[snelsen]

in reply to: WHERE IS THE SEARCH BOX? #1178631

duh!!!!
Of course it is!!
I looked “where it used to be, which was on the left had side, near where it says reply!
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Low Dose Naltrexone #1178598

Hi WWW12,
From reading the forum, there have been quite a few posters who have mentioned hair loss associated with Graves’. I don’t recall right now if it is more prevalent with hyPO, that may be the case.

***I planned to tell you to use the Search box, to read some of them. BUT I CAN’T FIND THE SEARCH BOX! I’ll write to Kimberly about his.

I also would have reservations about spironolactone. It is a drug with some fairly serious implications. I regard it as a very big gun, and I would want to be carefully watched, with lots of labs, if it were prescribed for me for one of the conditions listed in the reference below. From what I have read, people who are on this drug, should be very carefully monitored with labs.

http://www.drugs.com/pro/spironolactone.html

Hair loss is also age related and genetic. But all of this does not make it less of a problem for you. I questions what your endo said, because of the numerous posts on the forum. Kimberly can probably provide some better information about this.
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: One minute I am sweating the next minute I am freezing! #1178627

Hi Lilly, seems you are just beginning your Graves’ treatment. Things will settle down, and of course, vanillasky’s comments are super relevant.

There are lots of posts here about how people made graves’ decisions. I depends on our own situation, and how we look at things, the worries we have,and our personalities, and occasionally an issue with the thyroid gland can dictate the right decision for that situation.

ME? I wanted the sucker out YESTERDAY! that is what i did it was sure right for me. others? different choices.
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Feeling depressed #1178611

To vanillasky, and Amy, too.

For vanillasky,
Decide there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Cause there is!!!
I think I posted this, but I have had the transvaginal ultrasound twice, once for unsuspected vaginal bleeding, the other to follow a polyp to see if had gotten bigger in a year. The worst thing about it is having a full bladder.
Hard for you to regard it as a ho hum thing, cause you have a lot on your plate right now. Graves’ impacts us mightily. The way I am put together, I just want to get tests DONE, know the results, take action if it is really needed, and move on!! I did have a polypectomy, it was a piece of cake, and if the darn thing is bleeding, that is what you need. My experience is that when our whole world, and all aspects of it are out of control, that is when it is all too much,
the phrase “nervous breakdown” pretty much means that there are so many sources of stress at the same time, that a person stops doing the functions of daily living that need to be done. Here’s one definition:
nerv·ous break·down
psychiatric disorder: a psychiatric disorder, usually caused by intense stress or anxiety, in which somebody becomes incapable of coping with daily life and exhibits low self-esteem or depression

I don’t know if it will help you, but lists help me a lot. Inaction contributes to my feeling weak, out of control and super stressed.
Priority helps, too.
1. Ultrasound, get it done, out of your life, learn the results. If it is fine, you had and episode of weird vaginal bleeding, and you know you are ok. If there is a reason, take more action, get the whole darn thing off your plate and out of your life!
2. Hot flashes-they END, they really do.
3. Graves’ -harder than #1 cause it takes longer, but it is also manageable, and you will be better than you are now. I’ve had it for 50 years.
4. Husband-I have to assume that this has been going on quite a while. so get #1, #2, taken care of, so you can think realistically and rationally about
that whole situation. You need the insurance, you are in no position right now to try to define and work on or end a marriage that has probably been the same for quite a while.
5. Kids-I don’t recall, are they at home now? How old, how many? Anyway, they are there, and we have to do the best we can not to alter their lives too much, depending on age and circumstance.

Really, it is hard to believe, but a year from now, even much less, 1,2,3 will probably non issues in your life! (:
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Low Dose Naltrexone #1178596

Carrie, my kids decided to have all their kids have gardisil. They are all between 10-20. Kids agreed.
CDC has some good information.
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Low Dose Naltrexone #1178594

To momof5, WWW12,
I tend to get “over-worried” about others misunderstanding, or not reading carefully, some topics. Both of you have been very thoughtful about this topic.

To digress a bit, and just wander thoughtfully,…..

I just have a high index of suspicion about unproven hypotheses. Or even proven ones. In the recent past, I had Herceptin for a very advanced ER+ PR+breast cancer. It probably did save my life, but when I had it, there were not studies, and not much of a protocol of when to stop it. I had this drug for around 10 years. Now it is known that is much too long, and I am one of the small per cent of women who ended up with a compromised heart because of one of my chemos, or Herceptin. We really don’t know which one. I am a big fan of longitudinal studies. But sometimes, a drug is developed with a lot of evidence in all the trials, that it is safe to use. But like all things in life, sometimes you don’t know the real outcome for years and years. And sometimes you never know it!! (:

I do hope it has some advantages and help for Crohn’s and/or MS.
And Graves’, if it is appropriate, and there are safe evidenced based studies.

On another, but kind of related topic, I was chatting with a nurse I worked with in the 1950’s, at a large academic, well-respected hospital. We were giving several drugs which were catastrophic for people, especially thalidomide, which was distributed to most pregnant women for nausea in the first 2-3 months of pregnancy. There were many babies born with dysmelia (missing or deformed limbs) and they finally figured out this drug did cross the placental barrier.
There were a couple more drugs we gave, and one caused blindness, the other leukemia. I have forgotten now what they are. Scary to think about, but at the time, it was believed they were safe and helpful.
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Low Dose Naltrexone #1178589

Well, I can’t see a heck of a lot of reason to take it, unless a person is dependent on opoids, which are narcotics, or has alcohol dependence, i.e., an alcoholic.
Here is a valid site for it. From the FDA, listed under drugs.com
It has some liver implications, as well as some definite contraindications.

http://www.drugs.com/pro/naltrexone.html
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Acetyl L Carnitine for GD Symptom support. #1178051

I would think many, many times before taking this supplement. I read Kimberly’s reference in the past few days, as well as others. Cardiology, and The Heart, to name a couple.
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Thyroid Supplement: Bioidentical hormones #1178534

I have the same question as WWW12.
Thyroid hormone is thyroid hormone That is what we need.
You have gotten some good information in this forum and your thread. Is it helpful to you?
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Think I might “forget” to take my Synthroid… #1178575

Hi linzyy,
The comments Alexis made on this topic are all too true (because we want instant gratification RIGHT NOW!) It is best to wait two months to evaluate a dose, or a dose change. Otherwise, you will not know where you really are with your thyroid hormone and how you feel. The point about half life is true, and very important.
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Thyroid Supplement: Bioidentical hormones #1178530

It is my understanding that Synthoid, which is levothyroixine, T4, is a long time gold standard replacement. Many studies, much reliability. There is now a generic, which many people are happy with. It costs much less.
And.as you probably know, Armour has T4 and a little T3. Lots of disagreement and some controversy about it. Apparently there are very few people who profit from it. Aside from these choices, I don’t think there are any other reliable options. But, a pharmacist, and her endo are probably the best people for you to bounce this question off of, for it is a very important one.

Are you working with an endo who is compassionate and knowledgeable of Graves’? If you daughter has had a total thyroidectomy, the next step, as you well know, is to get the right amount of replacement. I know Kimberly will be reading your post. She has some nice thoughts for you to get in contact with other parents of kids with Graves;/ I met two teen age girls at the San Diego conference last October.. I think they REALLY enjoyed getting to meet each other!
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Never Rains, but it pours! #1178512

to smtucker! Yes, I know what you mean! THe word “unremarkable” is greatly used and overused in the medical community.

to Karen-I’m glad you will see someone on Friday. I am guessing they will want to do a vaginal ultrasound. Sometimes they see small polyps that are “unremarkable” but occassionally, there will be one that is larger, and is leaking. They are just little “blurby things” that happen in different parts of our body sometimes. Also in the colon.

Of course, “blurby things” is another highly technical medical term NOT! I just made it us as I was typing.

Kimberly gave you a reference about polyps, and that is probably the first thing they will think of.
Like smtucker, I had sudden bleeding when I was in my late 50’s early 60’s. Had a vaginal polypectomy to remove the one that had grown, then burst, which causes the bleeding. Never happened again. Not sure if that is the procedure you had a couple years ago, do you know what you had? I think you will feel very reassured after you see the doc.

I do hope all is insignificant, unremarkable, and easily remedied if needed.
Do write after your appointment, and before your appointment too!

I hope you managed to get a good sleep last night!
Do write, this board is comforting and reassuring…cause we are all very special friends.
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Never Rains, but it pours! #1178511

to smtucker! Yes, I know what you mean! THe word “unremarkable” is greatly used and overused in the medical community.

to Karen-I’m glad you will see someone on Friday. I am guessing they will want to do a vaginal ultrasound. Sometimes they see small polyps that are “unremarkable” but occassionally, there will be one that is larger, and is leaking. They are just little “blurby things” that happen in different parts of our body sometimes. Also in the colon.

Of course, “blurby things” is another highly technical medical term NOT! I just made it us as I was typing.

Kimberly gave you a reference about polyps, and that is probably the first thing they will think of.
Like smtucker, I had sudden bleeding when I was in my late 50’s early 60’s. Had a vaginal polypectomy to remove the one that had grown, then burst, which causes the bleeding. Never happened again. Not sure if that is the procedure you had a couple years ago, do you know what you had? I think you will feel very reassured after you see the doc.

I do hope all is insignificant, unremarkable, and easily remedied if needed.
Do write after your appointment, and before your appointment too!

I hope you managed to get a good sleep last night!
Do write, this board is comforting and reassuring…cause we are all very special friends.
Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Menapausal insomniac… #1178393

I mean:
fantasies.

Shirley

[snelsen]

in reply to: Menapausal insomniac… #1178392

Hi Laura.
It was mentioned in another post in this thread, but it is quite true that Xanax is a drug that is known for very rapid dependence, and being very tough to stop taking. Anyone who knows they have a tendency to addiction, or a family history of it, should discuss this with a doc who is well informed about it.
I think of it as more of an anti-anxiety drug, than a sleeper. Benadryl is a pretty benign drug from any view, but the dry mouth and eyes happen with it.

Karen, I can really relate to your doc saying how important it is to get sleep.
Sleep is a big issue for me. One of my happy fantasizes is to put my head on the pillow at night, go to sleep rapidly, and not wake up until morning.
I think part of the reason is that I am so blooming tired at night, I tend to go to bed too early.
Shirley

[Author]

Posts