I feel like I’m not strong for this and I don’t know what to do I don’t have much support.

Hi:

I am sorry, truly. You will have to find ways yourself as only you can do this, no one can do this for you.

I suggest you do a lot of researching and reading up on Graves' Disease on dietary and environmental triggers, as well vitamins and supplements, etc.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS810US810&q=graves+disease+natural+treatment+options&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8kbKV07nhAhWOpZ4KHcmEDR0Q1QIoAHoECAoQAQ&biw=1600&bih=757

Elaine Moore also has articles at: elaine-moore.com to help you figure out what to do.

{{{hugs}}}

P.S. By reading and researching under my name and Still's name here and elsewhere you can get ideas/suggestions/tips to try.

Get labs every four to six weeks and work with the dose adjustments of your meds so your Free T3 stays in the mid range and the Free T4 in the upper third ranges.

Don't go hypO on the meds as the doctors like to do this to us and send many people to the boards trying to figure out why their doctors didn't help them properly.

There are three main treatments for the Graves' Disease. RAI, meds, and surgery.

Since it is an autoimmune disorder I have elected to stay on the meds and work with my dietary and environmental triggers. I have had GD for over 18 years now.

Hi courtmarie96,

Take a breath and take this one step at a time.
Just do the best that you can do, for now.
I totally understand this can be overwhelming.
Don’t over think this. One thing at a time.

You have support here.
But we cannot do this for you.
YOU need to make decisions on what you want to do.
Find the strength to do what is necessary to feel better. Take Care.

Thank you

Hi courtmarie96,

For me, it was best to get my ducks in a row. I did the research. I asked the questions. I questioned the instructions from the doctors. I NEEDED to know I was heading in the right direction - to heal myself without having to knock out or surgically remove my thyroid.
Never take anything at face value - it’s important to know why you are doing something to help your GD condition.
I get this is quite overwhelming when you first get confirmed. BUT, there are time restraints here. Depending on how severe the symptoms are should determine what you need to do next.
If you haven’t heard it already, there is something called Thyroid Storm. If you choose not to do anything or your body is not getting better from just the medication, then it is time to make a plan.
I am sending you a message right here. I am telling you to do whatever you can to make your body heal.
To make your thyroid heal.
Your body is controlled by your thyroid. Body temperature, metabolism, digestive system, etc.
You came here for a reason - to gain support.
Ask us anything you want or share with us what is happening. Don’t be afraid of us - we don’t bite.
It took me a little over a year, and my doctor said I am in Graves Disease remission. Some of us are not so fortunate. Nobody should have to go through what I went through - in the beginning of my journey. But, I had no choice - I had Graves Disease. Take whatever measures that are necessary for you to feel better. It sounds hard - and it might be sometimes - but then again, this is your life, your body. Just take care of it.
Take Care.

I’m 29 and have had Graves since your age. I also had it going through college. It can be tough. One thing I can say is levels can be erratic and change, too much suppressing can give you hypo tired feelings and too little can leave you still anxious and feeling unwell and glittery. It will take time to get the right dosing for both methimozole and beta blocker. Too much beta can make you tired too, just keep an eye on heart rate and bp. It’s tough and I still have erratic levels all the time. Honestly would just love to have it removed at this point, right now I’m subclincal hyper which is weird to me. But such is life, good luck with everything, I hope it’s an easy fix for you. Just pay attention to your body and how you feel when taking meds, it will take awhile to get the perfect dosing but when you do you will feel much better.

Hi scole89,
From reading some of your other posts, you are some tough person. Really! I would like to share something with you. Having been through the medical spin wheel too many times to remember - Auto-immune symptoms can masquerade as other diseases. I was tested for MS for so many years with so many invasive tests (MRIs, Spinal taps, etc.) it made me into a nervous reck. I had the tremors, migraines with auras and panic attacks. I felt like a lab rat. I am approx. twice your age - so I have been with ricocheting symptoms for a longggg time. I was blessed to have gone to a Neurologist that took over 30 blood tests (fasting required) and had me take many MRIs, EEG, Doppler test, etc. THIS doctor was on a mission to find out what was causing the tremors and my exhaustion. It was as simple as a blood test to point me in the correct direction.
When your doctor assigns you a subclinical diagnosis, it basically means that you have some symptoms even though you are in the “Normal range”. That’s where the doctors get in trouble. There are many of us that don’t operate well in the “normal range.” Like MM said, GD patients do better when their free T3 and free T4 are in the upper ranges of the standard norm.
Also, taking medications aren’t the end all. There is more to this than popping a pill. Taking care of your whole body with what you eat and the personal/Cleaning supplies you use can trigger the symptoms. It’s a balancing act.
Even though I was diagnosed in Jan 2018, I have been off the meds since December 2018. You are correct about finding the balance. I do experience the HYPO and HYPER symptoms but not to the degree of wanting to remove it. That is a whole other ball game which I have no intention of joining.
May I suggest to you (since you have been going through so much) that you get your test results from ALL the doctors you have seen and find an established Neurologist to figure out EXACTLY what you have and how to best treat you. Look, I have played the lab rat - and I know it is totally unfair that you should go through all that without knowing what is going on.
For me, after finally knowing what I was dealing with made the anger from all the years I was misdiagnosed leave me and allowed me to get on with my life.
Yes, it’s not easy but KNOWING what you have and then doing something about it will improve your life.
As soon as I was put on Methimazole (within 5 weeks) the palpitating/racing heart went away. (No need for Beta Blockers) BUT, I was taking an herbal liquid supplement that had Lemon Balm which helped, as well.
I hope you are doing better. Take Care.

Hi:

Getting labs often such as every four to six weeks while on the meds is ideal. Especially for those at the beginning of the GD journey.

Aim for getting the Free T3 at mid range and the Free T4 at the upper third range with careful dose adjustments.

{{{hugs}}}

Thank you everyone

So this week I got blood work and my doctor said it’s gotten better. Should I get my hopes up or prepared that it can always change? Even if I’ve only been on medicine for a month.

Hi:

Graves' Disease is an auotimmune disorder. Do you know what numbers the TSI and the TRAb antibodies numbers are? Getting these down as closer to zero will help to go into remissions.

Also getting the Free T3 at mid range and the Free T4 at the upper third range will help to lower the antibodies.

{{{hugs}}}

I know my tsh was <0.005. My free t4 is 0.98 and normal range is 0.76-1.46 on my doctors scale and my free t3 is 146 and normal range is 60-181 on the scale

It sounds like a dose reduction is needed with the meds.

Taking just enough meds to aim for the FT3 to be at mid range: 120.5. Is this for sure a Free T3 or a Total T3? A Free T3 test is better as it is not affected by diet and hormones.

For the Free T4 to aim for the upper third range at: 1.2 to 1.3.

{{{hugs}}}

Please hang in there and educate yourself. I know it can be overwhelming, especially when you don't feel your best. I have received the best advice and information from this group. I was diagnosed in 2013. I spent the next 3 years trying different modalities with the goal to get off medication. In July 2016 I went into remission. I get my labs every 3-6 months, but during those first years I went every 4-6 weeks to monitor my FT3 & FT4. The best thing you can do is to learn to read your labs. Research the ramifications of RAI & Thyroid removal because most of the Endocrinologists are going to recommend one of these two options as a "quick fix". You have to become your own advocate. Doctors do not know everything. After a while, you will recognize the signs of when you hormones may be out of whack and how to make adjustments. It's a lot of work, but this is your health. There are no shortcuts.

I also developed thyroid eye disease which I was eventually able to reverse. I believe that developed because I refused to take medication for the first 6 months while I tried natural therapies. For now, take the medication with the end goal being to take the least amount to keep your FT3 & FT3 in the upper 3rd of normal. The next step is to look at your toiletries, food, and anything that has direct access to your blood stream and clean that up. Get copies of all your labs so you can compare from month to month.

Good Luck!!