[ChristinaDe September 7, 2013 at 12:56 pm Post count: 115]

#1180832

Yes, Sue, your eye thing does sound a bit different than mine. Where did I get the idea that you had eye swelling? Duh! I guess that I was relating to having a changed facial appearance, especially around the eyes, that caused others to ask if I was ok. I have a bit of eye swelling left, and I originally had facial swelling as well – which made the whole thing worse. The facial swelling is gone now, but it took a few months. I was told that all of that was due to thyroid levels.

I think that I sometimes need to remind myself just how sick I’ve been and that I’m still in the recovery phase (if I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t be so actively managed by a healthcare team!). My endo had to remind me last week that it can take a year to experience full recovery from this experience. That includes my appearance. She told me this is a gradual thing. I’m much, much better than I was – but not as good as I’m going to be. Her words.

I’ve been trying to remind myself that I’ve never meant anyone who is ill or recovering from an illness who doesn’t show it (to some degree) in their face.
But if you find an awesome eye cream or concealer, be sure to post it immediately!!! 😎

[SueAndHerZoo September 7, 2013 at 1:30 pm Post count: 439]

#1180833

Possible Great Concealer:

When I was discussing my “sickly eyes” with a co-thyroid patient at the office she told me she had (and still has) the same problem but I always thought her eyes looked fine. The next day she brought me in her concealer to show me and even though I only tried it on the back of my hand, I liked the texture and thickness.

I got online and ordered myself one and it just came in. I haven’t had a lot of time to practice and play with it yet but I think I’m going to like it: Smashbox High Definition concealer. It’s got really great reviews, especially for under eye circles, and I think the most challenging part would be picking the correct shade online. Probably better off to go buy it somewhere in person but I didn’t have time this week so gambled with a shade online.

After a few days of learning how to use it, I’ll let you know. From the little I’ve read, you should dab it on, let it dry for a minute or two, and then blend.

Sue

[Raspberry September 7, 2013 at 9:16 pm Post count: 273]

#1180834

More eye stuff….so have any of you had the problem of a darkening/brownish tinge appearing on your eyelids and area under the eyebrows? This symptom appeared very early on after my official GD diagnosis in the under-brow area but after over a year now affects the entire eyelid and the outer corners of my eyes. It’s subtle…almost looks like I got some light tan eye shadow and did a weird experiment. Under the eyes I have the same dark circles I’ve always had and puffiness under and upper areas that appeared when I approached hypo and never left.

Sue just a random thought but maybe your eye changes could be a delayed post-surgical reaction? Doesn’t the body give off all kinds of stress hormones during surgery liked cortisol and adrenaline? Odds are it is thyroid but just thought I’d throw that out there.

[SueAndHerZoo September 7, 2013 at 9:56 pm Post count: 439]

#1180835

Wow, Raspberry…. hadn’t heard of that one yet. Is it more like thousands of tiny freckles making the area look dark or is it a streak of color? In other words, individual spots or large areas? How frustrating, especially in addition to the circles and puffiness. Have any of your doctors ever had any input about these eye issues, or do they just dismiss them as a trivial, cosmetic thing?

I guess my eyes could be a delayed reaction, but nothing for 6 weeks and then BAM – one day I wake up looking horrible and it hasn’t let up for almost two weeks. I know what you mean about people looking at you differently. I so miss having people tell me how “vibrant and healthy” I look. But I’m feeling positive at this moment so I’m planning on looking that way again, damn it!

Now if only we could get your tan discoloration to place itself strategically to look like well-placed eye shadow… some women would pay to have that!
Sue

[Ski September 8, 2013 at 2:53 pm Post count: 1569]

#1180836

Hi Sue,

Catching up with a question back up the thread a bit — your regular eye doctor may not be able to see signs of TED in a regular eye exam, unless your eyes had changed radically since you saw them last. The changes from TED are most easily spotted using imaging technology where you can see the soft tissues around the outside of the eyes, that’s where the changes happen (the muscles controlling the eyes swell).

I know it’s not particularly comforting, but autopsy evidence shows that nearly every Graves’ Disease patient has SOME level of TED — it’s just that, in most patients, the symptoms are so minimal that it’s not clear what’s happening. The comforting part is that only about 5% of patients end up suffering the very worst symptoms, so your odds are good for being one of the people who are not affected very much.

Hypothyroid levels can bring out the symptoms, and bodily stress (like recovering from surgery) could also bring on a little “oddness.” The symptoms you were suffering when you went to the eye doctor are possible with TED, though of course I couldn’t say whether it was or wasn’t, in your particular case. It is common for TED to affect one muscle more than the others, so it’s more swollen, which can make one eye track differently, maybe more slowly than the other eye, then you’d get that sense that they weren’t working together.

I had some period of time where I felt like my eyes were affected – my eyes protruded more than they normally did, and they were gritty and uncomfortable for a few months, and I could feel them being “pushed” from behind when things got REALLY bad. That may have lasted a few years. Then things started getting better, and now I’m pretty much back to normal, though my eyes are definitely affected when I’m tired.

I realize you’re talking about “sunken” eyes rather than bulging eyes, but I think there are rare cases where that can be the result — it’s been a little while since I’ve seen a TED presentation at a conference, but that seems familiar. No harm in getting to know an ophthalmologist just to have a relationship developed, in case.

[popscene01 September 8, 2013 at 6:12 pm Post count: 28]

#1180837

SueAndHerZoo wrote:

I got online and ordered myself one and it just came in. I haven’t had a lot of time to practice and play with it yet but I think I’m going to like it: Smashbox High Definition concealer. It’s got really great reviews, especially for under eye circles, and I think the most challenging part would be picking the correct shade online. Probably better off to go buy it somewhere in person but I didn’t have time this week so gambled with a shade online.

Smashbox is a great company too. I tried a few concealers including theirs but found the best coverage & shade for me was the Kat Von D. I dab then blend, then let it dry, then if I feel I need more coverage I dab & blend again. Usually never need more than 2 applications. Just like the condition, it’s different for everyone! LOL I also got overwhelmed when trying to find the right color! Let the professionals do it for me. I had a friend with me too who wasn’t too helpful to curb my “retail therapy.”

I’ll be seeing my eye specialist on Thursday. I have a lot of questions for him but who knows if I’ll get any answers that I’ll be able to fully medically understand & relay back well enough for anyone else to.

Amanda

[SueAndHerZoo September 8, 2013 at 8:43 pm Post count: 439]

#1180838

Thanks, Ski. Even though some of those stats were frightening and discouraging it’s always better to know the truth and be prepared for what we may have to deal with.

I was also very curious to get an answer about whether or not my ophthalmologist would have been able to see a problem with GED without specifically looking for GED. I think my eyes are ok right now but if I feel them acting up in any way I will go back in, tell him what I may be dealing with, and get some baseline tests done.

My eyes look better today after 3 days of cutting out carbs. Coincidence? Too soon to tell but I’m guessing there is a connection.

Sue

[Raspberry September 8, 2013 at 8:47 pm Post count: 273]

#1180839

SueAndHerZoo wrote:

Have any of your doctors ever had any input about these eye issues, or do they just dismiss them as a trivial, cosmetic thing?…..look like well-placed eye shadow… some women would pay to have that!
Sue

Definitely cosmetic, docs claim they can’t even see it. I normally have super-pale white skin, so the tan color is quite odd. It first appeared on the skin right below the eyebrow toward the outside over the bone. To my knowledge there’s no eye muscles or soft tissue there, just skin right over the bone – it’s crazy! It looks almost exactly like I got some slightly darker flesh toned eye shadow and smoothed it evenly over. Some locations of it would look okay, but other areas of it like on the outer eye corners look odd. Still it could look a lot worse and I’ve pretty much accepted it. Still reading about those products you guys are trying maybe I’ll give it a go! It’ll be interesting to see if people react to me differently – I think I’ve got kind of a tired haunted look even on my best day these days so it would be great to improve that. Keep us posted with your experiments!

[SueAndHerZoo September 9, 2013 at 8:52 am Post count: 439]

#1180840

It’ll be interesting to see if people react to me differently – I think I’ve got kind of a tired haunted look even on my best day these days so it would be great to improve that. Keep us posted with your experiments!

Well? At least those of us with the sunken, haunted, zombie-looking dark-circled eyes will be in great costume for Halloween! (trying to find some levity in this but that could be because I woke up today thinking my eyes looked a tad better).
Sue

[LaurelM September 9, 2013 at 1:36 pm Post count: 216]

#1180841

Definitely cosmetic, docs claim they can’t even see it. I normally have super-pale white skin, so the tan color is quite odd. It first appeared on the skin right below the eyebrow toward the outside over the bone. To my knowledge there’s no eye muscles or soft tissue there, just skin right over the bone – it’s crazy! It looks almost exactly like I got some slightly darker flesh toned eye shadow and smoothed it evenly over. [/quote]

Raspberry,
What you are describing sounds like it could be Melasma. It happened to me my first experience with Graves’. It is more frequently known as the Mask of Pregnancy but also occurs with thyroid patients. Like we needed something else associated with thyroid patients, right?! If that is what it is, then sun protection is your best defense. Mine eventally faded.

Laurel.

[Raspberry September 9, 2013 at 7:27 pm Post count: 273]

#1180842

LOL Sue! Yes, we’ve got to get some usefulness out of all this! I’m glad you feel you are looking better today. So today I took extra care to use more foundation over the areas and people did react to me more normally. So now I’m left to wonder….did it make that big a difference or was I acting different??? Hmmmm. I got the azulene creme, so I’ll update you guys on my results.

Thanks Laurel, you might be right! I looked up pics of it and the shade of color change is about right though I don’t have definite edges between the discolored and normal areas. I have put less of my lotion with sunscreen and foundation around my eyes since GD started because of fear of irritating them as I have mild TED, so out of my whole face the skin around my eyes probably DOES get the most sun exposure. Not smart I know…time to look into eye friendly sunscreens.

I found “The incidence of melasma also increases in patients with thyroid disease. It is thought that the overproduction of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) brought on by stress can cause outbreaks of this condition. ” on Wikipedia. Graves the gift that keeps on giving…

[SueAndHerZoo September 9, 2013 at 8:20 pm Post count: 439]

#1180843

Hey Lady…. your last note sounds like you’re in a pretty good mood with all this today – hope that’s the case and hope you can keep it! Easier said than done, right?

Very interesting, your theory about whether people reacted differently to you today because of the extra care and attention to make up or if your attitude was different. Very interesting. On days when I feel like I look crappy I most definitely carry myself differently, have different body language, don’t engage in face-to-face conversations as easily, and basically try to avoid people. It’s probably THAT that others sense in us and react to. Geez, just think of the money we waste on make up and concealers when all we really need to do is hold our heads up high and walk with confidence! I think I’ll try going to work bare-faced tomorrow and experiment with that theory. (NOT!)

I’m not sure if I’m hoping that you have melasma or not! I guess it would be good to know what it is but I haven’t read about it so is it something that’s easy to live with?

I’ll tell ya what…. I think I’ve just about had it with all the little extra’s that come with the GD package. I’m not sure who to complain to about this – perhaps my Congressman?

Tomorrow will be better for all of us, right? RIGHT?!?!?!?

Sue

[Raspberry September 16, 2013 at 6:35 pm Post count: 273]

#1180844

Yes Sue, let’s put our Congressmen to work!!! This disease is entirely unreasonable and clearly must have regulations and oversight to keep it from claiming symptoms from other diseases in an out of control manner.

Just writing an update, so I’ve been using the Azulene cream for a few days now and it is helpful with the under eye shadowing. Now this is shadowing I’ve always had any way and isn’t related to Graves’, but I have to say it does a good job. The skin tone in that area is almost now the same as on the rest of my face which is actually pretty new for me. It doesn’t touch the mysterious melasma like issue on the upper eyelids, but I like what it does for the dark circles anyway. It’s made by Earth Science for those interested and is blue!

[SueAndHerZoo September 16, 2013 at 6:56 pm Post count: 439]

#1180845

Raspberry wrote:

Yes Sue, let’s put our Congressmen to work!!! This disease is entirely unreasonable and clearly must have regulations and oversight to keep it from claiming symptoms from other diseases in an out of control manner.

Just writing an update, so I’ve been using the Azulene cream for a few days now and it is helpful with the under eye shadowing. Now this is shadowing I’ve always had any way and isn’t related to Graves’, but I have to say it does a good job. The skin tone in that area is almost now the same as on the rest of my face which is actually pretty new for me. It doesn’t touch the mysterious melasma like issue on the upper eyelids, but I like what it does for the dark circles anyway. It’s made by Earth Science for those interested and is blue!

On my way to go order some – thank you!
Sue

[Raspberry September 17, 2013 at 11:08 pm Post count: 273]

#1180846

SueAndHerZoo wrote:

On my way to go order some – thank you!
Sue

I hope it works out for you – let us know!

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