# frustration!



## Gretta (May 14, 2011)

Hi all,

I had RAI May 5, and was pretty much told to expect a sore throat and fatigue. That was true, but what about the confusion, difficulty speaking, leg weakness, palpitations, shortness of breath, diarrhea?

Yesterday I could hardly get out of bed due to lethargy/fatigue. Today I'm hyper. OK, so I know my thyroid has gone hyper and my adrenals are bottoming out. I'm looking for opinions on how long this is likely to last.

More info: my dose was only 15 mCi. I don't tolerate methimazole, and my liver is already struggling, so I can't go with a large dose of PTU. Oh yes, and I'm stuck in a very small health system which, in my opinion, should be referring out for this type of treatment. They don't have an endocrinologist.

Any input would be appreciated!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Gretta said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I had RAI May 5, and was pretty much told to expect a sore throat and fatigue. That was true, but what about the confusion, difficulty speaking, leg weakness, palpitations, shortness of breath, diarrhea?
> 
> ...


Hi Gretta! I am sorry you are having such a hard time of it. It does sound like you had what we call a dump which is where the thyroid actually "dumps" excess thyroxine into your system.

And drink plenty of fluids, preferably water to help you kidneys flush the toxins out.

When did the doctor tell you to come in for lab tests? Are you on a beta-blocker or any other med? If you cannot take antithyroid meds, you can eat a lot of goitrogenic foods and you can also take L-Carnitine (an enzyme) which is used to treat hyper.

Meanwhile, hang tough. Were you in the advanced stages of hyperthyroid? Do you have a goiter or trouble w/your eyes?


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## Gretta (May 14, 2011)

How long is this dumping likely to last?! It started 2 days after the dose - I remember the head and eye pain along with the hyper symptoms - and talk about irritable!!! Yes, I have had hyperthyroid for a very long time - I suspect for decades. It came on slowly, then some nasty flare-ups over the past 10 yrs. I was going to do the treatment 10 yrs ago, but the scan came back negative twice. I couldn't keep paying for useless scans, and no one said anything about a low iodine diet, so I have no idea what I may have been doing/ingesting that invalidated the tests.

Thanks for the tip on L-Carnitine. I hadn't read about that before. It sounds safer than lithium orotate, especially following RAI - I got some today. I do have a beta blocker.

I'm hoping to feel strong enough to go back to work tomorrow!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Gretta said:


> How long is this dumping likely to last?! It started 2 days after the dose - I remember the head and eye pain along with the hyper symptoms - and talk about irritable!!! Yes, I have had hyperthyroid for a very long time - I suspect for decades. It came on slowly, then some nasty flare-ups over the past 10 yrs. I was going to do the treatment 10 yrs ago, but the scan came back negative twice. I couldn't keep paying for useless scans, and no one said anything about a low iodine diet, so I have no idea what I may have been doing/ingesting that invalidated the tests.
> 
> Thanks for the tip on L-Carnitine. I hadn't read about that before. It sounds safer than lithium orotate, especially following RAI - I got some today. I do have a beta blocker.
> 
> I'm hoping to feel strong enough to go back to work tomorrow!


You are welcome; L-Carnitine is actually used to treat hyper. They go by grams on that one. I believe it is 4G to 6G depending.


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## miltomeal (May 17, 2011)

Gretta,
I had my RAI treatment on may 6th, 12.6 mCi. think that i have been hyper for 20+ years but haven't had the need to see a doctor until this flared up with some emotional pain. I am currently dealing with all the same symptoms that you are, plus i'm so geeked to get out and play and explore that i go, go, go and than crash harder than ever. drink plenty of water!!! i have been seeing a psychiatrist for a few weeks and am actually starting to go more because of all the battles i am fighting these days. I am learning to meditate and breathe like never before, and i can honestly say that i have been able to tell when i am going to be overwhelmed by everything and the meditation seems to help keep those instances down a little. Hang in there! Being a part of this group, you have a lot of support!!! let me know what how things progress, we are so close with this journey.


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## Gretta (May 14, 2011)

My initial diagnosis came during a break-up as well. I thought I was going out of my mind, but got things under control with PTU and beta-blockers - whew! The stresses of life certainly do add fuel to the fire, whether current stuff or old traumas presenting for healing!

My frustration at this point is the wild cycling of ups and downs while I'm trying to earn a living. It's hard to know what my limits are until I've exceeded them, then I spend a couple of days trying to get leveled out again. Also, I'm sooo tired, but start tapping my feet/fingers and other hyper signs. I need to take a combination of beta-blocker and adrenal support to "normalize" for a few hours. We can do this - right? Right!

Best wishes to you on your journey!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Gretta said:


> My initial diagnosis came during a break-up as well. I thought I was going out of my mind, but got things under control with PTU and beta-blockers - whew! The stresses of life certainly do add fuel to the fire, whether current stuff or old traumas presenting for healing!
> 
> My frustration at this point is the wild cycling of ups and downs while I'm trying to earn a living. It's hard to know what my limits are until I've exceeded them, then I spend a couple of days trying to get leveled out again. Also, I'm sooo tired, but start tapping my feet/fingers and other hyper signs. I need to take a combination of beta-blocker and adrenal support to "normalize" for a few hours. We can do this - right? Right!
> 
> Best wishes to you on your journey!


When do you go in for labs? It does take a while to calm down. I had to learn to sleep all over again. LOL!! I was not used to it.


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