[barbra]

in reply to: Would You Like to Become a Graves’ Forum WARRIOR? #1181030

Great choices !

I’ve had sensible and useful advice from all three, and I know that I will need more as time passes.

Hugs.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Will be gone from forum for a while #1181079

Hi Amy,

Just wanted to tell you that I’m thinking about you and your whole family.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Preparing for my first Endo appointment. Suggestions? #1181086

Hi Kalty,

I’m far from being an expert here but I think since your Endo has the last blood work results plus the scan she probably won’t need any older thyroid test results. My Endo never asked for any. The levels will tend to go up or down and vary according to treatment with either meds, RAI, TT or even doing nothing.
It would be a good idea to write down any symptoms, concerns or questions you may have. When my Endo started talking I forgot everything I was going to say, couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

I hope you get the answers you need.
Good Luck and keep in touch.

Hugs.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Is it or isn’t it? #1180896

Yes Kimberly and Raspberry, it is great to be able to sleep through the night, makes all the difference in the world.

I really thought that with my TSH being so high at 34.1 and the FT4 low at 0.4 and the Levothyroxine at such a low dose of only 25mcg I would not feel OK, but I do feel pretty good. Just goes to show you – what the heck do I know!
Of course, I have only been on the Levothyroxine for one week but I’ll take any good day and be grateful.

You know, sometimes my throat feels so dry it’s almost as if I can taste dust or fumes, which seems to me the last dying gasps of what’s left of my thyroid.

Thanks again for all the input, the help and the encouraging words.

Hugs.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Weight gain after RAI? #1181004

Hi Laurie,

One of the symptoms of my Graves’ was a big weight loss in a very short time, not that I was complaining, mind you. I hadn’t weighed 110 pounds since the 70s.
I had RAI on July 1. 2013 and my last blood test shows that I am very hypo, so it worked like a charm and I’m happy with my decision. But, I have gained the weight back and about 10 pounds more and am now at 143. I think with me it’s less the hypo stage than it’s the “see it – eat it” habit I have fallen into. As soon as I find out if my uninterrupted sleep will last I will tackle the eating issue. Actually, I don’t mind the weight a whole lot, it beats being hyper and feeling like crap most of the time.

I live alone since my husband passed away in November so I get bored a lot too and then I eat.
Everyone is very different and not everyone will gain weight, specially if they have a bit more self control than I have.

Hugs.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Is it or isn’t it? #1180893

Thanks for taking the time to answer and help.

I actually got a call from my PCP to come in yesterday.
I gave him copies of the last couple of lab reports since neither the lab nor the Endo sent him anything. Next lab visit I’ll make sure they send him copies.

Anyway, he took me off the Propranolol and the Nortriptyline and put me on Ambien 5mg for sleep and Losartan Potassium 50mg for blood pressure. I think he was a bit surprised that my dose of Levothyroxine is so low at 25mcg because he asked me twice to show him the bottle. He thought it said 125mcg and I was reading it wrong.
I do have some muscle aches, which I think may go away when the Endo adjusts my Levothyroxine, hopefully very soon.

Now, the purpose of this update is to tell you that I slept like a log last night from 11:00 PM to 6:30 AM without waking even once and without any visual disturbances or hallucinations. YAY, I am happy! Here’s hoping it lasts.

Thanks again for listening. Without you all I’d probably still be sitting here whining.

Lots of hugs and wishing you good days as well.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Is it or isn’t it? #1180891

I’m expecting to hear from the PCP tomorrow about the Propranolol, the endo didn’t want to discuss it since he didn’t prescribe it.

Got the results for the latest blood work back: FT4 0.4 L Ref. 0.7 – 1.8
TSH 34.1 H Ref. 0.4 – 5.5

The above was from Sept. 5th

A month ago on August 9th it was: FT4 1.0 N Ref. as above
TSH 0.02 L Ref. as above

I didn’t think the numbers go that high, all the way to 34.1
Isn’t that quite a jump in a month? Or did they put the decimal point in the wrong place. All of you know your way around these numbers much better than I do.

Aside from the “sleeping thing” I don’t feel too bad. And I’m hoping to have that resolved tomorrow.

Hugs.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Is it or isn’t it? #1180887

I did get the blood work done early and started Levothyroxine 25mcg a couple of days ago, still taking the Propranolol as well.
I also bought a nice new sleep mask so now when I wake up during the night I’m not looking at the wall.
And I’m back on the anxiety medication, seems I’m a bit preoccupied with the morning time to take the new medicine, which also wakes me up way too early.
My eyes feel better since I stopped smoking completely and cut down on the reading but I’m still looking for an Ophthalmologist to have them checked. Just what I need – ANOTHER doctor.

Thanks, Kimberly, for your helpful advice.

Hugs.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Is it or isn’t it? #1180886

Thanks Kimberly,

Aside from the Propranolol and Methimazole I’m only taking a baby aspirin, some vitamin D3 and 10 mg generic Pepsid every day. I did call my PCP to see if the Nortriptyline, which turned out to be anxiety medication that the PCP said would help me sleep, needed to be tapered off and he said no.
The one thing that let me sleep through the night was the Nortriptyline together with a liquid night time cough medication I took for a short time after a cold. Probably not the best way to go.
Also, until recently I was a smoker.

I can deal with the feeling crummy and tired but the interruptions every night are something all together different.

So, I’ll get the blood test on Friday and see about an Ophthalmologist.

Hugs.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Switched meds and feel awful :( #1180723

Hi Heather,

I wish I had some kind of answer for you but I went with the RAI just recently and I am not hypo yet.
I just wanted to tell you that you are not alone in your misery. There are all variations of Graves on this forum with different solutions, RAI, TT or meds.
If you read the posts you’ll see that many here are frustrated and unsure, so don’t feel that you’re alone.
I hope you get some relief soon and can get back to normal.

Sending good thoughts and hugs your way.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: does it get any better #1176827

Hi Mari,

I hope everything goes great with your surgery on the 19th and it’ll finally help.
I wish you the very best.
All of us here are in various stages of Graves’ disease so a lot of us know what you’re going through.
Let us know how you’re doing and stay in touch.

Good Luck.

Hugs.
Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: doctor didnt tell me #1180051

Hi kimmiew,

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. What a way to find out.
I found out that I had Graves from a work order for labs. I guess some doctors must be just too busy to bother informing their patients. I did speak to him, though, the next time I saw him. He apologized, said it was an oversight, and his attitude has changed. So I stayed with him and an endocrinologist, of course.
I do hope that he will give you all the information you need. If not, you may have to find someone else, or at least get a second opinion.

Stay in touch. I wish you all the best.

Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Running out of Steam Post TT #1180660

Hi Karen,

I’m glad you found your ideal dose and are OK.
I had my RAI on July 1st and thought by now I would be leaning towards hypo but my numbers are not there yet. The endo did reduce my Methimazole from 20mg to 10 and I’m still on Propranolol 80mg and Nortriptyline 10mg for sleep, which I am going to stop because I think it’s responsible for nightmares. So, me being so tired and listless is not unusual? Strangely, it seems to get worse as the day wears on. By 3 PM I am miserable, ready for a nap and still can’t sleep.
I’m glad I saw your post, now I don’t feel like such a freak. The waiting is a bummer.

Sue,

It seems that even with TT it’s not an immediate change. Hope you feel better soon.

Hugs.
Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: So what was your Graves story…. #1179296

Naisly,

If this forum was not here for you when you needed it what are you still doing here?
I guess I am one of those “poor misled souls” who soaks up the sugar coated information. But I resent being thought of as an uneducated, ignorant hack.
I know a lot about cancer, my husband died from it in November, and I don’t participate in this forum to have my choices questioned.

People on this forum are not unaware of the risks they are taking and, yes, I had RAI. We all do the very best we can. I’m sure the word cancer is in the back of all of our minds but in today’s world most everything one eats, drinks, breaths or touches could be some form of disease causing agent. So, unless one wants to do without any of it, we just have to give it our best shot.

This forum has been a great help to me and many others, I’m sure, and I am grateful for the moral support and all the info from the “poor misled souls” who went through this before me.

Elizross,

I have Tinnitus, but I have to say that I have had it for a year before my diagnosis. It came on one day after a nasty migraine and stayed. Most of the time It just blends in but there are times when it’s disruptive and highly annoying. I haven’t really found anything that helps.

Hugs to all.
Barbra.

[barbra]

in reply to: Change in taste? #1180619

Hi Sue,
I have actually put on 3 pounds so if you don’t want the extra weight I guess I have to keep my taste buds.

Hi Diane,
I do have some dry mouth and I am going to start using Biotene. Thank you for the suggestion.
I have some hard candy but not really the lemon kind.

Aside from the weight gain I get hot and sweaty very easily even on cool days like today, have muscle aches, feel very tired, can’t sleep through the night and my throat feels dry and raw sometimes.
Could it be I arrived at Hypo?

I think I’ll go in tomorrow for the labs instead of Monday.

Thanks for the help.

Hugs.
Barbra.

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