[katiehillis]

#1058901

I am a somewhat new to this Graves disease topic. I was hypothyroid for 4 years on Synthroid when my TSH levels became too low to measure by lab… (0.005) I also got pregnant. Eventually lost the pregnancy and my levels have stayed less than 0.5 for the last year. Finally sought an endocrine md and he says I may have Graves. Losing hair, rosacea at an all time high, cant stand heat, sweating, insomnia, bad dreams, palpitations, chest pains, double vision and noticing a very short fuse/anger/agitation all the time. Also thought of just overdosing on my betablocker….

Is this from my thyroid or am I now also mentally ill…. I cant take this!

[Kimberly]

#1170781

Hello and welcome to our board – I’m so sorry to hear of all you have gone through in the last year. PLEASE don’t do anything drastic right now. If you feel you need to connect with someone directly, you can e-mail the Foundation at GDATF.org or call 877-643-3123.

If your thyroid hormone levels are out of balance, this can absolutely affect memory, concentration, and emotions. We patients have a name for the short fuse – we call it “Graves’ Rage”. Here is a link to an article that talks about some of the mental and emotional aspects that go along with Graves’:

[size 10](Note on links: if you click directly on the following link, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).[/size]

http://gdatf.org/about/about-graves-disease/patient-education/whats-wrong-with-me/

Is your endo doing more testing to give you a definitive diagnosis? If you are hyperthyroid, there are treatment options available to give you your life and your health back. (The beta blocker provides some symptom relief, but does not “cure” the hyperthyroidism). However, your treatment options will depend on the cause. Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, but there can be other causes as well, including thyroiditis and overactive nodules.

Take care – and please write back and let us know how you are doing.

[Bobbi]

#1170783

I think it is really good that you have gone to an endo, and that the doctor is looking into things for you. Some folks do carry the antibodies for both hypO and hypER thyroidism, and can fluctuate, over time, between the two conditions. Regardless of what is going on, having wonky thyroid levels really is bad on our bodies, and we get very ill. As Kimberly indicated, this includes mental abilities, and emotions as well as physical issues. The thing to keep firmly in mind throughout this whole messy episode is that with appropriate diagnosis, the doctors CAN get you well again. That’s the thought for you to latch on to. This is not forever. You will get well. It may take time. But, please, hang in there.

[katiehillis]

#1170784

Thanks ladies… I actually went back to my endo today and my TSH is 0.2. I was very honest with him about what I was experiencing. My antibodies Are the hypo or Hashimoto antibodies. Graves antibodies are negative…. however he explained that is not definitive in ruling out graves. I am having a thyroid uptake scan next week. In the meantime he doubled my beta blocker. Guess it is a wait and see. I am just frustrated.
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[genuinruby]

#1170785

I have to ask….katiehillis….are you still taking the synthroid? My sister, hypo from childhood, and on synthroid. In her early 40’s she had a tsh that was nearly undectable. Yet, her doctor, at her insistance, continued to leave her on the dose she was at in spite of her “altered personality”, and numerous symptoms of hyperthyroid.

[DarcRaven]

#1170786

Hello all … One thing that I’ve found the most frustrating with all this is that my Endo. tells me to seek attention from a psychologist/psychiatrist for my “altered personality” problems…what I believe they’re related to the Graves! I do have a psychologist I see on a regular basis. I’m not an angry person nor have I ever been…my short temper/and “rage” issues are obviously related to the pituitary gland issues that causes your TSH to become out of wack. I also have recently ended up with Massive anxiety attacks from PTSD I was already diagnosed with…its just they’ve gotten worse since all this has happened…to the point of being hysterical and some passing suicidal thoughts. The anxiety part of all this has started to really scare me and the hormone related issues from all this has screwed up so MANY things with my body its unbelievable.

I am a Type 1 diabetic… since I was 12…I’m now 28 and even making life adjustments to that is nothing compared to what hell I’ve gone through with dealing with graves disease. That plus being female, and the GD is one hormonal whirlwind.

I’m wondering if anyone else has had problems with this as well…the mental parts of this?

[bosanbo]

#1170787

I was recently told that I have either Grave’s or Hashimoto’s. I have had kind of the reverse experience… a lot of psychological problems in the past, with no apparent root, which I now feel can be attributed to this thyroid problem. I am having a kind of surreal feeling about everything I went through to get help for a “mental” problem that may not have been mental to begin with.

Katiehillis, I have felt the way you feel, and I just want you to know that you have my support (as a total stranger) to get through this. There are things that are worth toughing it out. I had to wait a long time to find those things, but hope you have/find them for yourself, too. Please just hang in there and find something to feel “normal” about. I’d tell you to be positive and smile once a day, but that stuff just frustrates me. Normal from time to time is enough!

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