Uh oh. Why can't I see the rest of my post?

went yesterday and was given these results...

TSH

TSH
less than.01 "undetectable" RANGE .4-5.0

Free T4
1.8 RANGE .8-1.4

T3 Uptake
38 RANGE 22.5-37.0

Those were the ONLY things tested.

I was given a beta blocker because my bp was 188/103 and my resting heart rate was over 130bpm. The beta blocker is making me feel better and I don't shake so much.

I was prescribed Tapazol and am supposed to take 10mg in the am and in the pm. I haven't picked it up yet and quite frankly I'm scared to take it. It just seemed that the endo was so hell-bent on giving me pills and shuffling me out the door. I have no health insurance right now and this endo was the only one available at the free clinic. I feel grateful to have been able to see ANYONE.

Maybe I'm just looking for someone to tell me what I want to hear? That I shouldn't take this medicine and that I need more testing before I can be labeled with Graves Disease? Also, I have had a lifelong eating disorder- both bulimia and anorexia. I told the Dr that yesterday and asked her if that could have contributed and if being in recovery might make a difference? She told me no. When I got home and looked on the internet, I found out that chronic bulimia can lead to a low TSH level. (don't know why, though)

I am ok with taking the beta blocker but I'd like to try dietary changes before I commit to taking medicine (one that seems to make a whole lot of people sick). Would 4-6 weeks of doing that put me in jeopardy?

Hi there and welcome:

To find out if one has Graves' Disease is to get antibodies tests. One is called the TSI and another TRAb or TBII.

Have your doctor run the correct T3 test called Free T3, Triiodothyronine, Free. This one is tested with the beta blocker that one is on among other things.

If I were you (and not trying to alarm you) please take the Tapazole twice a day as the Endo directed you to take. Have your labs retested in four weeks to see if you are coming down nicely and will be able to halve the Tap in 10 mg - 5 mg in the AM and 5 mg in the PM by then.

Alternative therapies takes longer to work and I used to be on it. I didn't want to take the MMI (Methimazole) the generic version of Tapazole and wanted to do everything holistically. Instead I had to go to the hospital with a suspected thyroid storm. The alternatives were not strong enough for me plus other issues such as very high Copper levels drove me over the edge.

Please do not risk a thyroid storm. Being hypER is not something to mess around with.

{{{hugs}}} :-)

P.S. Anorexia and Bulimia can have an affect on thyroid levels. You are not the only one with this problem as handful of others have come here with similar problems as yours.

{{{hugs again}}} :-)

Hi there and welcome ShariB!

Yep - sounds like you definitely have Grave's (but see mmztcass's suggestions for additional tests to confirm). Despite the really ugly awful name, Grave's is really quite treatable on a variety of budgets and you will feel 1000% better once you start treatment. There are three main treatments available: medicine (like what you are on), radioactive iodine (to destroy some/all of the thyroid), and surgery (usually for people who can't do the other two because of pregnancy, cancer, etc.).

Grave's is really common in women, especially btw 25 and 40, so it's very possible it has nothing to do with your past eating issues, although stress and life changes can affect how serious it is.

As for treatment, your doctor made a good decision. Usually most doctors prescribe medicine for at least a year after you first get diagnosed. After that, you can decide if you want to go with one of the more "serious" treatments . I got diagnosed about a year ago, have been taking methimazole (generic of Tapezole), and feel MUCH better. My heart rate is normal, I can exercise again, and my tremor has stopped (except when I'm really tired). Best of all, I can SLEEP again! This has changed my life completely. I'm a new person and I love my methimazole.

For treating with medicine, you usually start out with a high dose and gradually reduce it until you find your "maintenance level". The beta-blockers you are taking will make you feel better until the Tapezole has time to work (6-8 weeks usually). However, beta-blockers won't actually make you get better. Only the Tapezole will do that.

While you are taking your medicine (which you should do!!!), you can read up on the pros and cons of the other treatment options. Some people choose to stay on medication forever, and others opt for a more "permanent" fix with radioactive iodine or surgery. There are pros and cons either way, but you've got plenty of time to do a little homework and be prepared before you have to decide.

I think you are mistaken about the medicine making people sick. Most people do very well on it, with very few side effects. Sometimes people have trouble getting the dose right, but the medicine itself is usually not a problem.

BUT, there is a VERY, VERY small, but serious, risk of some complications, especially at the high starting doses. As the dose decreases, your risk of these side effects also goes down. One of the symptoms that these serious problems are starting is a sore throat. Especially at the beginning, you should IMMEDIATELY go the clinic for a white blood cell count and liver test if you get a sore throat.

Welcome!

I was trying to lose weight for my wedding, i skip 1 or 2 meals per day and avoid carbohydrate, I only eat meat (lots of fish) and vege. I think this trigger hyperthyrodism. After 2 year, i was diagnosed with grave disease. I think my thyroid become haywire with irregular eating pattern and eating too much protein that contain high amount of iodine. Lack of sleep and stressful work/study add on to this.

Yes, you'll feel better on the meds, most of the symptoms will gradually go away. Just make sure you get labs done every 4-6 weeks at first so you are not OVER medicated, a common thing a lot of endos do. A beta blocker won't bring down the high hormone levels, just the fast pulse etc.. only the Methimazole will do that. Thyroid storm can be dangerous, more than taking the meds. There's a lot of info on Graves on this site, most have been compiled by the people who are on here that researched it and then posted their findings. Elaine Moore is the real expert on the subject. You can ask her a question on the website she hosts and only she answers. A lot of info there too. She has written books on auto immune diseases and had Graves herself. She had the RAI treatment which she advises against.
http://elaine-moore.com/QA/tabid/57/forumid/6/scope/threads/Default.aspx
You have to join to ask a question, good luck and take the meds!