Hi jemma, no worries whatsoever!
It takes a lot more to upset me than your comment and there's no need to apologise, nonetheless, apology accepted.
I was just ensuring that the point I was intending to make and its significance in this case, was very clear.
The objective of radioactive iodine therapy is to diminish thyroid function by destroying (very gradually) the thyroid, unfortunately.
The process of healing from any illness is also very thyroid dependant.
Proper healing takes place in the cells, only at specific voltage levels for different conditions, which requires primarily optimal thyroid function, among other factors.
Cheers!
Niko
Hi Niko,
I know that you are very knowledgeable on these things and I do understand your comments in the first post. I apologise if my comments upset you in any way, that was not my intention.
Having read itsinfoforTG's ill health issues, concerns and the symptoms that are mentioned, brought to mind other health issues that I have come across that I feel need investigating too. I agree with you that the thyroid function must continuously be monitored.
To be honest your last post is WAY over my head, but thanks for writing all that.
Best wishes.
My basis for suggesting hypothyroidism (and its common symptoms)
was the very high incidence of hypothyroidism following radioactive treatment of Grave's disease.
( Of course these symptoms could be caused by other health problems!)
According to Wikipedia:"Disadvantages of this treatment are a high incidence of hypothyroidism (up to 80%) requiring eventual thyroid hormone supplementation in the form of a daily pill(s). The radioiodine treatment acts slowly (over months to years) to destroy the thyroid gland..."
CLINICAL STUDY
---Objective estimates of the probability of developing hypothyroidism following radioactive iodine treatment of thyrotoxicosis----
Abstract
Objective: Several risk factors have been shown individually to influence the outcome following radioactive
iodine (RAI) therapy in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. However, no attempt has been made
to determine their independent prognostic values that could be used in a regression model to provide
objective estimates of the probability of developing hypothyroidism.
Study design and methods: We audited records of all hyperthyroid patients treated with first dose RAI
between 1980 and 1996. Patients were aetiologically categorized into Graves’ disease, solitary toxic
nodule and toxic multinodular goiter. Following RAI, outcome was categorized as hypothyroidism,
euthyroidism and persistent hyperthyroidism. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify
significant risk factors, their prognostic values and probability estimates of developing hypothyroidism
in the presence of one or more of these factors.
Results: The cumulative incidence of hypothyroidism was 55.8% at 1 year and 86.1% at 10 years.
Graves’ disease (odds ratio: 4.29), presence of thyroid autoantibodies (odds ratio: 3.51), no antithyroid
treatment given prior to RAI (odds ratio: 2.50), non-palpable goiter (odds ratio: 2.48) and
high RAI dose (odds ratio: 1.90), were identified as significant independent risk factors. We then
developed a predictive table that provides objective estimates of developing hypothyroidism. In the
absence of all risk factors we can predict an 11.9% probability of developing hypothyroidism; this
increases linearly to a 96.4% probability in the presence of all factors.
Conclusions: These objective estimates would help in understanding the relative contributions of the
known risk factors, and to predict the probability of developing hypothyroidism following RAI treatment.
This would not only help patients make an informed consent for a treatment that would lead to
life-long replacement therapy but may also prove useful in calculating the RAI dose that may reduce
or delay the onset of developing hypothyroidism.
---Source: European Journal of Endocrinology (2002) 146 767–775---
Cheers!
Niko
You must not think that you are an idiot. You are NOT an idiot. You have health issues, and unfortunately a medical professional that has neglected to take on board all your symptoms.
With your hearing loss and tinnitus, unfortunately that can happen to any one of use regardless of hypothyroidism.
The "common symptoms of hypothyroidism" that TheLightSeeker mentions can also be caused by other health problems.
You do not say where you have the itching, and this is important as it can depend on where you are itching to what may be the cause.
With the symptoms that you now have and with the swollen lymph nodes and the sweating, I suggest you make an appointment with a different doctor at your surgery and ask for blood tests to be taken. Suggest to your doctor that he check you out for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, check your thyroid levels and also do a blood test to check your HBA1C level (this is to detect if there is any signs of diabetes). Having itching can also be a symptom of diabetes as well as an indication that your body is fighting a bacterial infection.
And yes, you are right, your ears have nothing to do with your tummy pains.
But as you do have swollen glands and have pains in the abdomen, it is highly likely that the lymph glands there are likely to be swollen too. With you also getting fever and night sweats and itching, suggests that your body is fighting some type of infection.
No, you should not put this off as you being over-reactive and what you are experiencing are NOT normal bodily functions. Don't get put off going back to the doctor. Keep going, until they do something to find out what is causing your night sweats and swollen glands. Suggest that at least the doctor arranges those blood tests that I mentioned above.
Make that appointment urgently.
I wish you well.
Let us know how you get on.
Hey itsinfoforTG.
I think you mentioned the key words : Graves disease and radioactive iodine.
There are some issues there relating to your recent symptoms :
The majority of of Graves disease patients receiving radioactive iodine treatment, will become hypothyroid at some point.
Common symptoms of hypothyroidism are: weight gain, narrow range temperature tolerance, fatigue, myxedema, ear ringing (tinnitus), joint pain, muscle pain, slower healing, depression, constipation, G/I and digestive issues... The list is pathetically long!
Unfortunately most vital functions in the body are thyroid-dependant, as the thyroid regulates energy metabolism, so when thyroid function is low, any and every organ and body system can be affected.
Your thyroid function must be continiously monitored by having Free T3,
Free T4 and Reverse T3 (not standard serum tests which indicate only serum levels-NOT function) for proper thyroid regulation preferably by NDT.
Unresolved biological and mental stress levels, usually lead to adrenal
fatigue, affecting essential hormonal levels, something conventional medicine has a very poor record, since it is not recognized as an "established" condition, until about 90% of adrenal function is destroyed.
My opinion, or at least what I would do, if I were in your situation, is that
I would seek a knowledgeable Naturopathic or Functional Medicine Doctor
to facilitate a compehensive treatment.
If you need more details, let me know, however, please note that my comments here are not intended as a replacement for medical advice.
Best wishes.
Niko