I have Graves Disease and is considering radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment.?

Has anyone else gone through RAI? Were the results good, bad, indifferent? Is there weight gain associcated with RAI?

Absolutely do not do it. Please e-mail me at helencartermk@yahoo.com

not only that, where do you think the radiation goes as it leaves the body. Radiation is very fine particles of matter that can get stuck many places in your body and cause many other problems. Think a grain of sand to the oyster shell. It becomes a pearl. But, we would call the pearl CANCER if it was in our body.

Also, radiation therapy is very cheap for the hospital. My husband had a second thyroid surgery instead of the RAI. The surgeon was a master. Dr. Eugene P. Chambers at Vanderbilt Hospital. Vanderbilt is an awesome hospital.

The weight gain is not associated with RAI. It is associated with the level fluctuation of the thyroid. My husband has/had Thyrotoxic Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis==a rare form of Graves Disease.

Also, with RAI, there is a much greater chance of macular degeneration at ANY AGE.

Forgot about the PTU==don't do that either.

I would say don't do it,; I had first hypo thyroid, then later, sever hyper thyroid- horrible thyroid storms! I went to 3 endocrinologysts, ALL told me to do the RAI, and I refused. I said, what are my other options. They offered the PTU medication. I was scared of that also. They said 3rd choice was to wait, just check the thyroid levels every two weeks. I took nothing, waited (suffering periodically), but damn if my levels didn't slowly start to improve!! Now I am FINE (took 3 months to resolve, after suffering nearly 3 years!), and I took NOTHING... that is why, I say, if you can stand it and IF you don't think you will die from your thyroid storms, just do nothing. Wait. Sometimes it will just mysteriously go away!! OR try something homeopathic (natural herbs), OR go with the PTU if you must, and if that does not resolve it, then and only then burn out your thyroid. That is a very permanent and invasive 'treatment'. This is only my opinion, however, based on my experience. I did suffer horribly. But the doctors are going to do what is easiest for them and least chance of lawsuit, not necessarily what you truly NEED or what is best for patient! Remember this always!! Ceasarian sections, RAI, and anti-depressant medications are knee-jerk suggestions that the medical community would have us believe to be 'normal' and best modes of treatments, which in MANY cases are NOT the best. Use your own judgement, see several doctors, including homeopathic, then decide. That is my best advice. God forbid you do it, as I might have done, and needlessly!! I get chills when I realize that I would have gone through that for no reason!!

Please don't.. go to this site first.

http://www.glycoresource.com

http://www.mannapages.com/foryourlife

Graves disease is an autoimmune conditon that responds to improving the immune response, giving the body what it needs to battle this condition. We have had succes doing this with Transfer Factor. Visit the websites below, then email me for more specific information.