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Hi Lisa,
Welcome! I know you didn’t particularly want to join the club, but we’re glad you found us anyway.
” title=”Very Happy” />Very low TSH levels are pretty typical with a Graves’ diagnosis ~ just as a quick overview, when we have Graves’ Disease, our bodies have produced antibodies against our thyroid gland (why? no one knows for certain…). The usual mechanism for regulating thyroid hormone in our body is that our pituitary gland measures the thyroid hormone in our bloodstream, and then sends out a corresponding level of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to tell the thyroid how much thyroid hormone to release. As a result, TSH and thyroid hormone itself (T4) have an inverse relationship. When there isn’t enough T4 in the bloodstream, TSH will be high. When there’s too much T4 in the bloodstream, TSH will be low. The Graves’ antibodies actually mimic the action of TSH, so they attack and trick the thyroid into overproducing thyroid hormone, which makes us hyperthyroid. The pituitary will correctly read that there is too much T4 in the bloodstream, and will send out progressively less and less TSH, telling the thyroid not to release any more T4. The thyroid is under the impression that the antibodies are TSH, so it keeps on pumping out hormone and doesn’t notice the low TSH coming directly from the pituitary. So the TSH levels will drop further and further as the hyperthyroidism continues, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you are "sicker" than someone with a slightly more normal TSH level. It may mean that you’ve been hyperthyroid longer, but that’s about it. The T4 level is a better indicator of just how hyperthyroid you are right this minute.
Tapazole will help your thyroid start acting normally again ~ I’m not sure of the precise chemical process (Tapazole and PTU work slightly differently), but the result is that your thyroid hormone levels should start to correct. At first it may take a while before you really feel a lot better (the excess can take up to six weeks just to get out of your bloodstream), but after that period has passed, you should notice a marked improvement. The process for finding the perfect maintenance dose to keep you at normal levels can take a little while, and you may find that you go a little hypo, change the dose, go a little hyper ~ but overall you are finding THE spot for you, and you will be feeling better each step along the way.
In the meantime, remember please that your body has been going through a true assault. Thyroid hormone is the "fuel" for every single cell in the body, so having too much can literally affect you everywhere. In addition to that, until your levels are normal AND stable, your body won’t have a chance to truly heal. All of this takes time. You will get to health, I promise ~ diagnosis is more than half the battle, with Graves’ ~ but make sure you understand you will need PATIENCE to get there.
You shouldn’t have to wait a year to go back to exercise, but make sure you’re in touch with your doctor about the best time to start. You may want to see a physical therapist when exercise is okayed. You’ll find that your body has gone through some changes and it may need some real TLC before you can get back to the exercise level you are used to.
Finally, there are many typical things that happen to us along the way, and emotional upset is definitely one of them. Try to keep yourself calm, if you can. Knowing that you may have trouble with that, speak with your family members BEFORE you have a meltdown and let them know you are fragile right now. You don’t look sick, but you are. You need support and understanding from everyone around you right now. Most importantly, from yourself. Take a good look at your calendar and make sure you are not wasting valuable energy on things that do not reward you with some kind of satisfaction or other payout. It seems that we have all been the people who "do everything" and are "always there," and that’s admirable. Now is the time for other people to take on that role, and for you to have some downtime while you heal.
Stick around, read the board, ask all of your questions, we’ll be here for you!
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