroidism/goiter.

Do not stress over what the nurse said. YOUR ORGANS WILL NOT SHUT DOWN....

Just take the medication and continue to monitor your levels. Not everyone who is hypo gains weight. I am clincially hypo (had TT) and am still at 96 lbs.

[laura1967]

Unfortunately the thyroid is a big attractant to radiation and is greatly affected by it. BUT you have Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune disease, which could have been triggered by many things including pathogens, virus, bacteria, etc.
A TSH of 15 is very hypo....but not dangerous enough to shut down your organs....but will make you feel very very ill. Left untreated it can lead to coma and death. So make sure you take your meds and keep up with your labs. You should have labs done every 6 weeks for a while until you stabalize on one dosage. I have been trying to do this for 4 yrs...lol...I am still in die off mode of the thyroid. As the antibodies destroy your thyroid you will need increases in meds, so it is important to stay on top of your levels.
Make sure you are getting all 3 lab tests done: TSH, Free T4 and Free T3
Also want to add that thyroid cancer is the easiest to cure.....but don't worry unless you have to! :)