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 to my wonderful support forum :) Where would I be without you all? Probably lost in a hold somewhere in outer space without a clue. lol. Well, I had my labs drawn on July 8 again and here are my results:
July 8, 2010 Labs:
Free T4: 0.8 (range 0.8-1.8)
Total T3: 96 (range 76-181)
TSH: .39 (no reference or range available)
Lowered PTU to 12.5 mg odd days, 25 mg even days (alternating). Propranolol 5 mg (twice daily).
Saw my Endo today and she says that according to my tsh that I look a bit hyper still but according to my T4 and T3, I look like I'm going hypo. This is a new endo and I had always had Free T3 and Free T4 run. I see she did a Total T3... Is there a difference?
She said that I am on a an extremely low dose of PTU and in normal circumstances, she'd have taken the patient off to see what happens with the levels but since it seems my levels are maintaining and I have come this far that we'll keep dropping the dose for now. She had suggested lowering my PTU to 12.5 mg daily for the next 6 weeks and I requested to alternate days (12.5 mg on one day, then 25 mg on the next day, etc) as in the past, when dropping my PTU, my levels usually go up and I'm willing to take as long as it takes to achieve remission even it means moving slower than usual. So, she agreed to it. The past 3 weeks, I had been skipping my morning dose of PTU once or twice a week due to feeling extremely tired some days and extreme joint pain.
What is your opinion? Do you think this is the right route? I always hear in this forum "slow and steady wins the graves race". Also, she noticed my thyroid felt a little swollen (enlarged, mushy) but said it could be something viral so we'd ultrasound it on my next visit. I asked if it's possibly i'm going hashi now and she said it's always a possibility but we'd have to wait and see.... WAIT AND SEE??? ARGH. What could be causing my thyroid to get enlarged now? Could it by that I'm too hypo? Should I go off the PTU for a day or two and then start on my alternating doses? Any advice is appreciated. I'm so confused after today's visit.
I had mentioned to the endo about my joints hurting from day to day in different areas (especially my hands) and mentioned that I've been extremely tired/fatigued to a point I can't function, I've gained 5 pounds in 5 weeks (pound a week) but haven't been really eating a whole lot of junk. I don't mind the weight gain as I needed it after losing so much weight last year when I had the storm.
Now, also, I am wondering if it would be okay to start excercising? Such as jogging? or working out again? I've held off due to my heart rate going up but now that I seem to be going hypo, do you think I could start again? I was considering seeing a cardiologist for a stress test first, do you think that would be the better route to go?
Sorry for all the questions at once but this has been a crazy journey and I just want to be normal again... whatever that may be. My endo did mention that my body seems confused as to what normal is. I mentioned being hot sometimes or being extremely cold other times when everyone else is the opposite. My hands have been very dry and some days my face is dry and other days, it's so oily. It's always one extreme or the other... no middle ground here. And her answer was, it sounds like my body is confused and trying to metabolize to what normal is. So what does that mean?
Thanks so much for all your advice and your patience with my many many questions!
~Hugs to all
July 8, 2010 Labs:
Free T4: 0.8 (range 0.8-1.8)
Total T3: 96 (range 76-181)
TSH: .39 (no reference or range available)
Lowered PTU to 12.5 mg odd days, 25 mg even days (alternating). Propranolol 5 mg (twice daily).
Saw my Endo today and she says that according to my tsh that I look a bit hyper still but according to my T4 and T3, I look like I'm going hypo. This is a new endo and I had always had Free T3 and Free T4 run. I see she did a Total T3... Is there a difference?
She said that I am on a an extremely low dose of PTU and in normal circumstances, she'd have taken the patient off to see what happens with the levels but since it seems my levels are maintaining and I have come this far that we'll keep dropping the dose for now. She had suggested lowering my PTU to 12.5 mg daily for the next 6 weeks and I requested to alternate days (12.5 mg on one day, then 25 mg on the next day, etc) as in the past, when dropping my PTU, my levels usually go up and I'm willing to take as long as it takes to achieve remission even it means moving slower than usual. So, she agreed to it. The past 3 weeks, I had been skipping my morning dose of PTU once or twice a week due to feeling extremely tired some days and extreme joint pain.
What is your opinion? Do you think this is the right route? I always hear in this forum "slow and steady wins the graves race". Also, she noticed my thyroid felt a little swollen (enlarged, mushy) but said it could be something viral so we'd ultrasound it on my next visit. I asked if it's possibly i'm going hashi now and she said it's always a possibility but we'd have to wait and see.... WAIT AND SEE??? ARGH. What could be causing my thyroid to get enlarged now? Could it by that I'm too hypo? Should I go off the PTU for a day or two and then start on my alternating doses? Any advice is appreciated. I'm so confused after today's visit.
I had mentioned to the endo about my joints hurting from day to day in different areas (especially my hands) and mentioned that I've been extremely tired/fatigued to a point I can't function, I've gained 5 pounds in 5 weeks (pound a week) but haven't been really eating a whole lot of junk. I don't mind the weight gain as I needed it after losing so much weight last year when I had the storm.
Now, also, I am wondering if it would be okay to start excercising? Such as jogging? or working out again? I've held off due to my heart rate going up but now that I seem to be going hypo, do you think I could start again? I was considering seeing a cardiologist for a stress test first, do you think that would be the better route to go?
Sorry for all the questions at once but this has been a crazy journey and I just want to be normal again... whatever that may be. My endo did mention that my body seems confused as to what normal is. I mentioned being hot sometimes or being extremely cold other times when everyone else is the opposite. My hands have been very dry and some days my face is dry and other days, it's so oily. It's always one extreme or the other... no middle ground here. And her answer was, it sounds like my body is confused and trying to metabolize to what normal is. So what does that mean?
Thanks so much for all your advice and your patience with my many many questions!
~Hugs to all
scorpiogirl76
UGH, I sure hope so. I haven't been feeling well at all the last week since the change and I feel so all over the place with my dose right now. There's an odd pain in my neck that radiates down to my chest. I wish there was an instant cure to this disease....
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