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...
As most of you know I'm on my fourth set of doctors that still believe in dosing by the TSH. On my own I took my meds down from 15mgs of methimazole to 5mgs. this has been in the last two weeks. For the past week I have been sweating and hot all the time. My a/c is set on 75 and I'm mostly staying in till after dark because of this. Last couple of nights i have slept out from under the cover and last night I just took it all off. It is not hot flashes cause I'm hot all the time. My question is that is it the change in dosage. One improvement is that my arms and legs do not hurt as bad and my legs feel like they will work now.
Bone Density Not Affected By a Low TSH
Mar 12
Written by:
3/12/2012 RssIcon
Although elevated levels of thyroid hormone can lead to bone loss, several studies have shown that a low TSH on its own does not affect bone density. This new study is another confirmation of this fact.
Bone Density After Long-Term Suppressive Thyroid Therapy
Korean researchers have evaluated the impact of long-term suppressive levothyroxine therapy on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in women who were thyroid cancer survivors.
The study looked at almost 100 women who were on levothyroxine for at least 10 years after thyroid cancer. They were divided into three groups: TSH less than 0.001, TSH between 0.001 and 0.07, and TSH levels above 0.07. The BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning.
The research found that there was no significant decrease in BMD and bone turnover markers among the women, and the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia was not different among the groups.
The researchers concluded that long term suppressive levothyroxine therapy for thyroid cancer management did not affect bone density or increase the prevalence of osteoporosis.
More Information:
Osteoporosis & Thyroid Drugs Is Thyroid Medication Going to Give You Osteoporosis? The Thyroid Treatment/Osteoporosis Controversy
Source: Lee, M. et. Al. "Bone Mineral Density and Bone Turnover Markers in Patients on Long Term Suppressive Levothyroxine Therapy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer,"Abstracts of the American Thyroid Association Annual Meeting, 2011
Here's my old favorite the Brokken study.
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/86/10/4814.full.pdf+html
I set that to the PDF file, which is better for printing. Notice the little printer icon on the top of the page with the study itself, not the whole page that appears. When you click on that little printer, it will print just the part you want.
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/94/8/2787.full.pdf+html
Same printing instructions. PDF files not only save ink, I think it gives a better appearance when being used during a doctors appt. Or maybe that's just me.
http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/gazorpa/PatientGuide.html
It is NOT about Graves' or our TSH , but is about LDN. I think it has some good tips scattered throughout concerning how to present information ( not too much) and encouragement play it cool ( arguing /here for a fight will not work well).
BTW, I remembered to add more iodine stuff I had saved to our library.
http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/graves-disease-general-info/discussions/messages/12867824/page-2
I think we need the TSH / bone loss links you posted added over there Brans.
Off hand, I would think the problem is going down on your meds too quickly. I didn't sweat much at all except when I was Hyper thyroid. I also had the pains in my arms and legs at first.
I have had two Endo docs since my Graves' diagnosis in 2009, and they are quite different. The first one started me with 30-40 mgs of Methimazole daily, dropping in two months to 20 and attempting to take me down from there depending on my labs. After a year he wanted to keep me at 10 mgs but I rebelled and took myself off of them entirely for a summer, and cancelling my appointments with that doctor.
When I was finally convinced in the fall to go back to an endo, I tried a different one, who started me at 5 mg gradually increasing the dose from there to 12.5 I think. He also said it didn't matter how much I took daily but it was the amount per week that mattered, so instead of taking half pills each day, I would alternate days of taking the extra whole pill.
Still, I felt like I was taking too much and convinced this doctor to let me take less. He said, "I will take you down a half tablet now, but you will probably go Hyper and you need to be in the normal range for two years to have a chance at staying normal." The next blood test showed that I had actually gone down not up, and I asked to be taken down in the meds again with the same result. Finally, I became actually Hypo over a year ago and the doctor called after my labs to tell me to lower my dosage again. After that, I have lowered my dosage on my own, but ever so slightly: from one 5 mg tablet daily to skipping one once a week, then taking them 5 days in a row and skipping one, and now taking one for 3 days in a row and skipping one.
As long as I stay in the normal range with my labs the doctor doesn't seem to mind, but it was a lot easier to do this on my own and get approval later than to get permission first!
Still, I can tell that my body takes a long time to really adjust to the new levels of medication.
Also, as hard as it may be, i think there is a great value in being honest with your doctor, if not just for yourself, but for future patients, and how the doctor will respond to them or will have learned from you as a patient.