Graves' Disease Support Group
Graves-Basedow disease is a medical disorder that may manifest several different conditions including hyperthyroidism (over activity of thyroid hormone production), infiltrative exophthalmos (protruberance of one or both eyes and associated problems) and infiltrative dermopathy (a skin condition usually of the lower extremities). This disorder is the most common cause of...
Hello everyone, hope all is well with my fellow graves survivors.
I have a question, does Methimazole come in a 1.25 dosage or is it 2.50 cut in half?
I currently have symptoms for really the last 3 months. My endo is not open minded at all, so I'm on a quest to have my ducks in a row before I going head to head with her.
I don't get it that these docs will not open their minds to possiblities of maintenance for this disease. Say you have a stressful event. Why , wouldn't they be open to dosing for a month or two and see if that makes
the patient life for the better. I see how you could become an advocate for this disease just on dealing with a physician.
My endo only goes by the tsh being in the normal zone. She does not acknowlege my graves and symptoms. She denies any other part of the body that has symptoms flat out. I will be searching for a new endo, there really isn't a lot to choice from locally. What other kind of doctor would help me with my graves, any suggestions? Almost all of the blogs I'm reading, the patients are on some type of maintenance medications.
I believe no patient should ever walk out of a physicians office feeling worse then when they walked in..its unacceptable.. Thanks for your help and listening! Stay strong.
Janelle
I have a question, does Methimazole come in a 1.25 dosage or is it 2.50 cut in half?
I currently have symptoms for really the last 3 months. My endo is not open minded at all, so I'm on a quest to have my ducks in a row before I going head to head with her.
I don't get it that these docs will not open their minds to possiblities of maintenance for this disease. Say you have a stressful event. Why , wouldn't they be open to dosing for a month or two and see if that makes
the patient life for the better. I see how you could become an advocate for this disease just on dealing with a physician.
My endo only goes by the tsh being in the normal zone. She does not acknowlege my graves and symptoms. She denies any other part of the body that has symptoms flat out. I will be searching for a new endo, there really isn't a lot to choice from locally. What other kind of doctor would help me with my graves, any suggestions? Almost all of the blogs I'm reading, the patients are on some type of maintenance medications.
I believe no patient should ever walk out of a physicians office feeling worse then when they walked in..its unacceptable.. Thanks for your help and listening! Stay strong.
Janelle
Unless you are showing signs of aggranulocytosis or
Liver damage, why is she pushing you for RAI?
I started taking acetyl-l-carnitine and it did a good job lowering my T3 and T4.
my levels on 3/19/15 were
tsh 1.30 (0.36-3.74)
t3 2.50 (1.8-4.2)
t4 0.99 (0.60-1.50)
she hasn't tested antibodies for 2 years. I'm having alot of symptoms and I'm new to this so I have no idea what is optimal for me. Obviously these levels are wrong for me. Pulse high, metalbolism racing..I appreciate your help. I do have an appt. with a new gp next week..I took 2.50 methimazole on Tuesday and Wednesday had a great day, I understand the placebo, but today Thursday I'm back to where I started. She wants me to get bloodwork before she'll think about meds...can't my thyroid not be over producing but my graves be active? Thanks so much, I'm so frustrated. Have a good day..Janelle
If your pulse is high, would go to your PCP and talk to him/her about it as well us cut out all caffeine and be sure to stay well hydrated and well rested.Thyroid meds take 6-8 weeks to work so you won't see any results until then.
Take good care of yourself
Hugs
What did you think of my levels?
I appreciate your feedback very much.
Have a great day and take good care.
Have a good day and thanks again!!!!!
Did you ever have any antibodies blood test to confirm Graves, it will help the more experts, if you can post that test results.
On 3/19/15 your lab results was:
tsh 1.30 (0.36-3.74)
t3 2.50 (1.8-4.2)
t4 0.99 (0.60-1.50)
If that was the Free T3 and Free T4, and not just T3 and T4,
So if it was the Free's tested then you are on the lower end, which would normal make a person have HypO symptoms, so the Methimazole will lower the ranges even more.
You would want both FREE T4 & FREE t3, more in the mid to upper range. Your ranges are to low, that is why you are not feeling well, but it is more HypO range now. Methimazole will even lower them more.
You would not want to take Methimazole just because of a stressful event, that is not what Methimazole is for. It is prescribed because a persons lab test show Hyper or GD.
Hyper and Hypo have a lot of similar symptoms and can cross over, so a person might think they are Hyper, but the lab results show Hypo or to low in range for a person.
If your not on a beta blocker ask your dr to prescribe one and take as directed it will help with the HypO symptoms while you levels move UP, to help you feel better.
Are you on a beta blocker
Thank you so much for the help, I appreciate it.
Have a good evening and take good care. Janelle15
I am so sorry with what your going through, I has Hyper but medicated by Dr into HypO land, so I can relate. So many Dr just don't treat us correctly or know how to treat correctly.
What post person Aronia is suggesting is Acetyl-l-Carnitine, that is a supplement and is a great suggestion, BUT that is only taken if your results were still in Hyper range.
That last test results you posted are now to low, which is HypO. So it would not be recommend now as it lowers your levels more. Yours levels need to come up to start feeling better.
Ask your GP even on the phone tomorrow for a Beta Blocker, Propranolol or Metoprolol it will help with some of your symptoms as your levels move up. It is my life saver, it's still rough, because my levels are still trying to get back up, but the beta blocker truly does help.
Gravol is a supplement that many take when their levels are showing in the HypO that helps with some of the symptoms.
Have you been watching and avoiding any of the triggers? If not here is the link, it can be tricky at first to see what your triggers are. I still have not figured all mine out. Link:http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/topic/10-diet-exercise/
I would first ask your Endo for the beta on the phone....then as a back-up ask your GP.
Forget to include this if you were coming off of the Methimazole, then Acetyl-l-Carnitine would be recommended.
But my understand you are off of the Methimazole and your lab result are in the low end, so it would not been recommended to take it now.
But in one of my other post, I asked did they do the Graves antibodies blood test in the beginning to diagnose you with Graves? The TSI and TRAb blood test.
The reason I ask this is in your top post you put your Dr goes by the T.S.H. . My Dr told me Graves in the beginning because my T.S.H was low, so I thought I had Graves. But just going by a low T.S.H. is in no way a confirmation of Graves. So months later I requested for my antibodies test another site confirmed I am negative, Dr didn't even understand the antibodies test, cause my Dr only thinks if your T.S.H. is very low then a person has Graves, grrrr
Plus my Dr dose's by the T.S.H. and that is why I ended up medicated by him in to HypO...So you really need to be carful or change Dr's if they are only dosing you by the T.S.H., it is a very slow climbing back out of HypO land.
But your symptoms are from now your levels being in the lower range Free T4 and Free T3...so I think your Dr has only been dosing by your T.S.H.....if that is the case it will be tricky to try and even get your Endo to prescribe a beta...the GP might be more agreeable.