[DIY]

#1060203

I am a 44 yr old male and was diagnosed with Graves 8 years ago. I have been on MMI everyday since then. I decided to take this permanent action now because this summer has been a real roller coaster, more so than normal. My labs were high on my June results and we doubled my med. I still didn’t feel well and could tell my levels were still elevated. I was out working in the yard in August and I thought I wasn’t going to make it, I was shaking all over, heart pounding etc. The next day, labs again, now they are higher than June when I doubled the dose. Now, I double again! I do feel better at this dose but I know it’s a matter of time until it changes. I met with the surgeon and I think I’m going to do this but I have to admit, it makes me nervous removing a gland that I need to survive. However, I realize I may not survive the complications of Graves or the meds. The surgeon is dept. head and has years of experience and she said she felt my trembling and other problems would go away and that most of her patients wished they would have done this sooner. I hope that’s me. It’s great to know that you all know what I’m going through, because unless you have Graves you can’t understand. Thanks for reading and God bless.

[Kimberly]

#1181225

Hello and welcome – We have several regular posters who have selected thyroidectomy as their treatment option. If you use the “Search Posts” feature for “surgery” or “thyroidectomy” you can read their stories. I’m sure many of them will chime in here, too!

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1181226

Hello DIY.

I battled Graves Disease with Methimazole for about 7 years before I had a TT, just 10 weeks ago. So far I have not regretted the decision for a moment and have found myself wishing several times that I had done it sooner.

Good luck, and keep us posted.
Sue

[DIY]

#1181227

SueAndHerZoo wrote:

Hello DIY.

I battled Graves Disease with Methimazole for about 7 years before I had a TT, just 10 weeks ago. So far I have not regretted the decision for a moment and have found myself wishing several times that I had done it sooner.

Good luck, and keep us posted.
Sue

Thank you for responding, that’s encouraging to hear. I’m very happy for you.

[jimmer1960]

#1181228

I wish I had found this site before. I am really surprised people know so much about these numbers and stuff. I have a good family doc that I have much faith in. She set me up with the endo doc and she helped me get the rai pill treatment. I had no idea people deal with this for so many years! I am hoping that will not be my case. I am tired and its late but I will come back tomorrow. I have many questions and think people here will have answers.

[jimmer1960]

#1181229

can anyone tell ne what causes the shaking? is it from the over abundance of hormone the thyroid makes or is it a muscle problem I’m not knowing much about. I have read about muscle weakness and have experienced that, but sometimes my whole body kind of vibrates. I work construction (ironwork) that requires heavy lifting. I have taken a couple months off and took that RAI pill sept 11. Once the pill works and I start getting more hypo than hyper that shaking will stop right? people at work thought I was diabetic or something with all the shaking.

[jimmer1960]

#1181230

DIY can you tell me a little more about the shaking? is it from the thyroid making too much of the hormones or is it a muscle problem? it is almost like shivering. I took that RAI pill Sept. 11 and am going back to work in a week or two and do not want any intense shaking as it makes people at work wonder what is wrong. I can really relate to what you say and really need the shaking to stop. I am still trying to figure out how to ask questions and see the answers as I am not real computer savvy yet.

[Kimberly]

#1181231

jimmer1960 wrote:

can anyone tell ne what causes the shaking? is it from the over abundance of hormone the thyroid makes or is it a muscle problem I’m not knowing much about.

Hello and welcome – we’re fellow patients here, not doctors, but I suspect it’s a combination of both. Having excessive levels of thyroid hormone does cause tremors. But having untreated hyperthyroidism for a while can *also* cause muscle wasting…and muscles can certainly shake when overtaxed.

I would suggest talking to your doctor about this. If you are dealing with tremors from hyperthyroidism, there is a class of drugs called beta blockers that might be able to provide some relief. If muscle wasting is the issue, this does recover over time, although there’s not a “quick fix” for this.

Hope you can get some relief soon!

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1181232

I’m guessing that the shaking you refer to is similar to the tremors I had in my hands. When I was hyperthyroid my hands would shake and tremor and it was very noticeable to other people. Once I got my medication in the right place (and now since I’ve had my thyroid removed) the tremors are gone.

Welcome to the forum.
Sue

[jimmer1960]

#1181233

Kimberly, thanks for your insight. I took the RAI pill Sept, 11 and am hoping this fixes things. I take 2 metoprolol pills a day for heart 1 prednisone for eyes, and 1 trazadone for sleep. I need to ask doc better questions, but I trust her to do the right things. The anxiety is better, I don’t feel like a nervous breakdown quite as much. That has been the worst, feeling like you want to scream and cry. I did not do that but constantly felt like it. I just want the shakes to go away and get back to work and feel normal. I guess I want a lot.

[jimmer1960]

#1181234

Sue, thank you for the welcome and reply. I have graves and took the RAI pill Sept 11. I have had the hand tremors bad too, but sometimes my whole body kind of vibrates or shivers like. I am hoping the pill works and I become more hypo instead of hyper and the shaking completely stops. It does not look good for me at work to be shaking like that. I go back Nov. 5 and doc will start me on hormone pills hopefully and this will kind of be over. I just do not want this to be a long term muscle problem as this would cause me problems at work.

[DIY]

#1181235

jimmer1960 wrote:

DIY can you tell me a little more about the shaking? is it from the thyroid making too much of the hormones or is it a muscle problem? it is almost like shivering. I took that RAI pill Sept. 11 and am going back to work in a week or two and do not want any intense shaking as it makes people at work wonder what is wrong. I can really relate to what you say and really need the shaking to stop. I am still trying to figure out how to ask questions and see the answers as I am not real computer savvy yet.

I was shaking/trembling from day one. The day I went to the doctor I was sitting at a table in a meeting and simply raised my foot up onto my toe and my leg would shake. I got up and left and went to the doctor right then, that was in 2005. He first said I need to see a neuro but then said it could be my thyroid. He tested me and he was right my levels were very high. Got into endo 3 days later and Graves diagnosed. After Methimazole and Beta blockers for a couple weeks I felt some better but I’ve never totally lost the shaking. When I feel decent and levels are “normal” if I get into any kind of position where I’m stretched out holding something or standing and leaning over etc I will still tremble in my legs and arms. I’ve told the endo and GP about this since 2005 and it’s always been ignored. Finally, when I talked to the surgeon last week she did tell me that she thought this would improve if not go away. Now I don’t walk around shaking all the time and no one notices but I do, especially when I do anything I just stated above. I always thought why trade meds, why drop MMI and have to take Synthroid if I’m tolerating MMI. My endo never really pushed me to do anything but did suggest that I do and that it would be safer for me going forward and I should avoid the highs and lows like I had this summer. Considering the possibility of liver damage from MMI and heart etc from Graves I feel like it’s time to remove it and move on since remission is most likely no longer possible.

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