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Radiation and thyroid and symptoms?

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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? 

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  • shellyC19
    shellyC19 sky23

    Posted

    Hello Sky, I am an RN, and I live in USA.  Many triggers can start Thyroid probelms.

    1. Puberty

    2. During or after pregnancy

    3. Late adulthood - changes due to aging.

    4. Poor diet (3rd world countries)

    I suffer with Hashimoto's since I was 27.  Back when I was a teen I had symptoms but in the 1970's young gals were not tested in USA.  Now we know more and they test young women today. Having your son, puts stress on the gland and it sometimes can't handle the stress of the pregnancy.  It happened to an Aunt of mine after pregnancy.

    Now we only get 1 thyroid, and they can't make it work or transplant it from one person to another yet. They do have meds and the meds replace the needed horomone.  Your thyroid makes 2 important ones T 3 & T 4. Both of these levels need to be "normal" and if low -you may feel bad. 

    You did not get it from your son's radioactive treatment. That would only last up to 7 days and you wore gloves.  This happens as our bodies change each month for a period and we give birth, some ppl. are born with a gene and it acts up upon a trigger like Epstein-Barr Virus (MONO) or another stress factor on the body.  They do not know why 100% why it happens, but it does.  Women get it mostly but men can have it also. 

    Now some people take different thyroid meds, not just Levo.  They have many good ones and if you still feel bad maybe you should ask the doctor for a different med.  I am on Ctyomel (Liothyroxinne), but they have so many others available today.  Levo gave me bad side effects and never brought my T3  & T4 level up, even though I took it!!!

    So yes, in short, it can come after pregnancy and it is very common to happen then.  I hope this helps.

  • Jill6969
    Jill6969 sky23

    Posted

    To put it simply its stress related...whether emotional stress (eg parent marriage breakup) or physiological stress (pregnancy accident or illness etc) You can help your thyroid function by reducing stress in your life. As well as making sure your body has all the vitamins and minerals it needs.
    • patricia537
      patricia537 Jill6969

      Posted

      Hi everyone

      Saw my GP this morning to discuss the option of being prescribed Amour. As we thought NHS not licencenced to prescribe it. He checked the results of my last blood regarding thyroid test and said they were normal. He said he could put me on HRT as the estrogen may give me a boost. I did explain I was 63 and that I did try a none bleed HRT when I was in my early 50s but I started to bleed so had to come off it. So I came away with no help no answers and no Amour. I could cry with frustration. xx

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 patricia537

      Posted

      I was really hoping you would be successful. My turn to try on Thu. I've got a really good doctor who is very supportive, but he keeps 'drawing a blank' with regards to being able to get an alternative to thyroxine.
    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 patricia537

      Posted

      I am an RN but I live in the USA, the way they work here in USA, your doctor gives you a prescription and you go to a Pharmacy and fill it.  Armour has been around for ages, it should not be hard to get over the internet via an online Pharmacy. What does that mean, NHS can't prescribe it?  I do not understand your medical system, so could you explain it briefly to me?  In USA any doctor can prescibe the med and you can get it at any pharmacy nationwide.
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 shellyC19

      Posted

      Hi Shelley, in the UK, there are two parallel systems operating, NHS and private. Most use the NHS because it is 'free' (it's paid for out of national insurance payments). Generally one has to pay £9.60 per item for medicines, unless one has one of the named medical conditions (e.g hypothyroidism and diabetes). Which is great, but it does mean that everything it's geared up to the NHS and it is difficult to find a private doctor who'll prescribe alternative medicines to those sanctioned by NICE (national institute for clinical and health excellence).
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