[Anonymous August 29, 1998 at 1:31 pm Post count: 93172]

#1049920

Kristy,

If you look back on this board starting, mmm, October 1996 you can see what a total basket case I was when I started meds. I don’t know how long I was untreated. I know that the effects became really evident after having my third baby (but chances are I had it while pregnant because I had many symptoms then), followed by two surgeries. By the time the baby was 5 months old, I was having panic attacks – anxiety like I never felt before, couldn’t sleep more than 1 hr a day, shaking, sweating so badly I always felt like I was walking on freshly mopped floors, hair falling out, etc. I had that totally “unquiet” mind and felt like I was going crazy. Several doctors missed it and just assumed I was having postpartum problems. My ob/gyn is the wonderful guy who found it – he knew what to test for immediately. When the tests came back, my TSH was undetectable and my Free T3 and Free T4 were out of the ball park (the regular T3 and T4 were high, but not as high as the Frees, which the Endo says indicates a rapid conversion – sort of a certain kind of Graves). My thyroglobulins were outrageously high.

Anyway, I started on PTU, was on too low a dose, it was increased after one month and I spend 1 full year on PTU… after a few months the dose was lowered… I had some weird doses, like 2 one day, 3 the next, alternating… but it worked. I had a couple of instances where it got too potent and I went hypo before the dosage was lowered. Eventually, I was down to one a day. Then, one wonderful day, my doctor said let’s see how you do off the drug. That was one year ago and inspite of major stress (selling a home that wouldn’t sell because it was in the boonies in FL, being transferred 1000 miles from friends and family, etc) I have not had any return of symptoms. Had a complete going over by a new doc up here in OH, thyroid scan, uptake… and he said there was no sign that I was anything but normal!

Hang in there. I had to learn to be patient and hopeful instead of patient and anxious. We live in this fast-food American society where we expect instantaneous cures– and this disease just isn’t like that. Pray! God is listening! Do whatever you can to destress yourself. Get lots of B-vitamins and calcium (don’t over do it though). Exercise if your doctor allows- not only does this rid the body of excess adrenal fluids, but if you set loose some natural opiates you feel alot better!

Blessings,
Glynis

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