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Radiation and thyroid and symptoms?

Posted , 4 users are following.

sky23
sky23

Hi. I am certainly ill right now with fibromyalgia and other things. My thyroid is underactive and has been for 28 years. It is unstable. I can be overmedicated or undermedicated. I have certainly been viewed with suspician on taking thyroxin over the years and have been repeatedly questioned on if I have taken too much or too little, to my very indignant denials. Because I am ill I am researching stuff. However this morning I had a memory. My son had to have nuclear therapy as a child due to a birth defect that damaged his kidneys. I was warned he would be radioactive for short periods after and to use rubber gloves when changing his diapers. I am sure I used thin rubber disposables..but..I am uncertain on absolute adherence as I cannot remember..my thyroid problems started about 9 months later..anyone any ideas on whether the instability of these thyroid levels can be connected? If they could be where could I go to find out? 

0 likes, 21 replies

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  • barbara98940
    barbara98940 sky23

    Posted

    Sorry Sky I can't answer the question. Though when I read your post I wondered whether childbirth could have triggered your thyroid problems.

    Regarding the under/over medication, are you aware that the absorption of thyroxin by the body can be affected by food and certain vitamins/ minerals/ medication? Take thyroxine 1 hour before food and 4 hours after certain medications (such as iron, calcium - see information leaflet that comes with the thyroxine tablets). This is a relatively new finding and you might not have re-read the leaflet if you've been on thyroxine for years. I'm not medically qualified, but my conclusion was if the thyroxine isn't being absorbed by the body you'll get underactive symptoms, and as it's staying in the bloodstream it will be picked up by the blood tests and cause them to indicate you are being over treated (i.e. taking too much thyroxine).

    • sky23
      sky23 barbara98940

      Posted

      Thanks Barbara. I should add I am chronically low in Vit D. Here is the mystery..my Vit D is at 15. I was given a strong suppliment of Vit D/calcium plus an VD enhancer. I did have a slight ache to both sides of my back down the side prior to taking the Vit D. I took the Vit D and enhancer. A few hours later I had a sharp pain across my lower back in the kidney region. At that time my upper arms began to ache and the pain grew into one of constriction. As the days progessed I got a dull ache in my forearms and pain playing across my hands. For a week or 2 I could not use my arms not raise them above my head. The symtoms are slowly going so far it is 2 months. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia but I am in doubt. My calcium levels were normal at the time of taking VIT D I have no idea on the phospate level. I am tending to think this is more a reaction to VIT D as it contained calcium and that can get into the muscles and cause extreme pain. There was a lot of bone cracking noises over the weeks. So I am looking for a thyroid malfunction that could cause a reaction maybe a small tumour My thryoid went badly out a year ago in so much that I was on way too much Thyroxine..then it went under. Then thanks to 111 I had an incident where I was being treated for a low level thyroid and the meds had just been adjusted and I entered a state of irritation within 4 days. I went down to emergency who took my blood and found there had been a shift from slightly low(more meds) to slightly high(less meds) within 4 days... which is a little worrying..XX
  • Jill6969
    Jill6969 sky23

    Posted

    Hi Sky - My first attack of Hashimotos (auto immune thyroid) was certainly around my first pregnancy but never diagnosed. Attacks re-occurred through my life until I was finally diagnosed at 50. Barbara is quite right that certain vitamins and minerals impact massively on how the thyroid works. We actually need to have high levels of vit D, vit B12, ferritin and folate. Sometimes the T4 (levothyroxine) doesnt convert no matter what you do. At this point we may need T3 which is the active thyroid hormone. Get tested for all these things - not just TSH and T4
    • sky23
      sky23 Jill6969

      Posted

      Thanks Jill..I was looking at getting tested for T3. There seems to be quite a strong resistence to the idea of it. However I was looking at the Thyroid website today that can arrange the tests privately..I am dreading that if it shows I need it, the fight to actually obtain it..everything seems to have been a battle thus far..B12 I am due for a test for in a week or so..X
    • patricia537
      patricia537 Jill6969

      Posted

      Morning everyone

      Just thought I would come in on a comment made by Jill and wondered if any one had considered changing their mefication to the natural thyroid hormone known as Amour? It is derived from dessicated pigs thyroid and because of this it contains both T4 and T3 which we need to maintain all the functions the thyroid performs. The synthetic thyroxin we get on prescription only contains T4.

    • sky23
      sky23 patricia537

      Posted

      Hi Patricia

      I used to be on Armour when I lived in the USA. I was on it for about a year and a half.. To my memory it was somehow stronger than thyroxine(especially if you get too much..I was horrible at these times).. It did not really solve the unstable thyroid problem which cost me $100 every month for bloodtests and which were never right...but I have to say it could be worth a revisit for the T3. I  think the difficulty is getting it in the UK..hard one..X

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 patricia537

      Posted

      Hi Patricia, I would love to - but it's virtually impossible to obtain in UK. The there are the concerns about its quality and the difficulty of regulating it that has been reported by some people.
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 sky23

      Posted

      I found an encrinologist in UK who prescribed T3. Unfortunately she left the hospital I was seeing her at and I don't know where she went. However, my doctor is supportive. He found that if he wrote: 'EHTY - previously on liothyronine' in the notes section on the blood form, they will test for T4 and sometimes T3. I think EHTY stands for Enhanced Thyroid tests.
    • patricia537
      patricia537 sky23

      Posted

      Thanks Sky. I have an appointment with my GP next week and want to discuss the possibility of me trying Amour and if he is willing to prescribe it on the NHS. I have researched on the internet and it is possible to get it in UK but only a few pharmacys stock it. I will let you know how I get on. x
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 patricia537

      Posted

      Someone mentioned that NICE guidelines say that Amour can be prescribed on a 'named patient basis'.
    • patricia537
      patricia537 barbara98940

      Posted

      Thanks Barbara, I will mention that to my GP. Just to say I don't hold out much hope in getting Amour as the doctor I have an appointment with is in his 20s, I think will only know about synthetic thyroid treatment. We'll see. x
    • sky23
      sky23 patricia537

      Posted

      On one of the main websites for thyroid..hint..it ends in uk and has org in it there is some information on testing and armour. This is the one that has the saliva test  for T3 which you do at home and then send back. They say they wight a consultation report and send it your doctors..but then in my case the trouble just might begin because it it just too revolutonary. I think to go on armour I would have to go private and that will be crippling financially if my thyroid remains unstable due to the need for bloods. I think it would depend if the private doctor would do the bloods on the NHS? There also seems to be a private female doctor on the web (UK) who appears to be breaking down some barriers. However she is booked up forever and a day..There are no easy answers methinks X
  • Jill6969
    Jill6969 sky23

    Posted

    You've got it right about the website...you'll get all the help and advice you need there. A lotof people in the UK are funding their own medication because of the reluctance to make people well here. Natural dessicated thyroid has only ever been recalled once in a hundred years whereas levothyroxine has been recalled many times. One brand was even banned. I recommend you do your own research. I am lucky at the moment with T3 prescribed for me but never know when the plug will be pulled beacuse of the expense in this country. We are held to ransom by a particularly evil pharmaceutical company sad
    • sky23
      sky23 Jill6969

      Posted

      Yep, think you got it right there. Have just heard that Armour is being really over taken by synthetic in the States so another clamour over there. I have just been to a private docs for an endocronologist apt. This is to ask a few questions and take all my blood results. I will be ordering a saliva test tonight so I hope that gets here in time. I am not rich, in fact I am poor. But I cannot sit around and wait for other people to make decisions when my worklife is being so affected..I will not be popular but what on earth else can we do?
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 sky23

      Posted

      You're doing the right thing. Don't worry about what others think, it's only you that's affected, so do what is right for you.
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