[Jules]

#1064680

I wanted to let everyone know that my concerns about being allergic to the MMI was not in my immagination. I learned a valuable lesson this weekend. If you feel that you are not getting through t o your Dr. Go else where. There are ones out there that do know about this disease.

Ok so Here is an update. I just got out of the hospital after 3 days. I woke up Thursday Morning with a hoarse voice and soar throat. Go to work and by 1 pm I am D-U-N done go home take a long nap. I wake up Friday morning thinking that I have a sinus infection and try to clear the phlem out of my throat. I start chocking and can not breath unless my head is on the floor and my butt is in the air. I have my hubby take me to the ER (90 miles south of my home because I do not trust the Endos up in my area) and they check me in thinking lyargniits (SP?)

I wait my turn then tell them that I am recently diag with Hyperthyroid Graves and they start running test. CT scan showed Major inflammation in the throat. (INFECTION). Blood work came back within normal range on the WBC 4.4 in the normal range. they admit me put me on major IV Drugs for the infection and inflammation.

Last time I took my MMI was Thursday Morning. Hospital on Friday morning. With all of the drugs they had me on IV wise I was feeling no pain by Saturday afternoon. I had asked my Dr’s what about my MMI because I was starting to feel the effects of HYPER issues. They said go ahead and take it. so 4 pm took it and by 6 pm I am in major pain in the throat calling for pain drugs.

Sunday morning I tell the ENT what happened and he contacted the Endo on Call. Endo stated DO NOT TAKE THAT MED AGAIN! Allergic. They tested my WBC on Sunday to see that it was through the roof. WBC 14.5
The Endo asked about all of the symptoms that I have been having on the MMI Hives hoarse voice sore throat etc…

He said that because of the allergy my infection was not showing on the blood work because it was slamming my WBC down. Not allowing my body to fight the infection. I have been removed from the MMI and I am now off the propanolol and on a longer extended release for the rapid heart rate and trying to figure out what to do next. (I am also on 2 antibiotics Steriods. etc etc etc…

So I guess the moral to this story is to trust your instincts and make someone listen if what they are telling you does not jive with what you are feeling. I love this new endo he has been my hubby’s endo for years only thing is he wants me to have RAI and I am not sure what I want to do yet.

[Harpy]

#1064681

Hey Jules
Hope you fare well on PTU
GD is a complex condition and lies deep within and behaves in unpredictable ways sometimes, the symptoms we see/feel are in the second and third level, the symptoms like thyroid hormone levels need to be treated to prevent them causing other problems, but even when they are corrected, the GD still needs to be dealt with and it seems that time and taking good care of your body, eating healthy, minimising stress will aid this process.
As for what you should do,
That’s like the meaning of life, only you can make that decision.
Of the three options currently available, ATD’s, RAI & Surgery, each have their own pro’s & con’s and hopefully as I said above you will respond well to PTU to allow your body & mind time to settle so you can put in some hard yards on researching your options such that you are in a clear frame of mind when making your decisions. It is extremely hard to make an informed decision in the early days of GD because of the way it makes you feel, you get a sense of desperation and fear, when your levels settle down your mind will be much clearer.
None of the options will fix it right now, so do your research, make informed decisions and be responsible for those decisions this will allow you to have a positive outlook with no regrets and be fully commited to your healing path.

[Kimberly]

#1064682

Hi Jules – Yes, this is a great lesson that if something doesn’t *feel* right to keep fighting until we can find a doctor who will listen to us.

You will definitely want to research your options before making a decision on treatment options. Some patients find that allergic-type symptoms will subside once their levels are stabilized and they can drop to a lower dose of the meds. On the other hand, if a patient has a serious reaction to one of the Anti-Thyroid Drugs, some doctors will NOT recommend a switch to the other drug, in case you might have the same reaction.

If you do a search on this board for topics such as PTU, RAI, and Thyroidectomy, this board is a good place to start in gathering information on other patients’ experiences with the various treatment options. However, no two patients will have the exact same experience with a particular treatment option…so you have to also rely on a combination of your own research, your gut feeling, and your doctor’s recommendation. Bottom line, it’s important for YOU to be comfortable with whichever treatment option you choose.

Best of luck!

[Jules]

#1064683

Let me clailrify I am on no thyroid meds because I am allergic. Endo said with this reaction to MMI it is the anti thyroid med. I feel all of the symptoms of the graves with the exception I am on the long acting beta blocker until I get back from vacation on 9/9. There are only 2 choises for me now and surgery is winning put. Just need to discuss my issues with the endo regarding the RAI.

[Author]

Posts