[Jenn419]

#1060506

Like most of you I have been diagnosed with Graves. Like most of you I feel like crap and I am scared. My levels are crazy high and I feel like I have lost all control. I have started methemazol 30mg per day and I am praying that it helps. What frightens me the most is the “Graves Rage”. I am normally a fairly calm and pretty passive person but lately I can actually visualize hurting people that irritate me. I begged the endocrinologist yesterday for meds to control my temper. He just smiles and keeps telling me that its typical. Any advice on how to bring myself down? I feel like I am destroying every relationship I have and that just makes me more angry.

[Kimberly]

#1183010

Hello and welcome! Your endocrinologist is right that things *will* get better as your levels start to stablize, although that’s too bad that he kind of brushed off an issue that is clearly important to you.

If your friends and family members would be willing to learn a little more about Graves’ disease, this would hopefully be helpful. Here are a few good resources:

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

Bulletin: “What’s Wrong With Me? I’m Not Myself Anymore”
http://gdatf.org/about/about-graves-disease/patient-education/whats-wrong-with-me/

Bulletin: “An Open Letter to Husbands of Graves’ Patients”
http://gdatf.org/about/about-graves-disease/patient-education/an-open-letter-to-husbands-of-graves-patients/

Video: “The Emotional Aspects of Graves’ Disease”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB8_5rbCso8&list=UUONJaoWexqoz1cr6m5313Dw

In the meantime, anything that you can do to avoid stress triggers as much as possible and to incorporate activities that bring you joy and peace will be helpful.

One of our former facilitators, Jake, when he got the urge to yell at his family, would yell things like: “I love you, but I’m really frustrated!” I always thought this was a great idea – he got to vent a bit, and his family knew that his anger was not directed at them.

Take care – and please check back to let us know how you are doing!

[Jenn419]

#1183011

Thank you, Kimberly. My family is really understanding. I just wonder how long they will tolerate my behavior. LOL… I can imagine my husbands face as I scream angrily at the top of my lungs that I love him. I will definitely give it a shot though. I will try anything.

My doctor is a nice guy but I don’t feel like I get a whole lot from my visits. I feel like I could be doing more to help myself than just take a pill 3 times a day. I understand that the medicine should kick in over the next “16 weeks” as he continues to tell me but I also don’t want to just be a victim. I asked about my diet and other things I could do to try to keep some of my symptoms from getting much worse and he just goes back to the same response. “Give the medicine 16 weeks”. What do I do with myself for 16 weeks? I don’t want to be helpless. I am doing research but one web site just contradicts the next. I found this one and I like it because there are other people that are going or have gone through the same thing.

Thank you again. I truly appreciate the advice and the understanding.

[Tkiv]

#1183012

Hi Jenn419

I felt the same way when I was first diagnosed. It’s hard to feel bad and not know where to turn. This site has helped me in so many ways….especially by just validating my symptoms. And I just found it! I was diagnosed with Graves in 2010 and have not felt myself in a really long tome…but…

I have my Graves Symptom Support strategies….these may not help everyone, but like you said we have to try something!

Book by John Kabat Zinn – Full Catastrophe Living – it is a book that teaches meditation skills and how to “help control the crazy” when nothing/no one can help. I have his CDs as well. It taught me some relaxation techniques that help when I am really feeling anxious. Like I said…may not be for everyone, but worth a try. He’s funny too!

Yoga for Anxiety and Depression with Ira Israel. – my daughter introduced me to this DVD and I had never, ever done yoga before…never, ever wanted to do yoga either…but, this DVD helped me to learn to breath. I can’t do all of the poses, and that is fine with me. Many of them are not difficult (I am 55).
It’s the first DVD I have seen using a guy…again may not be for everyone.

The last subject that I have been struggling with when feeling symptomatic is what to eat. I am still struggling with this one Jenn419, but I am hoping others have ideas…I just end up drinking a lot of water some days.

I wish you the best on this journey, and please if something works for you let us know.

Terry

[wilson68944]

#1183013

Jenn,

First of all, I live relatively close by in the southern Philadelphia suburbs, Delco. So that’s cool! I agree with what everyone said above me that this is totally normal and you’re not raving mad. It happens to me still even 5 years in on medicine. Not nearly as much and you will see a huge improvement when the medicine kicks in. I remember when I first started my medicine they told me it takes several weeks to “work” and I almost felt like why bother? I had lived hyper for so many years before being diagnosed that I didn’t want to wait a single day longer, let alone several weeks. I can give you a bit of hope by saying you’ll feel substantially better on that dose and in a much shorter time than 16 weeks. I’m not a doctor but from experience I’d say within a month you’ll notice a large improvement. Whatever you decide, I wouldn’t rush into any permanent treatment like RAI or Surgery right away. This is coming from someone who just had RAI recently, too! I waited 5 years on Methimazole and tried to go in remission then tried to just live stable indefinitely on the medicine but for me it just wasn’t going to happen long term. That said I wish you all the luck and I hate to say this because it cliché and it’s annoying to hear the way you’re feeling right now but it does get better I promise you will feel good once you stabilize!

[scanders]

#1183014

Just one more voice to say hang in there, it will get better! I was diagnosed a little over a year ago. Started on methimazole, and within a month, one day I noticed the sun was shining and I felt all right. (I hadn’t even realized I had gotten into such a dark place prior.) I didn’t stay there and have been both hyper and hypo since then, but that’s helped me develop a frame of reference to better identify symptoms I need to pay attention to. Right now, I have this calm sense inside that I haven’t felt in…I don’t know when. First time I’ve had both FT3 and FT4 close to midrange at the same time. (I hope this is a sign that Graves is loosening it’s grip on me.)

One thing that’s really helped is keeping a symptom journal. I record how I’m feeling, things I’ve done for stress reduction, dietary changes, labs, med doses, TED symptoms, weight, pulse, etc. (Diet is apparently not a trigger for me, I’ve found.) I’ve been able to bring this to the endo and show her that last time my labs were here I felt ___. If nothing else, it just helps me to write how things are going in general. I like to write, obviously, from the length of my posts.

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