[adenure]

in reply to: Newly diagnosed and scared #1172648

Hi & welcome!

I understand your fears; I was there not too long ago. I too started on methimazole; it is a good place to start. It took me 2 weeks to see my symptoms subside some. Yes, the odds are in your favor that the methimazole will work just fine and not cause you any issues. That being said, I would ask to get a liver panel done along with your thyroid bloodwork just to make sure. I got to be the lucky 1% who had liver issues bc of the methimazole & had to stop taking it (7 weeks into treatment- I was on 5mg. a day). I didn’t have any of the symptoms like fever, dark urine, sore throat or any of that), but my liver was taking a beating all the same. So, definitely ask about being tested just for reassurance. The methimazole did get my thyroid in check though so that I could get the surgery though (I had surgery 2 weeks ago to remove my thyroid & am on Synthroid now). So, it did a good job as far as my thyroid went.

It will be okay; everyone here on the board is really great too. Good luck to you!

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: Hello everyone #1172663

Hi!

I just wanted to say welcome What are your plans to start treatment? Are you going to start with methimazole or PTU? That seems to be the best 1st step to get things under control. Give it a few weeks though to get going; it will work, it just takes time. I hope it all goes well for you.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: Hello … I’m new #1172585

Hi,

Yes, my TSI was 234 I think? I’m not sure what that means exactly, but I guess it was considered high.

Yes, I was diagnosed with Graves with bloodwork. But, before my surgery, I had an uptake scan to completely rule out postpartum thyroiditis (which it did).

Don’t give up on having a baby; it might have to wait awhile, but never say never. I often wonder if Graves was starting to make its way into my life before I was even pregnant with my 4th son. I had 2 early miscarriages before I conceived my youngest (which I never had before). I think Graves can cause miscarriage. My 4th “stuck” because I took progesterone shots twice a week for the 1st trimester.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: 1st Follow-up appt. today #1172633

Awesome, Laurel! 😎

Moving forward on the road to recovery is the best! Yes, a great endo makes a world of difference!

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: Frustrated with Dr. #1172615

I meant brand name Synthroid instead of generic.

[adenure]

in reply to: Frustrated with Dr. #1172614

I would be frustrated too!!! Especially when we’re hyper, every moment can be a struggle- you want answers! Who wouldn’t?! I would call for an apptmt as well. Are there other options as far as endos in your area? Could you shop around a little? Might be worth it. I am fortunate that my endo has an email system where I can email him and he responds to my questions within 48 hours. Getting an apptmt can take months and months… but, he is very accessible by phone or email. He always returns a call by the end of the business day. So, I have to give him credit there. When I wanted prescription Synthroid, he was willing to write out the prescription. He let me choose between the ATD’s in the beginning and, even though he really wanted me to consider RAI over surgery, in the end, he was willing to support my surgery choice (even though he made it clear it wasn’t his first choice). I feel like we are able to communicate and discuss options and work together. That is important. Also, through Kaiser (that’s the insurance we have), I get my labwork, results via email, so I’m fortunate in that I can see them quickly. I did have other work done (like an ultrasound) where I didn’t get those results via email, but I believe it’s more of a “if they don’t call you, you’re fine” type of thing.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: My Thyroidectomy #1172637

Congratulations! It sounds like all went well. I’m doing okay; not sure if the Synthroid dose is right. To be honest, I think it might be a little high! I don’t know though- could still just be getting better from surgery and traveling across the country to and from (we just got back last night). I’m supposed to wait 4-6 weeks actually from when I started Synthroid to get my bloodwork done. So, Sunday with be 2 weeks on it, so 2 more weeks to wait. My voice is pretty good though; I don’t think I could yell across the park… but, for everyday use, it’s pretty good now.

I was allowed to go home after the surgery (day of) about 4 hours after. If I hadn’t had my mom to help me though, I would have preferred to stay at the hospital. That first 24 hours is rough, 2nd day is a little tough too, but then it gets manageable.

Glad to hear the cytomel is doing fine for you with the Synthroid so far. I keep Nature throid tucked in the back of my mind in case the Synthroid doesn’t work out for me- whether it be numbers or symptoms. Not sure if my endo. will allow me to go that route if I decide upon it at some point, but I was willing to try the Synthroid route first and give it a chance. I did insist on the brand name though as that seemed to make a difference for some. Patience, patience… it’s hard; I want to be 100% now

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: Hello … I’m new #1172581

Did you feel sick years before but didn’t think it was related? Or were you always healthy and then next thing you know you are terribly sick?

Hi,

No, I never felt sick before. I had a few symptoms a few weeks after having my baby which I attributed to just been worn out and tired from child birth. Then I was prescribed a Z- Pack for a sinus infection which sent me over the edge physically- I had heart palpitations, anxiety attacks- all related to the meds. (my body’s reaction to them; for some reason, my body is really sensitive to medication), once the antibiotic was out of my system, I felt better, but still not myself and the hyper symptoms kind of ballooned at that point. I think childbirth triggered it and the stress of the Z-Pack (my body’s reaction to it) sent the symptoms into overdrive. That’s when they tested my thyroid and figured it out. My heart truly goes out to people who have suffered years and years with Graves. I really only had a few months where it was really bad, and I never ever wanted to revisit that hyper state again. It really is a scary thing.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: Hello … I’m new #1172579

Hi Caro,

I just wanted to say hello & echo what Kimberly said, you WILL get better. It will take time. I learned that it isn’t a short journey, and it requires an awful lot of patience. I was diagnosed after having my 4th baby. Fortunately, I was diagnosed fairly quickly (a few months after the symptoms started). My endo. started me on methimazole (5 mg. daily) which I took for 7 weeks. It got my thyroid levels balanced, but I was part of the 1% where it was damaging my liver, so I had to stop the meds. I chose a thyroidectomy to treat my Graves; I had my surgery on the 15th and am in week 2 of recovery and doing well. I feel MUCH better than I did before surgery as far as the Graves is concerned- it is such a relief. I’m on Synthroid and recovering from surgery, recovering from being sick with Graves for the 6 months or so that I was dealing with it, but I’m grateful to be on the path to recovery.

Starting with the methimazole is a good step; it should get your thyroid in check. It took me about 2 weeks before I started feeling a difference in my symptoms. After 2 weeks, I wasn’t feeling like I did before I had Graves, but I felt better- especially my heart rate. It too was 100’s (120 at the worst) before the methimazole. After I started it though, it dropped down to 62, so it helped a lot. The only thing I noticed on methimazole was my hair fell out some and it felt thin. I guess, in a way, it not working well with my liver wasn’t a terrible thing (the damage it was doing revered itself and I’m fine now) bc I got the surgery done and I feel like I can move forward now. The treatment a person chooses is a very individual thing; I don’t believe there is a wrong answer unless your doctor says there is a medical reason why you are not a candidate for a certain treatment (like methimazole for me for example). Try to be patient and stay strong. I know it’s really scary because you don’t feel like yourself (I felt that way- physically, mentally & emotionally- I was a mess), but you will be yourself again.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: hhchong- How did your surgery go? #1172570

Believe me, I read many doom and gloom posts as well. I had to stop reading them; my husband, my parents, my endo.- everyone said to stop reading them. There are risks with everything, but yeah, it does freak you out to read some of the stories out there. I guess you do your homework, get educated, make a decision, and move forward with all the hope and preparation you can do.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: hhchong- How did your surgery go? #1172568

Something else I learned was that starting dose (or dosing in general maybe) is based on weight, to an extent. 1.7 mcg per 2.2 lbs (1 kg) of body weight as far as Synthroid goes.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: hhchong- How did your surgery go? #1172567

Hi!

2 more days! That’s great! I’ll be praying for you & hoping all works out well. I asked my doctor about T3 as well as T4, but he said (along with my surgeon) that he prescribes just Synthroid (T4 only). I guess T4 is converted to T3 as the body needs it, but T3 (taken directly) is used by the body whether it needs it or not- which if it doesn’t need it, can result in some hyper symptoms like anxiety, elevated heart rate. I had researched Naturethroid (T4 & T3 combo) and asked about it, but decided to go with my doctor’s recommendation of only using Synthroid and then go from there depending on how I feel. I don’t think he’s totally against taking T3, but it isn’t what he normally does.

My starting dose is 100 mcg. of Synthroid (brand name). My surgery was Friday morning, and I started it on Sunday morning. So, I’ve been on Synthroid for 8 days now and feel pretty good. I’ll get my bloodwork done this coming Friday (TSH & T4- my doctor said it wasn’t necessary to test T3 even though I was curious to see how my body is converting the Synthroid, but that’s okay). So, we’ll see how it all looks. I take my Synthroid first thing in the AM with about 10 oz. of water or more. I wait an hour to eat (at least- bc I’m super cautious like that ) and I wait 4 hours before taking the Tums I have to take for the calcium during the first few weeks after recovery. It’ll be interesting to see what my labs look like. I am a little tired, but that is probably from surgery recovery and taking care of my boys and maybe my numbers are a little off- I don’t know. But, I don’t feel any of the other hypo symptoms that I read about. I don’t feel excessively cold or have a head ache, no constipation, no depression or anything. I’m hoping the Synthroid will be enough for me. Time will tell I guess.

I’ll be looking forward to your updates and how the T3 is working for you as well. I’ve read that people feel more energetic taking it, and then I’ve read that people feel hyper taking it bc it is so readily available biologically to the body. With T3, I’ve read some people split the dose between AM & PM bc the body uses it right away too. Everyone’s different- a bit of a balancing act I guess to get it right.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: Successful Thyroidectomy! #1172512

Thanks, Shirley Each day is better. I only take Advil twice a day now- not too bad. Synthroid seems to be doing it’s thing. I’ll get my blood done next Friday. We go back home on Wednesday. I’m going to miss my parents and being here; it’s been nice. We haven’t been out here to CT for 2 years. Last time I was here during the summer was about 8 years ago- so it’s been a nice visit.

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: Successful Thyroidectomy! #1172510

I read one book to my 4 year old, but couldn’t read another as it made my throat hurt and feel tight. So hard to be patient with this recuperating business. I did go out to Barnes & Noble with the family today though and had sushi for lunch! Yummy!

Alexis

[adenure]

in reply to: breastfeeding with Graves? #1172563

Also, I did breastfeed my 2nd & 3rd sons for 2 & 3 years. They have no asthma of allergy issues. So, that is one reason why nursing for me is very important; I’m hoping I can help my youngest avoid dealing with those issues. My mom & aunt suffer from anaphylaxis as well (food & medication) so, breastfeeding my baby is important in that I’m hoping to avoid him getting those problems. Again- it’s about weighing the potential risks & benefits.

Alexis

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