Is It Normal To Feel So Tired After Thyrogen and The Radioiodine Pill?

• By DariaJ
• Reply 3761122
• January 31, 2013 at 7:09 pm
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First off, it's not that common to have a repeat treatment. It does happen, but often it is not needed. Second, yes, the Thyrogen injections have some side effects, the RAI has some side effects and face it - the whole "I have cancer" deal is draining. I'd suggest you give into the fatigue - let your body rest. Enjoy some sleep. When you are not radioactive any more, consider a nice massage or pampering and slowly you'll get your energy back.
Hang in there.
dj

• By michellesusar
• Reply 3761147
• January 31, 2013 at 7:17 pm
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Yes. You just went through radiation and that is a big trauma to your body. Your cells are dying - right now! That takes a toll on your immune system and energy levels. Expect flu like symptoms and neck pain. I had both, as well as neck swelling (I looked like I had the mumps). I hope you feel better soon!

• By cabro
• Reply 3761982
• February 1, 2013 at 1:04 am
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I did fine with the Thyrogen but when I had RAI, it kicked my butt. I agree with michellesusar. I spent Days 2-5 in bed but did feel better on Day 5 (counting from the day of the pill). I had 162 mCi. Use this time to rest and sleep, so your body can handle the treatment and you can heal. Drink water as much as you can between naps.

• By Sheil49
• Reply 3762001
• February 1, 2013 at 1:18 am
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I just had RAI on Tuesday (1/29). I was very nervous about vomiting from it. (I have a very sensitive stomach). Though I was fine the day of the pill, I woke up yesterday very, very nauseous. Luckily my surgeon had prescribed Phenergan for after surgery nausea. I popped one around 10:30 AM and waited too long to take the next one. I was laying down and all of a sudden broke out into a cold sweat and that was the closest I came to getting sick. I was deadly tired all day yesterday and slept a lot but today was much, much better.Thank the Lord that I had some ginger ale in the house...that with ice really saved my life! I've been downing gallons of water since Tuesday and running to the bathroom every 5 minutes but I want that stuff out of me! My throat is a little sore on the right side but I"m not surprise because that was the side the majority of the cancer was and he removed 5 lymph nodes for frozen section which came back clean!

Good luck everyone...it's gotta get better from this point on!

• By karend1031
• Reply 3762167
• February 1, 2013 at 5:43 am
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Thanks so much guys! Sometimes with all of this I felt like I was going nuts at times. It also seemed that every time I asked someone (nurse from the doctor's office and the technicians in Nuclear Medicine) I would get a very different answer. It can be really confusing. I too have a very sensitive stomach and had the surgeon (that removed my thyroid) prescribe some Zofran as I have an allergy to Phenerghan. I too don't know what I would do without Ginger Ale! I know it was recommended that I do this treatment and am so glad that it is over ... I will be glad when I get some energy back. I still feel so drained. Before the treatment I had lost 52 pounds and for some reason I have gained 5 pounds back even though I am not eating that much. Has anyone else had this happen? It is discouraging to work so hard to loose the weight only to have it come back. Can this treatment make you hypothyroid? I know it will get better soon. I was just not prepared very well. I wish I had of found this website a lot earlier. I go for my full body scan this morning. What is this for exactly?

Everyone has been so kind and it has helped me so much. I certainly don't feel so alone. I really do hope all of you feel much better soon! Thanks so much! Like Sheil49 said, "it's gotta get better from this point on!"

• By DAB2
• Reply 3762593
• February 1, 2013 at 9:09 am
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I agree with a lot of the comments. Don't underestimate the emotional toll this takes. I did RAI Monday (no Thyrogen) and I'd brought all sorts of work downstairs to do for the week of quarantine - yeah, right. It does zap you. I've never been so tired sitting in one spot on a sofa all day. Allow yourself the opportunity to rest as much as possible. If you're like me, you may occasionally experience an overwhelming feeling of thinking about what's in your body. That and feeling flu or cold-like with the sore throat and congestion seems to be a common experience. Hang in there.

• By tenmile19
• Reply 3762704
• February 1, 2013 at 9:37 am
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I wondered the same thing last week about being tired. I had Thyrogen on Monday and Tuesday and swallowed my nine pills on Wednesday. I am so glad my husband drove that day, because I could barely keep my eyes open on the way home. Once home I took a three hour nap. I felt much better after the nap. I wondered if I didn’t sleep well the night before… it just doesn’t feel right to swallow radioactive pill… or if it was the pills. Interesting.

• By mimi254
• Reply 3762743
• February 1, 2013 at 9:45 am
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I had RAI on 1/25 so had been off my meds and on the low salt diet for almost 3 weeks at that point. I was tired and dehydrated from that going into the RAI. But I can't say it kept me from doing anything, I was just tired, and very thirsty! Drink as much as you can! Went through the isolation, still on the diet, still no thyroid meds because of having to go back for a follow up scan. I had clear scans before and after the RAI, thank God, so now I am cancer free and back on my thyroid med. After 2 days on the thyroid med my energy started coming back, now it has been 6 days and I feel great! I had puffiness and droopiness in my face which is gone. Some congestion, cold symptoms, but my energy level is great. Hang in there, stay positive! Visualize how good you will feel when it's over!

• By BiomedEE
• Reply 3762753
• February 1, 2013 at 9:48 am
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I found that the LID, radioactivity and so much more about the process causes huge amounts of vitamin and mineral difficiences which are not easily remedied by just going back to normal food and our thyroid meds. At same time going into thyroid meds for first time can be really hard, particularly if they are just T4 meds. So give yourself plenty of time, get back to good diets with any needed intakes of vitamins and minerals to make up for the deficiences, and by all means when they get your thyroid levels tested be sure they check free t3 and free t4 both on the lab slip.

• By mimi254
• Reply 3763051
• February 1, 2013 at 11:22 am
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You are right about the vitamins! My vitamin D level was 9 when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I was put on 50,000 units per week along with a calcium and a B complex supplement. Am now going to have them redo my numbers with my bloodwork to make sure the diet and RAI isn't depleting me again.

• By Shari1967
• Reply 3767336
• February 2, 2013 at 4:56 pm
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the thyrogen injections make me very tired.

• By IrishArt611
• Reply 3767589
• February 2, 2013 at 6:45 pm
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I had Thyrogen injections on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Monday I was absolutely exhausted and had a dull headache all day. Tuesday seemed to be better and I wasn't as tired...still didn't have any energy though. I received 1.4 millicuries of I-123 on Wednesday and felt fine. Thursday was my WBS and I felt ok then too. I repeat Thyrogen Mon and Tues of this coming week and then get the big dose of I-131 on Wednesday. I just want it over at this point! It's emotionally and physically exhausting. Best of luck to you! Hang in there :) We're all in this together

• By sanral
• Reply 3781691
• February 7, 2013 at 2:10 am
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what minerals and vitamins become depleted?

• By BiomedEE
• Reply 3781953
• February 7, 2013 at 7:38 am
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Hi sanral, nearly all of us see lowered levels of the VItamins D, B12, Folic acid, plus things like iron, selenium. I never had all these measured right at the end of RAI but I know some get depleted because I had some higher and afterwards they were not anywhere near I had them. It is hard to get labs right after rai anyway they are doing so many other tests so we often have to pick it up later. Some it takes awhile to build and get right.

Many people test on D (total D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D) around 5 to 40 after RAI, but ideally we should be up there at 70. Same is true for many of these including the free t3. There is a low number that we can scrape by at, or work with supplements (or prescription meds in case of free t3) to get it boosted for optimal health. B12 we should be up there at 800 optimally, but many test 350 or worse. Many test 1.5 to 2.5 on free t3 but optimally we should be above 3.5 or at 4 or above to really feel well. People that disagree don't know what they miss. I never had selenium tested or folic acid, but I know I need these. Whole B complex good. Selenium hard to determine amounts, sketchy info in the press. And of course selenium involves t3 so that causes the biased researchers to instead of work to help us (they are being paid to do that) but use a preconceived idea and try to prove that. We all need help on selenium but I can tell you papers in peer review are 100% in disagreement on amounts, what is too much, optimal amounts, side effects, etc.

• By thiamia
• Reply 3782041
• February 7, 2013 at 8:12 am
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I was so tired, I couldn't even lift my head off the pillow. My chest felt like a sunburn on my lungs.., if you can imagine that ?
The procedure is exhausting along with fatigue and inability to concentrate, sure can make you miserable. Someone posted a really good suggestion...to rest and try to clear your worries and just know that we are here to try & help. Prayers & Blessings to you. Take Care. xoxo

• By sanral
• Reply 3787698
• February 8, 2013 at 8:57 pm
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thanks for the info

• By JessaBert
• Reply 3788069
• February 9, 2013 at 12:09 am
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I would agree with the exhaustion and I had a lot of discomfort on my right side, which is where a larger amount of thyroid tissue was left after surgery because my thyroid was wrapped around the nerve the surgeon tries to avoid. I told someone that I felt like I had mono again due to sleeping for almost 20 hours straight. I had a very low dose of 29mCi. I was thankful that I did sleep so much because it made the time go by quicker!