[shamsul]

Hello all,

May I ask if anyone of us here also has or had hyperthyroidism? I just took a dose of radioactive iodine today and I have some questions about the precautions that I need to take to protect others from the radiation.

Thanks.
Regards,
Shamsul

[jen_slc]

I am T1, but I had the same test done that you did. Don't worry about protecting other people from the radiation - it's a low enough dose that you yourself are not harmed at all by it, so everyone else around you will be just fine too. It's not like your urine or breath will be radioactive. Well, your urine might be a teeny tiny bit, but not enough that they will hold you on-site for it. Some radiation tests/treatments do require that you stay in a special area with special facilites b/c your urine is too radioactive for normal systems.

I was working in a lab at the time of my test, I was also the radiation safety officer for the lab, so believe me, I asked all about the dose, the amount, where it would go, how it would decay, whether I would be radioactive, whether I would contaminate anything or anyone, etc! After I swallowed the pill, I went back to work, and the whole afternoon I used the geiger counter on myself (that machine that beeps a lot when it finds radiation)... I went around the lab putting it on my stomach and my throat (cause eventually that's where it all ended up) and freaked everybody out! It was fun.

I do hope you get good test results, but if it turns out you have an overactive thyroid, it's very easily treatable. My hyperthyroidism (Graves' Disease) went away after treating it for 1-2 years! Good luck!

[mzizgayle]

my sister has graves disease and when she had the test, her first question was 'would she glow in the dark".lol

But you are safe

[archimeech]

Jen, I'm totally confused. When they gave me an iradiated iodine pill for my hyperthyroidism, it totally killed my thyroid and I'm now on Synthroid. I don't understand what kind of test you're talking about. I also have Graves and the Docs around here all told me that this was the best solution for treating my Hyperthyoid. About 3 months after my treatment my thyroid stopped working and then my level dropped way low and I mecame very lethargic and cold. I've been taking Synthroid now for almost 4 years and never has anyone said that I will ever regain any Thyroid activity?

This wasn't a test, but a high dose given to render my thyroid inert. they told me to stay away from kissing my kids, my wife, and to be careful around any women of child bearing age. I'm assuming yours was a low level test of some sort, but I read the thread poster as having the same treatment I had...

[Nada]

Was it the test or the treatment you had? I had the test, then was dx'ed with Graves disease, then I got the treatment (radioactive iodine). The test is no biggie. Doesn't affect anyone. The treatment I was told to stay away from children for 24 hours. That's it.

[ladytaz]

Originally Posted by archimeech

Jen, I'm totally confused. When they gave me an iradiated iodine pill for my hyperthyroidism, it totally killed my thyroid and I'm now on Synthroid. I don't understand what kind of test you're talking about. I also have Graves and the Docs around here all told me that this was the best solution for treating my Hyperthyoid. About 3 months after my treatment my thyroid stopped working and then my level dropped way low and I mecame very lethargic and cold. I've been taking Synthroid now for almost 4 years and never has anyone said that I will ever regain any Thyroid activity?

This wasn't a test, but a high dose given to render my thyroid inert. they told me to stay away from kissing my kids, my wife, and to be careful around any women of child bearing age. I'm assuming yours was a low level test of some sort, but I read the thread poster as having the same treatment I had...

Same here for my mom ...

She did the irradiation treatment and is on thryroid pills for LIFE .. her levels are tested to make sure she's on track, and meds ocassionally adjusted.

My baby sis went the surgery route and had her thyroid completely removed, because she had 2 small children (under the age of 4) at home and was told she wouldn't be able to hold them for a time, and she was also concerned about any affects it might have on any future children she might have. She, of course, since she doesn't have a Thyroid Gland any more, is on Thyroid meds for the rest of her life.

Both my Mom and baby sis have Grave's Disease. I think they both take Levoxyl.

[shamsul]

Thanks everyone. I was rather anxious about it ever since I decided to take it a couple of months ago having been living with diabetes and hyperthyroidism for about 10 years. Now, 24 hours later I'm actually feeling better (even though I'm told I shouldn't really start to feel different until about 2-3 days later).

Thanks again.

Regards,
Shamsul

[jen_slc]

ah, I see now... yeah, I had read Shamsul's post as being the radioactive uptake test rather than the lethal dose to kill your thyroid... it sounded to me like hyperthyroidism hadn't been officially diagnosed yet. My bad.

After having the radioactive uptake test done and being diagnosed w/Graves, my doc gave me the option of treatment w/anti-thyroid meds and hope for remission, or treatment w/a higher dose of radiation to kill it off and become hypothyroid. I opted for the former and boy am I glad I did.

[jen_slc]

Doh, I can't edit my last post.... I wanted to explain better....

My doc first checked my thyroid levels through blood tests. Those indicated hyperthyroidism. Then he sent me for the radioactive uptake test - to see if my thyroid really and truly was hyperactive - I swallowed the pill, waited some amount of time, went back and they "read" how much radiation had been taken up into my thyroid. Whatever it showed, it indicated hyperthyroidism. Then my doc gave me 2 options for treatment: take the bigger radiation pill to kill my thyroid and become hypo forever... or start taking anti-thyroid meds and hope for remission. He said I had ~60% chance of the anti-thyroid meds kicking my thyroid back into normal functioning. Of course, I opted for the anti-thyroid meds and it worked! And so far, still got a normally functioning thyroid. I think that my thyroid likely wasn't enlarged enough or that my numbers weren't out of whack enough to warrant total destruction right off the bat. But even if someone was a "bad" case of hyperthyroidism, why wouldn't they be offered the anti-thyroid meds and the chance for remission? I guess at some point that therapy could be pointless/useless...

[ladytaz]

Originally Posted by jen_slc

Doh, I can't edit my last post.... I wanted to explain better....

My doc first checked my thyroid levels through blood tests. Those indicated hyperthyroidism. Then he sent me for the radioactive uptake test - to see if my thyroid really and truly was hyperactive - I swallowed the pill, waited some amount of time, went back and they "read" how much radiation had been taken up into my thyroid. Whatever it showed, it indicated hyperthyroidism. Then my doc gave me 2 options for treatment: take the bigger radiation pill to kill my thyroid and become hypo forever... or start taking anti-thyroid meds and hope for remission. He said I had ~60% chance of the anti-thyroid meds kicking my thyroid back into normal functioning. Of course, I opted for the anti-thyroid meds and it worked! And so far, still got a normally functioning thyroid. I think that my thyroid likely wasn't enlarged enough or that my numbers weren't out of whack enough to warrant total destruction right off the bat. But even if someone was a "bad" case of hyperthyroidism, why wouldn't they be offered the anti-thyroid meds and the chance for remission? I guess at some point that therapy could be pointless/useless...

I think all my Mom and Sis were offered was irradiation or surgical removal. It's all I remember them mentioning anyway. My Mom's was over 10 years ago now, and my baby sis's was 2003.