[Ski]

in reply to: Weight Gain after RAI?? #1072314

The first 2-3 weeks after RAI were truly uneventful for me ~ remember that, if you are hyperthyroid when you have RAI, it can take up to six weeks just to flush out the excess thyroid hormone from your bloodstream, so the first six weeks may give you a little relief, but the real difference in how you feel is more likely to come after that period of time.

The weight gain can come from several sources. First, as your thyroid hormone levels drop, your body can begin to rebuild the muscle mass that was lost while you were hyperthyroid. That is GOOD weight gain, you need muscle mass in order to be functional. Second, as your thyroid hormone levels drop down into hypothyroid levels, you can experience some weight gain due to the lowering of your metabolism. This resolves as your doctor begins to prescribe thyroid hormone replacement, and brings your levels back up into the normal range. Third, being hyperthyroid tends to "train" us to eat more, because we were hungry all the time and could eat without gaining, so we need to actively UN-train ourselves and start controlling portion size.

You can see that quantifying weight gain simply as a number of pounds really isn’t helpful, given all the ways that can happen.

The most important thing for us all to know is that Graves’ Disease is NEVER one-size-fits-all (no pun intended!), and we each react differently to every step of the process. Managing our own health is really the overall lesson. Eat smart and exercise as you are allowed to, and any weight gain you experience will be manageable once your levels are normal, and stable.

[Ski]

in reply to: Newly Diagnosed #1072354

While it’s true that you’ll have to consider this as a part of your life from now on, you won’t feel ill for the rest of your life ~ there will come a day when your chosen treatment has returned you to health, and I swear to you that you will find yourself living many days in a row (perhaps longer!) without even thinking of Graves’. Promise. ” title=”Wink” />

And in the meantime, you’ve been given perfect suggestions ~ focus your attention on the good things in your life, because there are MANY. In the end, this is a tiny little bump in your life’s road. The love of your family and friends far exceeds anything Graves’ is capable of doing to you ~ as a matter of fact, many of us here are so incredibly grateful for meeting each other that we wouldn’t go back in time and "un-get" Graves’, even if we could. It has brought me incredible joy, and at this point, that’s really the biggest part of what I’ve taken away from it.

I don’t want to minimize the struggle, because I know it’s hard at first. We’ll be here for you every step of the way. Lean on us and we’ll get you through the hardest parts.

[Ski]

in reply to: What are ‘Normal’ levels? #1072400

FYI, each lab uses different processes, and so each lab will have a different range of normal (not to mention the difference between measurements and units of measure in various nations). Each lab report will indicate the range of normal that relates to the results you’ve been given, so THOSE are the numbers to pay attention to.

For the most part, it is important to pay attention to all the levels and how they relate to each other, keeping in mind the fact that TSH levels will lag behind T4 by a few weeks.

[Ski]

in reply to: phew…thought the website had been shut down! #1072413

I hear we switched servers, which was the reason for the site being down ~ I really missed it too! ” title=”Very Happy” />

I’m so glad to hear your levels are dropping, and that you are feeling more hopeful (as well as being a legend in your doctor’s office ~ he’ll not soon forget you!!). ” title=”Wink” />

[Ski]

in reply to: Synthroid -questions…. #1072447

Some people do swear by Armour, and in recent years they have had better success at normalizing the dose, but the issue is that supplementing T3 can be challenging. Most of us have no issues converting T4 to T3, so the result is the same. T3 is very volatile, and so even one pill a day is too infrequent to keep that level stable. Some people do have trouble converting T4 to T3, and for those people, Armour can be a blessing. There is also Cytomel, a solely T3 supplement, which some people take along with T4. Again, it’s a volatile substance. People here have tried it and experienced months of feeling better, only to end up with another rush of symptoms (palpitations, anxiety, etc.) that are relieved by discontinuing use of the T3. The doctors at our most recent conference suggested beginning with T4 replacement, and if, in the end, after a search for YOUR normal point (very important), you find it difficult to get to your perfect POINT, you may want to look at T3 supplementation. Beginning with it may confuse the issue of finding your best level.

[Ski]

in reply to: Graves disease in Males #1073311

To the extent that those scenes caused an adrenaline rush, yes, they could cause a rush of hyperthyroid symptoms. Adrenaline boosts the immune system, which could boost antibody action for you.

[Ski]

in reply to: Do I need to go on a low iodine diet for my GD? #1072463

For the most part, dietary iodine is of such small consequence in our diet that it’s not something you need to limit while hyperthyroid, but as Cathy says, some doctors require it prior to a scan or RAI. Some do not. The only exception I know of is seaweed, because there is SO much iodine that it can affect a hyperthyroid patient, so it is not a good idea while hyperthyroid. Once levels are normalized (and stable) you would want to proceed cautiously with seaweed. If your thyroid is removed (through RAI or surgery), or if you go hypothyroid naturally over time (in other words, your thyroid no longer functions), there ought to be no reason to limit iodine intake.

[Ski]

in reply to: Eye exam was nonthreatening #1072538

Oh yes, steroids should begin to work rapidly. Glad to hear you’re getting some relief!

[Ski]

in reply to: Surgery on April 9th #1072467

I’ll fulfill that request! ” title=”Very Happy” /> I wish for you good luck with your surgery, and strength until you get some peace!

[Ski]

in reply to: Bilateral Orbital Decompression #1072523

Actually, Thyroid Eye Disease is a separate autoimmune disease, with its own antibodies. The antibodies in TED attack the tissue behind the eyes, causing it to swell. Well, depending on your age, the antibodies either attack the fatty tissue behind the eyes or the muscles behind the eyes. Younger patients have more involvement in the fatty tissue, older patients have more involvement in the muscle tissue, and people in between get a little of both. (I’m not sure where we draw the line between "younger" and "older" exactly, but you can probably guess a ballpark). Since the eyes are enclosed in a cone-shaped bone cavity, once there is swelling behind the eyes, usually the only thing for the eyes to do is to bulge out. In rare cases, the tissues around the eyes swell instead.

Upon autopsy, ALL Graves’ patients prove to have some level of TED involvement, though you can’t always see it. Only a very small percentage get the very worst effects of the eye disease.

From beginning of symptoms until confirmed "cold phase," most are looking at a disease curve that lasts between 1 and 3 years.

Does that help?

[Ski]

in reply to: Eye problems #1072476

Absolutely right ~ these two diseases are separate, but related, and TED has its own course. Usually it begins within a year (before or after) the thyroid disease, but not in every case. We’ve had people here with 15 years of successful treatment behind them, and wham, eye disease. See an ophthalmologist, and make sure they’ve had experience with TED patients.

[Ski]

in reply to: Trying to gain weight but no luck #1072482

Good conversation, you two! By the way, don’t weight lift while you’re actively hyper.

I have known people who have trouble gaining, and the lack of sympathy is incredible. I’m glad we have two of you, so you can share ideas. I wish I had a good answer ~ Ensure was the only think I heard that actually worked, but it sounds so unpleasant.

[Ski]

in reply to: Beer and PTU #1072496

As far as I know, alcohol consumption is not contra-indicated while taking ATDs, but as always, best to check with your doctor. Considering the prevalence of alcohol in the U.S. society, you would think it’d be clearly stated if it were forbidden. I took methimazole for a short period of time and was not told to avoid alcohol.

[Ski]

in reply to: Graves disease in Males #1073309

There are several points to answer here ~ first, thank you for the info regarding males and fertility, because that’s come up several times and I don’t remember ever seeing a satisfactory answer. This seems to indicate no danger of future infertility in men, and, being very much overcautious, recommendations are that you wait a little while before attempting to father a child following RAI.

For women, we have more details. RAI is taken up into your thyroid, but a small percentage (the difference between your uptake percentage and 100%) is eliminated through the body’s liquid waste channels ~ mostly urine, a little bit in sweat and saliva. As the excreted RAI is processed through the bladder, it passes by the ovaries. The only eggs that can potentially be affected are those that are reaching maturity. We are encouraged to drink lots of water and urinate often, which minimizes even that limited exposure. In addition, the excess RAI is completely excreted after 48 hours. The recommendation is to wait for at least six cycles to pass. That is, again, an abundance of caution. There are usually only one or two eggs reaching maturity at any time. Waiting six months makes us absolutely certain that there has been no exposure to the egg ~ and also gives some time to regulate thyroid hormone levels. A pregnancy could be disastrous while we are trying to stabilize thyroid hormone levels, because the hormones involved in pregnancy could distort things, AND we could be potentially damaging the fetus with abnormal thyroid hormone levels. All that being said, women HAVE become pregnant earlier than six months after RAI, and delivered beautiful, healthy children.

[Ski]

in reply to: Eye exam was nonthreatening #1072535

The injections I’ve heard of are actually injections into the fluid behind the eye (they go in between the eye and the bone), and you’re right, again, not meant for any except those who are having the most problems. It’s a little less frightening than imagining an injection into the eye….

[Author]

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