[Anonymous January 26, 1998 at 1:02 pm Post count: 93172]

#1153198

This is a subject that really interests me. I am 42 have advanced osteoporosis and tried the HRT thing. My migraine headaches got much worse, my legs and hands swelled and I was in tears a lot of the time. I quit taking HRT and felt better—don’t know what it’s doing to my bones though.

I would love to know how to balance the Graves with HRT, but have never heard anyone say they have managed to do so.

Valerie L

[Anonymous January 26, 1998 at 5:03 pm Post count: 93172]

#1153199

Our female hormones can interfere with balancing out, but taking the estrogen/progesterone should not make you more hyper. On the contrary, it should, theoretically, make you less hyper, and therefore perhaps in need of less of your antithyroid drug. The way it works is that the vast majority of our thyroid hormone circulates through the blood in an unfree state, bound to other chemicals. Estrogen and progesterone (one or the other, or both) help bind up the thyroid hormone. It is the FREE levels of T4 and especially T3 that are responsible for us being hyperthyroid. The T4 and T3 that are bound up are essentially inactive. So if you raise the levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body, more hormone should be bound up, and you would be less hyper.

I’m curious as to whether your doctor is an endocrinologist. My endo pooh-poohed the idea that menopause was causing some of my symptoms (I was 51 when diagnosed). She told me that being hyper causes periods to thin out or stop altogether, can cause hot flashes, etc. And my periods did resume, and become stronger, when my thyroid hormone levels were in the right spot. And the feeling of being hot or of having hot flashes went away, too. Just for your information. Your doctor could be right in your case. I just wonder how they KNOW?

I hope this information helps.

Take care,

Bobbi

[Anonymous January 26, 1998 at 5:25 pm Post count: 93172]

#1052100

Hello everybody — This is such a wonderful forum, I hope someone can share their thoughts
on menopause, Graves and HRT. Although I’m back on methimazole, the doctor’s seem to
think that some of my “symptoms and problems” with Graves are really menopausal, and that
I should be on hormone replacement therapy. Now I haven’t had a period in nearly two years, so
my FSH shows clinical menopause. I am 51 and since the Graves was diagnosed so late (50),
I had been hyperthyroid for years, the Dexa-Scan showed I have beginning Osteoporosis. Not good.
The doctor thinks the heat thing is due to menopause. I told him I don’t have “flushes” I”M JUST
HOT ALL THE TIME! The doctor says my Grave’s is getting under control and is considered mild. “You shouldn’t
be having all these symptoms” he says. “You should be on HRT or your bones are going to get
powdery.” Okay, I said. So I got the prescription of a common estrogen, progesterone combination (.065 and 2.5 respectively). But
as I was reading the literature, it said that the HRT could cause more binding of the T3 and T4.
Is this one of those disguised warnings for hyperthyroid people? I’m scared to death to start
something that’s going to start screwing with my thyroid levels, especially since my TSH is
undetectable, and won’t respond. We’re still experimenting with the amount of methimazole I’m taking. Does anyone else
out there have any experience with Graves and menopause? I hope someone has some thoughts on this.
Thanks, and you can e-mail me directly.

[Anonymous January 26, 1998 at 5:30 pm Post count: 93172]

#1153200

Thanks Bobbi…your explanation of the thyroid binding is very interesting and
helpful to me, as I’m trying to make an informed decision about whether or
not to start the HRT. I’m just so scared to throw a new medicine into the mix
but the prospect of reducing the amount of methimazole daily really appeals to me.
No my endo did not suggest this, but my primary care physician. She also
teaches residents at a well-known hospital, so maybe she knows something.
Thanks again, Dianne

[Anonymous January 26, 1998 at 8:52 pm Post count: 93172]

#1153201

Hi,
I’m also dealing with HRT and Graves’, although in my case the HRT came first. In fact I put off taking HRT for a year after a pelvic abcess. I wish now that I had not, as I am beginning to see literature linking estrogen and autoimune conditions. I’m wondering if I might have done better if I had started HRT when my doctor wanted me to. BTW I use the patch as I found the pills caused headaches and nausea. Ah well who knows what came first the chicken or the egg, Graves’ or menopause!!!
Brenda

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