[AllieKatz]

in reply to: Cancer and Graves Disease #1183664

Hi Kimberly,
Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. Thank you for the link. I am aware of anaphylactic shock. I used to carry an Epipen (epinephrine) with me years ago due to my +4 allergic Rx to bee stings (determined via a scratch test) prior to my taking allergy shots. As I became older, I had another scratch test and my bee sting allergy has dissipated…perhaps due to the fact that for many years, I had immunotherapy (allergy shots) specific for everything I have been allergic to over the years such as grass, trees, pollen, bee stings, Penicillin, tetanus, mold, dust mites, cat dander (brutal allergy) at which case I need my rescue inhaler, Ventolin or an epipen when I come in contact with cats….Last year while swimming in my backyard pool, I was stung by a bee and I took my Ventolin…no problems at all and the bee sting totally numbed the bodily pain I am always experiencing. I will not submit myself to
Bee sting Therapy until I speak to my Doctor first and I will always have my Albuterol and Epipen available in case of an emergency. My neighbor has a Honey Bee farm for Local Honey production. I buy his local honey and have it with my tea throughout the year to boost up my immune system. Just wondering how your warm climate effects your GD? Does the heat make you more fatigue or do you prefer hot weather? I will visit my daughter and my son-in-law after they move to AZ this summer….I’m concerned regarding the heat. I visited friends in Casa Grande a couple years ago during April and the weather was cool and comfortable.
Thank You for the link….I will read it this week.
Allie

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: Cancer and Graves Disease #1183663

Dear Shirley,

Thank you so much for your attentiveness and sharing with me your medical challenges. I am so sorry you are going through all of this. Such a complex disease with many other compounded illnesses factoring into the GD makes it quite a challenge. I commend you for all of your nursing knowledge and helping others as well as you being on top of your GD, AFib, TED etc…
Just wondering if your climate in the Seattle area affects your GD? Does the rain during your winters slow you down? I reside in Sonoma/Napa Wine Country in N CA and this month of May is brutal regarding all of the pollen from the vineyards/wineries, resulting in my struggles with bronchitis and asthma and now my Graves Disease has caused me to slow down quite q bit! We are having a major drought and I hope we eventually have rain since the rain flushes the pollen out of the air making it easier for me to breathe…It usually rains 3 months during our winter, however not this past winter due to our drought….The right amount, good optimum levels of rain is good for me however one winter we had an El Niño and it rained non stop for 5 months…too much rain in my case causes mold spores which I am also allergic to..My 24 year old daughter is graduating Law School, earning her Doctorate of Jurisprudence Commencement ceremony next weekend and takes the CA Bar exam in July…She is a Licensed caregiver and works as an Attorney Intern for the Disabled. I met many people with MS. A handful of them take honey bee injections. As you may already know, Honey bee injections cause a natural steroid response in our bodies triggering our opiate receptors, neurotransmitters to release endorphins thus releasing natural steroids therefore suppressing inflammation. I am considering Honeybee sting therapy to observe if this may suppress my GD! My younger daughter, my 23 year old like myself has the asthma. She and her husband in the Army and their two babies are relocating to Tempe, Arizona in July to complete their degrees at ASU. My son-in-law is a Football player and both my daughters are competitive Gymnasts/University Cheerleaders/Coaches. Every time my 23 year old is in AZ, the dry climate suppresses her asthma, bronchitis and her sinus infections completely go away. Their plan after they graduate from ASU will be to buy a house in the Phoenix/Gilbert area. They love the hot weather. I am considering relocating to AZ when I retire however I prefer the cooler higher altitude areas such as Flagstaff, Sodona and Prescott. My body cannot tolerate extreme Phoenix heat and I have always loved the cold weather. I am originally from the Midwestern states where it gets quite cold during the winters with lots of snow blizzards…Love It! I hope my daughters don’t end up with GD….such an awfully complex autoimmune disease..

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: Cancer and Graves Disease #1183660

I had several appointments last week with a Cardiologist assigned to my case via my Endocrinologist. They are both within the same medical group. My Cardiologist started performing tests such as an EEG, stress tests, blood tests and an Echocardiogram scheduled in June. He is highly concerned because he received two of my hospitalization reports indicative of my two TIAs and the fact that Since my Graves disease was undiagnosed for years thus causing Thyroid Storm (damage to my heart from significant heart palpitations among many other of my TS symptoms) makes me a viable candidate to be tested for Afib…He suspects Afib. He is also concerned because I was diagnosed as having asthma when I was a small child. Having asthma attacks has put added stress onto my body especially since my GD diagnosis….Both my asthma and my GD causing my suppressed autoimmune system making me highly vulnerable to more Gastrointestinal flu’s, head colds, bronchitis 3-4X per year lingering for 6 weeks to 2 months! In conjunction to him suspecting Afib, he also suspects heart damage (Myocarditis) as a result of many of my infections…He will perform the appropriate testing….Such a vicious cycle! I am grateful to my Endocrinologist and my newly appointed Cardiologist for “being on top” of my Graves Disease!

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: Cancer and Graves Disease #1183659

Snelsen, In response to some of your Q’s..

1. Like yourself, I reside on the West Coast, North.
2. I am in my early 50’s
3. I spent years working towards my Ph.D in the areas of Cancer and Virus research in conjunction to PCR research in the area of Recombinant DNA AKA Genetic Engineering. Currently, I am a public school teacher. I read research abstracts pertaining to possible predisposed links to various autoimmune diseases..
4. Regarding my Thyroid Storm Diagnosis. Approx 8 years ago I was diagnosed as having hypothyroid…My primary physician prescribed me Levothyroxin. Five years elapsed and my life took unexpected turns. My husband was diagnosed with terminal esophageal cancer. Since I was his primary caregiver until his passing, I was not attentative to my own health…I was immersed in seeking clinical trials for him. One year prior to his passing, I landed in the hospital with a TIA…One year after his passing en route back to the states from overseas travel, I had another TIA, sweats, jitteriness, fever, confusion, nausea, my heart palpitating, in essence symptoms indicative of 99.9% of all the Thyroid Storm symptoms. I selected a more experienced primary care doctor under my health plan who questioned that perhaps #1. I had been misdiagnosed by my former primary care doctor as having hypothyroid when in actuality I really was hyperthyroid (blood tests possibly misread?) or perhaps #2. Initially I was diagnosed as having hypothyroid for the first few years and for some unknown reason, my hypothyroidism metamorphisized intto hyperthyroid Graves disease. If a patient such as myself who has undiagnosed Graves Disese is given Rx meds to treat hypothyroid…obviously, I may have been given the wrong medicine…NO WONDER why I landed in the hospital with Thyroid Storm! Prior to my Graves Diagnosis, I visited my family in Israel and while en route on my 18 hour flight returning back to the states, I became ill with fever, nausea, jitteriness, sweating, heart palpitations, confusion etc…I thought I was having a heart attack..My body literally “crashed” especially driving over the bridge to return home, I started to fall asleep behind the steering wheel..I was extremely fatigue….I ended up in the ER and was diagnosed with Thyroid Storm…I was finally referred to an Endocronologist. He suspected Graves Disease at which case he took me off of the Levothyroxin to perform a two month baseline blood test study. ..Results came back positive for Graves Diasease, neck nodules and a small goiter. He prescribed me The ATD Methamazole. Within a few weeks, I started to feel,better. He also suspects AFib….I will see a Cardiologist soon. My Graves diagnosis was approx. 1 1/2 years ago. Per my Endocrinologist’s request I have blood tests performed every 6 weeks to every two months. Although my thyroid blood levels are gradually approaching normalicy, my Endocrinologist feels that this is a temporary remission, therefore he continues to have me continue the blood tests. Although I feel much calmer, I frequently become sick with head colds, ear/sinus infections, GI track flu’s, shingles, bronchitis. Ironically, I am immunized with the flu vaccines every year and I continue to become significantly ill!
Perhaps these illnesses are the result of having a compromised immune system from the Graves autoimmune disease? …I had chronic bronchitis 3X in the past year, all lingering for 6 weeks to 2 months and all resulting after having the flu and cold virus. I currently have my 3rd episode of bronchitis in the past 12 months and now my primary doctor thinks that it possibly progressed into Pneumonia. I will have a chest X-ray on Monday.. Just wondering if anybody has suffered from more flu’s, colds, also ear/sinus infections, shingles, bronchitis since their Graves diagnosis?

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: Cancer and Graves Disease #1183657

Kimberly,
Thank you so very much for the links and info. I greatly appreciate this. I will research this over the weekend.

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: How Did Everyone know there was something Critically wrong with their health? #1181130

A friend of mine with out of control Graves wants to know which states sponsor the End of Life Option Act?

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: help hives #1183470

Igmalloy, I am So sorry you were treated like this by the PA. I hope you are doing much better now. Did the PA apologize to you? What I love about this site is that Kimberly et al gives the best advice. I was diagnosed with Graves 1 1/2 years ago and have been taking Methamazole. I also have itching and hives. The last 2 weeks I have had a fever and the hives appear more symptomatic of a rash and possibly Shingles. I had Chicken Pox as a child, Shingles 5 years ago and then again 3 years ago after my husband passed from Cancer. I am wondering since Graves Disease is an autoimmune disease and our immune systems are compromised, are we more at risk for Shingles from the Graves Disease itself or from the ATD or both?

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: How Did Everyone know there was something Critically wrong with their health? #1181126

Is anybody continuously nauseated? Is the nausea a result from the Graves’ disease itself or is the nausea from taking ATD Methamazole or perhaps drug interaction combined with High Blood Presssure and High Cholesterol Medications? What do you take to suppress the nausea? I chew Peppermint gum as well as various mint teas! My daughter recommends that I drink Aloe Vera. Safeway and Costco sell Aloe Vera Drinks! I am considering trying these!

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: How Did Everyone know there was something Critically wrong with their health? #1181125

Is anybody continuously nauseated? Is the nausea a result from the Graves’ disease itself or is the nausea from taking ATD Methamazole or perhaps drug interaction combined with High Blood Presssure and High Cholesterol Medications? What do you take to suppress the nausea? I chew Peppermint gum as well as various mint teas! My daughter recommends that I drink Aloe Vera. Safeway and Costco sell Aloe Vera Drinks! I am considering trying these!

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: Technical Issue Update – Security Warning #1181638

Kimberly,

Thanks for letting us know.

Allie

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: How Did Everyone know there was something Critically wrong with their health? #1181118

Kimberly,

Is one of the symptoms, a precursor of Thyroid Eye Disease “eye muscle twitchness?” My left eye muscles keep twitching..

Thank You,

Allie

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: How Did Everyone know there was something Critically wrong with their health? #1181117

Ski,

Thank you so much for your reply..Glad your mother was active despite her hearing challenges..Do you know if there is a Graves support group here in the bay area? It would be wonderful to start a group with guest speakers from the medical community, network, holiday parties….I live in the north bay area..My friend with M.S is active with her M.S. support group. They meet monthly in conjunction to also meeting a couple times/per month at various bay area restaurants to socialize, “dine and donate” lunch and or dinner fundraisers where the restaurants donate a percentage to this M.S. group..It is exhausting for me to get in my car and drive to a group meeting, however if it is light outside (my eyes hurt and don’t function well at night)…I am willing to drink a cup of coffee just to get myself out of the house for a Graves support group and restaurant fundraiser…

Allie

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: How Did Everyone know there was something Critically wrong with their health? #1181115

Thank You everyone for your comments…I appreciate it!

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: How Did Everyone know there was something Critically wrong with their health? #1181113

Kimberly,

I have had issues with loss of my eye sight specifically cataracts diagnosed last year prior to my Graves diagnosis in conjunction to more loss of vision since my Graves diagnosis which was diagnosed last month. I am wondering if this is related to Graves and what types of diagnostic testing I should ask my Ophthalmologist to perform when I visit him the end of this month?…I am also noticing significant hearing loss. Can hearing loss also be a function of Graves?

Thank You!

Allie

[AllieKatz]

in reply to: How Did Everyone know there was something Critically wrong with their health? #1181112

Kimberly,

I have had issues with loss of my eye sight specifically cataracts diagnosed last year prior to my Graves diagnosis in conjunction to more loss of vision since my Graves diagnosis which was diagnosed last month. I am wondering if this is related to Graves and what types of diagnostic testing I should ask my Ophthalmologist to perform when I visit him the end of this month?…I am also noticing significant hearing loss. Can hearing loss also be a function of Graves?

Thank You!

Allie

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