I am having anxiety about the RAI and couldn't sleep last night wondering if I would ever find myself in a place where I can't get the medication or for some reason can't afford it and I will die. I have been to Africa and Asia where medical treatment wasn't close by for example. The dependence of being on a medication daily scares me. I don't like having a dependence on pharmaceutical giants. Theoretically they can stop making the medication I need whenever they want. With these chemtrails in the sky, I no longer trust anyone. We are being poisoned almost daily and our government isn't protecting us. This spraying is happening in all NATO countries.

The difference with Tapazole is I know I will go off of it again and it isn't for life or isn't a daily thing when in remission.

I am educated and logical. I am just sharing my thoughts and fears.

Hello - I have never heard of a shortage in the U.S. or Canada of T4-based replacement hormone. (There was an issue a couple of years back with Armour, a combo therapy). And if one manufacturer were to go completely out of business, there are a number of brand-name and generic products that could be used instead.

However, certainly, there are other countries where the supply is not so readily available. I remember a presenter at a past conference stating that subtotal thyroidectomy is sometimes used in third-world countries (as opposed to total thyroidectomy, which is the preferred option), in an effort to try and keep the patient from ending up on replacement hormone, since supply can be spotty.

With that said, though, I've never heard from a patient who had issues getting replacement hormone (other than Armour) while travelling, but if you are ever in a situation where you have to be out of the country for an extended period, advance planning would certainly be a good idea.

Take care!

Here's some thoughts that might help:

It isn't just Graves patients who use replacement hormone . People who have Hashimoto's thyroiditis use it; people who have had thyroid cancer and had their thyroids removed use it; people who have lost sufficient thyroid function (about 10% of aging adults just to use that demographic) use it. Compare that then to Tapazole, which is only used for hyperthyroid patients. The “market” is obviously bigger for replacement hormone, hence the likelihood of a pharmacy giant stopping it due to limited market is not great.

I think whether or not you stay on the antithyroid drugs or remove your thyroid and go on replacement needs to be decided on realities, not fears.

Hi!

I just want to say you are not alone. I am dependent now after my TT, but yeah, I've had those fears of some insane calamity happening (like the end of the world or a massive earthquake- we live in CA!) and oh my gosh, I can't get my meds!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!! However, yes, that is pretty much fear based worry. Could it happen? Yeah I suppose so. But, so could getting in a car accident or some other tragedy happen. One thing I did know is that I wasn't living my life, being healthy or enjoying it being sick with being hyper. So, something had to be done. ATD's weren't an option for me, but think about not being able to get ATD's and being hyper- yikes, that's just as scary to me. I guess we would eventually die if we went so hypo with no thyroid and no hormone replacement, but Bobbi is right, Synthroid is the 4th most used medicine in the USA. There's a big market there. So, I think, barring any major calamity nationally speaking (and even there who knows) we'll probably be okay. But, yeah I get your worries. I have irrational worries all the time- or at least mostly irrational!

Well, it is a factor to consider for myself. I am reading how this replacement hormone can't be taken with vitamins and needs to be taken on an empty stomach. Sounds like a real pain in the butt every day!

When I went to Africa last year I was in remission. I spoke to my endocrinologist before the trip. I asked about the likelihood of coming out of remission in the 5 weeks I was going to be away. I had my blood tested before going and the endocrinologist gave me a prescription for Tapazole even though I was in remission, to take with me on the trip. I had some medication in my purse and some in my suitcase, in case of theft. Out of country medical insurance doesn't cover pre-existing conditions, so seeing a doctor for Graves' would probably be pricey.

Sounds like it will be the same procedure now to travel with Synthroid.

Yes I am in a big earthquake zone. We will have a subduction earthquake just like Japan, but we don't know when the next one will be. They happen about every 300 years and it has been 250-300 years since the last one. We had an earthquake on Wednesday. The sound terrified me, like a freight train. I had never heard an earthquake before, but we live at the epicentre and I was home at the time. I thought it was an explosion. The shaking didn't bother me as we have many earthquakes a year.

Thanks for the info Kimberly! I want to move to Morocco and I know a guy there who had a complete thyroid removal , so he is on hormones. Morocco is more 2nd world though.

I hope this stuff, hormone replacement isn't expensive? Under my disability I don't pay for Tapazole and beta blockers. I won't for these hormones either, but when I return to work I might have to pay for them.

I just feel in my gut I am making the wrong choice to do RAI. I am trying to come to terms with my decision to do this!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

I have these same worries–mostly about our oil supply, and if that gets really pricey b/c of a shortage, we will not have such easy access to meds, or they will be unbelievably expensive. Eventually, medicine as we know it will end because our oil supply can't last forever, and some think the supply has already peaked–of course there are always the “sky is falling” mentality. Hopefully, the oil supply will peak later rather than sooner.

Also, on a forum once, and I don't know how true this is, so maybe a moderator can weigh in, a man said his doctor told him if he was w/out a thyroid, or had completely ablated it, he could live 2 weeks w/out synthroid, but if you have active graves, you could live much longer than 2 weeks w/out meds.

I have no idea if his information was accurate, but it's just plain out scary to rely on a medicine. These worries keep me up at night–which is probably not good for my graves.

I realize that we live in uncertain times economically, and many folks are feeling insecure. But to think in terms of “I can live longer hyperthyroid if everything collapses” is extreme. Again, it's a way of making a decision based on fears or guesses rather than on realities. Try to get factual information to make your decision. And try to relegate irrational fears to a back burner, because the bottom line is that the quality of your life depends upon you making a GOOD choice for yourself. That choice can be antithyroid meds OR replacement hormone, depending upon your situation.

If cost is an issue, talk with your pharmacist to compare the costs of antithyroid drugs vs replacement hormone. Based on health plans, pharmacy involved, etc., the costs can vary between me and you, so checking your own resources could be helpful.

VanIsleGal,

I never had fears of the medication not being available, but I'm a brat, so I was annoyed by the fact that I would be inconvenienced having to take my Synthroid before other medications, four hours apart from vitamins and Tums (I had all sorts of GI issues that began a few months before before I started Synthroid), etc.

I have found that putting the next day's pill on my nightstand with a glass of water makes it very easy. My body naturally wakes me up around 4-5 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends. When this happens, I reach over, take the pill and a sip of water (not the full glass they recommend), and go back to sleep. Most mornings, I am so asleep when this happens that when I fully wake up, I am surprised when I look over and see the pill is missing. It has become very easy for me to take my Synthroid apart from my other medications. I now take my vitamins and selenium supplement in the evening before bed, and because I take the Synthroid so early, by the time I need Tums (if I need Tums) after breakfast or coffee, it's usually been four hours or very close to it.

So yes, it may be a little annoying at first, but once it becomes part of your daily routine and you get into the mindset that this tiny little pill makes you feel much better than you'd feel without it, it becomes second nature and you hardly think about it.

Hope this helps!

Um interesting info from everyone! I didn't know about the possible connection between oil and medication, Pale Blue. I have no fear right now about the availability of the hormone replacement. I guess my fear is in 20 or 40 years from now, I don't know what the world will look like. I am not going to presume it will look the way it does now. I think it is an irrational fear today(and I have absolutely no fear of its availability now), but I don't know if it is such an irrational fear in the future.

Gatorgirly, that is a great idea! I don't wake up at night, but I am planning to take the pill at night (if I can bring myself to do this RAI!)

Happy Long Weekend in Canada/US!

Looks like I will be cancelling my RAI! My husband freaked last night reading about the precautions and I haven't received any guidelines from the hospital. My husband said he wouldn't come near me for 7 days leaving me alone when I could have a thyroid storm or when I am sick. Plus my doctors guidelines don't match the University of Toronto guidelines (thanks to AzGuy for this info!) and I am just too confused about the safety of all this radiation for myself, partner and cats. Lots of people knowledgeable about radiation say it is nuts people get to walk out of the hospital radiated the way we are. Supposedly we are already getting radiated (I-131) from Fukushima…I don't know how true this is though.

I read how one is more radioactive getting a high dose of I-131 when one has a thyroid. When people with cancer get I-131 after they have had their thyroids removed, they are less radioactive than a Graves' patient like myself.

Anyway, me and my thyroid are off to the beach!

Happy Weekend!