[Ski]

#1074109

Yep, it’s part of hyperthyroidism to have your legs feel like rubber. If you didn’t feel like that at first, it’s possible that the effects are only showing up now (not sure of the progress you’ve made so far).

When our eyes "seep" (I’m guessing you mean that they are tearing all the time), it is actually a symptom of the dryness that comes from having Graves’. This has more to do with the thyroid disease than the eye disease, because it is a symptom we ALL share, regardless of our level of TED involvement. Our tears become thinner, less able to solve the dryness, and a cycle begins where they continually tear in an attempt to keep some of that moisture on the eye. If you use artificial tears liberally, you can fend off this effect. Use artificial tears, non-preservative, single use drops ~ NOT "get-the-red-out" drops. As often as we need them, we cannot have preservatives in them, because the preservatives will start to cause irritation also.

Think of using drops as heading off pain tomorrow by being vigilant today. When you’re on the computer, a few drops in each eye every 15-20 minutes is NOT too much.

[lilsispatrick]

#1074110

Thank you. I have an appointment on Feb 2 w/the opthomologist for my eyes for a full vision screening. I had the right side of my thyroid removed in Nov 2007 and they did not know I had Grave’s Disease then, so all of this is new to me with some of the other symptoms returning although I don’t have the tremors like before. My eyes at this point are the worst and I have a lot of muscle weakness. I don’t know if I should be on other meds beside’s the propranolol? I’m not one to take medication if I don’t need to! This is a wonderful thing to be able to get information from others going through the same thing. Keep up what you are doing!

[lilsispatrick]

#1019798

Is it part of the Grave’s Disease to feel like your legs are made of rubber and to have so much weakness? When I was told that I had hyperthyroidism I didn’t feel like this except for the heart racing. Now I have the heart racing and the above along with the swollen eyes that seep then dry out. Anybody?

[DianneW]

#1074111

What does your doctor say about being on meds (besides propranolol)? If you are hyperthyroid, then that alone won’t normalize your thyroid levels and control your symptoms. It’s bad for the eyes to remain hyperthyroid, if indeed you are.

If your doctor prescribed you another med such as methimazole or PTU, then you should take it. No one likes to take meds, but this would definitely be a case of "need to".

I suggest you have another talk with your doctor to make certain you understand exactly what your thyroid is doing. Is the portion of your thyroid that wasn’t removed producing too much hormone and making you hyperthyroid? If so, how does the doctor intend to bring your levels back to normal? Does he plan to give you a choice?

It’s a good idea to ask for copies of your lab tests and learn to understand what the thyroid function tests mean. The more you understand, the more you can participate in your own decision-making, and the easier it is to help your doctor give you good care. The tests have normal ranges for the lab your test was performed in printed next to your actual test result so that you can tell if your result was normal or not.

If you want a basic understanding of the symptoms of Graves’ Disease and how to understand thyroid function tests, you can find a list of books on the GDF recommended reading list at http://www.ngdf.org

It’s a good idea to see an ophthalmologist for a baseline examination of your eyes. Ask if he treats many patients with Graves’ Disease, since if this isn’t something he does regularly, the exam may be of limited benefit. Many patients with Graves’ have been given a negative diagnosis by inexperienced ophthalmologists, who may not be familiar with subtle changes of the milder cases.

Best wishes,

[lilsispatrick]

#1074112

The doctor removed the right side of the thyroid because I was hyperthyroid. After the surgery they told me to wean myself off of the methimizole? I was doing fine but would notice little signs here and there like a little tremor and leg shaking, but I guess because it wasn’t as bad as before the surgery I let it go. Then like I said I noticed the eye swelling a few months ago and it continued to worsen so I seen my regular doctor who referred me to the opthomologist who is the one that said it looked like GD he then sent me back to my endo who ran my levels and said they were within range and suggested the propranolol because of the heart racing and put me on steroids which did not work, he never mentioned other meds. I will see the opthomologist like I said on Feb 2.

[DianneW]

#1074113

If your endo says your thyroid levels are normal, he’s essentially saying your thyroid levels aren’t responsible for your rapid heart beat or your weak leg muscles. I suggest you talk with him about what could be causing these problems at this point.

Now that your eyes are involved, it’s important to keep your thyroid levels normal, since your eyes can worsen if they aren’t.

If you were hyperthyroid for a long time and lost a lot of muscle during that time, your legs could be weak for that reason, and sometimes it can take awhile for hearts to function entirely normally again as well. Whether this is what’s happening for you, your doctor can tell you.

Good luck with your ophthalmologist appointment; hope there is good news, and use lots of artificial tears in the mean time to stay comfortable.

[lilsispatrick]

#1074114

I had my Opthamologist appointment yesterday and he said everything was fine except for the pressure behind my eyes. He said that the normal pressure should be 20 and mine was high at 28 and he stated that although cosmetically it doesn’t look good I’m not dying and since the pressure was high he wants to watch it closley so I will see him again in 4 months? I also did more lab work yesterday to check the TSH levels so I will probably have the results in a few days. In the meantime I guess I will just have to wait all of this out, I feel like I’m not getting anywhere…frustrated Thanks for your help.

[DianneW]

#1074115

Has your ophthalmologist done an MRI or CT scan to check your eye muscles? Most of the time this is done with Graves’ patients because it’s not possible to tell outwardly what’s going on inside.

Was it the pressure behind your eyes he measured? More likely he measured the pressure inside your eye, which leads to glaucoma. I’m not aware that the pressure behind the eye can be measured, but I don’t know everything.

If he’s an ophthalmologist who sees lots of Graves’ patients then he’s probably making the decision not to do those tests for a good reason, but I hope you’ll (tactfully) question him on his qualifications to be treating you. Many ophthalmologists are well-trained for other diseases of the eye, but really don’t have the experience for TED patients.

I know it’s frustrating with the eye disease not knowing what will happen; whether it will improve on its own or continue to get worse, and having no choice other than to wait it out and let it have its way. Just get out your dark glasses, your eye drops and ointment, and join the ranks of the rest of us! When the storm is over, there are surgeries to improve your appearance and comfort considerably if you need and want them.

Best wishes,

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