[Anonymous November 25, 1996 at 2:09 am Post count: 93172]

#1058071

I could relate to what you were saying about the weight gain and being calm may not be the best. At least I use to have energy. I am so glad to find this support system and makes me feel I am not alone with this struggle. I went to Mayo about 8 years ago and had the RAI but wish now I would have tried the pills first-may still have found I needed the RAI but who knows? I suffer with my eyes and my eye dr. in town sent me to an eye spec. in another town and they did a ultra sound and said my eyes were 2 and the range is 1-6 with 6 being worse. My muscles and nerves, I think he said, anyway they have thicken. I ask about plastic surgery but told no it wouldn’t help. I know looks aren’t all that matters but with it is depressing to know my eyes will never look the same and probably only continue to look worse. Also the weight gain can really get me down as I have gained 45 lbs. in the 8 years. The eye spec. did take some blood test for graves and said he may send me to an endocrinologist which I hope as we don’t have one where I live and Mayo is so far away plus I wasn’t pleased with the advice up there on my second visit, I had a lady dr. tell me I shouldn’t be gaining weight if I was exercising and I was gaining weight and exercising and my emotions were so mixed up then that I thought it must be me and not the disease and felt like I was a failure.
I have a appt. to see my family dr. because my sTsh is 0.05 which I had blood test taken through a wellness program at work and I think this is way too low. Can anyone tell me? I have been on the same strength of synthroid since I have had GD 8 yrs. ago and I am tired of being tired. So I have decided if he won’t raise my level of synthroid I am going to continue to go to other drs. till I can find one who will. I have dedcided to be proactive with my health instead of doing nothing and nothing gets changed. I do plan to continue to see the eye spec. out of town and the one I see in town. They took pictures of my eyes for a baseline. Thanks for listening!! Take care!

[Anonymous November 25, 1996 at 1:42 pm Post count: 93172]

#1167618

Part of this may be repeat and if so, sorry! I had my RAI in 1991 and since that time have battled depression and weight gain. My very unsympathetic has always told me that since my levels were within normal, the symptoms I had were from some other problem! I started at .1mg and he did raise it once to .125. What I did this past year, partly due to the fact that my psychiatrist told me of the close link with low thyroid and depression, was to increase the dose myself. I called my endo to let him know what I was doing and he grudgingly agreed to monitor me. I started by taking .15 for about 4 months. Bloodwork was still “low normal” Now I am taking .175 and am still “normal”. I only know that I FEEL much better. Part of it may be psychological but it seems to me that my body must have needed more thyroid, or my bloodlevls would have increased. Now, this method of mine is not to be encouraged, but how about talking to your doctor and asking him to look at your symptoms and how you feel, rather than trusting the numbers on the lab slip? Now, I only hope my weight will start to go down again. I have gained from 135 to 199 over the last few years. And, I am certain that the depression began within a fw weeks of the RAI, despite the opinion of my endo that it is not related. Has anyone else been able to improve their symptoms by increasing their synthroid??? Why, oh WHY do the doctors want to keep us “low normal” My endo says it is because of the risk of osteporosis, but I read on the alt.support.thyroid newsgroup that a malfunctionong thyroid can contribute to osteoporosis and so can inactivity due to our hypothyroidism and decreased activity. Guess I am long winded here. Sure feels good to take some responsibility for my care and not feel like such a victim!!

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