[Lauri]

#1064291

I can’t reply for everyone else, but yes I did have a quick reaction to MMI as well. Went from 20mg starting on 6/11/2010 to being taken off it 8/5/2010, so that is oly 8 weeks. my levels reaacted very quickly and some on the board stated i was overmedicated ” title=”Sad” /> this could very well be the case because they weren’t really sure what dosage to start me on 10mg or 20mg. So I go back to see the endo on 9/8/2010, we will see where the levels are then.

On a side note, i can tell the levels are going up because the symptoms are slowly, one by one returning …oh my poor husband!

[Jules]

#1064292

O lord Help me: My hubby looked at me last night and point blank "you have changed and not in a good way" I really did not realize how I was being other than someone at work really set me off. I hate this. Does anyone know that if you do the surgery that this gets better? I mean the symptoms of GD? I have never been moody nor B*^%#y but I am now.

[Kimberly]

#1064293

Jules – Everyone responds differently to the meds…personally, I went from hypER to the very bottom end of the "normal" range in about 8 weeks, starting out on 15 mg/day. If you are feeling hypO symptoms, it’s worth your time and $$ to get another set of labs run ASAP. You definitely want to avoid heading into hypO territory if you can avoid it!

If your endo doesn’t want to run another set of labs, hopefully, your GP will be willing to help you out with the lab request.

Mood swings can certainly be a sign of our thyroid levels being off kilter. You might have your husband check out the "Publications" section of our home page. (The publications link is on the top right-hand side of the home page at http://www.ngdf.org ). If you click on "Psychosocial & Emotional Effects", then "An Open Letter to Husbands of Graves’ Patients", this article might give you husband some perspective on what you are going through.

If you do a search on this site for RAI or Surgery, you can read experiences from others who have chosen these treatment options. Unfortunately, no matter which treatment options we choose (Drugs, RAI, Surgery), it can take weeks or even months to regain our health and start feeling some sense of "normal" again. In the meantime, we are here if you have questions…or if you just need to vent!

[Jules]

#1064294

Thank you venting is what got me B-otched last night. I thought he understood. I guess I will have to hide in my hole once again. Ugh I hate this. Labs take about 5 days to get. I do have a blood slip for next week but I think I will go today. Thank you for your help.

[Jules]

#1018366

I am recent diagnosed with Graves. I have been on MMI for 6 weeks now. Last weeks blood test showed that my t3 and t4 were with in the low normal range. Now I am wondering if I am going Hypo so quickly. I am having weight gain and tendon issues on my left foot and right hand. is it usual to go from 700 / 800 T3/T4 in 6 weeks on 20 mg of mmi a day? Endo called me last Friday and said to go down to 15 mg per day. Reg Dr. said 10 mg a day because I dropped too quickly. So confused.

[Ewenme]

#1064295

Hi, Jules,
I have been on Methimazole since March (15 mg). Had blood drawn on April 19 and June 1, both times my TSH was still low. I was due to have another blood draw in early Sept, but because i have been gaining weight, asked to be seen sooner. I was able to get an appt Jul 29. It took 2 weeks (which really annoys me) for results of my labs which showed my TSH at 6.29. My free T4 was low. Though it was not stated, it sure looks to me that I am now hypothyroid. My endo did reduce my dose to 10 mg a day. Since then I have had a noticable increase in hair loss. Called today to ask about that, but nobody returned my call. My next appt is not scheduled until Nov–seems a long time to me, considering.
I have a GP appt next week and am planning to ask if they might be able to check me again and see where my TSH is now. I think even 10 mg of Methimazole may be too much—feeling tired and sluggish.
It’s very frustrating to have an endo whose office (not him, necessarily) is not responsive to patients. Also very frustrating to me that I ended up hypo instead of hyper. I made committments based on now I was feeling a few weeks ago (somewhat normal). I hope I am able to get my levels right soon–I’m tired of the whole thing right now.

[Jules]

#1064296

I just did the mathe it has been 6 weeks since starting 15 mg of mmi 2weeks then 20 mg mmi for 3weeks endo left a message that the t3 t4normal go to 15 I thought that was high I called reg and they said go to 10 mg I felt some what normal for 3 days now I feel like crap. I really believE drs are full of crap because 3 weeks ago the endo said to go to 40 mg. I see that we are the ones to be proactive and stay on top of drs. Is anyone elso feeling the rapid heart while there going from hyper to hypo? I really hate this. Going on a big vacation in two weeks. Ugh

[cynthia]

#1064297

the balance of mmi is hard and doesn’t usally respond very rapidily however your body can be crazy ..labs are not the end all to what is going on with ya!!! listen to your body I had surgery 2 mondays ago and started on .88 synthroid 3 days later had serious heart rate and b/p changed ended up in the hospital ( labs normal but tackacardic) so listen to your body and remmeber you are the customer with your dr. complain if need be aout lack of responce good luck

[Harpy]

#1064298

As per all above and in particular what Kimberly said, no matter how you flip the coin this is an extended process and there is no such thing as a quick fix.
Becoming aquainted with your condition and it’s signs will put you in a better position to deal with the symptoms, there are quite a few different factors causing your symptoms, remember the hormone levels are also a symptom of the condition, the actual cause is whatever it was that stimulated the antibodies which attach to the thyroid and cause it to overproduce. The MMI helps to push the Hormone levels down and this reduces a lot of the other symptoms as well, but it takes a little bit of time as your body finds a balance with the MMi dose which will need to be adjusted occasionally and sometimes it may not necesarily appear logical, because it is actually treating a symptom not the cause.
Don’t despair though because you will gradually find stability and your symptoms will become less obvious and more subtle as your body starts to heal.
Keeping a diary is always a good idea, because you can look back through it and see the positive improvements, and that you are getting better, because we get used to the current state. Over time symptoms will dissipate and you won’t even realise until someone asks you about a particular symptom and then you’ll have to think about when the last time you noticed it.
My partner is now completely symptom free and her hair, skin, nails are all great and she looks and feels better than she has ever been even before the GD diagnosis, FT3 & FT4 levels are spot on and we are just looking to see the TSH go up a litle more and then continue the reduction of meds.
So there is light at the end of the tunnel, but you do need to start looking after yourself both in diet and lifestyle to help your body heal.

[Kimberly]

#1064299

An important reminder for patients who are on anti-thyroid drugs such as PTU and Tapazole/Methimazole…

Free T3 and Free T4 are better benchmarks for determining dosing than TSH. FT3/FT4 tests measure the actual amount of thyroid hormone that is available to the body. TSH is a substance produced by the pituitary gland that tells the thyroid whether to produce more or less thyroid hormone. However, TSH can remain suppressed (i.e. below normal) for quite some time in patients who are treated with anti-thyroid drugs. Some docs will look at a low TSH and tell us that means we are still hypER…but this is NOT the case if our FT3 and FT4 are normal or below normal.

Don’t be afraid to ask your doc to explain how he/she is making your dosing decision…*especially* if your TSH is below normal, but your FT3/FT4 are in the normal range or below normal. This is an easier conversation to have if you can get labs run *prior* to your appointment. That way, you can spend your visit discussing the results, rather than having labs done at the doc’s office…and then getting further instructions via phone.

Also, if you are feeling hypO symptoms (constipation, joint pain, weight gain, cold intolerance, etc.) definitely get a new set of labs run ASAP to see if you require a further dosage reduction. It’s important to get our hypERthyroidism under control…but we don’t want to end up in hypO territory, either!

[Author]

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