[LaurenC]

in reply to: Normal Levels-Still feeling horrible! ADVICE???? #1074633

I felt very hypothyroid after we "normalized" by thryoid levels on Synthroid post-RAI. My endocrinologist explained to me that after being hyperthyroid, the body’s tissues become almost "addicted" to extra thyroid hormone and feel "low" even when the levels are normal again. We keep my levels just slightly elevated because that’s where I feel "well"–and he agrees that feeling normal is more important than having a normal number on a lab sheet. There may be some risks to staying mildly elevated–bone loss and possibly cardiovascular risks (though he checks my blood pressure and pulse every visit and says I’m ok)–but to me those risks are worth it not to feel fatigued and depressed all the time.

[LaurenC]

in reply to: depression #1074699

I’ve had bouts of depression since before I was diagnosed with GD and went through the gamut of psych drugs, none of which helped much and most of which had side effects worse than the depression. After being diagnosed with GD and treated with RAI, as my thryoid levels started to come down I suddenly had a spell of feeling more "well" (from a mental health perspective) than I ever recalled feeling in my life–it was like someone suddenly turned on a light switch I didn’t know was there. The thryoid levels continued down, and as I become hypothyroid, I found the depression returning. I have a terrific endocrinologist and he and I worked together to adjust my Synthroid dose. We found that by keeping me very mildly hyperthyroid–just barely above the upper limits of normal–it’s greatly improved my mood problems. Although this is somewhat controversial, and not entirely without some long-term risks (such as osteoporosis, eventually–though the endo says that while I’m still premenopausal it’s not such a concern)–it’s also not entirely with precedent. Scientific studies have supported the addition of thyroid hormones to antidepressants to improve response in treating depression.

[LaurenC]

in reply to: Graves Eye Disease #1075486

Hi. I’m new to this forum. I had RAI for Grave’s a few years ago and have spent the past, oh, year and a half or so with the opthalmopathy mostly affecting my right eye. I have some double vision, though I can focus pretty well when I look straight ahead. It mostly limits my peripheral vision and upward gaze, but in the mornings when I first wake up, my eyelids are swollen, the eye is runny, and I can hardly focus at all. I tried prisms, but they seem to blur things a lot, and I write for a living and have to be able to read, so they didn’t work very well for me. I wear a patch when the double vision is really bothering me. I’ve been seeing a neuroopthalmologist in NJ who has been a very good physician–very thorough in following this–who says it’s stabilizing enough that he’s willing to start talking about the decompression surgery. I understand the risks but I do want to have this corrected as much as possible. I’m thinking I’d like to get an opinion from another surgeon before I do the surgery though, at least in regards to whether it truly is the right time to do it (as opposed to waiting a little longer) and exactly what type of decompression to perform. Are we allowed in this forum to provide referrals? If so, has anyone used a surgeon (particularly one in the northeast US) they would recommend for orbital decompression?

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