[stamark]

in reply to: Managing stress and diet #1062406

Thanks so much for the support and the helpful advice! I went back on Prilosec and it seems to be helping w/the stomach issues. I have been trying to eat "real" food, like lean protein, fruit and veggies more. It’s so weird how I react to food these days – my stomach feels off, my ribs hurt (gas pain?), and my chest gets heavy right after I eat just about anything. Haven’t been able to catch up w/the GI thus far, as we’ve been playing phone tag all week. Going to try again tomorrow. I just don’t want to be missing something b/c I’m thinking it’s due to the GD.

I really want to start Yoga, and I suppose I should make it a priority for myself at least once a week, but it’s so easy to talk myself out of it due to lack of energy, too much school work to catch up on, and missing my kids for that time. I suppose this is where I need to learn to prioritize. Tai chi sounds fun, too. I’ll have to check into it and see if our YMCA offers any classes. I’ve heard wonderful things about it.

Bobbi, thanks so much for relating to the perfectionism "bug". Is it just me, or does it seem like there are a lot of "type A" personalities afflicted with Grave’s Disease? I can really relate to your story about the holidays, as I’ve had to majorly scale back on what I normally do around our house and with our kids. All I could think about was all the stuff I’m not getting done for them and awful they must feel about it b/c I feel TONS of guilt for my lack of involvement. Actually, what I’ve discovered is that when I was well, I was spending lots of time spinning my wheels and doing "things" all the time, but not necessarily spending time with my family even when I was home. Granted, there has been a LOT more T.V. watching going on around here the last few months, but I’ve also spent tons of time at home with the kids, not running off to do the next thing, or feeling like we had to rush the kids from here to there to entertain them. I’ve had the notion off and on that this is actually a blessing in the way it’s showing me, very clearly, what the kids need from me. I’m discovering it’s "me" that they need. Now I just have to keep that in mind, and your story in mind as well, when I start to feel better or have a good day and want to hit the road running at 100 mph again.

It’s especially hard to keep things in perspective on this kind of weekend when we have family commitments and I have 60 essays to grade along with 115 short essay tests to grade. That’s where I really need to figure out how to manage stress ” title=”Confused” />

Thanks again for your help!!

[stamark]

in reply to: Woke up gasping for air today…very scared! #1062419

How are you doing? I’m new to this whole thing as well, so I don’t have any good advice, just wanted you to know I’m hoping for the best for you. Were you able to get into the doctor and figure anything out? What a scary experience! I hope you are able to get some answers and some insurance help very soon.

[stamark]

in reply to: Newbie – Side effects of methimazole? #1062578

Wow. This site is helping my mental health so much! Thanks for all of your helpful responses. Bobbi, did you find any ways to lessen your stress as a teacher? I’m trying to stop checking my email from home so much, and I’m trying to put more of the responsibility back on the kids, but I still have to deal with the fact that in order to just do my job I really need to put in about 60 hours a week I can’t quit, so I have to figure out some ways to deal with it.

Thank you also for the idea about keeping a food journal (I can’t remember who suggested it). Because of all of my stomach issues since Thanksgiving, I have been keeping a journal off and on. Unfortunately I find that as soon as I start to feel at all better, I forget to write things down. Are the things you mentioned, dairy, eggs, gluten, usually problems for people with GD?

Marta, wow, I think we are almost two peas in a pod with our experiences! It gives me so much hope and relief to know that you have been successful with getting through the nausea and set backs. I started taking my Prilosec again and am now back to just a bit of nausea first thing in the morning, but it was a horrible weekend I had that nausea where it feels like if I turn too fast, I’m going to throw up. Spent most of my time in bed and sitting on the couch. Hopefully the Prilosec continues to help, but I don’t really know how safe it is to keep taking that long-term.

Again, thank you so much for being there and for responding!

[stamark]

in reply to: Newbie – Side effects of methimazole? #1062573

Marta, I just came across your post from last July and started getting teary-eyed because it sounds so much like what I’m going through. Then, ironically, I saw that you had posted on my thread. I can’t tell you how much it helps to know that other people have this problem with nausea because I feel like there are so many other things out there that can cause nausea, I’m always second-guessing myself. It doesn’t help that in the past 3 months I’ve had H. Pylori, a bacterial infection in the stomach, and gallstones with surgery to remove the gallbladder, with the icing on the cake being the diagnosis of GD. I am definitely having major anxiety about not feeling well! Plus, all the doctors I’ve seen, as kind as some have been, all seem mystified with the fact that I feel the worst in the morning.

I’ve been on the Atenolol for 2 weeks now and the tremors in my hands are better, as is the racing heart. I’ve been on 5mg of the Methimazole for 7 days straight now, and even had a few days early in the week where I was feeling pretty good (after waking up nauseous and having tightness in my chest, that is.) Then Thursday night, I ate some fish sticks with my kids and later ate a chocolate bar. Now I have been nauseous for two days straight, and have a pounding headache to top it off.

I’ve been back to work for 2 weeks, and unfortunately the stress is sinking back in. So I find myself always trying to put the "puzzle" together about what’s making me sick now. Is it the food I ate? Is it the stress? Is it because I started weaning myself off Prilosec and now the acid in my stomach is causing problems again? Could it be that the H. Pylori didn’t get eradicated? I go back the week of April 11 for the follow-up with that, so I’ll find out then if the antibiotics got rid of it.

Sorry for the rambling. I’m really hoping the symptoms are from the GD because at least it’s something that I’m trying to fix. Did you have this type of situation where the nausea, while always there, gets better and worse? My poor family is on this roller-coaster ride right along with me, never knowing from day to day how I’m going to be feeling and acting. I’m so tired of crying in front of my poor kids:(

Thanks for letting me know there is hope out there.

[stamark]

in reply to: Newbie – Side effects of methimazole? #1062570

Thanks for your response! I’ve had such a rough few months, I can’t tell if I’m coming or going most of the time. I started the meds again today at 1/2 dose and so far it hasn’t been too terrible. My stomach just feels kind of off and I got extremely drowsy for a couple hours after taking it. I have to go back to work to work tomorrow, I’ve been off for 5 weeks with no pay, and I’m extremely nervous about getting through the next few days. I teach high school, so there’s no way to sit behind a desk and hide how I’m feeling…

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