Need your experience

[Kathy301]

Hello,

This is my first post.  I have been diagnosed with a Hot Nodule.  My TSH is 'unmeasurable'.  I have had a radioactive scan which shows uptake at 5 hourse 9.5% and uptake at 24 hours 19%.  The endocrinologist I went to indicated 2 choices:  surgery or radioactive iodine.  I am thinking radioactive iodine is the way to go from here.  My questions:  1) is there anything I should consider before making this decision; 2) what precautions will I need to take after the treatment:  The dr. said no one within 3 feet of me for 3 days, changing bed linens every night.  How have others done this?  I have a 70 pound dog who is very attached to me so I don't see how I can be home with her.  She is not very 'boardable' either.  Your experiences described would be appreciated.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

RAI is the standard -- about 50% of patients will become hypothyroid after this.  There is a rare side-effect of causing an immune system attack on the thryoid (ie Graves) - but this is rare.  RAI is less invasive than surgery and 80% of the time the problem is treated with one dose.

Surgery removes, usually, the entire side effected.  There is a new procedure that Dr. Norman in Tampa is doing called minimally invasive radioguided selective thyroidectomy that uses no general anesthesia and takes out only the problematic hot nodule(s).  

[Kathy301]

Thank you for your explanation; it was helpful.  I guess I am a bit nervous because I tend to have sensitivity towards a lot of medications.  And, if I look back over the past few years, I have had number of little things that I now wonder if they are connected to this problem.  First, I began having exercise induced anaphylaxis.  This occurred during really strenous biking during the heat of the summer.  And I was diagnosed with Osteopenia and a year or two later, my chronic migraines became more frequent (1 or 2 / week) and lastly, I began having trouble with blurred vision.  Should I just trust these were either unrelated or not important to this current treatment plan?  

I have seen an endocrinologist, but I was not convinced I could have a good dialog with her so I am trying to get in to see another here Maryland.  I can't believe the wait time for an appointment!  Looks like 3 months.  And I suppose that is another worry for me:  since I already have osteopenia, I am worried this will contribute to full osteoperosis if I let it go much longer.