Graves Disease and RAI

[Dinlaurajo15]

My daughter (18) had had Graves Disease for a couple of years now. They had her on PTU and now want her to have Radioactive Iodine. Has anyone done the RAI? What can we/she expect? I've heard some bad stories about being unable to be around your family/friends for a week and long roads until finally/if ever getting the thyroid back to "normal". Anyone's thoughts?

[boedica]

i had rai 19 years ago, and wish i had not taken that option. i have been consistently undermedicated since then. i feel that a patient has more control of how she feels if she is on the ptu.

[stella5349]

I have had RAI and for me - it was a tough road to go down until I balanced out. You can read alot of my experience with it in my journals...

I will say that I am not sure what life would had been like if I hadn't undergone it. I was very hyper ( dangerously) and only had that given to me as a option too.

The normal function isn't how they treat this. RAI-131 is given now more often as enough to destroy the gland entirely so she would be on thyroid meds for life after the gland is ablated.

Everyone is very different so I can say exactly how she will be or take to it. Some had little side effects some as I - alot... so it all depends on her.