radiotherapy

[haggisplant]

Does anyone know if radio therapy (breast) if you’re already on thyroxine might affect levels/ blood tests at all? I had radio this week but a test coming up in 6weeks to check levels following a thyroxine increase while on tamoxifen.

I know it can induce, this is is yourre already on a stable dose, does it affect? In a simailr way to how post operative levels can wobble?

[TiggerMe]

Can't help I'm afraid but will bump this up in the hope that someone can 🤗

[HandS]

Hi Haggisplant: my experience was that radiotherapy for BC didn’t make any difference to Levo levels or tests.

However, we are all different. Has your oncologist written to your Endo/GP recommending extra monitoring of levo prescribing while on tamoxifen? Mine did - but only after I raised it with him as a question as I had read that Tamoxifen did affect it.

If in doubt about anything, I’d speak to your oncologist if you can.

Very best of luck with your treatment.

[haggisplant in reply to HandS]

Thank you - I’m on top of the monitoring as I knew it can affect levels. I have raised a little and will get another test via Gp in about 6 weeks, I was just wondering if radiotherapy could add an extra layer of complexity to interpreting them!

But I intend to ask for monitoring over the next year as I know that my own cycle with the tamoxifen could bounce around a bit over the next few months and take a while to fully settle.

[bikebabe]

I had breast radiotherapy 3 yrs ago and didn’t notice any effects apart from the sore skin. About the same time though I was getting into difficulties with my gp practice about my thyroxine dose as I had hypo symptoms whenever they reduced my dose to stay ‘within range’. So I’ve ended up on thyroxine and t3, follow advice given in here, and do regular blood tests privately.

[Fach]

I didn’t have any issues with thyroxine during radiotherapy. I got incredibly tired by the end of the treatment though

[Dusternorth17]

It's about 14 years since I had RT and it was for eye/sight problems created by the thyroid disease, I don't recall any problems with medication at that time but not very long afterwards the thyroid disease began causing heart palpitations so I was given all sorts of other medication and taken off thyroxine. Hope you get a more satisfactory answer.

[Bearo]

Can’t answer your question I’m afraid as I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and ‘on the floor’ vitamin D a couple of years after finishing Tamoxifen and radiotherapy for breast cancer.

I always wonder, though, what came first, as I’d never had TSH or vit D tested before.

[haggisplant in reply to Bearo]

It’s always hard to tell isn’t it. Most women develop hypothyroidism around menopause age though for me it was early adulthood.