Thyroid meds needed 3 years after radiation?

I only had surgery and no chemo or radaition. However, I have been taking thyroid meds for just over 50 years. I was born with half a thyroid gland and it's nothing to take thyroid meds.  Having rads might have done it or some meds can reduce your thyroid, and sometines it just stops working. Mine did when I was 12. I can't answer your question, but I can say don't wory about having to take it. It will take a few months to get it dialed in. If you don't get enought you get sleepy,tired, etc. If I was to go without for 4 days I could not even get out of bed and It could become life threatening around day seven. If you get to much, your hands can sweat you get wired and will talk fast and it will mess up your digestion. Not everyone gets the side effects. You don't have to take on an empty stomach, and with a glass of water. I take mine whenever I get up and with all the other pills at the same time.  If you forget to take it, take it as soon as you remember but do not double up on them. It would be better to skip one day. Don't skip two days. 

Best of luck with finding your answers

Bill

simply hasn't supervised the recovery for a bunch of people who have been radiated for head and neck cancer.  The thyroid is in the radiated field.  Sclerosis of the thyroid tissue is a progressive event, that takes place over a number of years, not just days or weeks.  So the farther out we are from rads, the more common thyroid failure is.  My thyroid failed before I even had my six week check-up, but that's actually a little unusual.  Most fail later than that.  Thyroid is easy to replace.  Someone just has to run the lab and prescribe the meds.

best to you     

Pat

this one.  Rads DO affect the thryroid......sooner or later.  My thyroid started going down hill 3 months out of treatment,and I've been on synthroid ever since.  I'd insist on a thyroid test......it's just a little blood.....It's hard to believe that Drs.'s this day and age would be in the dark about this.

p

Ptom,

After I completed my Radiation Treatments, my Radiation Oncologist told me to make sure I had my (TSH) Thyroid level checked any time I had Bloodwork done. He informed me that it wasn't a matter of IF my Thyroid would fail, but it was a matter of WHEN it would fail. I was lucky as my Thyroid did not fail until about the 5 year mark when I felt a sudden drop in energy. Went to my family doctor and had blood work done. Yep, TSH was out of whack, started on Levothyroxine low dose and increased doseage until I felt better.

Agree with the others, need to keep an eye on the Thyroid.

My Best to You and Everyone Here

Same here as Matt 2 years after my second treatment my Thyroid went out; doctor blame it on radiation side effects. I been on thyroid meds for almost 8 years now and go once a year to have it checked.

Tim Hondo

denistd said:

Disagree a little

Disagree with whoever said that synthroid does npot have to be taken on an empty stomach. My endocinologist, my family doctor and the pharmacist said to take it about one hour before breakfast. If you look it up online it will also tell you that.

 

How to Take Synthroid:

• Take your Synthroid once a day at the same time each day.
• Take Synthroid on an empty stomach. It's best to take it 30 to 60 minutes before eating breakfast.
• Take Synthroid alone. Do not take Synthroid within 4 hours of ingesting medications, supplements, or foods that may interact with Synthroid. Antacids, iron, and calcium supplements, dietary fiber, soy, and even walnuts can affect your body's absorption of Synthroid. Talk to your doctor to learn more.

denistd said:

Also take with 6 ounces of water

How to Take Synthroid:

• Take your Synthroid once a day at the same time each day.
• Take Synthroid on an empty stomach. It's best to take it 30 to 60 minutes before eating breakfast.
• Take Synthroid alone. Do not take Synthroid within 4 hours of ingesting medications, supplements, or foods that may interact with Synthroid. Antacids, iron, and calcium supplements, dietary fiber, soy, and even walnuts can affect your body's absorption of Synthroid. Talk to your doctor to learn more.

I take mine at least 30 minutes before eating breakfast each morning. I was told the same as you, empty stomach to work best.

My Best to You and Everyone Here

Hi to all of you,

I too have had the problem of lack of energy, consentration and strength together with unexplained weight gain and being too easily upset over minor issues. This had been going on for three to four years and as my lab test ect were in line with a 22 plus years cancer survivor I attributed these problems with "old age" as I will be 69 this month. I guess my DRs. did as well. Not so. After a number of tests and scans of lungs, kidnies, heart and bladder my relatively new GP, two years after my other GP moved from the area, ordered full thyroid panel and bingo last May! He said "We can fix this." He started me on 50mcg Levothyroxine for six weeks and there was good improvement in all areas to which my wife, colleauges and scale agree. He upped it to 75 mcg and I go back in the middle of this month to make sure we're at the right dossage. I am very grateful period! Unfortunately for me and his patients in our area the DR. was too good to true and was hired by a far more lucrative market in the L.A. area. I look forward to meeting my new GP in a few weeks and seeing the test results.

 I hope this helps someone out there somewhere and let's be thankful and remember that we're not alone. josh r.

Yes same here.  I had surgery and 6 weeks radiation and after 1 year I had to start taking thyroid pills but hey that's ok I'm still here. ,lol.  Was taken 25mg this year moved up to 50mg.  My doctors at md Anderson say it is a direct cause of radiation.  

I was actually on thyroid meds before my first cancer in 2007.  I had radiation and chemo then.  My meds did not change for about 5 year during and after that.

Then, a couple years ago, I had to reduce my dose (6 days out of 7)

Now, with cancer 2 in 2014 - I had to reduce my meds again (.150 6/7 days instead of .175 6/7 days)

I had no chemo or rads this time.  I dare to be different.

I now have missing parathyroid, and have issues with calcium and vitamin d.

I will be switching to primary care doctors soon - who is also a endrocronologist - so he can deal with my thryoid, parathryoid, and diabetes!