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in reply to: Will be gone from forum for a while #1181080
Hi Amy, praying for you and your family.
Karen
in reply to: New here….Just Diagnosed With G.D #1180873Hi MeeMee, welcome, I know how you feel, I have been down that same road, but was hospitalized because my heart rate was at 180 bpm. I was diagnosed 12/6/12 and had RAI on 12/14/12. I am 8 months post RAI and went hypo in April, and am currently on 100 mg of Synthroid. It is scary, and you found a great place to help you with your anxiety and fears. My best advise is to read, read, read, I read everything I could on Graves Disease, ordered books and read some more. I keep a journal with all my lab sheets in it from my endo along with a list of questions and his answers each time I have bloodwork and a doctor visit. Knowlege is Power!
Karen
in reply to: Lack of endurance or old age? #1180899Hi Sue, its funny you should say that, I had RAI on 12/14/12 and in April went hypo and have been on Synthroid since, currently on 100 mg. The same thing happens to me, if I am out all day doing something, I am wiped out the next day, takes me a few days to bounce back. Whats up with that? I try to pace myself, but cannot always do that. It is irritating, I am 57, and I am sure some of it is age, but everyone use to call me the energizer bunny (pre Graves) I would go from 5:00 AM until 11:00 PM, 7 days a week. I use to come home from work on Fridays, after working all week, and clean my house. The thought of that NOW practically gives me an anxiety attack!!!
Karen
in reply to: Feeling OK but Looking Horrible #1180823Sue, I was pro active and made an appointment with a opthamologist to at least get a base line on my eyes. I was there for two hours!!! I presented with watery bloodshot eyes and was beginning to worry. Long story short and after MANY tests and measurements, I have no bulging, slight lid retraction that isn’t visible but her, as an opthamologist can notice it. No optic nerve issues, etc., so the news was good. Have to see her every 3 months to monitor. She gave me eye drops to use 4x a day. She told me the first two years after RAI or TT is the most critical. I don’t smoke, but she said people that due are worse offl
Good luck,
Karen
in reply to: Pins and needles #1180686Hi Kalty, it sure seems like you have been suffering for a very long time. I began my journey last December and was diagnosed with Graves on 12/6/12, I had RAI on 12/14/12. I too had a heart rate of 180 bpm, insomnia, severe anxiety, fatigue, and itching. The itching drove me crazy too. Long story short, I am 8 months post RAI and my numbers are within range and I am feeling alot better. Kimberely is right, you need the Free T3 and T4 tests, have him also test your magnesium and Vitamin D levels.
Good Luck and keep us posted on your health!
Karen
in reply to: Running out of Steam Post TT #1180659Hi Sue, its so early yet, I had RAI on 12/14/12 and for the first two to three months, I was still out of it and so tired. My understanding is your body still has the thyroid hormones its releasing and I was still hyper until April and then went hypo and began my Synthyroid. It will take awhile, baby yourself and take care of yourself, I stayed home from work on FMLA for two months after surgery. I am just now, August, beginning to feel like my old self. Just saw my endo yesterday and my numbers are all good. So take it slow, you have been through ALOT.
Be well,
Karen
in reply to: Running out of Steam Post TT #1180658Hi Sue, its so early yet, I had RAI on 12/14/12 and for the first two to three months, I was still out of it and so tired. My understanding is your body still has the thyroid hormones its releasing and I was still hyper until April and then went hypo and began my Synthyroid. It will take awhile, baby yourself and take care of yourself, I stayed home from work on FMLA for two months after surgery. I am just now, August, beginning to feel like my old self. Just saw my endo yesterday and my numbers are all good. So take it slow, you have been through ALOT.
Be well,
Karen
in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180389Hi Sue, as far as FMLA, how nice that you work for a place that will pay you for being off and that you have alot of sick leave and vacation time. When I had my RAI on 12/14/12, my endo kept saying “bring me the FMLA papers”. I had to use 4 weeks of vacation and 4 weeks of sick leave and I returned to work on 2/4/13. I could have used another month off of work after I returned. My endo filled out my FMLA for a year and said that this is an on going chronic condition. I have blood work monthly and then follow up with him two weeks after the blood work. I don’t know how different we are as far as RAI v. TT, but 8 months after my RAI, I still have days of feeling totally exhausted and I usually sleep most of Saturday just to catch up on sleep. I still have days where my anxiety flares up but my heart rate usually is between 50-70 which is the greatest improvement of all!!! I still don’t feel like my old self and shared that with my endo who said to me that I was really, really sick and that its going to take me a long time to feel well. So, I guess my point is, we have to expect this blips in how we are feeling.
Karen
in reply to: a little question about hyperthyroidism post RAI #1180439@jmwatson, I has RAI on 12/14/12 and and still had a TSH of 0.005 up until April (my endo also tests Free T3 and Free T4 with a Complete Metabolic Panel, Magnesium and Vitamin D test every 6 weeks, from that time until April I was on no thyroid meds, then in April 2012 I my TSH shot up to 50 and I went hypo, he started me on .75 Synthroid, then next round my TSH was 15 and he upped my dose to .88 and now I am on 100. All the while he still tested and monitored everything I listed, dosing accordingly. Each adjustment took some getting use to. I feel good right now at 100. I have episodes of achy legs from the knees down, but my hair is not thinning anymore (with the help of Biotin Forte 5 mg., and Nexus Biotin Shampoo), and I don’t see to be putting weight on as fast as I did when I had jumped to hypo, now working on losing the 20 lbs. I put back on. Hope this helps.
Karen
in reply to: First day of Levo…… what should I expect? #1180433Hi Sue, if it is any help, I do know that they have to list every possible side effect, if they give 100 people levo and 1 person has vomiting lets say, they have to list it, doesn’t mean all the other 99 people had it, so I try and take “side effects” with a grain of salt. I hope Shirley can back that up with her expertise. I am glad you are on the road to recovery and considering what we all have been through, I think the few things we might feel will not be so bad. I do know, for me, if my heart rate which is usually in the 50’s and 60’s now goes up to 75 or 80 I don’t freak out like I use too when I was hyper or right after RAI, I try not to get anxious and tell myself it is going to be okay. Its a work in progress and I am getting better at it. I only take my heart rate and BP maybe 4 times a day compared to when I was really sick, it was every hour!!
Karen
in reply to: First day of Levo…… what should I expect? #1180432Hi Sue, if it is any help, I do know that they have to list every possible side effect, if they give 100 people levo and 1 person has vomiting lets say, they have to list it, doesn’t mean all the other 99 people had it, so I try and take “side effects” with a grain of salt. I hope Shirley can back that up with her expertise. I am glad you are on the road to recovery and considering what we all have been through, I think the few things we might feel will not be so bad. I do know, for me, if my heart rate which is usually in the 50’s and 60’s now goes up to 75 or 80 I don’t freak out like I use too when I was hyper or right after RAI, I try not to get anxious and tell myself it is going to be okay. Its a work in progress and I am getting better at it. I only take my heart rate and BP maybe 4 times a day compared to when I was really sick, it was every hour!!
Karen
in reply to: First day of Levo…… what should I expect? #1180429Hi Sue, I had RAI on 12/14/12, my endo started me in April when I went hypo on .75 mg of Synthroid (I insisted on Synthroid) only because I heard the fillers in levo vary sometimes and I wanted to make sure I didn’t run into an issue. I felt fine when I started but I started to put a few pounds on, even though I ate healthy anticipating the weight gain. I seemed to get tired and at my next endo visit they upped my dosage to .88 mg., still put a few pounds on (20lbs in all to date. I am now on 100 mg of Synthroid and I take 2,000 IU of Vitamin D per day, Biotin Forte 5 mg, once a day for thinning hair (which happened when I went hypo, but has now fully grown back), Magnesium, 500 mg, 2 times per day, and a Centrum Silver. My endo wants to make sure I keep up the Vitamin D and Magnesium since I have been low since I was diagnosed with Graves. The slight changes I have experienced good and bad is there are days I am really tired or if I over exert myself it takes a few days to snap back. The initial thinning of my hair but taking the Biotin and using Nexus Biotin Shampoo (ordered on line through Amazon) solved that problem within a few weeks,. Compared to all the horrible problems when I was hyper and first diagnosed, these issues are easier to handle. I seem to still have the brain fog and get overwhelmed very easily, they are days I am extremely tired and stressed but I know that those are work related, my heart rate is usually between 50-60 bpm and it seems like every 5 days it will jump to 70-80 but I have Metropolol from my cardiologist to take on days I feel like my afib kicked in, which are rare these days, compared to when I was first diagnosed and had a heart rate of 180 bpm. So all in all things are MUCH better!!! I have noticed lately my eyes are bloodshot (I don’t drink) and itchy and bothersome some times but I am seeing an eye doc in a few weeks just to keep up on any eye issues. I did not have eye issues prior to the RAI.
Hope my little summary helped, Good Luck
karen
in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180351Sue, glad to hear the surgery went well and your home and resting!!! Your a saint for that long wait, my nerves would have got the best of me and sent my heart rate and blood pressure through the roof with anxiety!!! I would of said “hook me up NOW!!!”
My husband gets extreme anxiety before any procedure and they always give him something to calm him down.Get some much need rest!!!
Hugs,
Karen
in reply to: what is happening to me??? #1180311Hi mommyof4, you have come to the right place!!!! I too was diagnosed with Graves Disease and Hyperthyroidism on 12/6/12 and had RAI on 12/14/12, mine was so severe my endo hospitalized me for two weeks because of a heart rate of 180 bpm. Everyone is here and so so supportive. We try to help each other and answer questions. Even though we are not doctors it is nice to read and listen to everyones story and know that you are not alone. I was so scared when all of this started but felt so reassured reading other peoples posts and experiences. We have all struggled with some of the same problems as you so hopefully you will feel a little better with all of us to talk to!!!
Karen
in reply to: Best wishes Sue #1180316@Sue, good luck Sue with your surgery, I will keep you in my prayers!!! Looking forward to reading your journal!!!!
Hugs,
Karen
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