[vanillasky]

#1059719

Hi guys

I have had this particular episode happen and no doctor seems to understand but I am open to opinions about this situation which hasn’t happened for a while, but it just happened today.

I went to the mall. The mall was so cold. I was actually freezing (that’s a switch) and we went to the food court, I ate some ice cream and drank alittle cold water with ice. All of a sudden, I got very hot. My arms felt burning and my face gets hot and red. I had on a gold bracelet and I could feel the bracelet was hot as it slid up and down my wrist. I started to think it was a hot flash (I have menopause) as some of you know. Thing is – it keep going. I walked that mall, warm, sweating, flushed and felt RoTTEN the rest of the time.

It wasn’t until I got in the car to go home, it all went away and I felt normal. Is it the thyroid or is it this stupid menopause I have? I am not taking any sort of menopause HRT replacement right now. You’ve read my rants that nothing works and this has happened many times. Not all the time, but a lot of the time.

I am sooooooooooooooo sick of it!

Opinions welcome because these doctors either endocrinologist or gynecologist do not understand this awful flushed feeling.

Karen

[Kimberly]

#1177025

Hi Karen – My understanding with Graves’ is that the more common issue is an overall heat intolerance, rather than specific episodes of hot/cold. However, every patient is different, which definitely makes it a challenge to sort out Graves’ vs. menopause symptoms!

You’ve done a nice job of documenting the episode at the mall, and this would be a great example to discuss with your doctor. Explain how long each phase lasted – cold to hot to back to normal. Perhaps that will give your doc some additional insight.

Hope you can get some answers – and some relief – very soon!

[vanillasky]

#1177026

thanks Kimberly. I know this one is a complete mystery. I had asked my neurologist about this and he said: “Your body is sensitive to climate/weather changes so it can’t adjust.” Not sure if he answered the question or not, but this is one to add to the list for Cleveland on March 20th.

Thank you!

Karen

[beanie1960]

#1177027

I have Graves and went thru menopause about the same time I was diagnosed with the Graves. One thing I figured out is that hot flashes for me, were just that. They came and went very quickly, lasting no more than 3 or 4 minutes, and you could feel them coming on strong, especially in the face. I would get really, really hot and flushed, and after a few minutes it would completely go away. That was from the menopause. The Graves heat intolerance is a little different. It is more like you are just hot for a long time, like you would be hot from being outside on a hot summer day. I would be at work and would just be hot and miserable, like it was 110 degrees out. It was not a “flushing” type of feeling. It was just hot and it didn’t go away. I would sweat for a long time. People who are cold a lot can be hypothyroid. In Graves, you are hyperthyroid, which causes heat intolerance. I am on meds for my Graves, and I was getting too much of them, and I eventaully went hypothyroid. I did not have being “cold” symptoms. However, I knew almost right away I was going hypo because of the horrible weight gain (40 pounds in 6 months) and I fought to stay awake past 7 at night. I was exhausted. Your doctor can easily test your blood for hormone levels for menopause (estrogen and or follicle stimulating hormone.) You can also ask for a thyroid panel.

[vanillasky]

#1177028

Thankx, Beanie. The hot flashes you describe are just what I experience MOST of the time. I time them. They last anywhere from 1 to 4 minutes. I feel an uneasy “aura” before I get them. Sometimes it’s just a feeling of being sick, nauseated, and nervous. And then I’ll say “here it comes!” And it usually works its way up from my waistline, like you say, the face getting the worst of it. My pours open up and I swear terrible under the arms. Even my hands sweat. But these come and go, although very uncomfortable especially when they happen about 5 per hour.

When I have been hyperthyroid, it felt like an ongoing fever to me. I would have to change my clothes. I was soaked.

Right now, my TSH is 2.4 and everything is in normal range. My doctor took me off Tapazole.

But I am getting the chills. I am not sick. I just don’t get it. It’s a broken thermostat I think and a combination of a messed up thyroid and menopause. I remember Cybil Shepard being interviewed and she said that her hot flashes got worse when she drank a cold glass of water. That’s exactly what happens to me. If my body gets chilled, I get hot. Weird, I know:/

[missygail]

#1177029

I am 43 and was diagnosed with Graves disease in April 2012. I was having classic symptoms, night sweats, heart palpitations, weight loss, increased appetite and mood swings. Endo put me on methimazole 10mg, went hypo within 2 weeks (34 TSH!) then began cutting back on dose. By August my TSH was 3 and he took me off med completely. Continued to feel weakness in thighs ( it was a BIG problem when I first was diagnosed ) and heart palps. TSH was normal and has continued to be but still felt not right. MyPCP did a FSH screen and found it was 56 which indicates early menopause. I have symptoms like when my TSH was 0 but it’s hard to tell if it’s that or the menopause! Yesterday at work I was starving and couldn’t get enough to eat then had a very strange episode. The only way to describe it is I became hot/cold at the same time and felt very weak, flushed and aggitated. It lasted apprx 30 minutes then I felt ok the rest of the day. Very frustrating since my TSH is normal and I can’t tell if it’s Graves or menopause! I felt so bad when I was diagnosed I am scared for it to get that way again, if anyone else has Graves and menopause with similar symptoms I would love to hear them, sometimes you feel crazy! Thanks

[Kimberly]

#1177030

Hello and welcome! Hopefully, you will get some other responses here, but it might be helpful for you to get Free T4 and T3 tested as well, to see where those values fall. For patients whose levels are normal *and* stable — and who aren’t symptomatic — TSH alone is often used. But since you aren’t feeling your best, it would be worthwhile to get the additional testing done.

Take care!

[vanillasky]

#1177031

@Missgail, the episode you had is very much the way I can describe some of my episodes so you are not alone, I assure you.

Sometimes it seems like once I feel warm/hot, it lasts for hours. I am not exaggerating here. I ate that ice cream in the mall, blew up into flames and you would think it would stop,but it kept on coming. I was miserable. Trying to shop in all the great stores (we were in Buffalo, NY) and they have a great mall there. I get really excited! So I am trying not to lose it, but I felt horrible. Finally, I just had to go and sit down. It didn’t stop until we got into our car and I went home. I do not understand this whole thing!

[vanillasky]

#1177032

Forgot to mention, my FSH is 147.2. It’s off the boards. They indicated “ovarian failure.”

[missygail]

#1177033

So good to hear I am not alone in this crazy thing:) The “episodes” as I call them, are very disconcerting and leave me feeling off for a good while. I will be having my TSH levels checked in about 2 weeks so that will help determine if those are still ok. Thanks for everyone’s input!

[vanillasky]

#1177034

Nope, you are not alone. I feel alone because no one in my circles here understands any of this. my mother must have had an easy menopause and never had a thyroid issue. She doesn’t understand any of what I am going through. Very frustrating.

Today was awful! I woke up 2 times last night with a soaked nightgown. I hate that! And during the day, I was on a roll for awhile. I think I had 3 severe ones in the afternoon, that left me down in the dumpers.

Tonight, I’ve had at least 3, (I lose count) and my ice pack is my best friend right now.

Am using Estroven. I’ve taken only 6 pills and I know that’s not very much, but so far, NOTHING IS WORKING. I want to cry.

I am debating about using my transdermal patch, but then I say “what for?” It really doesn’t work for me but I do find less severe night sweats when I have it on.

when does this end? I’m 55 years old and haven’t had a period in over a year. I can’t even remember the last time I had a period. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

[Kimberly]

#1177035

Hoping that you can get some relief soon!

Interestingly, an FDA panel voted down two potential treatments this week for hot flashes (what they call “vasomotor symptoms”). The FDA will be making final rulings later this Spring, and they usually follow committee recommendations, although they are not obligated to do so. It will be interesting to see where this ends up.

(Note on links: if you click directly on the following 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).

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/780260

Take care!

[vanillasky]

#1177036

thanks Kimberly. I joined Medscape and read the article re: Gabapentin. I had tried this a few years ago and it made me so tired I couldn’t get out of bed. Gyno had me taking 600mg a day!!!!!!!!! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. That’s all I did. Hot flashes were exactly the same.

Also, it is known to be a weight gain drug. Who needs that?

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