Thyroid Uptake Scan

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2004
Thyroid Uptake Scan
7
Tue, 07-27-2004 - 5:44pm
Has anybody ever had a Thyroid Uptake Scan? I have taken the normal thyroid exam and it came back "normal" now my doctor is recommeding I take the thyroid uptake scan. Can someone please tell me what to expect?

Thanks!

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 8:58am
Hi again! I haven't had the scan myself but many people here have. I guess they just didn't see your post last night. I'm sorry I didn't get to you last night, I was just too tired!!

How are you feeling lately? Has the medication been helping you or are you still feeling that "choking" feeling in your throat? Is that why you're going for the scan?

For the scan, you will take a radioactive iodine pill or get an injection and then your thyroid will be scanned to see which parts take up the most iodine. Here's what I posted yesterday for someone else who asked about it:

"Iodine is what the thyroid uses to make thyroid hormone. The nodules are then classified into hot or cold nodules. The ones that take up a lot of the iodine are called warm or hot nodules and they do not carry a significant risk of cancer. Cold nodules that do not take up iodine appear are most often benign and they appear as nonfunctioning areas on the thyroid scan. Only 10 to 15 % of cold nodules can be cancerous. The important thing to remember with all this is that nearly 85% of all nodules are cold, so the chances of having a cancerous nodule either way - hot or cold - is quite small. Most nodules are benign. (This information comes from the book, The Thyroid Solution, by Dr. Ridha Arem and from this website, http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_thyroid_cancer_diagnosed_43.asp

I hope this helps. Check out that thread, too, because Lisa talks about a friend of hers who has had it: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-bhhypothyroi&msg=8157.1&ctx=128

Let us know how you're doing!! Cathy :)

Avatar for cl_calley7
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 9:21am

Hi Myremi,


I've had the thyroid scan, ultrasound and uptake tests.

 

Calley7

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-11-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 9:35am
Hello. I had a radioactive thyroid uptake scan last August. It is a painless test. I went in the morning and took one or two radioactive pills and then had to come back in the afternoon (it takes a few hours to be in your system). Once I came back I laid on this table completely flat and had "pictures" taken. I believe 3 or 4. I know one I looked toward the left, the other to the right, and one straight back. They told me the pictures could take anywhere from a couple minutes to possibly 10+ minutes to be completed depending upon your condition. From my own personal experience I think the scan itself may have taken between 20-30 minutes total but like I said completely painless.

I wish you the best of luck and hope this helps.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 9:43am
Hi, I hope you don't mind my asking, but why did your Dr recommend

this uptake scan if your thyroid exam came back normal?

I am just curious because my Dr won't recommend anything since my

TSH is normal, was yours normal as well?

Shell

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-11-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 10:15am
I know for myself I had a noticeable thyroid nodule. Initially ran bloodwork, ultrasound, and the uptake scan soon as it was brought to his attention. After all that then I had to go for the biopsy. If your insurance covers it I would push for as much testing as possible.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 11:07am
Thanks everyone for the information!!! My doctor said my Thyroid test were normal but she could feel that the actual glan was swollen. Along with the choking symptons I told her about and feeling the glan she suggested I have the Thyroid Uptake exam. I have not have the choking sensation as much as before. It comes and goes. Cathy do you know why that choking sensation comes and goes??? Although I feel much better without it.

I have not been perscribed any medication by this doctor as of yet. She's waiting until the Thyroid Uptake exam is completed. If this doctor does not prescribe me any medication I'm going back to the clinic that did. Afterall I was feeling much better when I was taking the medication.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-06-2004
Fri, 07-30-2004 - 9:59am
I had both these tests done a few weeks ago and they're no big deal at all. My scan was a little different than the one described in the link Calley sent, though. Maybe because they injected the solution right into my vein (which was totally painless), instead of giving me a pill - I only had to wait about 30 minutes, then they did the scan, which took 30-40 minutes. Right after the scan, they gave me the radiation pill for the uptake, and I had to return 24 hours later for them to read it. Like Calley said, they just put a little probe on your thyroid gland and the machine reads it and you're done!