[anniem]

#1058988

I have been struggling with GD for 2.5 years. Down at one point to 2.5 Mg tapazole twice a week. Now back up to 5mg daily. 3 weeks out of the month I am pretty stable but recently (maybe last 3 months) , the week prior to menses, I am a royal nightmare. Anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, not sleeping, night sweats, heart palpatations with exertion and the slightest thing can set me off. Can GD really jack with this time of the month or do I chaulk it up to PMS? Endo says not that much but internal med Dr says absolutely. Anyone else have this too? Can’t take this much longer but feel I have a chance at remission since I was almost off the tapazole and don’t really want RAI. These seem like GD symptoms to me and not all PMS. Very confused.

[Bobbi]

#1171393

When this board first started, there was a woman on antithyroid drugs who swore that once a month the hyper symptoms got worse. She kept a log for a few months to show her doctor. I do not remember the outcome, but keeping a log can help some times.

[anniem]

#1171394

Yes, I have been keeping a log recently. I just need to get the Dr to test my levels when this is happening so I can see if my thyroid really does flucuate or if it is just PMS. My hunch says not just PMS. Just curious if any other women with GD have had this happen to them.

[keesephoto]

#1171395

I’m currently getting some great information about this now and learning more but in the meantime let me tell you that yes, it does.

Just from a logical standpoint it makes sense that it would. Menstrual cycles elevate our hormones, this is FACT.
Graves affects our thyroids which affects our hormones, FACT.

When the two are mixed together you get crazy hormones, and it’s elevated.

So while I cannot give you all the research I’ve been given or knowledge since I’m just learning I can simply answer your question reasonably and say yes, this would be considered normal for a graves patient.

[Darcy43]

#1171396

I posted about having bad cycles once my hormones were stabilizing (according to my endo). Research, as well as this physician who specializes in endochronology studies support this fact. Unfortunately it *might* intensify all the other elements that comes with menses, namely PMS, irritability, etc. I never have PMS but I get severe cramps. When my hypER was at it’s worst (prior to taking the Methi) I had shorter period and not as much pain. Now that I am normalizing, my periods are longer and I have severe cramps. My doctor told me this means I am getting better. The thyroid is connected to the reproductive organs, etc. and they all react off the pituatary gland in the brain so it makes sense, but it is so unfair. I now drink herbal tea (since coffee is a no no – makes my cramps worse) and I take a mild pain reliever. That helps me along with a heating pad at night. I am hoping in a few months my cycles will calm down.

If it isn’t one thing it is another. Again, everyone is different.

Good luck and I hope this helps. (P.S. the herb Red Rasberry, along with Don Quai helps with my cramps/hormone levels) And yes, I still take my medicine. It doesn ‘t bother it and it doesn’t affect my liver (the herbs)

[anniem]

#1171397

Thank you so much for all the info! I am keeping a log of when the symptoms arise and when they stop. But what I am wondering is do the symptoms get worse because my blood levels change around that time of the month or are the symptoms just exasperated by the disease itself? Would changing up my meds prior to menses help? I will discuss it with the Dr on Friday I guess and see if he’s responsive to testing the levels when this happens again. It’s like a light switch just flips on & off. Thank God for my supportive husband!

[Harpy]

#1171398

Women always love it when a guy jumps in on these conversations, but I can tell you I have been on the other end of that look, and it aint pretty.
We found something that worked for us, and it didn’t involve me leaving the house for a week, but as i am a bit of a wordy Guy, some background first.

You come out of Mensus, thank god that’s done, get back to life now, your body begins to prepare the uterus for the new lining in anticipation of ovulation, this requires a lot of work and nutrients as the lining is constructed, somwhere around mid cycle ovulation takes place and the egg is released, hormonal balances change and your body temp also increases, just as your uterus is flat out completing the “Olympic Stadium” for the big race. The body temp stays up in anticipation of potential fertalization and subsequent incubation, when it becomes evident (hormonally) that this hasn’t taken place, then blood flow to the uterus lining is constricted, body temp falls, contractions begin, Mensus starts again and the old lining is shed.

The blood that leaves during mensus is primarily old lining and is not depleting the body of iron resources at that stage. The time when the Uterus is drawing the most nutrients & energy from the body is just before & after ovulation.

So I proposed to my partner one day, when she gave me that look & we were not around any sharp objects, that I would cook her up a Nice Juicy steak (iron & protein), I garnished this with some salad & spinach (plant iron absorbs better in the presence of proteins), then also gave her the iron suppliment she uses (Spatone, iron water satchel) in a glass of Orange juice (Iron absorbs better in the presence of citric acid), she tolerated me, we ate quietly & later that evening she was actually nice to me.

Yes just cooking for her was nice, but this became tradition for quite a while in mid cycle, usually over 2 or 3 days 2 meals like this and she was fine. We have fallen out of the habit a bit lately, but during the years when she was stabilising her hormone levels, it was a ritual.
I also tracked her cycle as this was part of our GD monitoring process, along with Body temp & pulse rate, so i new when to go out and buy some nice juicy red meat.

I will prepare to duck now.

[Darcy43]

#1171399

Harpy your partner is one lucky duck!!

I am buying steak and orange juice this afternoon in preparation.

[anniem]

#1171400

Thanks for all that info Harpy and for a good laugh. I will try the steak diet around that time. My Dr has given me a short acting beta blocker which may help around that time and we are checking hormones to make sure this is not early menopause. Wouldn’t that be fun! I told my husband if early menopause is in this picture, he’ll have to take me out back and shoot me! Lol, just kidding.

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