Thyrogen is a medication that can be used before undergoing Iodoradotherapy, before exams such as whole body scintigraphy, and it also serves to help in the measurement of thyroglobulin in the blood, procedures necessary in case of thyroid cancer.
The main advantage of using this medication before treatment with radioactive iodine and scintigraphy is that the patient can continue taking thyroid replacement hormones normally, improving their quality of life in terms of physical performance, vitality, social life and mental health..
Thyrogen is a medicine from the Genzyme - A Sanofi Company laboratory, which contains 0.9 mg of Thyrotropin alfa powder for solution for injection.
What is it for
Thyrogen is indicated to be used in 3 ways:
- Before performing the treatment with Radioactive Iodine; Before performing the whole body scintigraphy; Before taking the Thyroglobulin blood test.
These three procedures are common in the case of thyroid cancer.
What this drug does is increase the dosage of TSH in the blood, which is important for detecting metastases. In addition, this medication also stimulates the production of thyroglobulin, which is a tumor marker that should be regularly investigated in the blood test.
Although thyroglobulin can be researched without taking this medication, the results are more credible when using this medication, with less false negative results. The detection or increase of thyroglobulin in the blood, indicates that there is residual tissue, possibly indicating metastasis of thyroid cancer, and taking this medication before the blood test, can make its result more reliable, but in any case its use is not essential in none of the 3 situations mentioned above.
How to use
The drug Thyrogen consists of 2 intramuscular injections that must be applied every 24 hours. Treatment with Radioactive Iodine, examination of the whole body Scintigraphy or measurement of Thyroglobulin must be done on the 3rd day after the first dose.
Price
The price of Thyrogen is about 4 to 5 thousand reais, requiring a prescription to buy. However, it is possible to obtain this medication through the health plan, according to the doctor's request.
Side effects
The side effects of Thyrogen are very well tolerated, and easier to endure than the period in which the patient would have to be without thyroid hormones, the most common side effect being nausea, although others such as diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, headache or tingling in the face and arms.
Contraindications
Thyrogen is contraindicated for pregnant women, while breastfeeding, and for patients with allergy to human or bovine thyroid stimulating hormone - TSH or to some other component of the formula.
