[Anonymous February 22, 1997 at 2:22 pm Post count: 93172]

#1164619

NO NO No on T3 being 4X as effective as T3. That is old and wrong info.
That’s what doctors were taught until recently. New studies indicate
that T4 has NO activity in the body (except that it lowers TSH). T4
must be activated by converting to T3 or it won’t work at all.
That’s why I am so concerned about the prescribing of T4, synthroid or
levothyroixine, without any checking of T4 or T3 levels. Believe me,
no one is checking to even see if you have the enzyme, deiodinaze, which
does the conversion from inactive T4 to activated T3.
This is really dangerous.
I checked with my family today and no one is receiving anything but one
TSH test a year.
Cholesterol levels running really high. All dying of heart trouble and strokes.
Diabetes late in life.
What tests are any other long term patients getting. I need toknow if this is
at tendency across the country or something pushed by HMO’s.

[Anonymous February 22, 1997 at 2:31 pm Post count: 93172]

#1164620

Yes , Jeannette

i know im crazy, everybody on the bb knows im crazy,what are you
trying to tell me? You think i care ,if im retarded.

Life is more fun being a nut !

later,steve

[Anonymous February 22, 1997 at 2:32 pm Post count: 93172]

#1164621

Jeanette — my apologies from sounding off! But this situation is
really dangerous for me as I have little if any conversion of T4 to T3
and I can’t find out why. I truly belive this situation is going to
kill me.
I need to hear from others NOW who are not responding well and still
feel hypo on dosages of synthroid that should be adequate.
If anyone has this situation, please e-mail me.

[Anonymous February 22, 1997 at 2:54 pm Post count: 93172]

#1164622

There’s some very complete information about Inderal (Propranolol) on the website: RxList which mentions something similar to what Jeannette wrote (but not exactly):
Inderal…”may change thyroid function tests, increasing T4 and reverse T3 and decreasing T3.” We may need an interpreter, but I think this just means that the test results are a bit skewed and it’s important for doctors treating and testing Graves’ patients to know about this. Maybe someone in the medical area will comment. I never read or heard of this before.
The information also mentions contraindications, which include use of beta blockers by people with congestive heart failure and diabetes for various reasons. Also, an interesting side effect mentioned is “paresthesis of hands”.

May I just say this, however, Inderal is one drug which I consider personally to have been truly wonderful when in the most hyper stage of Graves’. In the short term, it controls tremor and some of the other very disturbing symptoms. I would not, however, want to take it longer than I had to, as there are definitely long-term side effects which would not be justified after hyperthyroid symptoms are controlled.

[Anonymous February 22, 1997 at 6:23 pm Post count: 93172]

#1164623

Hi Joan, No need to apologize, we are all just trying to learn here.
The book I was reading from makes a distinction about where the action
takes place, so T4 doesn’t have cell action, which T3 does, but it
has function else where. So, probably we are talking( me ineffectively)
about roughly the same thing. I am out of my field here and stand ready
to be educated, corrected etc. whenever possible. I figure if we talk
and and ask questions then we will figure it out, or someone
steeped in this knowledge will step forward and enlighten all of us.
Anyway, sent you an e-mail too. and as I say no problem.
Jeannette

[Anonymous February 22, 1997 at 7:12 pm Post count: 93172]

#1056870

RE: Beta blockers, have any of your docs mentioned that Betablockers
also diminish the translation of T-4 to T-3? That is what I
was told. Being hyper and hypo can also diminsh your
sexual energy..being sick at all, so it doesn’t seem reason to avoid
treatment, heart protection etc. Gosh being dead probably effects
sex too! T-3 is considered 4x’s more active than T-3, that is to say it is what your
cells actually use. So if Beta’s slow down that conversion, they are
helping at a peripheral level with the threat from your over active thyroid.
But they alone are not enough.

Re: TSH so if yours is real low….maybe they want to block your Thyroid gland for a bit to allow the
other glands to wake up to their job of telling( through thru the
production of TSH) your thyroid to function properly. If the cycle gets interupted, it has to be joggled( a clinical term, no?)
to get back into a relationship. Good luck to you!!!

And what else… Hum did you guys hear there is some
___________________( this blank space is for you to add your own descriptor)
person doing a survey? You can access it at

http://www.support-group.com/links/graves/survey.htm

Oh and Steve…Have you ever pretended that you are one of
the clients you use to work with as a social worker? You could
pull back a bit and counsel yourself…Okay, “now Steve,” says Steve
to Steve) “what am I telling myself? Is that True? And Is it
helpful?” Check out that inner dialogue. Frame things in time..
“Right now I fell like hell”, is an easier message than even,
“I feel like hell.” This mind can be almost as debilitating as the body act ups, as far as I can tell.
And iat least it something we can do something about. well, this is
probably all stuff you know, but I find I frequently need reminders.
And yes, it would hardly be fair if “boys and girls” didn’t suffer a similar
beta blocker “block ” on sex…..a partners who understands and “overcomes”can be a big help.

Jeannette

[Author]

Posts