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If you are currently taking medication for hypothyroidism, please take a few moments to respond to a survey from the American Thyroid Association. Results will be discussed at a symposium on March 31! Details/survey link in this thread…
Bump…if you are being treated for hypothyroidism and have not yet taken this survey, please take 5 minutes to do so. The information will be used in a March 31st symposium hosted by the American Thyroid Association!
in reply to: Thyroid/menopause symptoms–UGH #1184951Hello – You’ve put together an excellent documentation of your symptoms…have you presented your doc with this full list in writing? If he/she can’t help you put the puzzle pieces together, a second opinion might be helpful. I would definitely push to get an answer on the pain in your skull – that is something that should be checked out ASAP.
I have also struggled with weight issues on this journey. Here are a few suggestions from a presenter at one of our past patient conferences, although there are of course no easy answers. (And I’ve gotten to a point where I am not willing to restrict calories to the point where I’m starving – or to give up participating in special occasions).
* Include breakfast daily within 2 hours of waking up.
* Don’t go longer than 5 hours in between meals
* Select “high volume” and “high fiber” foods such as fruits, veggies, and whole grains
* Limit servings of healthy fats to 1 per day
* Prioritize at LEAST 7 hours of sleep a nightHopefully, others will chime in with their experiences. One thought on your TSH change would be to check when you are taking the multivitamin – if there is iron, calcium, it’s recommended to space the supplement out from thyroid meds by 4 hours, as taking them too close together can affect absorption.
in reply to: First Time Graves Disease Questions #1184946Hello and welcome – It is very common for TSH to remain suppressed early in the treatment process. Hopefully, your doctor is basing your dosing on Free T4 and T3 and NOT on TSH alone!
Most patients who have high blood pressure in association with hyperthyroidism will start to see some relief as levels approach the normal range. However, hopefully, your doc is keeping an eye on this and will work with you if it gets to the point where treatment might be recommended.
Take care – and keep us posted!
Bump…
Hello and welcome – It would be helpful if you could get in to an experienced ophthalmologist for an evaluation. We have a link in the “Looking for a Doctor” thread for eye surgeons, so that might be a good place to start.
The high antibodies would certainly raise the suspicion that your eye pain is connected to thyroid eye disease – but it’s worth considering other causes as well. As a side note, I’ve heard anecdotal evidence from a small number of patients that their antibodies increased while taking Armour.
Hopefully, your doctor will be following up with labs again in a few weeks; also consider testing Free T4 and T3. It would be unusual to be on replacement hormone and have all your labs remain stable when you stopped taking the meds, so be on the lookout for signs of hypO.
in reply to: New and confused #1184937Hello and welcome – we actually have many members here who had thyroid surgery and were happy with the outcome. Here are some additional links that might be of interest…
(Note on links: if you click directly on the following links, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing, or you will have to log back in to the forum. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).
The American Association of Endocrine Surgeons has a nice patient education site: http://www.endocrinediseases.org/
GDATF Bulletin on Thyroid Surgery: http://gdatf.org/about/about-graves-disease/patient-education/thyroidectomy-for-graves-surgical-option/
Presentation from our 2012 conference in San Diego:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BfIbnrvmjYYou can also use the “Search Posts” feature in the top right-hand corner of the screen to look for posts with keywords such as thyroidectomy or “thyroid surgery”. (You have to be logged in to use this feature.
Wishing you all the best!
in reply to: TSH hike 18 years after RAI #1184920@tiredofitall and AZGravesGuy – Yikes, I feel awful when my TSH gets much above 6!
Agree with AZGravesGuy on potential absorption issues.
Another issue to check would be whether you have gotten the exact same med from the exact same manufacturer. There should be a 3-letter code on the bottle/box that you can check to make sure the manufacturer is the same. Although the active ingredients should be the same between different brands & manufacturers, the absorption can be different.
It’s also worth reporting the issue to your pharmacist, in the unlikely event that you happen to have gotten a bad batch of meds. If a pharmacist is getting multiple complaints, this can raise a red flag for possible issues.
Thank you SO much, Dr. Douglas! Having access to credible medical information is critical for patients living with Graves’ disease and thyroid eye disease. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your expertise today!
From D.M.B. via Facebook:
Is there anything to help ease the pain from TED? I’m one month post op and still have the horrible pain as before surgery.
6. What is the role of steroid and radiotherapy in TED?
7. Are there any recommended books, websites for patients?
8. Does the choice of treatment affect my chances of getting TED? Specifically, does RAI increase the odds of worsening or new development of TED?
1. Are there supplements known to help TED?
2. Are there specific foods that I should eat or avoid if I have TED?
3. Once I’ve been through all the surgeries for TED, what are the chances it will come back?
4. Why do I have only one eye affected by TED?
5. What are the chances of a Graves’ patient having severe enough TED to require surgical intervention? What can I do in terms of prevention?
Welcome, everyone, to our online thyroid eye disease (TED) chat with Dr. Douglas! Please feel free to post your questions on this thread, and Dr. Douglas will be joining us at 10:00 PST.
I’ll kick us off with a few questions that have come up in the past on this forum…
Bump – don’t forget that Dr. Douglas will be here on the forum this Monday, January 9th at 10:00 Pacific time to answer your questions about thyroid eye disease!
If you have questions, please post them on this thread!
in reply to: Share your Success Story! #1183877Thanks for sharing your story! We had a presentation at our Boston conference in 2011 from a yoga instructor who felt that her practice was a great addition to conventional medical treatment as she went through the healing process.
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