[Teri_Odegaard]

#1181123

I didn’t know. Had an appointment with doc for cortisone in elbow. He came in, I stood up, got dizzier than a spinning top, saw things going black. said I had vertigo. called a friend who lived close by to come get me. stayed at his place for couple a days. clinic called to see how I was doing and they sent ambulance as I was havin stroke symptoms on right side of body. last thing er doc did was test for gd. and bingo … my life changed forever. it has been over 3 yrs since diagnosed and there are no answers for many symptoms I have. normal for me is sometimes a couple of seconds to the next, sometimes not so fast.

[loppysmum]

#1181124

Hi there, hope things are improving for you now.

I’m another newbie and it’s amazing to find a place where people finally understand the implications of living with thyroid problems.

The problem I encountered was that some of the symptoms, whilst distressing, were quite subtle. first came the dizziness which my doctor decided must be an inner ear problem and told me to come back in 9 months. 9 months later and I was back with the shaking but this was put down to anxiety and stress (despite the fact that I didn’t actually feel anxious or stressed) and by the time I was back with the heat, the fatigue and the palpitations it was decided that my “anxiety” had turned me into a hypochondriac who was looking for problems, the result being that I actually started to believe it was all in my head and I ended up leaving my job as there didn’t seem to be anyway I was getting better. I’ve been really shocked by how little the medical profession seems to understand about Graves’ disease and how many people go undiagnosed for long periods of time.

I should admit now that the first symptom I actually noticed was weight loss but, thanks to vanity, i was thrilled! The only thing I had changed was to stop drinking diet coke (shameful addiction!) and I had all my friends convinced I’d found the secret to the perfect figure. oops!

[AllieKatz]

#1181125

Is anybody continuously nauseated? Is the nausea a result from the Graves’ disease itself or is the nausea from taking ATD Methamazole or perhaps drug interaction combined with High Blood Presssure and High Cholesterol Medications? What do you take to suppress the nausea? I chew Peppermint gum as well as various mint teas! My daughter recommends that I drink Aloe Vera. Safeway and Costco sell Aloe Vera Drinks! I am considering trying these!

[AllieKatz]

#1181126

Is anybody continuously nauseated? Is the nausea a result from the Graves’ disease itself or is the nausea from taking ATD Methamazole or perhaps drug interaction combined with High Blood Presssure and High Cholesterol Medications? What do you take to suppress the nausea? I chew Peppermint gum as well as various mint teas! My daughter recommends that I drink Aloe Vera. Safeway and Costco sell Aloe Vera Drinks! I am considering trying these!

[Kimberly]

#1181127

Hello – Hopefully, you will get some other responses here; you might also start a new thread with “Nausea” in the subject. When posters are short on time, many will only jump on on threads where they have personal experience.

It’s certainly worth asking your doctor if that combination of meds could be contributing to your nausea. Also, you might look at whether the meds need to be taken with or without food. When I first started on the methimazole, I had to take it with milk or food to avoid stomach upset. I’ve heard that with ATDs, it doesn’t matter so much whether you take it with or without food, but it’s a good idea to be consistent.

Take care!

[JEH]

#1181128

I didn’t see anything in your post about how old you are, but I was in my 50’s when I was finally diagnosed. I had been unusually fatigued and finally decided to see a doc. A family history (a sister with Hashimotos) was the biggest clue that it could be thyroid and a blood test confirmed that it was Graves.

I had been having a variety of symptoms for several years before I was diagnosed but never put it all together. I was also infertile with seriously painful and irregular menstruation since age 12, and had a “heart murmur” when I was born in 1942. I believe my thyroid had been malfunctioning since birth, the heart murmur actually being palpitations.

The most worrisome of my symptoms was that both my bp and heart rate were seriously elevated. I was also normally a very high-energy person and the lack of energy was unusual and debilitating. I was running my own business and needed to be able to work consistently.

You story is pretty horrible. It makes my experience pale in comparison. I hope the ATD treatment works for you. It has worked well for me.

Jane

[teresaaranieri]

#1181129

I had a lot of the same symptoms you had and also got real dizzy and saw spots before my eyes. Luckily I went to the Dr for checkup and blood tests. They found I had very low TSH. I knew the Graves had come back. I originally had it about 13 years ago, took tapazole for 6 months then quit that because of hives! So I was good for 10 years then it came back. Since the RAI I have had a sinus drip down the back of my throat! Horrible taste in my mouth but my sinuses are just now starting to stop the post nasal drip. I have been taking 1000 mg of vitamin C a day and its getting bettter!! I am starting to feel better all the time but going Hypo they say slowly. I will take meds if and when I have to.

Hope things go good for you!! Good luck!!

[AllieKatz]

#1181130

A friend of mine with out of control Graves wants to know which states sponsor the End of Life Option Act?

[Kimberly]

#1181131

Hello – Although there are a handful of states that have “aid-in-dying” laws, I would really hate to see someone with Graves’ Disease take this option, as there are treatment options available.

In fact, I suspect that Graves’ would not be covered under these laws, since it probably wouldn’t qualify as a terminal illness. Yes, Graves’ *can* be terminal – but deaths are generally related to patients who were not treated, either because the condition was not diagnosed or because the patient refused conventional therapy.

If finances are the issue, there are a number of clinics in the U.S. that provide care on a free or sliding scale basis. The U.S. government’s Health Resources and Services Administration web site allows you to do a search by zip code. Although they don’t always offer specialist care, they can at least connect you with a physician who can do a basic evaluation. You can find them on the web at: http://www.hrsa.gov/index.html

(Note on links: if you click directly on the above link, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing, or you will have to log back in to the forum. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window)

Contacting local state and county health and economic security departments can also be a good starting point. Even for patients who are not Medicaid eligible, these offices can sometimes suggest other resources. Local hospitals, universities, or medical schools can also be good options.

Wishing all the best to you and to your friend.

[louiseblennerhassett77]

#1181132

I found out during an admission to the Emergency department for asthma – my heart rate seemed too high even for someone who had just had nebulized salbutamol so the duty doctor checked for TSH, T3 and T4. That was when I found out, and was later told that having just had a baby at age 40 that had made me more susceptible to it. The diagnosis also explained the previous 6 months of disturbed sleep, irritability, eye pain, stomach upset, sweatiness, weight loss and pretibial myxedema.

[NickyG]

#1181133

Well I found out I had Graves because leading up to my wedding I was a nervous wreck. Of course you are thinking that is every bride but mine was over the top. Shaking, fast heart beats, couldn’t concentrate, cold all the time, moody, couldn’t sleep at night and I dropped 3 dress sizes. 2 weeks before my wedding I had to find a whole new dress. I thought I was going crazy. The night of my wedding I was super sick. I was very tired and I decided to go see my primary doctor a couple of weeks after our wedding which was September 30 2012. My primary took blood work and referred me to an endo doctor and she put me on methimazole and I have been on it every since. I don’t always remember to take my medicine every day but I do take it. My eyes are more sensitive and my eyelids are puffy. One thing I will add is that I wasn’t mad for the weight loss before my wedding cause I looked fab in the pictures LOL!!

[Author]

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