Thyroid Cancer & Chronic Fatigue Posted: 04-19-08 22:05pm
I haven't been the same since RAI a year
and a half ago. I often have a sore
throat and reoccuring infections. I have
fatigue so bad that my GP still keeps me
out of work. I couldn't drive until my GP
switched me over to Armour Thyroid. I was
just wondering how many others were
affected like this and what was the
outcome? I'm desperate to get on with my
life. I really need to get back to work.
I'm slightly better in the last 2 months,
but not enough to function properly as a
person. I'm hypoparathyroid, too. Mine's
a long story. Your comments would be
appreciated!
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MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1857 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 20
Thanked:10
Posted: 04-22-08 04:37am
The appearance of hypothyroidism after
radioiodine is a very common complication
of the treatment as it is a natural
consequence of the disease which is
accelerated by the treatment. This may
occur as early as two months after
treatment or as late as twenty or thirty
years.
This fatigue, can be a sign that your
hypothyroidism is undertreated. Laboratory
references for normal thyroid hormones
level doesn't mean that you gonna feel
fine.
Every person has his own range of hormones
that is normal for him/her (this need to
be achieved with consulting your
endocrinologist).
Are you getting enough sleep?
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Tasman Bay Butterfly
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 5
Posted: 04-22-08 15:48pm
Thank you for your post. I'm taking as
high of a dose of Armour Thyroid as I can
tolerate without palpitations at
alternating 3 to 4 grains every other day.
I'm not getting enough sleep because I
have difficulty falling asleep. I
recently began taking 20mg of Melatonin
and that is beginning to help a little
bit. My new GP (I moved from the UK to
the USA) won't prescribe me a sleeping aid
and non-prescription sleep aids do not
work for me.
I forgot to mention before I'm a
metastatic mixed papillary/follicular
thyroid cancer patient that had a total
thyroidectomy in 2 surgeries. I was told
that I was given double the dose of
Radioiodine due to metastasis. I haven't
been the same since RAI treatment. I
still test positive for cancer, but it
isn't high enough for another RAI
treatment at this time. I've been
pursuing alternative cancer treatments.
My immune system is depressed, but I'm
working on it. The fatigue is what is
really holding me back.
|
MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1857 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 20
Thanked:10
Posted: 05-05-08 05:22am
When the thyroid gland is under-active
(hypothyroidism), metabolism might slow
down so that the body does not burn food
fast enough to provide adequate energy.
So, you may feel fatigue, a daily lack of
energy, an unusual or excessive whole-body
tiredness not relieved by sleep or rest.
One of the most common side effects of
cancer and its treatment is cancer-related
fatigue. It is not predictable by tumor
type, treatment, or stage of illness, it
comes on suddenly, does not result from
activity or exertion, often described as
"paralyzing" and it might continue even
after treatment is complete.
Radio therapy can cause fatigue that
increases over time. Usually lasts from
three to four weeks after treatment stops
but can continue for up to two to three
months.
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