Operation For Hyperthyroid?

[Meiding1]

I had hyperthyroid for 7 years. Still under medication of Carbimezole. My eyes are prominence. At night couldn't sleep well. And my eyes painfull especially during sleeping time.

Some doctors advise me not to operate but some advise me to operate. Because after operation, may become hypothyroid. Continue to take medication for the rest of life.

May I know is it better to operate?

[Smilerdeb]

Ditto Skeeter ...although staying on anti-thyroid meds was not an option for me.
I HAD to have permanant treatment.
I had RAI due to Atrial Fibrillation (thyroid storms) and then had keyhole TT and havent looked back since.
No I am not the same person I was before RAI but I thank God I am not too.
I had no life, no sense of wanting to life and lived a life wondering if I was going to wake up every morning.
No-one wants to live like that and no-one should.
I am glad I did RAI although it wasnt my first choice.
I have Graves Disease and am doing well.

BUT I stipulate that Anyone with Thyroid Eye Disease should avoid RAI and any Doctor/Endo would know this.

[skeeterknitwit]

"being on medication for the rest of your life" sounds like a horrible thing.  It is really no big deal.  One little inexpensive pill fits right into my morning routine.  I'm hypo after RAI for non-Graves hyper.  It took several months to adjust to the Levo.  I think maybe it just takes your body some time to switch from natural hormones to synthetic.
You are already on drugs for the rest of your life while you are hyper.  The anti-thyroid drugs can be hard on your liver. You might be adding high blood pressure medicine at some point.
So the whole thing is a matter of personal choice.  Sometimes I miss my hyper energy.  But now I really enjoy 8 hours of sleep, not stressing over little things, no more hot flashes, no more shakey hands.  It's not all bad.  

[punkin1515]

Wow, I am so very sorry for what you have been through. I read everywhere that everyone is so sorry that they did the RAI. It scares me so much to read these stories over and over. I wanted ask is the surgery andy better??? Thanks Cara

[Roxanne862]

I have been Hyperthyroid most of my life. At 14 I had hand tremors.  I am 47 years old and was not diagnosed until Aug of 08. At that time I had lost 30 pounds, I continued to drop weight, got down to 113 pounds at my lowest point.  My hand tremors went to entire body tremor, I looked like someone with Parkinsons.  My resting pulse was over 160 a minute.  I wanted a fast fix, and took RAI.  I regret doing it. within a few weeks my eyes felt bad.  that was just a prelude of much worse to come.  My eyes swelled and for a period of almost two months , I could not drive and it was hard to focus on reading at my computer. Needless to say, I was not able to work.  I have Graves Disease and Thyroid Eye Disease, GO. I was not under the care of a Endocrinologist and my Doctor told me he could treat me. He lied. Academic Arrogance is extreme in the medical Community. Has been my luck any how. I am not under the care of Endo who I like, but that does not stop me from QUESTIONING everything he tells me. To make a long story short, after doing the RAI at the end of Oct of 08, I was allowed to go Hypothyroid. I went from a noneexistant TSH to a 50.6 . A wild swing, and my poor eyes paid the price. Having always had the energy of ten people, I found being Hypothyroid NO PLACE TO BE.  unless you want to sleep for the rest of your life. Then they put me on Levo for about 6 weeks.  Then took me off because I was back to Hyper. Over a year later and the only blessing is my Thyroid is not dead. YIPPERS.  I make it plain to every Doctor I see... Make me Hypothyroid and I will black both your eyes with one single hit!  No more RAI, and No surgery to remove my thyroid...  I just want it to function somewhat normal.  My Endo knows I will not take another dose of RAI, he keeps mentioning operate... Thatys as far as he gets.  Its easy for them to make us Hypothyroid and dependent on hormone replacement. May not be whats best for us, easy to treat if we are hypo. I want my levels normal so my eyes will either calm down, or not, if I need Orbital Decompression, then so be it.. I will not rush to have OD until these Academics Fix my Thyroid.  I am thinking of seeing a MD with a Natural Approach because conventional medicine seems unable or unwilling to help. If I were you, I would keep the thyroid and never ever be made forever hypo and dependent on drugs.