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in reply to: How much Tapazole is too much? Results tomorrow… #1068942

Mike,
It is a great idea to keep a spread sheet with your results. I had to point out to my endo last spring that there was a trend down in my numbers. He didn’t see it as he only had the last results on his screen when we were talking. It helped me get my treatment that I had been asking for.

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in reply to: Pulse is Down Good News? #1068964

Back from the doctor and the blood work will be back tomorrow afternoon. Kyrstal, did you feel really bad that week your heart rate was down before you went to get your blood work done? I am having headaches and feeling really tired. Had to come home from work at 10:30 this morning and take a nap. I only got up at 7:00 this morning.

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in reply to: How much Tapazole is too much? Results tomorrow… #1068939

HI,
I only took 30 mg a day when I was on methimazole at first. I had started with PTU at 300 mg per day. I switched to the methimazole because I wanted RAI. I was taking to much and got up one morning and couldn’t stand up. The doctor on call said to not take anymore and then they cut my dose in half and then down from there. I felt really bad on the higher dose and my numbers were going down fast. Maybe you are on too much and they will cut your dose. As you say it’s all different for each person. Medicine is more art than science in my opinion.

ewmb

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in reply to: Allergies to Methimazole/ Tapozole – how long will it last?! #1068954

Josie,
I am the one who wrote the post about the inactive ingredient in the methimazole that probably gave me my rash. I don’t know if it was in your generic but I do know it’s not in the brand name. If you have to go back on it I’d definitely ask for a different formulation. You can look on your bottle to see if the manufacturer is listed there. It was on one of mine. You can get your doctor to call the local drug information center to find out all the ingredients if you can’t locate them online. Some companies put their formulations up and some don’t.

I am still itching from my rash about a week and half after it started. I have no idea how long it will last. I hope it’s not long. The pharmacist at the store on Sunday said that benadryl would probably help. I am already taking Claritin and didn’t want to change antihistamines at this point. I can’t be sleepy during the day from benadryl. I am just using cream now.

I’m on the wrong end of the country to help you out with an endo. I know some of the other big web sites like the endocrinologist associations list doctors who are members but that doesn’t tell you if they are patient friendly.

Hope you feel better soon.

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in reply to: RAI time frame for worsening from die off? #1069005

runlacie,
Glad to know that your doctor says it’s ok to do some exercise but on the other hand I’d still take it a little easier on the days you feel bad. Nothing with this disease is fast and easy it seems. I already had another chronic illness before I got Graves so I had more of a grieving period with the first one. It can be hard to get used to the fact that your body isn’t the same as it was and never will be exactly as it used to be even though we will feel a lot better someday.

Hope you feel better tomorrow.

ewmb

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in reply to: Worried – low heart rate #1068992

Glad you called. I would ask again about the side effects of the diazepam? What I read says that if you have breathing problems you shouldn’t be taking that. It also said that this drug is for short term use to relieve anxiety symptoms. How long have you been taking it? Read up on the side effects and drug interactions here http://www.drugs.com/diazepam.html

My pharmacist (chemist) says that things don’t bother you until they bother you? I have read that one of the signs of hypothryoidism is a need to yawn and feel like you need to take a deep breath. When will they check your levels next? If it’s not until the end of September I’d call your endo tomorrow and tell her what’s happening. Are you putting on weight?

Hope you can get some sleep. Glad that the doctor called you back so quickly.

ewmb

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in reply to: Worried – low heart rate #1068988

I found this link to Web Md about bradycardia. Hope this helps some.

ewmb

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/b … e-overview

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in reply to: Worried – low heart rate #1068987

Hyperm,
I don’t know the answer to your question. Does your doctor have an on call service? When you call at this time of night or on a weekend here in the states there is a number mentioned to call to get the person who is on duty for emergencies etc.. I think it would be good to go ahead and try to get hold of someone now and not wait until tomorrow. I remember that you have had anxiety issues in the past and it would probably be better to find out now before you have to take another dose in the morning.

I would think that this feels really strange after all the high readings you have had when hyper.

Let us know what you find out.

ewmb

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in reply to: RAI time frame for worsening from die off? #1069002

Lacie,
I seemed to have two real die off periods during this time since my RAI on May 8th. I don’t think that three weeks to out of range for this to happen. I too felt so much better three weeks out and my tsh was actually up then. Then I started to feel bad again and it crashed three weeks after that and then was undetectible about three weeks ago. You do need to remember that you are sick right now and you need to give yourself rest periods in the day and Krystal is right the running is probably not so helpful right now. I would call your endo and ask if you can come in this week and get blood work done so you can find out. When I was taking ATDs I could never guess my levels from how I felt.

It is very disheartening to go back to feeling so bad. I have cried many tears since May. I too am wondering if I had a large enough dose for me to have the desired effects. My endo says 6 months is the time I’ll have to wait to see if it worked.

I really had never thought about what Ellen wrote on one of her posts about the pituitary having to get used to working again to send out a signal to make TSH.

Keep chugging along, slowly, and let us know if you get some labs done.

ewmb

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in reply to: More Hyper 3 months post RAI #1069016

Rhonda,
The same thing happened to me. Look for my posts about it ( ewmb) I hope that I am coming out the other side now. I went back on methimazole for a few days, got rash, am off and am still progressing forward. I even drove myself to work and a few places last week. I am going to go have blood drawn next week. I’ll let everyone know if I am on the way back up.

Hang in there.

ewmb

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in reply to: graves and drug abuse #1069030

Welcome to the board. This is a great group who really support each other. Graves can really make things sticky in lots of ways so it’s great that you recognize that. Have you made any decisions on treatment for your graves yet? There are lots of great posts about the three choices: surgery, radioactive iodine and antithyroid medications. Ask anything you want to here. Someone will have had a similar enough experience themselves or with someone in their family who has graves. It really helps to know that you’re not alone.

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in reply to: Help ! Work Issues from Eye Issues #1069286

Hi,
Do you have frames already for glasses? If not you can look at the thrift stores for some. Also check out the Lions Club in your area if you are in a bind about having the money right now. That’s what they do. They are a great group in our area. Our eye doctor has a box in his office to collect old glasses for others. Does your insurance have an eye glasses allowance? I didn’t know that mine at work did until someone else mentioned it. For mine you have to fill in a form after you buy the glasses and you get a check for $100 back.

Hope you can find some relief. Do you have a glare screen on your computer? I’ve heard that they can help. Also try changing the color of the background that you use on your word processing program or on your e-mail. You can try different colored fonts too. You’ll have to change it back to send if off to someone else sometimes but it might make things easier on your eyes while working. My daughter has an eye issue that is in her perception of things from her brain. She does really well with green paper at school and we print her green lined paper to write on. It’s an easy thing to do and is worth a try.

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in reply to: UGH, ROUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE…. #1069025

Krystal,
I’m sorry you’re having a rough time. You have been an inspiration to me knowing that the better times will be coming. By the way my heart rate has been going down a little each week. You told me that that was one of the signals for you. Have you started trying to do some easy exercise yet? Did your endo suggest that yet? I know that when I was exercising in my pre-graves life it did help me keep my mood in better shape. The endorphines you feel afterward are good. Maybe you need to start writing down some goals on paper and mark them off so you feel like you are doing something constructive. This helps me lot when I get too much in the pity party mood. You mentioned that you were moving. Did that happen yet? Did it go well?

Have your dreams subsided?

hang on….. things will change

ewmb

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in reply to: chest pain after being diagnosed with GD? #1069055

I didn’t have a name for what I felt. I did think that I had heart issues before I had a diagnosis of graves. I ended up in the er one weekend thinking I was having a heart attack. The pain was great and the cardiologist I eventually went to see to make sure was the one who asked me if I had had my thyroid checked. I guess he had seen this before. After my levels went more to normal on ATDs I didn’t have the pain anymore.

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in reply to: Hi, everyone! I’m the new facilitator. #1069058

Welcome Ellen,
I am so glad that you have joined the GDF. Your reputation preceeds you. My father has Graves and my mother apparently remembers talking to you on the phone at the thyroid foundation years ago. She told me when I was diagnosed two years ago to call Ellen she’s very helpful. My mom is the kind of person who keeps notes! She also has Hashimotos so I knew that eventually I might be a thyroid patient too. I hope that you will write in on the bulletin board too. This is a great way to share information with lots of people at once.

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