Is there any response to graves besides burn it with RAI?

[bd8510]

Is there any response to Graves besides burn it with RAI? Ive been struggling with my thyroid for almost two years now, graves specifically before that I was hypo but never diagnosed. I got a new Endo this is the third suppose to be best in the state, and i tel lhim that I am looking for another option besides methimazole that doesnt seem to be doing anything. His first response is lets burn it with RAI and then we can treat it with synthroid its so much easier? What kind of ass backwards medicining is this?!?! Is there not at least another method besides pills? You cant grow back a thyroid once you kill it. What happened to healing? What happened to hell maybe trying another pill, or a new diet or something? My god is there not anything besides dump a ton of poison into my body?I have heard nothing but regret for doing RAI. I dont have cancer, I have one beign nodule. What if I switch back to hypo and go really hypo cause I no longer have a thyroid. Im sorry I am just really upset and i dont understand this at all. Is there really no other options? Is there really just these two things to fix a hyperthyroid condition?

[RhubarbAndCustard]

I am so sorry you are in this situation - unfortunately I too am in the same predicament. Diagnosed with Graves 2 years ago, stopped B&R after 18 months, only to relapse 6 months later. Been on low Carbimazole since July last year and have felt great the past few months so I am very hesitant to change. They want me to go for RAI or remove my thyroid altogether, I also feel the same as you - it's not solving the problem, just replacing it with another. I have a catchup with my endo in 2 hours, dreading it as they want to book me in for definitive treatment and I don't want either of those options.

[bd8510 in reply to RhubarbAndCustard]

I am so sorry this is so unacceptable. Yea I go back in a month to see where I am at but I was thinking of looking into alternative routes. I am not sure what it could hurt with methimazole, I mean the RAI is permanent and can't be undone. It just feel so incredibly lazy, or at the very least the last option but appears to be the first.

[Sunnydevon]

Hi there, do you mind me asking what sort of regret people have regards RAI treatment? Do you mean the fact it makes you hypo?

[Helenca]

I went through the same nightmare with Graves for 2 years, then opted for RAI, not knowing what a horrible effect it would have on my life for the next 35 years! In my opinion the endos recommend RAI because it is easy for them to “treat” the resulting hypothyroidism by jiggering the dosage of synthroid. That’s what theyre taught in med school. One thing Ive learned for sure is that Synthroid is the wrong way to go, and if you do end up hypo youre much better off on natural dessicated thyroid (NDT). But I now believe I could have controlled my Graves with a very low carb or ketogenic diet, and by quitting smoking. I was a heavy smoker at the time, and you know that is strongly correlated with Graves. After years of bouncing around among drugs and diets it has become clear to me that the more carbs I eat the more Thyroid hormone I need to replace, and my dose goes up and down like clockwork based on m diet. It seems logical that if I had cut carbs when I was over-producing t3 with Graves, I might have kept it under control without the RAI. Knowing what I know now, that is definitely what I would try before opting for the RAI.