[Blessed]

#1071332

May I just ask, why so many pills? Are they all for his graves or other health issues also? Men, I tell you, doesn’t it seem they think that they are immortal? It’s so hard to get my dad and husband to the doctor, they think they are "fine." I can’t tell you how long someone can go without being treated and not have any complications b/c I’m not a doctor, but I do know and have read on this site that smokers are at a higher risk for the eye issues. My suggestion would be that if he’s just not wanting to take the pills maybe RAI would be best for him b/c once that’s done then he will only be on one pill a day instead of several, of course unless his doctor has other things for him that we are unaware of. Also, if he does the RAI he really should quit the smoking, that can be bad too I’ve read. Of course I know how hard it is for someone to quit just like that especially if they are heavy smokers, but this is his health we are talking about here. I really hope that he will get the help he needs and start taking his meds, it is so important. I too have graves and am hyper right now and not on meds b/c I’m awaiting the alternate route, RAI or tapazole again, but I’ve been told that I really should be on something while I’m waiting and I’ve only been out of remission for 5 mths now. But I feel totally fine, if it were up to me and I wasn’t aware of all the things that could go wrong, I too probably wouldn’t take my meds. Thyroid storm, have you heard of this? He’s at risk if he doesn’t get treated. Read on here, there is lots of info to fill you in. Good luck sweetie, I hope he can get this taken care of. You are doing the right thing by taking action and getting informed, I hope he will listen to you, have him read some of these posts, then he’ll see for himself from people who have grave’s also.
Leah

[pattiq]

#1071333

Thanks. The 9-12 pills are just to get his levels right. He has been on 9 for years, but this new dr. upped it to 12 just to get the levels right. She thinks he is going to do something after this, but he has no interest.
Anyway, thanks for the post. I will keep trying to convince him.
Patti

[mamabear]

#1071334

His levels are all screwed up so he isn’t thinking clearly. This is a symptom of Graves’. Please know that this isn’t really him right now and hasn’t been for a long time. He is doing such grave damage to his organs, the poor dear man must be so confused that he thinks he feels fine. I’m sorry you have to go through this as well but please try to get him the help he needs.

Try to get him on here, we would be more than happy to support him. He can vent, talk a bunch of anything he wants and ask what ever he feels like. We’ll help him get through this.

[pattiq]

#1019388

Hi, my husband has graves disease for over 10 years now. He takes the ptu medication sometimes (9-12 pills a day) but over the last 6 months he hasn’t taken it. He has all the symptoms, fast heart rate, hair loss, buldging eyes, uncontrollable shaking, sweating, bathroom issues, constantly eating, not being able to breathe. I had him go to a new doctor, who did all the blood work, thyroid scan etc. She wants him to take more meds until he decides to radiate. He just decided he feels find and isn’t taking anything.

My question is, how long can someone live like this? I keep telling him he is damaging his organs etc, but he will not believe me. He is only 42 years old and is a heavy smoker (2+ packs a day).

Any info is greatly appreciated!
Patti

[Ski]

#1071335

Hi Patti,

Untreated hyperthyroidism is extremely dangerous, and there’s no way to know when it will hit a critical point that is life threatening. If he understood the disease and its effects, he wouldn’t be so flippant about it, but helping him understand is really the hardest part. Tell him to think of thyroid hormone as "gasoline" his body uses to work. Every single cell uses thyroid hormone to function. Then tell him that right now, while hyperthyroid, his body is like a car with a brick on the gas pedal. It’s revving WAY too high, and pieces are bound to start flying off. Sure, the engine sounds good, seems like everything’s running, but there’s a nasty whine in the system, and once things begin to break down, there’s no going back. Hyperthyroidism "eats" bone mass and muscle mass (and remember, the heart is a muscle), and it also exploits any other weakness in the body, so unique problems can come up for each individual, depending on personal history. Hyperthyroidism also comes with heart arrhythmias that can get out of control, and extended periods of hyperthyroidism can result in thyroid storm, which is a very fast-moving, life-threatening condition. A few people here have experienced it, and I know they’ll tell you they’d prefer to have missed it. They’re lucky to have survived it.

Here’s the basic mechanism of Graves’. Our body has created antibodies that treat our thyroid as foreign tissue. The antibodies mimic TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, sent by the pituitary gland), and they trick the thyroid into continually producing more and more thyroid hormone, which makes us hyperthyroid. ATDs (either PTU or methimazole) can work to bring the effect of the antibodies in check, which keeps the thyroid from producing too much thyroid hormone. Some people can take the ATDs for a few years, stop taking them, and end up in a "remission," meaning they have a period of time where they are taking no medication or supplements, and their thyroid hormone levels remain normal, and stable. Obviously, your husband is not in this group. Since he has not achieved remission and is again hyperthyroid without the meds, he has three choices to get his body healthy again. He can go back to taking the meds, or he can have the thyroid removed through RAI or surgery. Those are really his only choices to return to health. He is risking everything, including his life, by ignoring this.

The hardest part for you is that hyperthyroidism also makes us very AGITATED, and makes it difficult for us to concentrate, so you’re fighting an uphill battle. Please feel free to check in with us again and let us know how it’s going. He’s obviously spoken with the doctor, and either doesn’t understand, respect, or believe what the doctor told him, so if you know anyone in the medical field that he DOES respect and have faith in, you may want to ask them to step in. When you’re talking to him about it, you’re likely to trigger an emotional response, and that’s probably not good for either of you. It’s tough enough to keep relationships intact when we ARE treated.

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