# Question about thyroid re- growth



## CANDON

Hi...

Have a question about an issue that never actually occured to me...reading through all the threads I thought I saw something about potential thyroid re-growth.

Is that after RAI or just after surgery.

My endo did not want to take any chances with me ( kidney involvement) and despite potential although remote issue of kidney damage (very unlikely) they hit me really hard with a higher dose then normal on the first go around.

Now I do know that some organs can "re- grow" after surgery - again as my wife says I have to be different, they had to yank my tonsils out twice...

If anyone has some reading material I would really appreciate it..

thanks


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## Andros

CANDON said:


> Hi...
> 
> Have a question about an issue that never actually occured to me...reading through all the threads I thought I saw something about potential thyroid re-growth.
> 
> Is that after RAI or just after surgery.
> 
> My endo did not want to take any chances with me ( kidney involvement) and despite potential although remote issue of kidney damage (very unlikely) they hit me really hard with a higher dose then normal on the first go around.
> 
> Now I do know that some organs can "re- grow" after surgery - again as my wife says I have to be different, they had to yank my tonsils out twice...
> 
> If anyone has some reading material I would really appreciate it..
> 
> thanks


This is the only thing I could turn up after about 30 minutes of Googling. I used all different kinds of words etc..

As per Elaine Moore.....

If you had a large, dense thyroid gland to start with, RAI wouldn't have penetrated all the tissue. In this case, thyroid tissue can continue to grow. This is also why RAI isn't typically used in people with large, dense thyroid glands.

Typically, RAI destroys the follicular cells of the thyroid gland and we're left with a stump of thyroid epithelial cells and damaged cell remnants. This tissue is prone to abnormal growths, such as nodules, adenomas and thyroid cancers. The recommendation is to have annual checkups to make sure there aren't abnormal growths.

You should probably mention your symptoms to your doctor and see if you can have an ultrasound. Best, Elaine

http://www.elaine-moore.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

I do know one thing; I had to have RAI 3 times. It refused to die. Also, keeping the TSH suppressed "supposedly" prevents the thyroid tissue from replicating assuming there is some live tissue on board.


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## GD Women

There is a chance for the thyroid to grow back after surgery and I have read poster that this has happened to. Surgery tends to leave behind some thyroid residue so as not to damage other close vital organs. With this thyroid residue left antibodies can still attack causing havoc with symptoms and/or the chance for the thyroid to grow back and leaving us starting all over again from day one. That is why thyroid cancer patients have high dose of RAI after thyroid surgery, to make sure the residue is ablated off.

RAI - It is a misconception that RAI will totally ablate the thyroid. In some cases just a little amount of RAI is given to leave the thyroid working. In my case I had little symptoms so I didn't need my thyroid totally ablated. Some people need higher doses to totally ablate, other have a tough thyroid and need more than one RAI dose. RAI is not an exact science and doctors just about have to guess on the dosage amount, if its wrong than more than one treatment will be needed. Then it may take years for it to be completely non-functional.


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## hillaryedrn

I have heard that it is possible, which is why RAI is required after surgery. I'm not sure what the "percentage" is for sure, but I do believe it is possible.


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## CANDON

Thanks all..I had a feeling that the sugery "regrowth" was a distinct possibility. I have it in my journals somewhere the actual "dose" they hit me with, and I remember my endo saying that we (the nuke medicine team and the nephro team) are not taking any chances on loosing any more kidney fuinction and will deal with any nephrological side effects later. So they hit me with a larger then normal first dose...so I think my chances for regrowth a slimmer then most - if any....

Funny thing, other then the obligatory sore throat, I had no side effects at all.

That being said even my endo was surprised how fast I went hypo....

(I did not tell them I was still doing some martial arts -probably a bad idea)


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## Andros

CANDON said:


> Thanks all..I had a feeling that the sugery "regrowth" was a distinct possibility. I have it in my journals somewhere the actual "dose" they hit me with, and I remember my endo saying that we (the nuke medicine team and the nephro team) are not taking any chances on loosing any more kidney fuinction and will deal with any nephrological side effects later. So they hit me with a larger then normal first dose...so I think my chances for regrowth a slimmer then most - if any....
> 
> Funny thing, other then the obligatory sore throat, I had no side effects at all.
> 
> That being said even my endo was surprised how fast I went hypo....
> 
> (I did not tell them I was still doing some martial arts -probably a bad idea)


I think doing whatever makes you happy is an essential contribution to the healing pathway.

And I hope and pray all is well with your kidneys.


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## GD Women

How fast did you go hypo after (RAI?) What med. dose are you on? if you don't mind my asking. I take it as part of my education.

Me too. I only had the sore throat with no other side effects.

Sounds like you are doing good and that is what matters.


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## CANDON

Sorry GDwoman, I just noticed you asked me a question on this post...If I do it again , send me a pm - I have a bad case of spacecadetitis - ask my wife...

Anyway...I went hypo rapidly - surprised even my endo - it was within 4 to 5 weeks that they had to stuff me on 50mcg of Synthroid (can't take levo - kidney involvement - no, not sure why - nephrologist warned endo - that was an interesting converstation - they argued back and forth - like I was not even there - HEY...talk to me too!!!!:tongue0013...

Then from 50mcg and getting poked just about every 3 weeks - I went rapidly up to 175 which I have been at for 2 years steady....

Okay, so to let you and anyone reading this and what I did not tell my endo or my nephrologist was that I restarted martial arts again (immediately)...working out light, then moderate, then back to stupid again....whether that helped burn off the thyroxin , I cannot say...what I can say is that by the time I was at my lowest, I was freezing in class (everyone else was sweating) and I was doing the movements in slow motion - maybe rewind....


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## GD Women

No problem CANDON. The reason I asked was wanting to know if you went hypo as fast as a poster I knew eons ago on another forum. She went hypo enough for meds within two weeks after RAI. With that fact I always tell post RAIers not to wait any longer than 4 weeks after RAI to get tested, so as to catch TSH level low enough instead of hypo level to which might being on hyop symptoms.

Then on the other side I knew a poster who 5 years after RAI she still wasn't on thyroid meds. Although just before I lost contact with her, her TSH Level as getting closer.

As along as your thyroid level are normalized it should be all right for you to do your martial arts and working out. Light and then moderate at first sounds like a good game plane, then back up to your normal routine, as you have been away from such activities your plan won't tax your body.

How have you been feeling in general after RAI - any complaints about doing RAI? You still alive and kicking!


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## CANDON

Hi....

In actuality I have never really felt better.

Backround info - according to my endo, she felt I was "going" hyper for a long time and because of the intense physical activity I was doing I held off for a long time - longer then most folks. All I know is during that time I was hair trigger angry and irritable..I have to say if it was not for the intense martial arts I think I might have hurt someone...It was like a ugly itch I could not scratch....

Now, after all this is done I am calm, I can think clearly again, and I have no hair trigger anymore. I much prefer this to the way I was...maybe I am bit hypo, but that is okay...

My, only issue is my eyes...


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## Lovlkn

CANDON said:


> Hi....
> 
> My, only issue is my eyes...


What issues are you having with your eyes and did you have eye issues before the RAI?


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## CANDON

Hi Lovlkn...

I now have dilopthia resulting from Grave's opthamology (double vision). Lucky for me, that is my only eye problem, I don't have any protrusion, dry eyes, watery eyes etc etc etc... I have had two operations so far to correct, the right eye is now perfect and works great, the left eye still is a problem child.

My opthamlogist now wants to wait a bit to see what is going to happen and see how far the muscle will relax ( the hot phase is now over).

And no I did not have any real eyes issues before Grave's - aside from needing glasses for distance vision. In fact I still do not need bifocals, even thought I see everything in double!!!.

My onset was during the worse phase of my Graves run, just after I stopped the pills and about a week before I took the little blue pill (RAI)


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