[mamabear]

#1019955

This was one of the posts that were missing, I have had time to redo it and I think I added much more this time. This was Originally posted for Nana and her Daughter In Law.

Mamabear

I have to say that I am one of the lucky ones. I have mentioned some things before and will most likely repeat them here. But I thought this would be a good place to share tips for people who have gone through Graves’ disease as a single person, married trying to get pregnant, married and found out while pregnant, married with children, and even being a dad with Graves’ disease… the list can go on I am sure.

Graves’ affects many things; heart,hormones and your brain for just starters. If you have Graves’ Disease or suspect that you or someone you know has it please go to the dr. and ask for help. Your best advocate is yourself, ask questions and never settle for less then what the little hairs on the back of your neck say to do. ” title=”Very Happy” />

Hair care
I have found that although there is nothing we can do about loosing our hair whether this be from thyroid issues or not I have found that if you have dry skin on your scalp that Nizerol helps.

Use it every other time you shampoo your hair.

Comb your hair DONT brush it out. Combing your hair starting from the bottom up helps with less breaking. Brushing hair rips out strands and causes us to think that it is falling out. There is a certain amount of time in between shedding that a human does. Whether it be every 2 months or 3 or 4 months people shed at different times/rate. We tend to loose about 100 strands at a time again making us think that we are loosing it. Brushing your hair out without combing it out will break lots of hairs that wont come off on your brush but will fall off on their own all over the floor. They are really broken or ripped out from the scalp but we think they are just strands that are falling out. So being kind to your hair by using a comb will help. Wide teeth are fine to start, go from bottom and work your way to the top. You dont want to have to start from the top, get a huge knot then cry and rip it out. Bottom to top always. after it is done then you can use a finer comb or even a soft board bristle brush. The good ones are about $10 but they are worth it and last years.
DO this before getting in shower every time, the more you do it the faster you will get.
Once that is done then get in shower and…

Wash hair with Nizerol or (head and shoulders you can use everyday) really fast (or product of your choice but make sure there are no Silicone’s in it). The key is to wash fast and then get the conditioner in. Hair is porous so it soaks up water, you want the water to have conditioner in it that will help the hair not shampoo that will dry it so dont keep the shampoo in long. But do keep the conditioner in for as long as it recommended a leave in conditioner is also good.
Note: Silicone’s in shampoo and conditioner can make hair break off easier,if you find that your products have this in them try buying ones that don’t and see if that helps but make sure you remember that our hairs shed all the time as well so it might not be from just our Graves’ disease.

For your skin, hydration is key. Cold makes the skin worse so drink your water and use cream after washing your hands always. Even if it takes you a few seconds to rub it in, you’ll get use to it.

Cerave is an expensive cream(comes in a 1 lb jar) but it is well worth it. It doesn’t burn like the rest of them. It tingles on raw spots for a couple min’s but that’s it. I have used many different ones even with oatmeal well guess what, oatmeal draws moisture out of skin so any lotion that says oatmeal I just leave on the shelf. Only use cream NOT lotions. You can use the generic form of Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream as well. I find that the Cerave doesn’t hurt so i tend to lean towards that for me and my dd.

After the shower, pat dry and put it on, rub in well. After every time you wash hands use it too. You will see a huge improvement. I even use it on my face as a night lotion instead of those very expensive ones for firming. I want hydration not firming lol. Use it everywhere and if need be after you rub it in rub more in. Then before bedtime too.

There is also something else that can cause us to itch like mad. BUGBITES!!! Yep they stink and once you start to scratch them well you know what happens. I have tried the Calamine lotions and Benadryl lotions, they just dont work fast enough to stop it before it gets to a point of no return. Well…. Band Aid brand Anti Itch gel is something that I found to work. I can only assume it’s from the Camphor in it. that is the only thing in it. It’s great on bites, you put it on and they usually the next day they are gone. Everyone is different but mine get so bad I had to try something and it worked.

Many people get fever blisters(also known as Herpes/blisters/cold soars), they stink but when you have a thyroid problem you tend to be stressed out more so you eat junk and get them more…..Here are some tips that I find are good me, everyone is different but it wont hurt to try it.

Well stress, sun, wind, fevers and eating too much arganine will trigger them. Arganine is in products like cereals like Cheerios. Now i’m not saying to stop eating it but I am saying that Lysine will counteract the arganine. So since you get so many infections you might want to start taking Lysine.
I take way too much once I actually get one but wouldn’t tell anyone to do what I do, but I heard that taking at least 6000 mg’s will help keep it at bay.
I use that plus I investing in Abreva, used like it says and not forgetting it, it does actually work. I didn’t wanna spend the money at all on it but i got the biggest one I could get and I only use it when I have one so it lasts a long time.
I also put ice on it immediately and that seems to help as well because it cools down the tempeature in that spot thus causing the virus to stop.
I always keep Campho-phenique(pure Camphor) on hand and I also keep a generic brand of Oral Anesthetic/Antiseptic it’s really Benzocaine 20% I use what is on sale, walmart brand, rite aid brand what ever I get at a good price. The benzocaine helps numb it and I use it all the time when I have a blister. Try looking at Herpes-coldsores it has great info on why you get them and how to help keep it at bay. I eat whole wheat bread and shouldn’t as I know it triggers the arganine to start the herpes virus. Grrrr I should know better but I dont. I also know that whole grains like Cheerios does it too and yet I still have a bowl now and again only to wind up with one the next day. Rolling Eyes

I hope this helps. It is hard to try to change things when you have been doing it a certain way for so long. But your body is in need of repair and trying different things to see if they work will only help your chances.

Oh and dont forget. The herpes virus when you get a blister regardless of what your trigger is, is a HUGE depression maker. I am useless when I have one. Mine are painful and I don’t want anyone around. Thus the reason I use the benzocaine.

Stress & exercise & water intake
I emphasize on stress again because it can cause so many different things inside you and that weakens your immune system and crushes your spirit. Don’t think that keeping something in will help your situation, it wont. Stop and think about everything around you, if you have family issues or any issues that you are over your head with talk to someone, ask for forgiveness and give it as well. If your problems are beyond that then seek a dr’s help to get through it. Getting if off of your chest in a healthy way will help your Graves’ disease more than you can ever imagine.
I said this before but will repeat it here…. Find a friend/family member and go out for lunch and laugh. Get someone to watch the kids and just do it. Take the time from your busy schedule or drag yourself self from your bed if you are wallowing in self pity and get up and move it’s hard to think of yourself doing it but we all get there at one point and it takes someone special to say stop and get moving. Designate a friend to help you.
Exercise :
Make sure your dr. approves you exercising/or just stretching before you do it. Due to heart issues and palpitations they might limit you to just stretching.
Water intake is important, make a list of how many times you drink water during the day and you will soon realize that you dont drink enough or any at all. Tea,coffee, soft drinks don’t count. I mean just water. We tend to be moody and have a foggy outlook on things and if your TSH levels are screwed up you are sure to feel the "crazies" (my family put that name to them because it was cute and was a very simple word for explaining it, not looking to offend anyone) and even if your levels are normal if you don’t drink enough water you will tend to be sluggish and wake up every day tired and achy because you body isn’t hydrated enough. Just like our hair our bodies need care and water is it’s fuel. It takes time to be able to drink the amount of water that we should so don’t over load yourself. Baby steps will get you far.

Relaxing and reflextion
Relaxing can be learning to knit or crochet, reading a book, or sitting in the sun for 15 minutes a day. SOMETHING just to stop for a minute and ignore all around you (just as long as the kids are safe doing something ” title=”Wink” /> ). Sit with your husband/wife at the end of the day and don’t talk about the bad day you had, sit and smile at each other knowing that although someone might have had the most horrible day in the world you are sitting in the quiet of the night and no one can bother you. Open a bottle of wine, or have tea or depending on your heart/palpitation situation have herbal tea or just a glass of water

Being sick with a cold, what helped me;
EVERYONE that enters the house must wash their hands. YES I said everyone and I mean everyone. Guests are included in this and children especially. Put a bar or liquid soap in the bathroom and make sure they wash. Tell them why you are doing it, they will be more willing to do it if they understand that you have been sick and have a disease that you have to watch your immune system.
I told kids to wash their hands to the tune of the alphebet two times.
I made people take off their shoes and place them by the door before entering into the rest of the house.(this helped keep dirt/dust and animal feces out of the house as well)
Anyone who had a cold or has one was not aloud into the home and if someone in the house had a cold that meant no guests over. NO exceptions.
I opened the windows one day and just cleaned the house from top to bottom, wood floors with vinegar and water and the rest of the house with soapy water and a bleach solution (a little less than disinfectant strength due to everyone was already coughing and didn’t want to upset the esophagus more).
Top to bottom also meant cleaning the toilet handles,rims,floor, bathroom sink handles and soap dispenser as well.
All doorknobs and light switches even the ones you think little ones can’t reach.
The doors themselves because not everyone uses the doorknob and all those germs are on it.
TV remote, and all accessories like DVD and playstation/Xbox and also the actual switch to turn the TV off without using the remote, someone that had a cold could have actually used it and those germs are on there. We don’t think of a lot of places like that that things could be lingering but they do. icky!!
Washing your hands every time you come home from the grocery store or anywhere will help a lot. and having everyone in the family do the same will too.
Taking all toothbrushes and putting them into mouth wash for 30 minutes helps disinfect them as well and saves you money on buying new ones. Do it now and then after the cold is gone as well. Keeps the brushes from getting moldy and from getting bacteria/listeria on them.
I have a lot of bathrooms and a lot of kids so in each bathroom i have soap dispenser and towels, toothbrushes and paste and mouth wash. I keep Lysol wipes in the bathrooms as well high up on a shelf(10 ft high due to toddlers) hidden so I can quickly swipe a bathroom clean when I go up there. Vinegar or ammonia in the toilets daily during a cold will help as well.
And make sure when you use the toilet to flush with the lid down so germs don’t swish up from the flushing of the toilet and end up on the floor.
Take your vitamins as long as the dr says that is ok and keep up on drinking water and stretching(per dr’s ok).
Keep your fingers out of your mouth and don’t wipe your mouth on your sleeve as germs can linger. not saying anyone is a slob but hey we all have done it and we might still do it so being aware that we do it might help to stop it so during a cold we dont put those germs everywhere ” title=”Wink” />
Being sick is never fun and after I had a house full of sick kids and being sick myself for 6months I figured that enough was enough and started making sure that I figured out ways of keeping the illness away or at least to a minimum.
We can’t help it when someone we know comes up to us knowing they have a cold and shakes our hand, I wash my hands a lot and use liquid gel sanitizer when out with people because my trigger for Graves coming out of remission is getting sick so I am extra careful.
Hugs and prayers for you to get some relief from these issues.

[mamabear]

#1075250

Bumping this up, I edited it to add stuff and changed the title of it as well.

Please feel free to add anything here for any tips you can share.

[Aravindh]

#1075251

Dear Maama Bear,
Your signature was as nice and sweet as your advises. I have made a note of them. I do not consume wine and am trying to avoid tea and coffee. As you said I would drink a lot of water. Thank You..
KN Aravindh

[belldandy112]

#1075252

The single most useful tip I would give would be this: Exercise, daily, as much as possible. Even if it’s just walking or doing relaxation yoga. This has made every bit of difference.

I run two miles every day. If it’s wet out, I get on the elliptical machines at the gym or the treadmill for 30 minutes. Everyone has his or her favorite form of exercise — mine is boxing. So I put in a good nine rounds with the timer and then go to floor work. I also go to yoga classes and have recently taken a couple of pilates classes, although this activity still mystifies me, and I’m not really sure what it does, hmm … I probably drink about a gallon of water every afternoon.

I was quite miserable — in great pain (hips, knees, ankles, etc.) before I started running. Glucosamine really works for me, too, and I’d recommend it for anyone who runs, jogs, or does any impact work. Sub-c B-12 has also made my life a lot easier — I feel more alert, but not "amped" in a too-much-caffeine way.

HTH some —

Melissa
(Austin, TX)

[DianneW]

#1075253

Wonderful tips! I have to mention that exercise should be with a doctor’s approval only, as it will depend where each patient is in the treatment process whether and how much exercise is appropriate or safe. I assume your doctor is aware of what you’re doing, Melissa?

[belldandy112]

#1075254

Absolutely, he’s aware. Although he thinks that I’m a little strange for boxing (but then again, everyone thinks that!).

Always a good idea to wear a heart monitor to make sure that you’re within the correct MHR for your age. As people with Graves tend to have cardio difficulties, I’m always peeking at that monitor, even when in remission.

It was my first endo who suggested started back into athletics with yoga, and this opened up an entire new world for me that I really enjoyed. I would always advise, however, making sure that the teacher is certified. You can hurt yourself doing yoga, if the teacher does not spot incorrect positioning.

I chose a trainer who was also a physical therapist. That made a lot of difference, in that my program was designed accordingly. I also received a full check-up at a sports medicine clinic to make sure that I had no bone loss going on — they did a density scan. Cracking a wrist would not be fun if I were in the beginning stages of osteoporosis.

I became much more athletic after being diagnosed with Graves, branching out into various other sports. What I found is that I first notice when I’m going "hot" when I can’t power-lift as much weight or run as long as I used to. This cue allowed me to catch the subsequent "lapse" very early, as well as the B-12 deficiency. ” title=”Smile” />

[mamabear]

#1075255

Edited my original post to add something that I used in another post about being sick and tips on keeping house clean

[mamabear]

#1075256

bumping up for basebplyr6

[mamabear]

#1075257

Bumping up

[cheermom60]

#1075258

I’m so glad I found this information!! I also get a lot of cold sores (mine mainly come on when I’m stressed more than usual) and found that the only thing that works for me is pure chamomile roman extract oil (Wyndmere brand) sold at our natural store here in Colorado (wasn’t sure if i could post the exact name so I did not). I’ve exhausted Abreva and it no longer works for me. I will be trying the dry scalp suggestions though!!

Kim

[mamabear]

#1075259

Bumping this up

[marta1234]

#1075260

Iwould like to add one tip as well , I am not sure if that will work for everyone
I didnt want to take any anti anxiety pills to treat my nervousness, I have difficulties with early morning waking up, so instead I decided to take allergy pill. It works great for me, it makes me very drowsy. But please ask your doctor before taking it!

[JenRitter]

#1075261

These are some great tips, Mamabear (love the name, by the way). I wish I had found some of these tips sooner when I was first diagnosed many moons ago. I’ll be sure to print this list off and keep it on my fridge. I can’t think of anything negative that comes from this list — only the positives. I’ll be sure to let you know if these tips managed to help me out. I’m sure they will, but a little update doesn’t hurt. Thanks a bunch! ” title=”Very Happy” />

[mamabear]

#1075262

Bumping and editing to add stuff.

[Author]

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