RAI pushed back :(

[sonnyjane]

Well I got the news I didn't want today :( my bloods came back and my TSH was 16. Of course it has to be 30 or more so they will not be able to give me the pill tomorrow as planned. I had my TT Nov. 21st and have been off my Cytomel and on the LID for 13 days. They have rescheduled me for Friday, Jan. 27th. I'll get my new bloods taken Monday so send some vibes that we can get this show on the road at that time! I can't really push it back much farther because I have a friend flying in from across the country on February 8 and I 1) can't be under quarantine obviously and 2) really didn't want to be on the low-iodine diet during her visit :(

Thanks!!

[joplin1975]

Dang, it's only at 16??!!! I'm so sorry. I know you wanted this over and done with as soon as possible.

I know people tell you to take it easy (and I do think that's good advice!), but I tried to stay as active as possible to push that number up ASAP. Are you feeling ok?

[Octavia]

Well, darn! I was off meds for 3 weeks prior to my RAI, and my TSH was 105. Interesting how our bodies respond so differently. Sending "High TSH vibes" your way! I would be shocked if another 9 days doesn't do it for you.

[Octavia]

Why are they taking labs Monday if your treatment isn't until Friday? You could use the few extra days, I would think.

[Andros]

Well I got the news I didn't want today :( my bloods came back and my TSH was 16. Of course it has to be 30 or more so they will not be able to give me the pill tomorrow as planned. I had my TT Nov. 21st and have been off my Cytomel and on the LID for 13 days. They have rescheduled me for Friday, Jan. 27th. I'll get my new bloods taken Monday so send some vibes that we can get this show on the road at that time! I can't really push it back much farther because I have a friend flying in from across the country on February 8 and I 1) can't be under quarantine obviously and 2) really didn't want to be on the low-iodine diet during her visit :(

Thanks!!

It usually takes a good 3 weeks from the time you stop the Cytomel.

[sonnyjane]

Why are they taking labs Monday if your treatment isn't until Friday? You could use the few extra days, I would think.

Meh long story involving insurance...

[sonnyjane]

Dang, it's only at 16??!!! I'm so sorry. I know you wanted this over and done with as soon as possible.

I know people tell you to take it easy (and I do think that's good advice!), but I tried to stay as active as possible to push that number up ASAP. Are you feeling ok?

I've still been working full time and feeling like crap so was hopeful I was hypo, but guess not! So can you explain to me what TSH is lol, and what a 16 means vs. say, 50?

[joplin1975]

TSH = thyroid stimulating hormone. It is produced by the pituitary gland. The your body monitors how much thyroid hormone there is in the body and then, by way of TSH, tells the thyroid to either produce more hormone or slow down. (See: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/thyroid-stimulating-hormone-tsh)

The higher the TSH, the more your thyroid will be chugging along. The more it works, the more of the RAI is absorbs. The more RAI absorbed, the more thyroid tissue destroyed. If your TSH is too low, then you are ingesting radioactive material without much benefit.

You are hypo!!! You just aren't hypo enough -- fun, eh? :)

[sonnyjane]

Thanks Joplin.

Is there any reason my TSH would be so low when others didn't have this problem? My doctor seemed to think that usually two weeks is long enough, but it obviously wasn't. Anything I can do to get it down faster, SHORT of running a marathon, because after work I'm pretty much dead... I almost fell asleep in my car once I pulled into the garage today lol.

[Octavia]

I don't know how much control we really have over it, you know? But I would say one thing you could try is being as active as you can tolerate. It's too cold to run a marathon, anyway!

[joplin1975]

I honestly don't know, but I'm wondering (total shot in the dark here) if the cytomel has anything to do with it? You know I didn't take any meds post-surgery, so I cant speak from experience, but from reading others' experiences, those who went on meds did the T4 route, not T3. Just a thought.

[Octavia]

I was thinking the same thing about the Cytomel possibly slowing down the increase in TSH. ???

[sonnyjane]

I honestly don't know, but I'm wondering (total shot in the dark here) if the cytomel has anything to do with it? You know I didn't take any meds post-surgery, so I cant speak from experience, but from reading others' experiences, those who went on meds did the T4 route, not T3. Just a thought.

Who knows. I'm just a freak :( My doctor put me on the Cytomel because it doesn't stay in your system for as long as the other types (I'm still super new to understanding the meds). Basically Cytomel (Liothyronine) gets out of your blood faster than Synthroid (levothyroxine). It says it has a half-life of 2.5 days, and by day 8 the amount in the blood should be negligible... who knows. Why would I expect THIS step of the process to go smoothly when Murphy has been holding my hand through all the other steps?? :tongue0013:

[Octavia]

That's one thing about Murphy...why does he get to make the laws, anyway??!!

[joplin1975]

Well dang, there goes that theory! I guess the only option now is running a marathon! (Kiddddding!!)

Let us know how the next labs go, ok?

[nasdaqphil]

Do not worry. Once the remaining hormone is used up your levels will drop like a rock quickly and your TSH will increase fast. It will probably happen pretty quick once it does.

[sonnyjane]

Let us know how the next labs go, ok?

Will do! Octavia asked earlier why I have to get my bloods drawn on Monday when my treatment wouldn't be until Friday. My doctor doesn't do in-house bloods, and the lab in their hospital isn't covered by my insurance, so instead of just running upstairs and doing the blood immediately, if they request bloods, I have to make an appointment at a local Quest Diagnostics, do my bloods there, and then wait 3 business days for the results...SO, what that means is that even though they needed to see the results by tomorrow morning to decide to give me the pill, I had to actually draw the blood on Monday morning to give them enough time to process it and get the results to my doctor. So.... the 16 was technically my number as of Monday. Now, I'm not sure how fast TSH goes up, but my level could easily be different today than it was on Monday. I'm hoping that by the time they do the tests next Monday, I'll be in the clear. It's a huggggggggggggggggggggge pain, but I guess at least I'm not paying for it :(

[Octavia]

I have to make an appointment at a local Quest Diagnostics, do my bloods there, and then wait 3 business days for the results...(

I see. I also get labs drawn at Quest, and every time I go, I ask how long it will be before my doctor has the results. I get blood drawn first thing in the morning, and they always say "probably a few hours." So it's interesting that yours takes 3 days....that's pretty outrageous. I wonder if you told them your situation if they could "rush" to give you a couple of extra days for your TSH to rise. Or maybe it's too risky to "rock the boat" so to speak.

So, technically, were you only off your meds for a week and a half prior to the blood draw? If that's the case, that may very well explain the fact that your TSH was higher than expected...not quite enough time to get as hypo as you needed to. I have a feeling the extra week wil do it, but the extra couple of days would be a nice safety net! :)

[nasdaqphil]

If you are desperate, use healthcheckusa.com. For $120 you get TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Total T4 and T3 Uptake and they email you a lab requisition within hours of paying so you can walk into your lab today and the results are posted securely online tomorrow. Only takes 1 day.

Your lab is covering their butts. It doesn't take 3 days. They would have results by tomorrow morning. If you pry hard, you can get the results sooner. You just need to be assertive and make a few phone calls.

$85 http://www.healthcheckusa.com/Thyroid-Panel-II-with-TSH/46938/


$120 http://www.healthcheckusa.com/Thyroid-Function-Profile-with-TSH-Premium/46937/

Both of the above tests are good. I use them all the time. If you google "healthcheckusa discount codes" you will find codes all over for like 10 or 15% off your price too!

Here's 2 discount codes:

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/healthcheckusa.com

[sonnyjane]

If you are desperate, use healthcheckusa.com. For $120 you get TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Total T4 and T3 Uptake and they email you a lab requisition within hours of paying so you can walk into your lab today and the results are posted securely online tomorrow. Only takes 1 day.

Your lab is covering their butts. It doesn't take 3 days. They would have results by tomorrow morning. If you pry hard, you can get the results sooner. You just need to be assertive and make a few phone calls.

$85 http://www.healthcheckusa.com/Thyroid-Panel-II-with-TSH/46938/


$120 http://www.healthcheckusa.com/Thyroid-Function-Profile-with-TSH-Premium/46937/

Both of the above tests are good. I use them all the time. If you google "healthcheckusa discount codes" you will find codes all over for like 10 or 15% off your price too!

Here's 2 discount codes:

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/healthcheckusa.com

Thanks for those suggestions, nasdaqphil. I'll keep them in mind should I ever need them. In the meantime I think I'm okay with putting up with the red tape, only because with my insurance I don't have any co-pays, so I'd rather put up with a hassle for free than pay $100, KWIM? It's good to know that it probably doesn't *really* take 3 days to get results. I think you're right, that's probably their "cover their butts" response.

[nodakmom]

I never went on any meds after my TT, had my RAI 4 weeks after. My TSH was 36, so high enough to do it, but I thought it would be higher than that too.

Hopefully it all works out for you this time!