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in reply to: Ibeuprohan? #1179726

Hi Ann, welcome.
For Ann-
I think it is fine to take a couple ibuprofen a couple times a day for your muscle pain. Of course, I suggest checking with your doc, or even with the pharmacist. Questions for them would be, just to ask it in “their-speak” are,

1. “Do ibuprofen, Aleve tylenol, increase heart rate?””
2. “Any contraindications for me to take an occasional ibuprofen while I am taking MMI (methimazole) and propanolol?””

I checked with the NIH website, the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic, and found no evidence or statement at all that relates NSAIDS to increased heart rate.

For barbra-
Gosh, barbara, in your case, I encourage YOU to ask more questions. Really, it is pretty weird for doctor to get upset about this. I don’t recall how long you have been on the Graves’ train, but one thing all of us learn, is to ask a lot of questions, and really understand the disease, and to question when our docs prescribe different drugs. If you are completely happy with your doc and all that is going on, that is fine, of course. It just did worry me that he said this information to you, and I think you should double check it with your doc, and definitely with a pharmacist. For I am pretty darn sure that anti-inflammatories do not increase heart rate, and are not known for that.

As you see above, anti-inflammatories are not related to heart rate. They work “by producing certain inflammatories that blocking certain body chemicals that cause inflammation.” It reads further to say that it helps muscle pain. (from the Cleveland Clinic website.)
If you’d like to read the entire thing, here is the website. There is not discussion about heart rate at all.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/drugs/non-steroidal_anti-inflammatory_drugs/hic_non-steroidal_anti-inflammatory_medicines_nsaids.aspx

And I suggest you be very familiar with the new drug that has been prescribed for your headaches. If it a new prescription drug, as the pharmacist to explain all about it. Also, evaluate if it helps you when you have a headache.

Sorry, I realize you did not even ask about this.
Shirley

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in reply to: Gabe’s Total Thyroidectomy Journal – 5/31/13 #1179607

Karen! Yay!
You will do well. You might be surprised about how tired you feel. It creeps up on ya! But goes away.
Soon you, too, will be working in the yard, and taking bags of stuff to the dump! Then you’ll know you are well!
Shirley

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in reply to: Question about TED #1179704

Hi.
I am not sure if you had your eyes measured when you or some doc first noticed that you eyes were protruding. There is a normal range of protrusion for eyes, and you and others can pretty much tell if they are really bulging, cause that is pretty noticeable. Without measurements. Also, because more cornea is exposed, eyes tend to be more dry,and tear more.

I think your best bet is to try to find an neuro-ophthalmologist for a baseline exam, and discuss your history, and get the best guess (and that is what it will be) if you have TED. THere is such a range of symptoms, from scratchy eyes, eyes that water all the time (and the tears with TED are not as effective as normal tears) if you are light sensitive. The symptoms I just mentioned, are mild TED symptoms.

When eyes protrude, it is ’cause it is getting crowded in the orbit, and they have no place to go but OUT! The reasons for this are that with TED, more orbital fat is produced. The six eye muscles get thicker which in this case, means the muscles are less able to expand and contract. This can cause double vision. Another thing that can happen with the crowding in the orbit, is beginning to lose part of the visual field, a “blind spot.” The symptoms I have described in this paragraph, represent more severe TED.

From my own experience, and reading on the forum, and from what my multiple eye doctors have told me, the protrusion remains,and eyes do not return to where they were before TED.

Since the progression of TED has two parts, the active or hot phase, when eyes are getting worse, and changing, to the cold phase, or inactive phase, where whatever symptoms we have, are not changing anymore, and the measurements are the same. The surgery for protruding eyes is OD, orbital decompression. With a diagnosis of TED, this procedure is usually covered by medical insurance, but that is of course an independent thing to check. And OD has some risks associated with it, one of them being double vision that may not have existed before.

So-in answer to your question, probably the best response you will get is from a neuro-ophthalogist who really knows TED, or some other eye doc, same situation.
My situation-my eyes did not return to normal. I had one OD, to save my vision from pressure on my optic nerve. My other eye bulges, but I am sick of surgeries, and don’t want to take the risk of another OD cause I can live with it they way it is.
Shirley

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in reply to: Cold. #1179506

I am cold ALL THE TIME! My TSH is always suppressed. Not just a LITTLE cold but bone cold. I’m always drinking hot water Would not dream of drinking anything cold. Sounds terrible. My symptoms are hyPO but my TSH is way below .01, usually in the .006 range. Makes not sense. Much prefer to be hot. Being cold is terrible. Want to crawl in bed with the electric mattress pad on high.
Shirley

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in reply to: “Be patient” you’ll get better #1179469

Ann/.
I have to go to bed right now. More tomorrow. You will get lots of responses. ANd have a ton of new friends on this site. My head is cotton candy now too caue I am so so tired.
Good to see GP tomorrow. There are some NASTY summer viruses going around, that is for sure. You may have one;
Shirley

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in reply to: ** Words of hope and needing good advice … please ** #1179515

Hi Caro!!
SO SO glad to hear from you. It is late her, and I am super tired, pretty much done for the day. But wanted to tell you what you already know! Several people have been on ATD for a long time, including Kimberly! I want to reply in more detail to the rest of your post, but it’s gotta be tomorrow!

Your thinking is logical, rational and makes perfect sense to me. It seems it should to him, as well. What’s the harm? Thinking has really changed regarding ATD’s and they are one of the three treatment plans.

Great that HE is comfortable with discontinuing the med. I understand where you are coming from. Yep, you need to be vigilant about labs and how you feel. That is not much different than having thyroid replacement, other than there are some risks, though very small, and mostly at the very beginning, of ATD’s, You know all that.

gotta go nighty night!
Shirley

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in reply to: decided to do TT – June 18 #1179478

OK! You will hear from others, but rest assured, that after you have the TT, recover a bit, Synthroid is started, you will begin to BELIEVE that life as you know it can happen again.

The concern about weight gain is pretty much a non-concern, in my opinion.
Heck, when people, and definitely women, approaching their 40’s and 50’s , and some in their 30’s, begin to feel sluggish and tired, if the doc thinks of doing a thyroid panel, the answer will be similar to, “well you thyroid is a little low now, and this is easily remedied by taking supplemental thyroid hormone>” It is just one more of these aging things, and/or it simply is happening.” Then women begin a thyroid hormone supplement and feel like themselves again.

After a TT, the endos and you should already have a plan (coordinated wtih the surgeon) on when to begin Sythroid (or whatever you decide to take, this is what I take.) It may/may not need to be tweaked, either up or down, depending on labs, and how you feel.

Unless excess weight has been a lifelong stand-alone problem outside of Graves’, I don’t think this a concern to have when having a TT. This is my experience. I had my thyroidectomy in the late 1950’s, so that is almost 60 years of not having any issues with weight gain.
HyPO is as bad as hyPER, and if someone is in either state, the goal is to get out of it asap!

Now, others may have different experiences. You might enjoy reading adenure’s posts after her TT.

Sue’s conclusion in her post reflects almost everything I have been trying to say in my blathering-on way! They can do the same with thyroid, the raising and lowering, just as they do with ATD’s.

Have a marvelous trip!! Lots of friends here waiting for you when you return.
Shirley

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in reply to: Post Surg “forgets” #1179496

1. Typical, more for males than females (said the pre/post op nurse that I am)
I have catheterized more embarrassed males between 20-50 than females!
When you are the person with the full bladder, generally, the person does not care at ALL who does the draining, as long as the draining is done! Terrible feeling. Sounds like that all came out on its’ own in your case.

2. Almost everyone who takes a pain med (called an opioid) gets super constipated. Par for the course. That is another system that we take for granted, until it goes on strike! Understand!

THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU PANTS, FOR PETE SAKES!
Shirley
So glad you are on the forum.

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in reply to: Do I need a Psychiatrist too? #1179428

Deb.
Well done! well said!
Shirley

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in reply to: Anti inflammatory diet #1178791

Hey! You are eating well. Your eyes are better. Don’t know why, but healthy diet, getting all essentials you need from food. Yay. Keep us posted.
Shirley

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in reply to: Do I need a Psychiatrist too? #1179426

Lock it, delete it. Not sure what is the best choice. Religion, antagonism does not belong on this forum.
One more day until Kimberly returns.
Shirley

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in reply to: Bulletin Board Coverage This Weekend – Please Read #1179452

You’ll have plenty to think about when you return!!!
Shirley

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in reply to: what was the cost of your OD surgery? #1179454

Tough question to answer, regarding cost. Insurance is so different. All my procedures were totally covered. Sounds like you have already checked with your insurance to know that 89% is covered. It is insurance dependent. YOu can TRY to get the ballpark cost from the office. Pretty much I imaging they will tell you they cannot tell you much until after the procedure.

The surgeons determine which walls are removed, based on the information they have from the orbital CT’s, plus some fairly sophisticated diagnostic tests pre operatively. Don’t recall what it was. Some people accumulate a lot of orbital fat, and it can be removed, and there is more room for the eye. Some people, like me, had very little orbital fat. There is no way to generalize from one person to the other regarding which walls are removed. It is our own anatomy, the degree of fibrosis of our eye muscles, and the decision of the surgeon. Incidentally, these are good questions for the surgeon,a nd you can take this with to consult with the surgeon. I am writing what I learned from My surgeons,a nd my experiences.

It will be easy for you to get a general time for the surgery. But again, that varies with the amount of work done. It is shorter, if orbital fat is the only problem. It is longer, depending on how many walls are modified.
Mine were about 1 1/2 hours and two hours.

Have had a visit with a surgeon yet? You should have an opportunity to get these answers from the surgeon. Not the endocrinologist.
Shirley

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in reply to: So what was your Graves story…. #1179282

I am so very sorry for your loss. That is a sad testimony. The only way to memorialize your wonderful wife, is to try to help others, which you are doing.
Really hard to realize that with the gland increasing in size, that the proper tests, plus a thyroidectomy, were not done. What a waste of a life.

Thyroid cancer is very rare, and when diagnosed early, appropriately treated, the outcome is very good. I am so sorry.

The rest of your family members should see endocrinologist who know the family history, and I sure would want CT scans of my thyroid.

You are doing a great service by helping others, and I know you will be a vigilant advocate for your cousin and your daughter.
Shirley

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in reply to: Do I need a Psychiatrist too? #1179422

Totally agree also.
Shirley

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