What is Graves Disease
Graves-Basedow disease is a medical disorder that may manifest several different conditions including hyperthyroidism (over activity of thyroid hormone production), infiltrative ex...
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my current situation ... opinions please
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Hello everybody. I'd like to give you an update on what is going on with me and see how far off I am. I'm sure I will get blasted by some for taking things into my own hands, but that's ok.
Oct. 2nd was the last time I saw my Endo. I am scheduled to go back this Friday, and I have requested to be switched from the Physician's Assistant to the actual Physician. I also have checked with my insurance company regarding coverage on Free T3 & Free T4 testing and all is well there so I plan to take printed documentation to the doctor, requesting more thorough testing. Anyway, this is what has been going on. On Oct. 2nd my lab results were: TSH 2.930 (0.450 - 4.500) Thyroxine (T4) 6.4 (4.5 - 12.0) T3 Uptake 26 (24 - 39) Free Thyyroxine Index 1.7 (1.2 - 4.9) Methimazole has been reduced from 15mg/day to 5 mg/day. I did not take ANY of my medication again until a week later - October 10th. I started back on 2.5mg of Methimazole per day adn no other medication. I assume it took about a week for the meds to get out of my system because it was the week after the 10th that I started really feeling the hyper symptoms. About a week or two later I started having bad muscle cramps and tightening in the back of my legs. I assumed it was the hyperactivity so I increased my Methimazole to 5mg on an every-other day basis. The muscle symptoms are practically gone. That was going well but then I started having terrible headaches. I thought it was menstral but they weren't gonig away so I started monitoring my blood pressure more closely and realized that could be the cause. My distolic readings were going up and up so I started back on the beta blocker and saw almost instant relief, within 24 hours anyway. While off of the beta blockers, my last BP and pulse reading was 138/98 with a pulse of 77. After being on the beta blocker for two days, I am now at 116/70 with a pulse of 54. That is with a dose of 25mg Atenolol. I think I will try backing down to half that and see how I do. I was nearly non-functioning but am feeling MUCH better now. Please do not fuss too loudly. I have tried to stay on top of my symptoms and levels, especially BP. What is your experienced opinion on my current progress? I know that I am on the hyper side with my levels. I can feel it but being on the hypo side left me with the feeling of not having a life. I will post my new levels after I get them next week, as well as how it went with the "doctor". Thanks for your input. Posted on 11/09/09, 10:11 am |
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Hey
I completely understand what motivated you to do what you did. I know my head was spinning in the beginning, trying to make sense of all that I learned while my docs seemed to do everything they could to dispute it. The advice we give on here is based upon our experiences....we all have made errors in our care because, out of desperation, we made decisions that wound up not being in our best interests. Also, when we don't feel well, we can be inclined to use what seems like a logical progression of thought but winds up not being based upon time-tested methods. Sorry to say, our docs don't have good time-tested methods - otherwise you wouldn't have been put on the roller-coaster ride you endured. This is all part of the past now.....we learn from our experiences.....I sure learned some of my "Graves' lessons" the hard way. Hopefully, you can now move forward with a clearer sense of direction. We will be here for you every step of the way! All the best, Carol 
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I am new to all of this, but I do have a suggestion, and maybe you are already doing this. Keep a food diary. It could be other things in your diet affect your symptoms. I have started to do this because I am trying to figure out what supplements and foods are good for me, and which ones I should avoid. I write down everything I eat, and how I feel afterwards. I also write down when I have a BM, when I exercise, and the supplements I take. I hope that, over time, this will help me know my body, know my triggers, and know (eventually) what dosage will work for me without wondering if it is another factor. I also think this is important, because even after remission, I don't think I can be too cautious. I have to take care of my body, and know its needs, and triggers in order to maintain my health. All the best to you in your Graves journey!
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