[Bobbi]

#1067334

Hi, and welcome to our Board.

I cannot answer any of your questions on blood pressure. It would be a good idea to write these questions down, so that the next time you are with your doctor, you can ask him/her.

Weight issues are complex with hyperthyroidism. Being hyperthyroid causes us to lose muscle. Muscle weighs more than other tissues, but it also burns more calories, even at rest, than other tissues. So, while losing muscle can look like weight loss, it is really bad weight loss. Because we lose muscle, sometimes even while hyperthyroid, we are taking in more calories than our bodies are using, so some folks do gain weight while hyperthyroid. Once we get back to controlled normal levels of thyroid hormone, the muscle tends to slowly come back. This can look like weight gain. In short form, the disease has messed with our metabolism in a big way. The best thing to do is to gradually get exercise, once your doctor has allowed it, in order to strengthen any returning muscle. And, of course, we need to eat prudently. I don’t mean "dietting" (as in weight loss attempts). Our bodies need good nutrition to help in the healing process. As long as you are eating wisely, and getting exercise, your weight issues should come under control again.

Calcium supplements (or vitamins in general, for that matter) need to be taken well apart from our replacement hormone dose. The reason for this is that the minerals (iron, calcium, etc.) can bind with the thyroid hormone from the pill, in the intestinal area, preventing it from being well absorbed into the blood. Once our replacement dose is IN the blood, taking the supplements causes no problem.

Hair loss. Yes, it sounds familiar. I was shedding like my collies when I was hypo. We do not go bald. And, once we are at controlled normal levels of hormone, the hair loss becomes normal again. (We normally lose hair all the time anyway. It’s just that during times of stress, the body sheds the hair as "unessential".) Also, while ill, hair receives fewer nutrients from the body: the body provides nutrients for essential operations, and the hair (being extraneous) is left out…or severely restricted. Hair is one of the first things to show stress and illness, and one of the last parts of the body to recover.

I hope this helps,

[bluesky]

#1018825

Greetings. I just found this site and you all are very smart and helpful so I thought it might be a good place to get some answers/advice for my situation.

I was diagnosed with Graves disease during a routine checkup in June 2009. In retrospect, I did have symptoms (eye pain, tachycardia, heat intolerance), but didn’t connect them to a specific disorder. My levels showed an early diagnosis: TSH 0.001 and free T4 a bit elevated. I also had RAI uptake test which was also abnormal. Eye exam showed slight Graves ophthalmology.

After a few months of waiting and re-testing to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I decided to have RAI ablation treatment which was done in early August.

It took a while to take effect. My doc says I was "radio-resistant." Seven weeks after RAI ablation, my TSH was still only at about 0.004 By 13 week after RAI treatment, TSH had finally risen to about 22. This was two weeks ago. Free T4 is now slightly abnormally low. My doctors do not test for T3.

Started on Levoxyl last week, 100 mcg once a day.

Questions:
1. BLOOD PRESSURE – I know it’s early in treatment, buy what can I expect in terms of blood pressure control? Before treatment it was typically around 140/80 and I was on a very high dose of Metoprolol as well as on Spironolcatone. I was on these already for increased BP and also for polycystic ovary syndrome. Metroprolol upped significantly after Graes DX to control tachycardia. Both have these have now been reduced. My diastolic BP now ranges between 70 and 80 but the systolic is fluctuating between 135 and 100. Is this normal? What’s causing it?

2. WEIGHT GAIN – Since being diagnosed with GD six months ago, I’ve gained 10 lbs. I’m not very big to start so that’s a lot for me. Since staring Levoxyl a week ago, I’ve gained 3 of those lbs. Is that normal? I gained weight even when I was still hyperthyroid before RAI treatment and while waiting for the TSH level to rise which I thought was because I was prohibited from doing any cardio exercise at all, plus for a while I was really hungry and eating a lot. Now I’m back doing cardio and my appetite is definitely less. Why am I still gaining weight? What can I do about it? Am I gaining fat or is it water retention? How do I tell the difference? I have a serious family history of heart disease (people suddenly dropping dead in their 40s) so keeping my weight low is essential. I work out with weights and cardio about four times a week. Maybe I need to up that?

3. HAIR LOSS – My hair was falling out a bit before I was diagnosed and since thyroid level became hypo and starting on Levoxyl, it’s falling out severely. Is this due to the hypo status or the Levoxyl? Will it stabilize? Will what’s lost come back? Is there anything that can be done or should I invest in some nice hats?

4. LEVOXYL AND CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS – My doc told me not to take the Levoxyl within an hour of any other food or drugs, but I read that I shouldn’t take it within four hours of taking calcium. Is this true? What’s the connection here? I also take a multi-vitamin that has 163mg of calcium in it. Is this significant?

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

[bluesky]

#1067335

Thanks for the thoughtful answer, Bobbi.

Can I assume that when you say "our" and "we" you mean "most people with Graves disease?" Or are you just taking about your personal experience? I’m just wondering.

[Bobbi]

#1067336

"our" and "we" = the general experiences of people who have been hyperthyroid/have Graves. If you read through the archives, you will see the same topics, the same experiences, with different names, over the past twelve years.

[Kimberly]

#1067337

Hello – I have diabetes on both sides of the family, so I totally understand your concern about weight issues. If you check out the "Weigh In – Just for Fun" thread, you can see that there are a LOT of us here who are struggling with our weight! In theory, our metabolism "should" return to normal once our levels are stabilized, but I have met many, many patients in person and online who have found that NOT to be the case. In fact, one of the presenters at this year’s conference mentioned in passing that perhaps there is a "resetting" of metabolism once a person is successfully treated for Graves.

Your first priority is to protect your health by getting your thyroid levels stabilized. Being overweight increases the *risk* of issues like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer…but being hyperthyroid is an *immediate* concern. Once our levels are stabilized, it is possible to lose weight — but I think we have to work quite a bit harder than the average person would. It’s a very frustrating process, but I believe it’s worth it. Hang in there!

[bluesky]

#1067338

…In theory, our metabolism "should" return to normal once our levels are stabilized,…of course, we need to eat prudently.

…Because we lose muscle, sometimes even while hyperthyroid, we are taking in more calories than our bodies are using…

Hi folks — I know I’m new here and probably don’t have a right to demand things like this. And, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely appreciate the effort to share information and help each other.

HOWEVER, it’s rather off-putting when people post using the plural pronouns "we" and "our" when they really mean "my" and "your." All any of us can do here is talk about our own experience and often suggestions to each other. To generalize about the the entire population of people with Graves disease is inaccurate at best and patronizing and insulting at worst.

I’ll get off my soapbox now. Or should I say, I’ll get off our soapbox. ” title=”Wink” />

[elf]

#1067339

Hi bluesky,

When you say, "In retrospect, I did have symptoms (eye pain, tachycardia, heat intolerance), but didn’t connect them to a specific disorder." – the thinness should be added there, too. Undiagnosed Graves people are usually thin, though eating heartily, and thanking their fast metabolism. When hyper symptoms are taken care of, the metabolism also slows down a bit, – to a normal state, depending what a person’s normal is.

I am 20 lbs heavier than pre-RAI (than pre-Graves Dx), but there are many factors contributed: maybe this is my personal "normal" metabolism, maybe the middle-age spread, maybe having kids (that coincided with Graves), maybe because I stopped exercising sharply after realizing I had Graves. Maybe my unrestricted eating lol.

I do think it’s possible to maintain the desired weight, but maybe not the "sick" Graves weight.

[bluesky]

#1067340

elf wrote:Hi bluesky,

When you say, "In retrospect, I did have symptoms (eye pain, tachycardia, heat intolerance), but didn’t connect them to a specific disorder." – the thinness should be added there, too.

Thinness was not one of my symptoms. My weight was steady. In fact I gained weight all the way through from being diagnosed with GD to RAI and now through the first two weeks of treatment with Levoxyl. Total weight gain is about 15 lbs over six months.

[Kimberly]

#1067341

bluesky wrote: Hi folks — I know I’m new here and probably don’t have a right to demand things like this. And, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely appreciate the effort to share information and help each other.

HOWEVER, it’s rather off-putting when people post using the plural pronouns "we" and "our" when they really mean "my" and "your." All any of us can do here is talk about our own experience and often suggestions to each other. To generalize about the the entire population of people with Graves disease is inaccurate at best and patronizing and insulting at worst.

You say to-MAH-to…I say to-MAY-to.

While you are right that this is certainly not a "cookie cutter" disease, I personally find it easier to use "we" to refer to the Graves’ community, especially when I am talking about issues that many patients experience. However, I would not use "we" to refer to something that occurs in a smaller number of patients, such as thyroid storm or liver complications from ATDs.

There is a lot of collective wisdom on this board, and everyone has his or her own style. Hopefully, you won’t let a wording issue deny you the benefit of learning from the experience of all the other patients here.

[Author]

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