Radioactive pill and SCARED

[Tinsey99]

Has anyone taken the radioactive pill to kill your thyroid instead of surgery?

I posted this question a few weeks ago and go NO responses.  I am to go tomorrow to do it, but I am chickening out.  My worse sympton at this time is my STRESS level and emotions.  I can cry in a click of a finger.  I know this will not go away until they get me balanced in February.  I wondering if I do the surgery instead, I can get my emotions in check sooner.  I feel so sorry for my husband and daughter.  I can and AM a BI**H.

I need suggestins PLEASE

[mattsmom34]

I have not had the radioactive pill however I can relate to your stress and emotions. I too cry easily. I think we all fear what we don't know. Please have your treatment tomorrow. Waiting longer will just add to your stress.  If you can handle motherhood you can handle anything! Be strong, think positive and hang in there.

[TamraW]

Risk of stomach, breast, etc cancers is slightly elevated in those who've undergone RAI for hyperthyroidism. However, the risk is only slightly higher than the control group. See below:

http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/new_research/20070604.jsp

Stress is normal for hypers, anyway. Your family should understand this.

If I had a choice, I'd do surgery, simply because cancer is a family thing, and I don't need to increase my odds. Surgery comes with its own complications, such as possible vocal cord or parathyroid damage. This risk is increased with surgeons who don't have much thyroid experience. I would only go with the best, most experienced surgeon. My mom had a partial and was back to work within the week. She had a great surgeon. Sometimes, it may take a few months to regulate levels after surgery, but from what I understand, the doc doesn't start you out at the smallest dose.

In the end, the choice should be yours. Everyone is different.

Best of luck to you.

:) Tamra

[Smilerdeb]

I swallowed i-131 in June 2008 and since then have more than my fair share of stress but NOT to do with the RAI or ablation of it.
I would have it again if I had too.......and yes, I too was horrified of the 'RAI nightmare stories" and how people can put the fear of God into you.
As others have said..its your choice in the long run but I wouldnt hesitate to have it done again.
Read my journals on my RAI days.

[stella5349]

I also had RAI - in 2003 - In perspective I don't think ablating the galnd with the RAI was bad - but getting regulated after taking it was horrible. and it took years for me.

You have a high emotion issue right now because your hormones are not stable. That's what causing the craziness for you.

If you take RAI - and it takes a while to regulate you - those emotions will continue until those new levels are balanced out again.

You need to way out the odds of other conditions too - if you don't get your thyroid in control of things.

I don't know the history here - or what your doctor has said - so really offering anything more than that would only be a guess.

[skeeterknitwit]

Hi Tinsey,
I had RAI for a hot nodule 12/08.  The dose of radiation for a hot nodule is about 1/5 of what they use for thyroid cancer.  
Right now, your level of anxiety is probably through the roof.  I remember going off the anti-thyroid meds.  It feels really awful.  You can probably start them again 48 hrs. after RAI.
I hope you have someone to drive you.  I had hyper days when I didn't feel safe to drive myself.
Schedule plenty of time tomorrow.  Mine took 1 1/2 hours to do the paperwork, 1 second to swallow the pill.
I'm doing really well now on .75 Levoxyl.  I think that means that part of my thyroid is still working, but the big fat nodule is dead.  I've also had anxiety about the darn thing rising again like the phoenix from the ashes.  So my Dr. ordered an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago.  The results were - Normal thyroid tissue, no cysts, no nodules, only atrophic (shrunken, dead) tissue in the area where the nodule used to be.

So overall, the RAI was no big deal for me.  The hyper anxiety IS a big deal.  I was also told that the cost of RAI is about 10% of the cost to have surgery.

Hang in there!  Let us know how things go.

[Totie]

I did the RAI as well, no problems, except it did not work, so ended up having the TT anyway a month later.

You will be fine. Make sure you ask all the questions you need to...before taking it. Ask what to expect, and what you need to do during the time it is in your system.

Good luck, you will be fine.