What now??
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What now??
| Wed, 03-16-2005 - 10:24am |
Okay so I found out a week or so ago I have Graves Disease. Well I have one more test to do and that is the thyroid uptake scan. Through out this ordeal we haven't had insurance. Now we've been lucky because we've had our church help and we basically only have to pay the labs. The labs are over a thousand dollars but it could be worse. Now I called up to make an appointment which is for tomorrow. Well I talked to some lady at the hospital where it's being done and she said I had to come up with the money before we can have the scan. We don't have the money for the scan. ugh. Now I have another appointment for the Endo next week. Can they start giving me meds with out the thyroid uptake or does that have to be done first? I am getting really frustrated again.
Thank you so much so far for helping me. I love this board.
Kim
Thank you so much so far for helping me. I love this board.
Kim

Hi Kim - I'm so sorry I never got back to you about the thyroid uptake scan!! Did someone else answer that for you? Well, I have two answers for you. One is that this is the way God intended this to go so don't worry about it. Here's some info from Cedars-Sinai home site:
Thyroid Uptake and Scan
This procedure evaluates thyroid nodules, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and goiter. To prepare for the exam:
Thyroid medication may not be taken (thyroxine for at least six weeks and Synthroid for at least three weeks). The physician should be consulted prior to discontinuation of any thyroid medication.
Antithyroid medications (PTU & Tapazole) may not be taken for at least three days. Patient must consult with the doctor before stopping medications.
No iodinated contrast material may have been given (IVP, CT with contrast, myelogram and angiogram) for at least six weeks.
The procedure takes three visits. On the first visit, the patient is given a small radioactive iodine capsule. On the second visit (four hours after taking the capsule), the nuclear medicine physician will do an uptake measurement, take pictures of the thyroid gland and examine the thyroid gland. The patient sits up for the uptake measurement procedure and lies flat while pictures of the thyroid gland are taken. The uptake probe used to perform the uptake measurement and the camera used to take pictures of the thyroid do not produce any radiation. Each instrument simply detects and records the distribution of radioactive material in the thyroid. Measuring the uptake and taking pictures of the thyroid takes approximately one hour. On the third visit (24 hours after taking the capsule), a follow-up uptake measurement of the thyroid gland is taken. This final visit takes only about five minutes.
After the exam, patients who have stopped taking thyroid medication should call the doctor for instructions before resuming the medication.
So it seems the answer to that would be "no", you can't take any medication before the scan because it effects the scan!! I didn't know that. :)Have you spoken to your doctor about this yet?? Cathy :)
I have Graves' disease too, and I never did have an uptake scan. The first endocrinologist who saw me while I was hospitalized said he normally would order one, but he couldn't because I had just had an MRI for another medical condition--so he'd have to wait six weeks for the contrast material to work itself out of my system. It turned out after I was discharged that he wasn't on my insurance plan, so I had to see a different endocrinologist. This doctor said he didn't need to order an uptake scan because it was obvious from my thyroid antibody tests that I had Graves! Just a thought, if the labs you've had include thyroid antibody tests, maybe the doctor could start treating you based on those results.
Diane
Kim,
I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease in November of 2003. I refused to have the uptake scan on the grounds I didn't want anything "radioactive" in my body. Also, I have some eye involvement with my Grave's Disease and there are some tests that suggest radioactive iodine increases eye involvement. It was obvious from my TSH and antibody test that I had Grave's Disease, so your endo or doctor really shouldn't need that test. I have been on PTU for the Grave's for about 15 months now and am feeling much better. I didn't want the radioactive iodine to "kill" the thyroid immediately, I am trying for a remission instead. Good luck to you, try and get on medication first to calm your mind down so you can research this illness and make the right decision for you.
Tammy
I had the uptake scan back in January and I felt good about having it done. I feel that it gave more insight into how my thyroid was functioning. The amount of radioactive iodine is very small that they give you for the uptake scan. I also had an ultrasound done. I also feel that by having all of the testing done, it helped in my endo deciding on what medication to give me and how much. Even though it is not definate that the original dosage will be exact. My endo just increased my dosage after my 6 week check up and blood tests.
Danielle
I had the uptake test done, it's easy.
I dont see why they can't give you meds.
Can't live with it and Can't live without it! What to do?
My appt is to see my Endo DR next Thursday and I have the hard copies of the test for him to read himself. My reg DR did the TSH test and referred me to Endo DR. I hope this is not a lifelong problem. I am 54 and I guess I have done all and at some points I don't care if this is it. Our life has just spriraled down since 911 and my husband lost his good job! We are trying to get by on 1/3 of what we used to have and we have cut, cut, cut! I guess this is depression talking, and I will go for now. Just happy to have found these boards with folks you have these same problems. THanks for being you and here!
Hey there...