Wake up gasping for air at night and coughing hard

[Mamamia30]

The past 2 nights I have woken up in the middle of the night atleast 3 times gasping for air and coughing really hard. Like I was choking. I had the radioactive iodine in my system monday and tuesday (for uptake). If it happens again tonight I am going to call the dr tomorrow. I am wondering if my thyroid is swollen & blocking my air way when I am laying on my back?  Anyone else experience this? I'm so scared to go to sleep tonight. Thanks

[Mamamia30]

I did get the uptake scan but was never told why? The levothyroixine I was on wasn't helping me. I get the results of the scan on Monday. I also did a blood test to check for Hoshimotos this week. Will also get those tests Monday. I just did another post about my throat swelling getting worse.  

Thanks for responding. It really helps me understand what I am dealing with.

[stella5349]

The funny thing ( not really lol) - is since I slowly was improving my health I started an iodine supplement about 2 years ago while I was regaining my health.

This supplement - of iodine - has not made me feel any ill-symptoms like the I123 uptake injection did.

So I can't say I am allergic to "iodine" since I take potassium iodide now daily.

[stella5349]

I remember this in a previous post - but I remember asking what the thyroid condition is and don't remember that answer.

I want to take a stabe at it here and tell me if I am wrong.. but I think you may have Graves? and you were getting an I-123 uptake scan to see the damage or result of getting the Graves Dx?

If this is right - or really with autoimmune thyroid in general the iodine in the I-123 ( even though safe) can feed into the thyroid to cause inflammation  temporarily and this symptom of the injection should pass. I have reaction ( at least when I was unblanced in my condition) to the RAI 123 when I would get this test. I had 3 scans like this where the injection was made and in all 3 issues - I spiked with some hyper symptoms for a few days and had inflammation of the gland.

The first scan was done prior to my Graves ablation and the other 2 were done after I had it. Again it didn't matter where in the realm of treatment was I still reacted to the injection the same.

Now since I am healthy for years I haven't gone back to have any I123 scans. I can't say for sure if now being optimal and strong for so long another scan would do that to me again since I only had them when I was so ill.

As a patient myself, remembering how awful I felt - I tend to be lerry myself on getting it again and will not put myself through it unless its absolutely needed due to how I reacted previously.