# What 131 dose ???



## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

Had pap ca removed July 2011. Ultrasonic testing of my neck showed no bad lymph nodes. Thyroglob fell to 1.2 after six weeks past surgery. Scanning with that 123 stuff showed no uptake in the thyroid area, lymph glands and thyroglob was not detectable. Does one still get treated with the potent 131 ? If so, how much ?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Want2FeelGood said:


> Had pap ca removed July 2011. Ultrasonic testing of my neck showed no bad lymph nodes. Thyroglob fell to 1.2 after six weeks past surgery. Scanning with that 123 stuff showed no uptake in the thyroid area, lymph glands and thyroglob was not detectable. Does one still get treated with the potent 131 ? If so, how much ?


Your doc will have to be the judge of that; have you talked to him/her about this yet?

No two situations are the same.

Please let us know and I am awfully glad to hear you are getting such good reports.


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## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

Andros said:


> Your doc will have to be the judge of that; have you talked to him/her about this yet?
> 
> No two situations are the same.
> 
> Please let us know and I am awfully glad to hear you are getting such good reports.


Because my thyroglobulin is not detectable and ultrasounds show no bad lymph nodes, and my uptake in my thyroid is 0.3%, she decided on 75 mci. What do people think of this dose ? Too high ? Too low ?

After RAI, how many days later can you change to a normal diet ?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

It's hard to say and I'm no MD...but my guess is that's about right.

What I heard from my radiologist: his "starting" dose is about 50. Starting meaning standard practice for him/my surgeon when they determine RAI is needed but there's little residual tissue remaining and no evidence of disease in lymph nodes. If sounds like you've got a little tissue remaining given the small uptake, so they are landing about where I *assume* my guys would land.

I got 99...they wanted to give me 150...but I didn't want to be hospitalized. 

I was never given instructions to go on a LID, but was told most of the radioactive material leaves the body in about three days, therefore I was permitted to start synthroid on the fourth day. I would guess you'll start a regular diet around that time too...but again, advice varies with RAI significantly from doctor to doctor.


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## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

joplin1975 said:


> It's hard to say and I'm no MD...but my guess is that's about right.
> 
> What I heard from my radiologist: his "starting" dose is about 50. Starting meaning standard practice for him/my surgeon when they determine RAI is needed but there's little residual tissue remaining and no evidence of disease in lymph nodes. If sounds like you've got a little tissue remaining given the small uptake, so they are landing about where I *assume* my guys would land.
> 
> ...


My ultrasounds were normal, thyroglobulin not detectable and had 1% residual radiation in the thyroid area, so they recommended 75 of 131. Does that seem low ?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Want2FeelGood said:


> My ultrasounds were normal, thyroglobulin not detectable and had 1% residual radiation in the thyroid area, so they recommended 75 of 131. Does that seem low ?


According to my radiologist, under those circumstances he would have given you 50, so nope, it doesn't sound low to this non-MD.


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## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

joplin1975 said:


> According to my radiologist, under those circumstances he would have given you 50, so nope, it doesn't sound low to this non-MD.


Your radiologist is not an MD ????

The dose of 75 instead of 50 was probably because a few nodes removed with my thyroid were positive. But, Mayo said that they would have used 35 - 50 given the lab and ultrasound data. I wonder if being dosed with say 175 instead 75 results in any better chance of cure. Bet the answer is ""no one knows"" since you can't fool around much with depriving humans of acceptable known therapies.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Want2FeelGood said:


> Your radiologist is not an MD ????


I believe what joplin was saying was that joplin is not an MD, and is only offering a non-MD's opinion.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Octavia said:


> I believe what joplin was saying was that joplin is not an MD, and is only offering a non-MD's opinion.


Yes, right...sorry if I was unclear. I seem to have developed a habit of being clear as mud lately. 

Keep in mind that they (the doctors) are all trying to find the balance between giving us enough RAI to kill the cells without over-doing it. It's not like this is a risk-free procedure. If it was, we'd all (I assume) get mass quantities of of radioactive iodine.


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