[aprilb]

#1017829

Hi Everyone,

I’m new here and I was diagnosed with Graves almost four years ago. After taking anti-thyroid medication I decided to have surgery and had surgery two and half weeks ago. I was actually feeling great right after surgery for about three days and then I started to feel extremely tired. My endo increased my synthroid from 75 to 112. It has helped with the tireness but I don’t feel like myself. I feel more moodier, I’m quicker to anger. I’m being sensitive about things that I haven’t been before. I don’t like how I feel. I feel depressed. I explained this to my doctor and he brushed it off. He told me to come back and see him in two months but I don’t want to feel like this for another two months. What can I do? Is this normal after surgery?

[Kimberly]

#1061173

Hello – Having thyroid hormone levels off-kilter can absolutely affect our emotions. Hopefully, you will hear back from others who have been through surgery, but keep in mind that no matter *which* treatment option you choose, the healing process can take some time. Often, it’s a “two steps forward, one step back” type of journey.

It takes several weeks for thyroid hormone replacement to build up in the body, so it takes a while to know whether a particular dose is right for you. Definitely see your doctor if you are feeling truly miserable in between appointments – but in general, messing with the dosage too soon can make it more difficult in the long run to find the “sweet spot” that will get you to feeling good again.

[JennaV]

#1061174

I had surgery about 7 weeks ago and I am having similar struggles. My endo just recently upped my Synthroid from 100 to 125, but I am still having LOTS of hypo symptoms. Emotions are a big struggle. I feel like I go from depressed to frustrated/angry to crying about 10 times per day. I know it will just take patience to find the right Synthroid dose, but it is hard to be patient when I feel so crappy. I have been telling myself to take it one day at a time, and about once every 2 weeks I send a message to my endo with my symptoms. He has been having me check my levels more often because I am very symptomatic. Getting a lot of sleep (like 10 hours per night) has helped me a lot. It is not a great long term solution, but it is helping for now. I hope you feel better soon!

[JazzMimi]

#1061175

Hi – You might want to try dessicated thyroid (DT) instead of the T4 only medication that endos like to prescribe. DT gives your body what your own thryoid would produce: T4, T3, T2, T1, and calcitonin. Many people feel better on DT. I am also considering surgery for my Grave’s Disease and I plan on taking DT if go through with it :” title=”Question” />

[Bobbi]

#1061176

AprilB: You’ve just had major surgery. Your body has been through a wringer. Not feeling quite normal is absolutely normal. And, until you find the proper dose of replacement hormone, for you, there can be ups and downs.

JazzMimi:
If you decide to try desiccated thyroid, be sure that you are buying it from a reputable pharmaceutical company and not a supplement maker. Why? Because Congress does not regulate supplement makers. Supplements are considered food products and the FDA has more limited "brakes" to put on food than it does on drugs. Tests of supplements have found wide variability in their contents, even within the batches from the same manufacturer. When it comes to replacement hormone we need absolute consistency, day to day, in the dose we take. This is important when we are taking only the T4 products. It is even MORE important if you are taking a product that contains T3. T3 in overdosing situations can damage your heart.

[aprilb]

#1061177

Thanks for the replies. I know I should give it time and I rather than be hypo than be hyper. I didn’t realize how SICK I felt with Graves’ until after surgery. I’m less emotional this past week and didn’t see as much hair loss. I’m trying to lose the weight I gained from Graves’ (I’m part of the 15% that gained with the disease) and was very frustrated with eating good and exercising everyday this week and the result was weight gain. I need to be patient which is something I have always had a problem with. I am positive because I know I’m on the road to becoming healthy.

I am interested in Armour Thyroid. I know our bodies convert t3 from t4 with Synthyroid but what about the other hormones that the thyroid makes? I read that our thyroid glands produces three other hormones (t1, t2, & Calcitonin) and I’m concern about not having a supplement for those since I had my thyroid removed.

[Kimberly]

#1061178

Hello – Some patients swear by Armour Thyroid, but others have complained that it brought on a return of their hypER symptoms. With the added T3, you are getting a large dump of a very powerful hormone. Because of this, some docs actually recommend splitting up dosing during the day. Since your surgery is so recent, it would probably make sense to wait and see how you feel once your dose of Synthroid is properly adjusted.

There isn’t a lot of information out there about T1, T2, and calcitonin, and I’m not aware of any supplements that provide replacement. If you find someone that claims to be selling something along these lines, I would definitely check with your doctor first.

[Author]

Posts