How creepy is it to swallow the 123 and 131 pills ? Side effects ?

MarinMark
MarinMark Member Posts: 148
in Thyroid Cancer #1
I saw the whole body scanner.... looks okay. In two to four weeks I should be getting the scans and rai pills. How many of you had side effects from the 123 pill ? Side effects from the 131 pill ?

How long did they last and what did you do about it ?

Comments

  • CherylMike
    CherylMike Member Posts: 118
    #2
    RAI pills
    I only had to swallow one pill. It was in a small glass vial inside a lead lined container (about 4" high by 3.5" wide). The doctor put on rubber gloves, opened the outer container, took the pill out, had me open my mouth and dropped the pill in my mouth. My daughter was in the room. After giving me the pill, the doctor went over to my daughter and had a "gieger counter". Before I took the pill it had a Zero reading. After giving me the pill, he walked towards me and the thing red lined. He and my daughter exited the room and I stayed in the chair for an hour. They then released me. My daughter drove me home, I rode in the back passenger side seat. As I said before I had nausea, but took medicine for it and was fine. I still have "some" dry mouth even though I sucked on lemons and drank alot of water after RAI. There are products for dry mouth that are sold in most stores. I would advise having your teeth cleaned before the procedure. (I have mine cleaned 2x per year, so just scheduled it before my treatment). That is the only lasting effect that I have had from RAI. I also seemed to have experienced some memory/foggy brain issues. I am not sure if this is from the RAI, age or I have been under incredible stress for the last 3 years (my husband died of cancer, had to short sell home, all three kids have had issues related to their dads' death and my own cancer dx and treatment). It is probably a combination of all of the above. I would also advise to have meals prepared ahead of time - I was on the LID for a few days after the RAI. I also had the sour candies, lemons, bottled water, garabage bags, disposable gloves, paper plates and plastic silverware, paperback books . . lined up ahead of time. I was mostly just bored. I did not like having to stay inside in my room. Just keep in mind that this is what you need to do to kill the cancer and you will be fine. It is just something that you need to do in order to go on and live your life. Take care~cheryl
  • MarinMark
    MarinMark Member Posts: 148
    #3
    CherylMike said:

    RAI pills
    I only had to swallow one pill. It was in a small glass vial inside a lead lined container (about 4" high by 3.5" wide). The doctor put on rubber gloves, opened the outer container, took the pill out, had me open my mouth and dropped the pill in my mouth. My daughter was in the room. After giving me the pill, the doctor went over to my daughter and had a "gieger counter". Before I took the pill it had a Zero reading. After giving me the pill, he walked towards me and the thing red lined. He and my daughter exited the room and I stayed in the chair for an hour. They then released me. My daughter drove me home, I rode in the back passenger side seat. As I said before I had nausea, but took medicine for it and was fine. I still have "some" dry mouth even though I sucked on lemons and drank alot of water after RAI. There are products for dry mouth that are sold in most stores. I would advise having your teeth cleaned before the procedure. (I have mine cleaned 2x per year, so just scheduled it before my treatment). That is the only lasting effect that I have had from RAI. I also seemed to have experienced some memory/foggy brain issues. I am not sure if this is from the RAI, age or I have been under incredible stress for the last 3 years (my husband died of cancer, had to short sell home, all three kids have had issues related to their dads' death and my own cancer dx and treatment). It is probably a combination of all of the above. I would also advise to have meals prepared ahead of time - I was on the LID for a few days after the RAI. I also had the sour candies, lemons, bottled water, garabage bags, disposable gloves, paper plates and plastic silverware, paperback books . . lined up ahead of time. I was mostly just bored. I did not like having to stay inside in my room. Just keep in mind that this is what you need to do to kill the cancer and you will be fine. It is just something that you need to do in order to go on and live your life. Take care~cheryl

    No vomiting ? No headache ?
    No vomiting ? No headache ? No fatigue ? What was your dose of RAI ? Did you use thyrogen or w/d ? Did you see your pre-scan .... if you had one ? See your post-scan ?
  • CherylMike
    CherylMike Member Posts: 118
    #4
    MarinMark said:

    No vomiting ? No headache ?
    No vomiting ? No headache ? No fatigue ? What was your dose of RAI ? Did you use thyrogen or w/d ? Did you see your pre-scan .... if you had one ? See your post-scan ?

    My experience
    I vomited once, because I did not take my anti-nausea medicine when I felt quesy. After I vomited, I took the medicine and was fine. No headache. The fatigue was from me having gone hypothyroid. My dose of RAI was 103. I did not have a "pre-scan". The doctor reviewed the post-scan right after I finished the scan. It did show uptake. My doctor reassured me that the areas that showed uptake were completely normal. There is almost always residual tissue left after the thyroid is removed. The uptake meant, in my case, that the radiation was doing its job. I went in last week for my year out scan and it showed no uptake. So, the doctor was right and the radiation did its job.
  • MarinMark
    MarinMark Member Posts: 148
    #5
    CherylMike said:

    My experience
    I vomited once, because I did not take my anti-nausea medicine when I felt quesy. After I vomited, I took the medicine and was fine. No headache. The fatigue was from me having gone hypothyroid. My dose of RAI was 103. I did not have a "pre-scan". The doctor reviewed the post-scan right after I finished the scan. It did show uptake. My doctor reassured me that the areas that showed uptake were completely normal. There is almost always residual tissue left after the thyroid is removed. The uptake meant, in my case, that the radiation was doing its job. I went in last week for my year out scan and it showed no uptake. So, the doctor was right and the radiation did its job.

    Nausea
    Good, Cheryl. How long after the 131 pill were you nauseated ? How long did the nausea last ? What was the name of the med ?
  • CherylMike
    CherylMike Member Posts: 118
    #6
    MarinMark said:

    Nausea
    Good, Cheryl. How long after the 131 pill were you nauseated ? How long did the nausea last ? What was the name of the med ?

    Do not remember the name of the medicine
    I was sick the same day that I took the radiation pill. The nausea was gone after I took the medicine. If I even started to feel quesy I took the medicine. I only vomited the one time
  • MarinMark
    MarinMark Member Posts: 148
    #7
    CherylMike said:

    Do not remember the name of the medicine
    I was sick the same day that I took the radiation pill. The nausea was gone after I took the medicine. If I even started to feel quesy I took the medicine. I only vomited the one time

    Cheryl--- how many times in
    Cheryl--- how many times in your life have you had nausea ?

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