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Welcome Marie!
We’re so glad you found us. Please feel free to ask any question, we’re here to help!
” title=”Very Happy” />GD can definitely come and go in the years before it comes on strong enough for us to notice and be diagnosed. I had similar episodes for probably 10 years or more before it was constant. I don’t think it means we were hyperthyroid the whole time ~ I think we may have gone hyper and then gone back to normal without realizing it ~ but of course there aren’t statistics on it because it’s in the period of time before we see anyone about it.
As far as paranoia, we know there’s a mental component to the imbalance, and I think that plays out differently in many people, so YEP it might originate with that imbalance (or they really are out to get you!
” title=”Very Happy” /> giggle ~ couldn’t resist.)First, your TSH level is likely to lag behind the T4 test results ~ TSH reads an average of the thyroid hormone levels in our bloodstream over time (weeks) and reacts accordingly, so when the levels are changing rapidly, the TSH will take a while to "catch up." At this point, your T4 is a better level to be looking at, while checking TSH to give some perspective. Later on, when your levels are far more stable, TSH is the best level to use for guidance.
It’s possible that you are gaining back some of the muscle mass you lost while you were hyperthyroid. That’s good weight gain, but it won’t function as it used to until you strengthen it and give it the calorie-burning capabilities it had before hyperthyroidism took it away (strong muscle mass burns calories, even at rest). That’s one possibility for the weight gain. Another possibility is that you have not yet replaced that muscle mass, and so you do not have the benefit of its calorie-burning capabilities, and so eating the same way you used to can result in weight gain, because your muscle used to burn some of those calories away. These are pretty much the same underlying reason for the weight gain, I know.
Doctors like to say that we became gluttons while hyperthyroid, since we could eat virtually anything and not gain weight, then when our levels drop, our gluttony catches up with us. I get just a little perturbed
when I hear that this is what patients have been told, because I really don’t buy it. Perhaps this happens if a patient has been hyper for years and years, but I don’t believe it occurs when GD has come on fairly rapidly and been diagnosed quickly.You’re so early on in the process that it’s hard to say right now, but I will venture a guess that once you have completely controlled thyroid hormone levels, you’ll find it easier to resolve. In the meantime, just try to eliminate any empty calories in your diet. Take good care of yourself.
” title=”Wink” />We’re happy to help, Aravindh! Talk with your doctor specifically about the Inderal ~ I know you mentioned that you had high blood pressure issues, and so that may be the reason you’re taking it even while euthyroid, but it’s possible that you can either wean off it or take less, considering the dizziness you’re experiencing. I’m sure getting started with the exercise your doctor allows is a good idea ~ even at low levels, it provides a benefit to you and begins to get your muscle mass back in shape.
Thanks for the update!
” title=”Very Happy” />That’s Jake’s new picture all right, but I can’t say for sure it’s a fish on his head.
” title=”Very Happy” /> I was thinking some kind of feathers, considering his Native American heritage….Jake ~ enlighten us!? GREAT picture.
” title=”Wink” />Short answer is YES, we’ve all been through those things ~ it’s the toughest thing we deal with. How to make it easier? Well, my "pat" answer is to say, do those things that sustain you, that feed your soul, that make you feel fulfilled, satisfied, happy. Do NOT do those things that drain you, that steal your energy and give you nothing back.
You are early on in the process, believe it or not, but you’ve begun your treatment, so you’re getting closer to healthy all the time. Keep in mind that once your levels are normal, that’s your body’s signal to BEGIN the healing. You think you’ve been healing all this time, but you have not. Your body is in an emergency state right now ~ thyroid imbalance, or even rapid change in thyroid hormone levels, is interpreted by the body as a 911 emergency, because it would not normally happen. Besides the attack of hyperthyroidism and ITS effects on your body, your body is also reserving resources right now to make sure you live through this emergency. Your hair, nails and skin can suffer, because those things lose resources quickly in an emergency. Other body systems that keep you alive need the resources more.
Once your thyroid hormone levels reach the normal range and remain stable for some period of time (weeks, probably), then your body will remove the "emergency status," return resources to every part of your body, and at that point you will START to heal. So you will need to be careful with the things you decide to spend energy on for a while.
Set your own priorities, let some things go ~ the emotional side of this is extremely difficult, I know, so try explaining (in a CALM moment) that you find yourself carried away at times, that you feel just as helpless as those around you. Try developing a "safe word" the family can use to try and defuse those emotional moments. Let everyone know that this is a long road, and you need everyone to pitch in and help during this time, even if its just to let you know that they understand you’re having a hard time, and they’ll warm up leftovers tonight.
” title=”Very Happy” />You’ll get there. Promise.
” title=”Wink” />Sounds backward to me too ~ if you’ve been on PTU, it may be the PTU that’s causing you to go hypo, but those values (high TSH, low T4 and T3) are the textbook definition of hypothyroid. Have a VERY frank discussion with your doctor to confirm everything. Typically we do not need a second RAI, and this would be a little early to determine that, even if it were necessary.
Some people do take PTU while the RAI is taking effect, just to keep levels correct, but it shouldn’t be necessary much longer.
My doctor had a, well, let’s be polite, a misunderstanding of my levels once, and almost prescribed me MORE thyroid hormone when my TSH was reading low. I politely inquired about my understanding of the test results, at which point I heard "oh, you’re right, you’re right, you need to take less instead." We are definitely our best advocates in health care. Good spottin’, Tex.
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