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  • Bobbi
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    Post count: 1324

    Hi, Cathy, and welcome to the board.

    I think that most people — and I would guess that the percentage is extremely high — do the antithyroid drugs first. It is typical for the GP to initiate antithyroid drugs while we wait for an endo appointment. Remaining hyperthyroid is not a wise option. Some of us remain on the ATDs a very short time; others of us go for a year or more, trying for remission. The meds typically work immediately to interfere with the production of thyroid hormone, so taking them allows us a bit of breathing room as we analyze our realistic treatment options.

    That said, it is possible that your numbers do not indicate hyperthyroidism. That is something no one here is qualified to determine. Your doctor can tell you that. If you are not hyperthyroid, your doctor would probably not want you to start antithyroid drugs.

    There is a genetic predisposition to autoimmune diseases, and often there will be other members of the family who will have thyroid disease like we do, but it isn’t necessarily going to be Graves. If you are indeed diagnosed with Graves, though, having your daughter start monitoring her thyroid function during her annual physicals would be wise.

    CathyB
    Participant
    Post count: 2

    DX in ER TSH 0.005, however they keep saying my T4,T3 ok. I will get these numbers. My uptake was elevated, and scan showed enlargement of both lobes. A few weeks a go I was admitted to the hospital for tachy HR in the 200’s. I was cardioverted twice and started on metoprolol. I have anxiety, trouble sleeping night sweats, hair loss, extreme fatigue, irritability, brain fog, and body aches. I was dx with sjogrens several years ago. I am an RN and have a very stressful job.
    I cannot get an immediate appointment with an endo, how soon should I get started on medication. When choosing a tx option how many people choose TT as a first line for hyper. I am on a cancelation list with an appointment in July. I would like some answers before then.
    If I choose medication what is a fair length of time to give the meds and opportunity.
    My daughter has some similar sx what are the chances she has GD? She is 21?
    Thanks in advance to everyone <img decoding=” title=”Smile” />

    CathyB
    Participant
    Post count: 2

    I got a cancelation when ntment with the Endo. She repeated my labs and from my thyroid scan last week to till this week my labs have changed. My TSH is still low and my T3 and my t4 are still abnormal. They increased my bb. I have been given information about treatment options MMI and RAI TT. She also discussed the possibility of my hormones swinging quickly to the hypo side. When you are hyper, and begin to become hypo are my symptoms going to truly change as in improve? I am hoping to return to work soon and I understand i cannot predict when I will feel a change in my symptoms, however know that I know I am going to go from hyper to hypo when will i reach that happy medium. Thanks for any help or advice

    Ski
    Participant
    Post count: 1569

    The timing can be pretty capricious, but for each type of treatment, if you end up hypo, you must by definition travel through a period of "normal." As you move into the other side of imbalance, you can have some of the same symptoms as well as some different ones ~ you should keep a list of typical symptoms for each at hand, because it’s helpful just to see how many symptoms occur on both sides, and look for the unique symptoms of hypo so you can make sure to get tested early on in the process and begin taking replacement hormone. You can shortcut the process of getting back to normal by being vigilant about symptoms and knowing your levels, but it STILL takes time, since you need to wait at least six weeks after changing doses in order to get accurate results from your blood tests. That’s just the way our body’s feedback loop works for thyroid hormone regulation, so you need to know that up front. Still, you should be (as I used to tell my kids on long road trips) "closer every minute," so it’s not a constant period of illness, it’s a constant progression closer and closer to normal.

    Also ~ you need to find a normal point that works for you, and THEN your body begins to heal. So on the day your blood tests read normal, and you don’t notice any dramatic symptoms of hyper or hypo, some of the other damage caused by hyperthyroidism can START to heal. Don’t worry if you don’t feel completely perfect on that day, in other words. There’s more improvement to come, even after you find your normal point.

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