Hi,

This problem is new to me, I MIGHT have this condition...
Would you tell me what are the symptomes? What were yours?

hi anabel, you are very lucky that RAI worked for you, i have had 6 doses and still i have hyper thyroid . it was not discovered until after thet last treatment that i ahd a very high salt intake and that may have been blocking the RAI from working. i took meds for 17 yrs before i was talked into RAI, as i willnot have surgery. i have also tried natural thing, they work, but are not strong enough. what dose of RAI did you have, i had 6 doses of 15 millicuries each, most of which was just flushed through my body. now the drs say, that is a high dose and wont give me any more.i am at they end of my rope. helen.

Hi Anabel.
I'm English but I live in Spain.
A few months ago, friends started telling me I was looking thin etc
, so I went to the doctor's. I've had two blood tests, about to do a third (I don't know why they have to repeat it) and an ecograph. Now they've given me something to hold back the symptoms (called SUMIAL propanolol) which doesn't seem to do very much. I've got to wait to do other tests (everything seems to take ages here), but I don't know if I could be following a diet or anything to help meanwhile. Your story sounds really scary- I didn't realize how serious this was till a couple of days ago.Any advice?

I had RAI in October 2003. I choose RAI because my symptoms were so severe I couldn't walk further than across the room, couldn't find my own shoes under the sofa, etc. I was too sick to find alternatives. My health fund didn't encourage Dr. shopping.

Following the RAI, the specialist prescribed a thyroid suppressant which prompted a severe bout with psoriasis, hair loss and a subsequent slowing of my metabolism to the point where even my fingernails had stopped growing. For my self esteem, the worst part was an 'overnight' weight gain of 40 pounds.

Now I have hypo-symptoms and I am on synthroid (.15mg). I still have additional weight gain (3 pounds this week and I am on a very healthy diet), bloating, exhaustion, muscle/organ pain, joint pain, depression, recurring infections and what appears to be drug induced lupus-type symptoms, tingling fingers and feet, as well as amazing periods of energetic well-being.

I am trying to improve my health with diet and natural supplements. My GP keeps trying to prescribe drugs, and throws her hands up when I refuse! :)

MY QUESTION
My problem is that I am uncertain about what to expect from my thyroid now that it has been treated with the radioactive iodine.

Should I assume that there will be no hormone production and that I am forever bound to synthetic hormones?

Can the post-RAI thyroid be stimulated to produce hormones?

To add to the confusion, the most recent blood tests showed that I am both hyper and hypo.

I have added flax seed oil to my diet and this seems to be helping with the Depression and energy. Soy products increase the abdominal bloating and put me in a fog.

All comments and suggestions will be cherished.