Do Thyrogen injections hurt?

[Liz94]

Going tomorrow for my first injection for my 6 month follow-up scan and I know it's lame to ask.....but does it hurt?  I do not like shots and I'm needing to know if this is simple like a flu shot or is it gonna be like one of those massive antibiotic shots you get in your butt that hurts like heck?

[utahmomma]

Didn't hurt at all.  I've had *much* worse shots in the butt (yeah, antibiotics).  Beats the heck out of hypohell too.

[utahmomma]

Thyrogen is the brand name for a way to artificially increase the TSH level in thyroid patients undergoing radioactive iodine (RAI) for cancer treatment or scanning

http://www.thyrogen.com/healthcare/about_thyrogen/p_hc_about_ty.asp

If thyrogen isn't used the cancer patient has to go off thyroid replacement meds and go on a low-iodine diet for about 6 weeks in order to increase the TSH to levels that the RAI can effectively find, and kill, any cancer cells.

Having been through both the thyrogen and the "natural" way of increasing TSH for cancer treatment - I'll take thyrogen *any day*  (no depression, no horrible diet forever, no freezing, no body aches, etc.).  The cancer and treatmetn is bad enough - being able to avoid over a month of feeling like you can't move on top of it is priceless.

Utahmomma
papillary carcinoma '03
recurrence and RAI '06 and probably '08
three sisters with papillary carcinoma (one with three recurrences)

[nissah46]

I did Thyrogen 3 times in an 18 month period, and the shots didn't hurt at all. Yes, they are in the butt!
Trish

[mw1943]

The shots don't hurt, like a flu shot.   I had the Thyrogen shots a couple of months ago, for cancer marker.One year. anyway the nurse gave me the shots in my arms. Why do you think she didn't give them in my butt?

[Liz94]

I had my second one today and they were both in my arm. The stick didn't hurt at all but the medicine going in was uncomfortable for about 5 seconds.  Weigh that against 6 weeks of hypo and I'm all about getting stuck!  Didn't feel any side effects other than I"m sleepy. Not too shabby....

[utahmomma]

Not fair - I want mine in the arm!  :-)   Hey, if it beats going hypo they could give them to me in the neck for all I'd care.

[shannon828]

They are intramuscular so there is some stinging when the medicine floods the muscle, but it's completely tolerable.  God bless Thyrogen.  Seriously, the stuff is a miracle.