[genuinruby]

in reply to: overnight correction of double vision #1171275

My eyes change constantly. I mostly have diplopia while lying down,or on the up gaze or down gaze. The condition was much worse, prior to treatment for hyperthyroidism. When one pair of glasses stop working, I put on a pair with a different perscription. There are even times when my vision is, briefly, perfect. I have wondered if it is a case of the muscles being too relaxed, or too tight.

Ruby in Reno

[genuinruby]

in reply to: 7 years post RAI and suddenly very high TSH #1171237

I am so glad to read this! It reinforces what I felt to be true. Of course, my doctors, shake their heads, and sigh. They believe that once the thyroid is gone, the antibody issues are gone as well. Last Fall, I was coasting along just getting to the point of feeling good. Then about the time of lab tests, we had a remodel start at work. My office was condensed to a desk in a busy main office and I won’t bore you with details, but I couldn’t walk anywhere without having to “squeeze past” another person, due to overcrowding. My TSH dropped into hyper range, and the doctor panicked and cut my dose, my next TSH was 10.3. Now, six months later, I am see-sawing my way back up to the original dose. I was definatly in the hyper range, I was burning up from the internal body furnace, very edgy and irritable, insomnia and heart palps. I do feel blessed, I can always stop in here and remember I am not on this journey alone.

Ruby in Reno

[genuinruby]

in reply to: Treating Graves ONLY with Nutrtion #1170655

Just wanted to chime in about the nutritional approach. I think that anything we can do for ourselves healthfully is a plus. Good nutrition is essential for us to have the strength needed for the body and mind to cope with this illness. Your effort will not be a loss. You (JessieC) said, that you are asymptomatic, after having a reaction to the methimazole, that happened to me as well. I would get a reprieve from the madness, then bit by bit, because Grave’s is antibody driven, the illness came back. That is my story, someone else might have a different ending for this same senerio, they might stay in remission for years. I hope your story is like that.

[genuinruby]

in reply to: Possible GD, having anger/suicidal thoughts #1170785

I have to ask….katiehillis….are you still taking the synthroid? My sister, hypo from childhood, and on synthroid. In her early 40’s she had a tsh that was nearly undectable. Yet, her doctor, at her insistance, continued to leave her on the dose she was at in spite of her “altered personality”, and numerous symptoms of hyperthyroid.

[genuinruby]

in reply to: Commuting and thyroid #1169726

Cathy, thanks for sharing your "update". I recently came to the conclusion that Stress in a person with Graves can cause serious fluctuations in TSH levels. It was suggested to me today that I need to get focused on a routine, and really stick with it. Little things that would not make a normal person flinch can cause me much anxiety and frustration which I feel is not "normal" but, I don’t have the tools to make it go away. So, I am going to try and focus on more of a routine and see if it helps.

[genuinruby]

in reply to: What Products Make Life With Graves’ a Little Easier? #1061098

I have mentioned this before, but I love the systane Balance eyedrops in the purple box. Also, I could not have made it thru the last 2 years of "illness prior to surgery" without sleep cd’s to listen to. Suduko and word circle magazines to calm my racing mind, though, now after treatment, those days are few and far between. Benydryl Gel is still my "go to" when the mysterious hives and itching happens. ” title=”Very Happy” />

[genuinruby]

in reply to: Lost…. #1064990

Hi Airboss, I am glad to see your latest post, when you wrote your first post, I felt a kinship as my eyes were weirding out like yours. I had surgery 8 months ago, and I feel much more stablized vision-wize. I feel a loss, because I miss my perfect vision. I have double vision on the up-gaze, so when lying in bed I always see two lights on the smoke alarm. I now have 4 pairs of glasses with 4 different perscriptions, and I ofton have to swich pairs more than once in a day. Because sometimes my vision will change several times a day. Sometimes the same pair will be good for a few days in a row. I cannot find a rhyme or reason why. Like you, the doc’s say it looks good from their point of view. I have noticed that as I have been going thru the balancing act of getting the thyroid replacement meds correct, that my eyes are a good indicatior as to how my levels are. Too hypo -I have issues, too much synthroid and I have issues. My biggest challenge is communicating to the eye docs who can’t seem to understand or explain why my vision changes many times in a day. Hang in there.

Ruby in Reno

[genuinruby]

in reply to: FOUR WEEKS POST TOTAL THYROIDECTOMY HELP !!!!!!!!! #1061723

Hi Rachael123, sorry to hear that you are having a difficult time with recovery. It does take a long time. And the process of healing is very gradual. It is common for the parathyroid glands to feel traumatized and not function for a while after sugery, but they usually return to normal, and your doctor will confirm this with lab tests. Immediatly after surgery, I had a "voice" but the days and weeks following those first couple of days I was really worried, as I could not sing. But now it has been 8 months and I can now sing along with the radio and even hit higher notes. Something I had not been able to do for quite some time. I never believed it when I was told that healing from surgery would take a year, but I believe it now. Keep in mind, you are not only healing from a surgery, your body is trying to heal itself from being hyperthyroid. Hang in there, I wish you the best.

Ruby in Reno

[genuinruby]

in reply to: Graves Disease and neuropathy of feet #1062377

Hi MaryT,
I have/have had a lot of pain in my feet. I finally found a website that talks about this. I have yet to find a podiatrist who would agree with me that my foot pain was thyroid related. I am amazed that after a near total thyroidectomy that you still have enough thyroid gland left to produce so many issues. I had my surgery last Sept and I too am on the teeter-totter of trying to get balanced. The pain in my feet dissapeared right after my surgery and came back within a week. It did gradually disappear as my levels went from hypo to low normal. I was elated. Then, the balance point moved and I dipped back to hyper range. My medication was reduced and the foot pain is now back. I do believe my feet issues are hypo-related, and will resolve when once again I find that "sweet spot" with the replacement meds.
Ruby in Reno

[genuinruby]

in reply to: EYE DROPS AND LUBRICANT #1062558

My eyedrops of choice is SYSTANE BALANCE in the purple box. They seem to have a little more visocity and I find them very soothing. I continue to have dry eyes and other issues that seem to wax and wane as I am still trying to find the "Sweet Spot" on replacement meds. This product is not less expensive, but I find I use it less ofton than other brands.

[genuinruby]

in reply to: 3 months post op #1063100

Shirley, I am glad you are doing better with your eyes. To answer your questions, I have been blessed with mild symptons of TED, I feel so fortunate. Light sensitivity has been a way of life for me, I go nowhere without very large, very dark, sunglasses. Now, they are prescription sunglasses LOL. I haven’t had any surgeries, and my double vision is mild and somewhat intermittant, ie: lying down (looking up) and upon waking. It resolves itself quickly, and then only troubles me later in the day if I am looking up. The opthologist-neurologist thinks that i am now stable. I am believing on his words. As for the connection between the lipid panel and post surgery, I do think there is a connection. Perhaps it stems from being in the hypo zone for awhile, and just needs a liitle time to get back to normal, which is another reason I am reluctant to jump on the medication band wagon.

I truly am looking forward to the NEW YEAR…I will check in again at the 6 month mark, but I am always around if anyone has a question, just send me a pm…I know it really helped me to talk to someone who was on the path ahead of me.

Ruby

[genuinruby]

in reply to: Has anyone else developed Autonomic Dysfunction? #1063248

Thanks for sharing your story, I find it interesting because, I, myself, had extreme swings in blood pressure readings. So extreme, that my husband insisted that there was something wrong with the blood pressure monitor. So I bought a new one. It gave me the same crazy readings, but again, only me. My husband’s readings were consistant. I actually became quite obsessed with taking my pulse and blood pressure readings. It really freaked me out to see 190/130. A minute later, the reading was so much closer to normal. This went on the last 4 months prior to surgery. Though it was never duplcated at the doctors office. The good news is, it has not happened one time since I had my thyroid removed.
Ruby in Reno

[genuinruby]

in reply to: Complete Thyroidectomy #1063364

This message is in response to the original post -stevep-
I am now 8 weeks post op and I also had a serious drop in calcium right after surgery. I was placed on 1500 mg 4 times a day of calcium (he said to just take tums). It was six weeks before my levels reached the low end of the normal range. But they are steadily climbing. I have read that it can take a couple of months for the shock to the parathyroid glands to wear off. It is very rare to have permanent damage. A note of caution, replacement meds and calcium must not be taken close together, and your doctor will most likely give you strict instructions regarding this. On a happy note, I can’t believe how good I feel…even though I am having a little trouble getting my tsh in ‘the zone". I still feel pretty darn amazing! And your sweetie will too, soon you will both be looking in the rear-view mirror at this spot in your lives.

Happy healing!

Ruby in Reno

[genuinruby]

in reply to: One month post op –checking in #1063615

Sublingual administration of medicine is not new. A good explaination of how and why it works can be found at Wikipedia- search "Sublingual administration". I never questioned my endo because I didn’t think it a big deal, just found it "curious" because I do not know anyone else who takes their thyroid medication this way. But, now you have me more curious, so after work I went to two different pharmacist, and asked for clarification. Both, gave me an explaination similar to the one on Wikipedia, and as one said, "it is an off-label way of administering thyroid medication", many doctors prescribe it that way. Both, also said that medications that were made specifically for sublingual administration were made with a quick disolving coating. Synthroid is not in that catagory per say, but, it does dissolve quite rapidly as it is. Maybe, those going to the conference could get someone to shed some light on this. I am certainly very interested.~~~Ruby ” title=”Smile” />

[genuinruby]

in reply to: Time #1063822

Hi Sarah,
Welcome, I hope you find relief soon. I am not sure what the abbreviations ‘sx’ and ‘tx’ stand for in your post, but I can tell you I had to deal with insane itching. Which I found was especially troublesome after eating seafood. I had this itching long before I got a diagnosis of graves.
Ruby

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