[Ski]

#1075081

Hi Lynn,

Well, our hearts go out to you too!!!

You say that you’ve had thyroid levels done recently? Are you still reading hyperthyroid, or no?

While I hate to make assumptions about medical professionals, it sounds like you need to find a new doctor to treat you. This one is dismissive and is also not telling you very much. The process of treating Graves’ OFTEN brings weight gain, so already his information to you is not correct.

It’s true that hyperthyroid patients usually (not always) lose weight, but sometimes even THEY gain, so a doctor who does not understand these basic facts is not one I would choose to treat me for this complicated condition.

Your symptoms sound like what we go through when we are hypothyroid, which is why I ask about your most recent lab results. Does your doctor test only TSH, or also T4? At this point, while you are waiting for the RAI to make you hypothyroid and begin taking thyroid hormone replacement, it can be valuable to see both levels. Sometimes the TSH takes a long time to "wake up" when it’s been virtually "asleep" from hyperthyroidism. T4 levels can give you some context.

I just seethe over doctors who tell us, when we know what we are eating, that we are "probably eating more than we think" and that’s why we’re gaining. They have no experience with this at all and are simply not sure what’s going on, so they presume that we are painting a different picture than is true. It’s not fair to us, and serves us not at all.

Now, I’m not sure how long you were hyperthyroid, but please keep in mind that during that time, your body was probably losing muscle mass. You may not have experienced a great deal of weight loss at that time, or you may not have noticed, since you were busy with a new baby. That muscle mass was allowing you to eat more food, because it burns calories even at rest. When it is gone, the entire system is out of whack. First, the muscle mass needs to return. THEN, we need to pretend we are babies ourselves, and build the muscle mass back up. We are not able to return to earlier activity levels without paying some price (pain, exhaustion, soreness). The trick is to do "just enough," only what your body can tolerate.

FIRST, I think you need to get a handle on your thyroid hormone levels. Take charge of them yourself. Get copies of all your blood test results. If you have access to thyroid hormone levels drawn before you were diagnosed (and before you were ill), that will be extremely good information for you. "Dialing in" your own normal thyroid hormone level is going to be time consuming, but as soon as you are traveling in the right direction, you’ll start to feel better.

If no one has been taking T4 levels, ask your doctor to do one more blood test with TSH and T4 included, and discuss the results. There’s every possibility you are ready to begin thyroid hormone replacement.

And lastly, I know you’ve probably seen this mentioned elsewhere, but your body is EXHAUSTED. (Oh, you didn’t know that, did you?) ” title=”Wink” /> While you have brought the hyperthyroidism down, you are still not at any kind of normal threshold, and so your body is still being punished. Things happen all over your body ~ probably more so in areas of your body that were already weak or compromised. When you find (and reach) a normal thyroid hormone level, that will be the start of your body’s return to normalcy, not the end. Patience, patience, patience.

Stick around, please let us know how you’re doing!

[Lynn]

#1019927

I am new to this board and have been reading all your stories. I feel so alone sometimes I am glad I found this place.

I have had a really rough year. I am 31 years old and was diagnosed with Graves earlier this year after having my baby girl. I started getting so sick with so many problems my Drs were all telling me it was all post pardum problems from post pardum depression to anxiety. I ended up in the ER scared to death because my heart was racing, beating iregular, stopping beats then fluttering. I was also experiencing these horrible feelings of fear and hot flashes that started at my chest and worked its way down all the way to my toes. My entire mouth and lips were also going completely numb. Very scary! I was put on Propranolol for my crazy heart issues and Buspar for my anxiety issues. The Propranolol has def helped regulate my heart rate but I have continued having anxiety attacks off and on throughout the year.

The ER did a bunch of tests and it turned out my Thyroid was all out of wack. Over the next few months I got worst and worst. My dr diagnosed me with Graves and sent me to a specialist. They confirmed the Graves and decided having RAI would be the best choice for me. I had the RAI in August.

One problem I have had this past year seem to be something that only I am experiencing. I have done alot of reading online and in alot of books about Graves and I still feel so alone. Weight loss is not something I have been experiencing but the complete opposite. I have gained so much weight it’s horrible. I weigh more now than I did 9 months pregnant. I try and eat as healthy as I can. I always cook healthy for me and my family and we all get a decent amount of excecise. Me though, my energy lvls have dropped to almost non exsistant. Some days its so hard to even take a short walk with my kids. I can no longer take them to the park, my husband has to do all that on his own which makes me feel horrible by itself. I barely eat anymore, yet gain and gain weight. The only thing my dr tells me is that "People with Graves lose weight, not gain weight." Then tells me I must be eating too much yet, I barely eat anything now ” title=”Sad” /> I went from about 130 pre pregnancy last year to 150 9 months pregnant, to 135 post pregnancy now I am 190 pounds. . My dr also told me I was suffering from depression about 4 months ago and put me on Lexapro. I have seen the fastest weight gain after starting the Lexapro. Everytime I try and excercise I feel like passing out. Is weight gain normal for Graves?

About 3 weeks ago I started having problems with my eyes. They always feel tired, puffy, heavy and I now have double vision. My dr has told me I need to go to the eye dr now so I am in the process of finding an eye dr.

I am so tired. I can no longer keep up with my 4 year old and seem to need my husbands help with the smallest tasks because I have pain everywhere. My whole body aches and I always feel so drained. I try and do as much physical activity as I can everyday and seemed to have become obbsesed with it ot the point I am pushing myself to far, it seems so hopeless. My last tests results showed no improvment. I see him every few months to get more labs done and check what my thyroid is doing.

I have read some of the good stories here about this disease and it gives me a bit of hope. I hope to see some light at the end of my dark tunnel soon.

Sincerely,

Lynn from California

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