# RAI Monday



## lwilk (Oct 2, 2011)

Had 25 millicuries of RAI Monday morning. Now am having headaches, and my neck is sore and stiff from front to back. I have no appetite and am extremely tired. Help!!!!!! Is this normal?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

That's about how I felt. Like the mega-flu. I know it sucks, but it did pass (for me) in a couple of days. Hang in there!


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## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

lwilk said:


> Had 25 millicuries of RAI Monday morning. Now am having headaches, and my neck is sore and stiff from front to back. I have no appetite and am extremely tired. Help!!!!!! Is this normal?


Did you go hypothyroid or did you get Thyrogen ? Symptoms on 25 mci ? Maybe you have "the flu". Thought most people had few or no symptoms.


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## mum2bradley (Sep 27, 2010)

I had 12 mci back in March and was hypo by June. Have been on replacement meds since then and still not back to my old self!!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

lwilk said:


> Had 25 millicuries of RAI Monday morning. Now am having headaches, and my neck is sore and stiff from front to back. I have no appetite and am extremely tired. Help!!!!!! Is this normal?


Yes; I would say it is. A lot of that is maybe from being tense. I know I was each time I had RAI.

Try to relax; take a nice hot bath and soak the soreness out, do some deep-breathing and just pamper yourself.

If ever ever in doubt; always call your doctor.


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## miltomeal (May 17, 2011)

And remember that everyone have a little different reaction to the RAI. these are a lot of the same symptoms from my RAI experience.

YES!!! i agree with Andros, pamper yourself through this and try some deep breathing/meditation to help calm your mind.

Good luck! you will get through this!


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## lwilk (Oct 2, 2011)

Thanks for the info all. Somewhat better now, still have swollen and sore neck and get hoarse when I talk to much (maybe someone is trying to tell me something), and the shakes. Dr. increased my propranolol which is helping some, have to check in with her Monday. Will be glad to feel normal again, whatever that is!!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

lwilk said:


> Thanks for the info all. Somewhat better now, still have swollen and sore neck and get hoarse when I talk to much (maybe someone is trying to tell me something), and the shakes. Dr. increased my propranolol which is helping some, have to check in with her Monday. Will be glad to feel normal again, whatever that is!!


Good to hear from you over the weekend and please let us know how it goes Monday.

Glad your Propranolol has been increased. Try to just take it easy if you can.


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## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

lwilk said:


> Thanks for the info all. Somewhat better now, still have swollen and sore neck and get hoarse when I talk to much (maybe someone is trying to tell me something), and the shakes. Dr. increased my propranolol which is helping some, have to check in with her Monday. Will be glad to feel normal again, whatever that is!!


Your symptoms seem unusual. My two friends who had 100 RAI 131 had no symptoms. How much thyroid tissue did you have remaining ? Have you had these symptoms before, and that is why you are on propranalol ?


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## tespad (Oct 30, 2011)

im going to have to choose a treatment for graves disease and just want some suggestions .... i just had my scan and uptake that showed it was 85% ???????


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

tess said:


> im going to have to choose a treatment for graves disease and just want some suggestions .... i just had my scan and uptake that showed it was 85% ???????


Wow!! You "are" hyper for sure!! Surgery would be my choice.


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## tespad (Oct 30, 2011)

so it seems that some ppl think its better to just get the surgery but doesnt rai take care of any cancer that you would have had in your thyroid im confused ..?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

tess said:


> so it seems that some ppl think its better to just get the surgery but doesnt rai take care of any cancer that you would have had in your thyroid im confused ..?


Only if the RAI gets all the tissue. I had to have RAI 3 times. And.........I will never know if I had cancer or not.

Whereas, if you have the surgery...............pathology will go over the gland. This could determine future treatment options if you do or you don't have cancer.

Sometimes RAI is even necessary after surgery if cancer is present.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

RAI is used post-surgically for folks with cancer because thyroid surgery isn't a "clean" process...small amounts of thyroid cells are often left over because the surgeon does not want to damage various structures in the throat/parathyroid glands/etc. So you follow up with the RAI to kill those remaining cells.

RAI is a bit of an art...less so a science. The doctors attempt to find a dose that will successfully kill the thyroid cells without giving the patient too large of a dose unnecessarily (the larger the dose, the more likely there will be side effects). They don't always get it right...sometimes people who opt for the RAI only need to receive a therapy level dose multiple times to fully kill the thyroid. If that happens, you are 1) exposing your body to more radiation [than if you selected surgery] and 2) have to deal with what ever your symptoms are between treatments. Hence the advice by some folks to go the surgery route (said with the standing qualification that everyone is different and your choice will certainly be supported).


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## lwilk (Oct 2, 2011)

Tess surgery was my first choice. I could not be away from home for the 1 or 2 night stay in the hospital. My husband has Stage IV colon cancer and is in his final days. I did not feel that I was able to wait, so I went with the RAI. I did have some stronger symptoms of the hyper but was feeling better after about 10 days. Had blood work done Monday and seeing endo tomorrow so we will see.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

lwilk said:


> Tess surgery was my first choice. I could not be away from home for the 1 or 2 night stay in the hospital. My husband has Stage IV colon cancer and is in his final days. I did not feel that I was able to wait, so I went with the RAI. I did have some stronger symptoms of the hyper but was feeling better after about 10 days. Had blood work done Monday and seeing endo tomorrow so we will see.


Tch! I am so sorry!!! {{{{{Iwilk and husband}}}}


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## Serenia (Sep 27, 2011)

I have read it can take several months for your symptoms and your body to get back to normal after RAI - which is why I will never do it....


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## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

lwilk said:


> Had 25 millicuries of RAI Monday morning. Now am having headaches, and my neck is sore and stiff from front to back. I have no appetite and am extremely tired. Help!!!!!! Is this normal?


Geeez. I had 75 mci and had no side effects. Reading forums had me convinced I would be disabled, but I had nothing. My doc said >90% of people have no problems unless they read these forums.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Serenia said:


> I have read it can take several months for your symptoms and your body to get back to normal after RAI - which is why I will never do it....


One thing I have learned my my old age is, "Never say never!"

The anti-thyroid med is hard on your liver so I hope your doc runs enzyme tests every couple of months?

Whatever course you chose; we are here for you. There is no right way and no wrong way for we are each individuals.


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