[Wornoutphone]

#1059124

This has made for some great reading at such a scary time and the information is much appreciated. I received my diagnosis just 2 days ago and do not have a medical plan yet.

When I look back on things this started about 10 years ago with intermittant heart palpitations. Mostly when I was tired. I thought it was too much caffeine.

About 4 years ago I started having stronger (pull the car over strong), more frequent palpitations, depression, irritability, unable to sleep past 3 am, memory loss, lack of concentration and exhausted. My niece had recently passed, work was stessful, marriage, finances and kids- all stressful. My blood work showed thyroid levels off, but uptake scan was “normal”.

GP switch to an awesome doctor- at my yearly physical my levels were again off. Retest in 2 months- normal. A few months after, I had a very scary episode where i became so tired driving that when i got to my destination, i slept in my car for 45 minutes, my son drove us home and i could not wake up enough to get out of the car. He left me in my car in the driveway and checked on me for the next 2 hours. I thought someone slipped a sleeping pill into my drink from the drive up. One year later my levels are off and off consistently for 6 months. Sent for another uptake scan 3 months ago which again came back normal. Third blood test again has <.01 TSH elevated T3 and my chart was sent to endocrinology for review with Early Graves Disease as the diagnosis. 1. How can this be early if it started 10 years ago?
2. Can anyone give me a rundown on what I should expect for the next few months?

Any information is greatly appreciated!

I’ve been

[Kimberly]

#1172375

Hello and welcome!

Have you had antibody tests — or an uptake scan — done to get a definitive diagnosis of Graves’? Graves’ is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism (suppressed TSH, excessive T3/T4), but it is not the only cause. Other potential issues include thyroiditis and overactive nodules. Getting a definitive diagnosis will help you determine your treatment options.

If you have definitely been diagnosed with Graves’, you can check out the “Treatment Options” thread in the announcements section of this board for more info.

We aren’t doctors here, so I can’t specifically comment on what is going on in your case, but my own doctor noted that some patients with Graves’ go on a bit of a hyper/hypo rollercoaster before full-blown Graves’ develops. Other patients have both Graves’ and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, which can cause hyper/hypo swings. Hopefully, you will be able to see the endo to review his/her findings and recommendations.

Take care — and check back and let us know how you are doing!

[adenure]

#1172376

Hi!

I just wanted to say welcome and yes, you’ll find great support here. I was diagnosed after having my 4th baby and postpartum thyroiditis was ruled out with a scan. I’ve never had the hyper/ hypo swings- all hyper for me. I started methimazole which worked really well on leveling out my thyroid. It was damaging my liver though, so I have opted to have surgery. My surgery is next Friday, so I’m prepping for it now and getting ready.

Maybe they’re saying it’s “Early Graves” because your symptoms are “relatively” mild. I say relatively because my endo. said my Graves was mild (my TSH was .01 with elevated Free T4, T3 & antibodies present/ high.), but it didn’t feel so mild to me! But, when I hear other people’s stories, I can see how it would be considered mild. One thing I know is I never want to feel that way again, so I’m going through with the surgery.

Keep us posted on how your journey is going.

Alexis

[Ski]

#1172377

You’ve got good answers to why this might be called “Early Graves,” so I’m going to address the question about what to expect in the next few months.

The first thing every patient with abnormal thyroid hormones needs to know is that getting ill was a slow process, and getting well is also a slow process — no matter what issue you’re dealing with. There isn’t a quick way to put all the pieces back in order, but the advantage you have is knowing what’s going on, knowing how to monitor yourself, and having a team of medical professionals to help.

Hyperthyroidism affects every cell in the body, so can create symptoms of almost every type — very unique in each of us, with some striking similarities (always hot, tremors, anxiety, high heart rate), but also with some WILDLY different symptoms from patient to patient. You won’t actually be back to yourself again until the assault has stopped, plus your body’s tissues have had some time at normal, stable levels in order to function correctly and fully heal.

As you figure out exactly what issue you’re facing, try and be grateful for every step in the right direction, it’ll definitely help! Attitude can really rule the day.

Once you really know, then it becomes a bit of a research project. Find out what your options are, and try to get as much detail as possible so you can be comfortable with your decision.

Throughout the process, you need to be gentle to yourself, so feed your soul and starve the workhorse.

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