[Anonymous]

#1142448

hang in there copperpenny! depression stinks!
i was being treated for depression before i was
diagnosed with graves…just wonder now if it was
graves all along! go back to your counselor and
let them know how you are feeling again. i would
think if you aren’t yet ‘regulated’ on your synthetic
meds that has something to do with it. wierd how
such a little thyroid function or lack of can
take over your life, huh? i still have bouts of
those feelings but they are getting further and further
apart.

just want you to know i’m thinking of you and understand
that awful, awful feeling! you can email me if you
like!

[Anonymous]

#1142449

Copperpenny, the feeling of not wanting to go on will end. Keep hangin’ in there as hard as it is and as lame as it sounds. This feeling does go away. Honest.
Your hormones were out of wack which is why the RAI. Now most probably your hormones are out of wack because of the RAI. I don’t know what your doc’s intent was — shrink or destroy, but if you haven’t done so yet, you might want to look up hypothyroid symptoms. It appears that going hypo after RAI is typical– a whole new batch of symptoms to deal with, but they can be dealt with. Once on the TRH, they all start to go away –you WILL start to feel better. It takes time and the time it takes seems to be different for each of us. My endo’s time frame for the RAI to do its job was 12 weeks and that sounds just about where you’re at. Of course I didn’t stick to his time frame & was seriously hypo 8 weeks after RAI.

I had RAI 6 years ago and can’t remember if I was more depressed being hyper before or being hypo after, but I do remember being a real metal mess. And I do remember thinking the RAI was the magic fix all and being very depressed because I didn’t feel magically better after. Don’t be hard on yourself because you don’t feel good. The RAI is the BEGINNING of treatment. After I was put on TRH, it took 1 dose change to get it right and about a year til I felt my “normal” self, but over that year, every day got better & better as symptoms stared going away. I have been on that same dose for the last 5 years and am as normal mentally & emotionally as I ever was pre-Graves’. As Jake says “life goes on and life is good.” You may not believe it now, but it really is true — hang on to that.
Since you remember the “normal” pre-Graves’you — you know, the one your doc never met, and you know the you with Graves’ better than anyone else, make sure that you tell your doc anthing that’s different and have it addressed. Don’t think you’re being a bother to your doc. Call. S/he can help you suffer less while you get euthroid on the meds, but no-one can help if no-one knows what’s going on with you.
There is help for the depression. Ask your doc about antidepressants.
As for your eyes, it appears that RAI can worsen TED symptoms, but those effects can be diminished with steroids after RAI and if necessary corrected with surgery (which is really not awful) at a later date.

Please don’t do anything to hurt yourself. I have been reading responses from you to other people posting here and you are obviously a very caring person and have helped many, many people I’m sure. I am really concerned about you. Will you do me a big favor & just post a hi tomorrow so I know you’re still out there. Please call your doc & tell him/her your emotional state and that people who don’t even know you are really worried about you.

SJS

[Anonymous]

#1047600

Oh, Jesus! I have been doing so well for the last couple months.
Now, in the last week, I have been getting short
tempered. I feel like I could blow up at the drop
of a needle. I am on a crying jag. Giving myself a
headache. I was just released from counseling because
with the remission of the Graves I have done so well.
Now, I oh man..I am not going to tell you what I am
thinking … just to say I have been here before and
I think I am getting myself in trouble. I just had RAI
in Jan. My eyes got bad but I have found that I have
to stay out of the sun and florenscent lights. I have been doing so
well. I am taking the uptake test tomorrow morning then
start on the synthetic drug replacement. This feeling
of not wanting to go on will end again, won’t it?????
I just have to hang in there a little while??? Someone????
Please????????????

[Author]

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