[newbie10]

in reply to: Levothyroxine after Completion Thyroidectomy #1184217

Sara60,

Thank you for responding to my post. I appreciate your recommendations on when to take the medication. I have been taking my levothyroxine as soon as I wake up before I start getting ready for work that way enough time has past before I eat anything. But I’ll keep that in mind in case I ever have any issues with taking it in a.m. Right now I am getting too much of the levothyroxine so my Endo has cut it back. I don’t think I’m having a problem with fully absorbing the medication.

I hope things stabilize for you so that I can have the eye muscle surgery.

Thanks again for your response. I appreciate all the good feedback & encouraging words.

Newbie10

[newbie10]

in reply to: Suggestions for books about Graves Disease #1184230

Liz1967

Thank you for responding to my post and answering my question whether I would still have Graves Disease after my thyroidectomy. You always explain things in a easy to understand manner. I’m glad I didn’t go out and buy a lot of books about Graves Disease before posting on the forum. I did take note that when I search things on the internet sometimes I come across a lot of different opinions. I’m glad you noted to pay attention only to those results reflecting medical science, like ones by a university, medical center or the NIH, and that medical journals are a good source & where to go to access them. I have a lot of good valuable information to start my goal of learning more about Graves & Thyroid conditions.

Newbie10

[newbie10]

in reply to: Suggestions for books about Graves Disease #1184229

Liz1967

Thank you for responding to my post and answering my question whether I would still have Graves Disease after my thyroidectomy. You always explain things in a easy to understand manner. I’m glad I didn’t go out and buy a lot of books about Graves Disease before posting on the forum. I did take note that when I search things on the internet sometimes I come across a lot of different opinions. I’m glad you noted to pay attention only to those results reflecting medical science, like ones by a university, medical center or the NIH, and that medical journals are a good source & where to go to access them. I have a lot of good valuable information to start my goal of learning more about Graves & Thyroid conditions.

Newbie10

[newbie10]

in reply to: Suggestions for books about Graves Disease #1184228

Kimberly,

Thank you for responding to my post. Thanks for recommending the GDATF newsletter & the links on it for reading material about Graves & Thyroid issues, and the peer-reviewed journals and explaining that the abstracts and conclusions are easy to understand by a non-medical person. I anxious to check into reading materials that will help me understand Graves Disease & Thyroid issues better.

Newbie10

[newbie10]

in reply to: Levothyroxine after Completion Thyroidectomy #1184215

SNelson,

Thank you for your response and encouraging words.

I have a weekly routine that works out well for taking my levothyroxine. When I first wake up at 5 a.m. I take it, then it takes about an hour until I shower and get ready for work. By the time I head downstairs for breakfast and to get my stuff ready for work, an hour has past so I can eat breakfast and then I bolt out the door at 6:20 a.m.. Boy, I’m counting down the years till I can retire

Thanks for pointing out that your age can effect the peak levels of levothyroxine and about taking Supplementals 4 hrs after taking levothyroxine. My Endo Doc & Pharmacist both told me not to take any supplementals until at least 4 hrs after. I usually take them at supper time. So that works well for me as it sounds like for you too!

Thanks for letting me know that you are also impatient about labs. I agree it is hard to wait the 12 weeks, but now after talking to Liz & you I understand better why I have to wait that long. But, I’m sure I’ll still have that twinge of impatience I’m glad I posted on the forum because I receiving such wonderful support and suggestions. I’m glad to hear that you are doing better with your Graves, but sorry to hear about your TED.

I go to get a massage once a week with someone that is a certified Myofacial Release Therapist. It helps to relieve some of my muscle tightness & aches and gets me through the week. I also go to a chiropractor. I use to go to Curves three times a week to work out but now I hardly have the energy to do much.

Sometimes it is hard to explain how you feel and why you are not up to your normal activities to someone who has never gone through what we have. They think that is all in our heads!

I still wishes I felt better sooner than later but knowing I have support and more information helps.

Thank you.

[newbie10]

in reply to: Levothyroxine after Completion Thyroidectomy #1184214

Thanks for explaining how levels/labs work. I don’t believe that was ever explained to me. You make it so easy to understand.
I am so glad I posted my questions to the forum and you responded. You have given me a lot of valuable information and support. I really appreciate it.

[newbie10]

in reply to: Levothyroxine after Completion Thyroidectomy #1184211

Liz 1967,

Thank you for responding to my post and the encouraging words. Thank you for letting me know about getting labs done before taking levothyroxine. I never knew about that. I usually take it at 5 a.m. on weekdays before going to work, and 7 a.m. on weekends. Then, I wait 1 hr. before eating. Good point to keep in mind for future labs. I never knew when it peaks before and that coffee does that to medicine. I’m not a coffee drinker, but my mom is and she has a naturally underactive thyroid and takes the same meds. I will have to let her know. I am not on a proton pump inhibitor. Not sure what that is, but it sounds complicated.

I like your comparison to it being like pouring water on a dry sponge. That makes sense to me. Never heard it describe like that.

I tend to blame a lot of my symptoms on my thyroid. I think I do that because when I go to my family doctor or neurologist, they said wait till your thyroid levels are where they should be at because your thyroid not being at your optimum level could cause a lot of my symptoms. My Endo Doc says to me once he gets things leveled out, then if I’m still having symptoms, it’s not thyroid related. So, its very confusing and I get very frustrated. Also, it is so hard to wait the 3 months to get my blood work done. It seems like forever. I guess I’m use to having it done every 6 to 8 weeks when I was on the tapazole.

Sorry to hear about you having the severe eye disease. I’m glad after reaching your two year postop and are feeling great. It’s encouraging to me.

[newbie10]

in reply to: Throbbing/pulsating leg pain – Graves related ?? #1064305

I sent a response to your two post to my question earlier not sure why it doesn’t look like it went.

EWMB,

Thanks for responding to my post. I am on tapazole right now and not a PTI. Thanks for sharing your rexperience with being on ptu.

Kimberly,

Thanks for responding to my question. I will let my doctor know what happen. That sensation seems to have gotten better now. You mentioned exercise and I used to have gone to Curves a coup;e of times during the week. My doctor has restricted me from strenuous exercise until my numbers were better. They are now. I didn’t think it would have been caused from exercise because of this. But after I read the latest post to my question from Harpy I realized that I was away on vacation and did walk alot and climb stairs and got more exercise then usual. I also ran out of my calcium and didn’t take that for at least 6 days.

Thanks for both of your imput with great things to think about.

[newbie10]

in reply to: Throbbing/pulsating leg pain – Graves related ?? #1064304

Dear Harpy,

Thanks for responding. I first felt the pulsating sensation when I was sitting at my desk for the good part of last Wednesday morning 8/18. I really didn’t think about it, but I only felt the pulsating when I was sitting not while I was up and moving around. The pulsating sensation has lessened alot. If I feel it again I will have to get up and walk around to see if that helps. I will have to check with my doctor so that when I give blood work next week he can check the calcium/magnesium level. My doctor does have me on Os-cal 3X/day. I was away on vacation last Thurday night 8/12, Friday 8/13, Sat 8/14, Sun8/15 & Monday 8/16 and I ran out of my calcium and didn’t take it while I was away. We did alot of walking, climbing steps sightseeing. When Kimberly mentioned about exercise I didn’t think about my vacation. You guys all gave good suggestion. Thanks for all of your input.

[newbie10]

in reply to: ????????????????? so many questions. #1064512

I also was wondering about whether GD affects your memory. I always had great memory but over the last year it seems like I hear or am told something and it feels like it goes in one ear and out the next. My kids will tell me that I asked that question 2 or 3 x but I can’t remember their first answer. It’s not always the case of not remembering things most of the time I do. I do try to write stuff down on paper. At work I make sure I take lots of notes. I always tell my kids to make list like I do so you won’t forget things you have or want to do. I am 49 so I know when we get older our memory is not as good as it use to be. But I can’t help wondering how graves affects your memory.

One of the many questions I asked is what foods should you avoid and what food should you eat if you have GD. I’m glad I saw the subject ????? so many questions because even though you are younger then me we have similar questions. Reading over Kimberly’s response to you is also helpful to me. I would like to find good books on the subject. Any suggestions?

I’m so glad that I found the GDF website and message board. I try to read over as many posting as I can to help me learn about other people’s experience and how I can relate to them helps. It has provide a wealth of good information.

Still reading & learning!

[newbie10]

in reply to: New Here #1064594

I am one of the 10% that didn’t lose weight but gained. That was one of the things that puzzled me when I was first diagnosed with being hyper because the list of symptoms said weight loss not weight gain. Being just told I was hyper a little more than a year ago, I do struggle with my weight. Just this July when I was told that I have GD. My endo doctor told me to not to exercise (I was going to Curves every week) until I get my levels down. After 2 months, he gave me the ok to start back in Sept. but to take it easy.

[newbie10]

in reply to: Checking In- 9 months Post-RAI #1064546

I am glad to hear those encouraging words. Just starting the process of trying to decide whether I want to have another surgery & have my left side of my thyroid removed (I had my right side removed in Nov. 2009)) or take the RAI. I think I have already decided that I don’t want to stay on the tapazole for 12 months and hope I go into remission.

[newbie10]

in reply to: New to this site. Discovered I have Graves Disease this July #1064707

I also read about the San Diego conference in October. I believe it would be very informative to go to but I won’t be attending. I live in PA and I don’t fly. I would love to go and meet all of the people with Graves issues and hear the speakers. I can only hope they have one soon closer to my area. I hope you are able to go and get alot of information & comfort from attending.
Karen

[newbie10]

in reply to: New to this site. Discovered I have Graves Disease this July #1064706

Thank you Shirley for welcoming me to the site and all the useful information. When I last saw the Doctor in June and he told me that I was hyper again, he said that the option he leans towards is the RAI. But after I had the thryroid scan to confirm everything, the doctor called me and put me on the tapazole. He told me that we would discuss all the options once he got my levels to where he wants them. Since I already had a subtotal thyroidectomy. I’m not sure I want to have another sugery to remove the right side. The surgery I went thru with a breezy and had no complications. But I am going to talk to my doctor about all the pros & cons with each option. Either way I will have to take a thyroid hormone for the rest of my lift. This seems like a fantastic site to get well educated on the issues of graves disease.

Thank you for sharing you story with me. It sounds like you made the right decision for yourself. I don’t have TED yet. Is your TED improving? I sure hope so. I will have to make sure I tell my eye specialist about having GD.

I have not really lost any weight which I know normally you do. I have been emotional and I know difficult to live with. But I have had anxiety issue for many many years. Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether the anxiety is due to graves or just some other thing going on.

[newbie10]

in reply to: New to this site. Discovered I have Graves Disease this July #1064703

Thank you Ewenme (Joy) for welcoming me to the site. It is comforting to be able to talk to others that are dealing with Graves Disease. Your diagnoses is fairly recent also. I hope you are able to attain remission by being on the tapazole. For me it seems like it came out of the blue being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism then just finding out I have graves disease. I never heard anything about graves disease until my diagnoses. I have side effects of fast heartbeat, frequent bowel movements, tiredness, hot flashes, & sometimes I just feeling off like something is right. I have been searching the internet to learn about the condition and that is how I found the GDF website. So far it has been a very useful tool.

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