[wendyd]

#1018808

In june I was dx with Graves Optho,the pain behind my eyes had been uncontrollable since 06,the bulging is quite noticeable now,
in April 09 my throat started to get sore on a regular basis,just the very front,it does not hurt to swallow talk eat etc.,my left ear will also go numb
in October I went to the Dr. and my family Dr. was not avail. so i went to the one that was,he freaked when I told him what was going on
he asked if I was on meds for the Thyroid,which iam not,and he immed sent me to a Endrocronologist,after exam she said I had a goiter
and sent me for bloodwork etc.,but I havent heard anything back
Since that time I have started to get very ill with nausea and vomiting,the nausea is extreme,I can not keep anything down !!
After doing next to nothing I will break out in hot sweats,which are very embarassing when Iam out in public,I also have night sweats
I have also had extreme pain in the back of the head,this has also been going on since 2006,but does happen independantly of eye pain
I feel like Iam not getting the help I need,should I go to the ER because of the vomiting nausea,I didnt realize that this could be caused from the Thyroid!!
Thanks in advance for any replys !!

[Bobbi]

#1067253

Hi, and welcome to our board.

Having the Graves opthamopathy does not mean that you definitely will become hyperthyroid: some people have the eye disease all by itself or in conjunction with some other thyroid problem. But it does mean that your doctor needs to check thyroid function routinely. This is done by a simple blood test usually. If the blood test shows things are "off," then you would be sent for other, more thorough imaging types of tests.

Typically, blood test results come back within a few days. So if it has been longer than a few days since you had the tests done that the endo ordered, call the office back and ask to speak to a nurse, and ask what the results were. Also, ask that you be sent a copy of the results. Those tests are yours and you have a right to a copy. On the copy of those tests, the labs typically have a section indicating whether or not the results are normal or abnormal, and if they are abnormal whether they are abnormally high or low. This will help you to understand your doctor’s recommendations. I did not do this when I first became ill, and the doctor totally misread my lab results and told me that I was fine when I wasn’t. I doubt that your endo will do this, but, just in case, it is a good idea for you to see results first hand for yourself.

My second suggestion is that if those tests show normal thyroid levels, you give your doctor just a wee push, and ask them to please find out what IS going on. Why doctors sometimes need this push I do not know, but they sometimes assume that if a test shows nothing wrong, we need to be satified with a non-answer. When we’re feeling miserable, we need an answer that gives direction to how to fix things. While the pressures from the eye muscles might be causing headaches, etc., it is also possible for someone to have more than one disease at a time, and it is important to find out what is making you miserable.

I do hope you are feeling better soon.

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