[catstuart7]

#1059542

Guess I’m in a posting frenzy today So you wouldn’t know it by all my posting, but my brain has really taken a hit from GD. I have trouble focusing on almost any complex task or difficult/stressful task. I’ve read here before that you have to be at normal levels for a while to completely recover, so I wonder how long did it take those of you who felt mentally compromised (I know some lucky folks never get this effect) to feel back to your level of concentration and sharpness? I’m really starting to get worried because I entered the normal range for FT4/FT3 back on May 30th and I never dreamed I’d still be feeling half myself at this point given that I’m supposedly responding “well” to the ATD’s.

[catstuart7]

#1175565

Guess this problem doesn’t resonate with anybody?

[MaryI]

#1175566

Yes, indeed! I found my mental acuity & memory to be compromised also. Improvement is gradual, and I believe that at about 9 months there was marked improvement. I am now 2 1/2 years on methimazole and feel that I am at 90% of my former self. It does take time-don’t give up.

[AzGravesGuy]

#1175567

It resonates with me.

For months I was told I had adult ADD, took troubling ADD meds and felt worse. Nope. It was undiagnosed GD.

My problem is the frustration of waking up off my game and not resenting myself or GD as a result. For many years I resented my “stupid days” and that didnt help with the frustration.

When I was in ATD induced remission I would still have “stupid days”. I also hoped they would cease, but they didn’t. This made me suspect it was antibody related not tsh or fT related. I haven’t found any research to support the suspicion thus far.

The brain fog and peripheral neuropathy can be hypo symptoms but occurred at normal and hyper levels.

Unfortunately it wasn’t until I jumped on a treatment bandwagon that things changed at all.

Was it a placebo effect from the anxiety about treatment? Probably.

I take it day by day now as my levels slowly crash land.

If I wake up and can take on the world, then that is what I do.

If I drop my coffee mug and it shatters cuz I can’t seem to keep a grip on it because my brain is off in La-La Land and my spreadsheets look like latin script at first glance then it is going to be a difficult day. Not hating myself or GD on these days can still be a challenge.

On bad days I force myself to meditate for at least 15 minutes before I leave the house to center myself for the day. So far it has worked reasonably well for the first part of the day.

When I have a “stupid day” I feel incompetent, depressed, frustrated, stupid (of course) and angry. Half the battle is keeping up, the other half is not losing it. I am upset to see myself struggle at things that were normally easy. I used to get anxious and think “What is wrong with me?”

Now I laugh at the absurdity of my condition on those days. The change of mindset has made it more bearable, but I constantly wish for a definitive end to my “stupid days”.

[sportnut2]

#1175568

I don’t post very often, but I have been doing some research on this topic because my daughter in college has Graves and she is experiencing a lot of problems with focus, concentration and memory. In the small amount of time I have had to research it, there is a significant amount of research out there that does show evidence of graves effecting brain function. And it is not always when levels are out of the normal range. More research is needed, but some researchers theorize that Graves effects the brain much like it does with the thyroid and the eyes. In my quest to obtain accomodations like extra time to complete tests for my daughter at college I am slowing learning how much more there is to this disease. While she is doing generally well, she does notice lingering cognitive issues that she did not have pre-Graves. She even asked me if I thought she had ADD! The ability to focus when studying seems to be the greatest issue right now. Her Endo has been adjusting her Synthroid 3x in last months. I am hoping once she is in the normal range that things will get better. If some of this research is valid though, this may be an ongoing issue for her.

[catstuart7]

#1175569

Sportnut2, I really feel for your daughter dealing with this in college. That’s a time when so many important things are decided and accomplished. It sounds like you are a wonderful advocate for her though and she is lucky to have you! If you have any links you think would be helpful to read about Graves and the brain feel free to share. I’ll share too what I discover along the way.

Maryl, it’s good to know you feel progress is continuual even if it is very gradual. I try to be patient, but I just feel so frustrated. And indeed a true friend is a blessing indeed.

AZGravesguy, I can relate so very much. So you drop things too? That was one of the key signs pre-diagnosis for me . I like your idea of meditation I really should try to get back to doing that – they say it is good for even regular brains.

I do wonder about the antibodies and the brain too like you all say. Some folks have the theory you should avoid anything that stimulates the immune system to help an auto-immune disease calm down. I just don’t know how to bring myself to give up wheat, sugar, dairy, and caffeine. Oh and stress. It feels like too much!

Thanks for letting me vent and all your support!

[SallyB62]

#1175570

This subject resonates with me, too. All these symptoms are so familiar. I didn’t know they were related to my GD.

[gatorgirly]

#1175571

I don’t feel like I have problems concentrating or focusing, but the connection between my brain and mouth seems disrupted. I consider myself to be an intelligent person – I got good grades, aced my SATs and ACTs, got into all the colleges I applied to, earned a bachelor’s and a master’s, have a pretty good handle on world affairs, and can have meaningful conversations with people I hardly know. Yet since Graves’, the words don’t come out right. I trip over my words (which is not OK when you’re in public relations) and completely lose my train of thought mid-sentence. Paired with my “wide-eyed stare” courtesy of TED, I often leave people wondering what the heck is wrong with me. They never say it, of course, but I can see it. I feel stupid and ashamed when speaking in a meeting and say things as if I’m dyslexic but really it’s just my brain moving faster than my mouth. This never happened before Graves’.

[catstuart7]

#1175572

Sally, I’m glad it was helpful – it was a revelation for me when I found out about the mental/emotional side effects of Graves. It explained a lot and helped me forgive myself for some things.

Gatorgirly, definitely speaking trouble! Hopefully with all the activity you get talking to others maybe the effect will go away eventually?

[gatorgirly]

#1175573

I really think it will improve when my levels stabilize…that hasn’t yet happened in my three years of having Graves’. At least I hope so. If not, I’ll never be a company spokeswoman, which has been my dream for a long time.

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