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...
I am so tired all the time. I use all my energery to maintain my full-time job. When I get home, I don't want to cook. I live alone. I grab an apple or some crackers and munch on that instead of preparing a good well-balanced meal. When I do cook, I manage to burn things because I forget about them on the stove or in the oven. Does anyone have suggestions for me?
Where are your Free T3 and Free T4 thyroid levels are currently at? Having these in the 'right' places where we feel our best there at is important. For most people the Free T3 level needs to be at mid range and for the Free T4 level at the mid to the upper third range. If the symptoms you currently having is not 'right' for you, it may mean the ATD dose change needs to be adjusted to allow for any hypOish or hypERish feelings to be reduced as much as possible.
It doesn't look like the levels are optimal for you. Everyone's thyroid levels set points are different from one another.
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FT3: 5.0 (3.1 – 6.8)
FT4: 16 (10 – 22)
TSH: <0.01 (0.30 – 5.60)
Should I listen to my doctors?
What kind of liver numbers? Liver numbers are up when just diagnosed before starting the ATD (antithyroid drug) and if over medicated.
If over medicated (hypO) means that the Free Ts are too low for the body's needs. Most of us do better with the FT4 at the mid to the upper third ranges and the FT3 at mid range.
The TSH (a pituitary hormone) cannot be used to dose meds by when there are positive thyroid antibodies involved. It will stay at 0.01 for awhile til the antibodies drop down low. Many people's TSH can take months or years to budge. The Free Ts (3 and 4) are the labs to use and dose by.
If it were me I'd discuss with doctors about lowering down the TAP to 3.75 mg or 2.5 mg to allow for the FT4 to come up just a bit to ease up on the liver numbers.
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Thank you for responding.
My Liver numbers were 175, then 158, then 122, and now holding at 102. Range is (5 – 40).
I have gallstones and a fatty liver. So, in my mind, the Tapazole is not really affecting the liver although the doctors are concerned about my liver. My eyes are getting a little worse and I am so tired but still, is this reason enough to lose my thyroid? Can I maybe go into remission somehow? What numbers do I need to see to be in remission? Does all this look “borderline” to you? If so, why can’t I just continue as I have been? I had 2 bad dizzy spells in the past month. Is this related to Graves’ disease too? I figure I just didn’t eat properly or something. (I always have excuses). I’ve seen two excellent Endos who are both saying that “something has to be done.” My question is, why? My family doctor thinks I’m in denial about the whole thing. Maybe so, but the thyroid is so important and I don’t want to lose it if I don’t absolutely have to. I've also been told that I need to have a colonoscopy and my bone density test indicates that I have osteopenia. Is this all related to Graves' too? Are the doctors seeing something that I’m not seeing? I have an appointment with a very good surgeon next week. What should I ask? Will they run their own tests? What should I expect?
I am sorry you are not feeling great.
The FT4 reference range for you (10-22) is definitely likely not a good spot for you. Maybe aim it for this at 19 and see how that goes? It's possible the 3.75 mg dose would just do this.
Everyone is different with where they feel their best there at with the Free Ts ranges. Just going to have to work with the doctors and the dose adjustments and find out where is best for you.
Dizzy spells can be related to thyroid levels a bit too low for the body's needs. This could be telling you that your FT4 is needing to come up a bit.
Also Osteopenia and out-of-whack thyroid can cause problems too.
If an RAI is done replacement meds are needed to be taken and can cause problems of its own. No solution is perfect.
The easiest thing is try working with the TAP doses amounts and reduce. Liver numbers should fall more and with the symptoms of feeling less hypO as it goes.
I moderate at another board. You can look over the symptom list for both hypO and hypERs and see:
http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/symptoms
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The surgery went well. Even the scar is healing nicely and is barely visible after 6 weeks. It turns out the total thyroidectomy surgery was the right thing to do. The patholgoy report showed 3 papillary cancer spots on the left thyroid lobe. We were all surprised by it. The surgeon feels we got it all but I have a follow-up ultrasound in March to be sure that there is no further growths and/or spreading. So, it turned out I had Graves' and thyroid cancer all at the same time and probably for a couple of years and didn't even know. I feel better since the surgery but, I am still tired a lot. Hope it's just because I'm still recovering from the surgery.
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