Living with Graves' Disease

Question About Potassium And Thyroid Replacment

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:44:39 +0000

I had to get some time release Potassium tablets and I was wondering if it was ok to take with thyroid replacment or if they bind each other up.
If I did take them appart how long appart should they be do to the time release of the potassium?

Thank you so much!!!

Hugs
Angel

Weird.....

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:11:40 +0000

Howdy folks!

As you may recall, I developed a large number of hyPO symptoms over the past two months.

My "with-it" internist accepted my thoughts that I should aim for higher FT4
(and FT3 which I'm finally having run, thanks to her).

She Rx'd 25mg levothyroxine without even seeing the results of my labs.

Unfortunately, it seems an error was made and I don't have a FreeT4 result - just T4 10.5 range 4.5-12.0

My FreeT3 dropped all of .1 since my last labs....it is now 3.5

TSH dropped to .019 - blocking antibodies must really be coming into play.

I am blown away with the number and severity of hyPO symptoms I had at these levels - guess
my "best place" is in the upper third of the range - only time will tell.

On a positive note, my TRAb dropped a bit (she was insistent on running more antibody tests - I guess
due to my statements about the antibody effects on my TSH http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif ).....still waiting on TSI.

I promised this info - so you all now have it http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

The evolution of my Graves' journey never ceases to amaze me http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif.

All the best,

Carol

Really Confused

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:51:16 +0000

I was diagnosed with Graves Disease and Hyperthyroidism in 2003. My TSH was so low that they said it wasn't even on the charts. I was super skinny, my heart was always racing and I was always hot. Pretty mild symptoms compared to what I have read. I was treat with PTU through my pregnancy in 2004 and after my daughter turned 18 months I went into remission. I though everything was good since. I have been feeling kinda sore and tired, to me it felt like when I was over medicated and was on the hypo side. I just got my blood work back today and my TSH is <0.01 L with the reference being 0.35 - 5.00 mU/L I am shocked to find I am hyper once again. I have NO symptoms at all and they want me back on meds. I feel odd taking meds just because of a number. Should I not be having SOME symptoms if my levels are that low?

Not sure exactly what kind of help I am looking for but this left me confused and though maybe someone can shed some light on what is going on.

Health Check Usa

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:37:03 +0000

I am going to have my bloodwork done by an outside lab, as my endo is not very cooperative, and insists that the TSH is enough.
But as I look through the tests offered I don't see one with TSI, or am I missing something. I know I need the FT3 and FT4 and TSI,do I need 2 separate tests? Has anyone here used Health Check USA?
Thank You

My Tsh was .233 on 03/02/09
T4,Free was 1.67 ref..70-1.50

1/15/2010

TSH 2.0
T4, Free[Direct} 1.23 RR .70-1.50

Hit New Milestone With My "with-It" Doc

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:19:41 +0000

Hi folks

I just had to share the results of today's appointment with my somewhat-new "with-it" doc.

For those of you unfamiliar with my story (or those that might want a "refresher"), my
signature tells it all.

Now, my "with-it" doc earned that title 'cuz, during my first appointment with her,
she agreed with my month-old decision to stay off ATD's and, after hearing of my saga
with my prior endos, she told me "We know not to look at TSH in Graves' Disease -
it's useless".

Anyhooo, being that almost all of my hyPO symptoms dissipated once my FT4 rose to
mid-range, I was kinda happy - I just had some chills at night to deal with and constipation
(which is not usually an issue for me). My "with-it" doc and I thought they just might
be some lingering symptoms.

Well, after 3 months of good labs, we decided to stretch things out a bit (labs in 8 wks vs.
the previous every 4-5 wks)....and then I started to have some trouble....constipation got
worse, I was cold all the time, energy/strength/stamina started going out the window,
sleep became interuppted, cognitive issues developed and the list of symptoms grew.

I decided to wait things out until my regular appointment today and, as I shared all of
my symptoms with my new doc, she kept shaking her head and told me they were
all symptoms of hyPOthyroidism (YAY!!! smart doc! - endo #2 kept wanting to dismiss
many of them to perimenopause). She asked me why I waited to come in!!

My "with-it" doc told me that hyPOthyroidism can develop after Graves' (chalk up
another one) but my TSH was still "hyperthyroid" last time. I told her of all the
reading I've done about Graves' (she told me "good for you" - YAY!!!) and we
discussed the blocking/stimulating antibody effects on TSH and thyroid hormone
levels.

She agreed with my comments that most people probably feel best mid-range, if
not higher (YAY!!!) and I told her I felt my best when my FT4 was 1.59 (mind you,
the only time I ever "saw" such a FT4 was 8 wks. after my starting dose but I'd
sure like to try something higher than 1.36)

Since I told her I'd had some moments of becoming off-balance (hyPO symptom for
me that goes along with clutziness), she was talking brain MRI. I asked her if we
could wait to see what happens once my thyroid hormone levels got to where
they should be 'cuz, after all prior hyPO "events", I always wound up without
symptoms.

She drew blood to not only check FT4, FT3, and TSH but to also see what my
antibodies are doing!

And, when I asked her for a small dose of T4 replacement, she pulled out her
script pad and asked me if I preferred Synthroid or Levoxol !!!!

She is medicating based upon my symptoms and we will confirm lab results when they
come back next week.

How 'bout 'dem apples??? http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

Can't wait to pop that first pill tonight !

Thanks for plodding through this - I think it's nice to be able to share good news 'cuz,
with thyroid disease, we hear so much bad news.

Thanks to all of you for helping me get to the place I am today http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

All the best,

Carol

Ct Scan With Iodine Contrast Question

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:14:03 +0000

Hello everyone,

It's been a long time since I've been here - and it's nice to still see a lot of familiar names.... I've been living pretty well post-thyroidectomy for the last 5 years or so, and haven't been keeping up with the board.

So, things have been alright post-op, but not great. I still have high levels of TSI antibodies (and have confirmed with U/S that no tissue remains) - in the 400's. I still have some occasional stress induced eye inflamation which is a concern. My latest question is regarding iodine contrast for a CT. I've been having some other issues that have required testing, and the next thing I need requires contrast.

Considering my continually high ABs and eye issues, do I need to be concerned? Is there an alternative I should ask for? Should I insist on no contrast?

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Kate

Why Wait So Long To Treat High Tsh?

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:06:49 +0000

I have an intersting story from work.

A girl who is 28 years old was having trouble losing weight, was alyays tired and sluggish. Thyroid disorders run in her family. I suggested she get her throid tested. I remember her saying her thyroid was fine as she alread y had it tested. I left it at that. Yesterday, I got my latest labs back(normal), and she saw my TSH at 1.82. She said," Gee your TSH is low." I said."Ummm..no...if my TSH was over 2, I would not be happy." She said that her TSH was 4.8 when she had her thyroid tested and the GP said that was normal. She went on to say that she is seeing a naturopath who treats any TSH that is over 2. I suggested that she get a doctor who will run FT4 and FT3. I wonder what the results will be. What is the reasoning behind not helping people that feel so poorly just by doing a full set of thyroid labs rather than just TSH, so the whole story is known???

Also I will share why I got my labs done. I was so happy to be stable for so long. Then a couple of times, I woke up at night with a fast heartbeat and feeling hot...thought maybe a hot flash since in the mroning, things were fine. Then, Sunday evening I tested my BP with a machine as it also checks heart rate. BP was 150/100 and resting heart rate was 100. Both numbers came down a bit when I rested in bed, but were still high in the morning. I got in to see my MD the next day, and my BP was 160/90 and resting heart rate was 106. We both decided that my thyroid was going off again, and he prescribed my favorite beta blocker...propranolol ....80 mgs twice daily.

Two days later and my BP and heart rate are good. My labs came back NORMAL...TSH 1.82(.5 to 6.0)FT4 14.1(8 to 22) FT3 4.8 (2.7 to 5.7). So that is great, but what the heck is up with me?? I had a BP reading in January of this year and BP was 117/80 which was fine for me and heart rate was 78. I will stay on the betablocker for a few weeks and then he will see me and decide what to do if anything. I asked him if I seemed anxious when I saw him, and he said no, and I did not feel anxious. I do admit the beta blocker has me feeling calmer, so maybe it was that. If things persist, then he will have to test for other hormonal issues. Life gets intersting again.

P.S. He also said that propranolol was the betablocker of choice for Graves's disease because it is best at reducing heart rate.

Kim

Hypo Or Hashi

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:06:45 +0000

Whats the best site for Hashi or HypO? I'm trying to help someone who has high TPOab, with docs who aren't as familiar with autoimmune?

New Lab Posted

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:14:03 +0000

OK, so my Dr. called me today and posted my labs to my chart. Not really sure where the FT3 is since she said it was done. Anyway. FT4 is low as expected. Also my LDL is rather on the high side. This concerns me but Dr. said that she believes it is because my thyroid labs being so out of whack that it is affecting my Cholesterol. My Vit D is also low which again she said is most likely a cause of thyroid levels. So we will again do the FT3 and 4 and TSH in 6 weeks.

Yet Another Newbie ... I Need Some Guidance ...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:33:47 +0000

Hello!

I'm new to this website, but I'm finding it very, very helpful. Now, I need a sanity check ...

First, my history:
I noticed my first symptoms that "something was wrong" in October 2006. My regular doctor ran standard blood tests and picked up that my T4 Free was elevated and TSH was low - he diagnosed me with thyroiditis. We went around the block on this for the next year with more tests, a thyroid ultrasound, and finally he referred me to an endocrinologist - saw her in March 2008. She diagnosed me with Graves. By then, my T3 Free, T4 Free and TSH were in the normal range. Prior to this, Thyroid Peroxidase AB and Thyroglobulin AB tests were coming back high, but TSI was never done. She said that if I had the TSI done at this point, it would be in the normal range; it must be done while T3 and T4 are high, and it is the definitive test for Graves. So I come away not totally convinced that I have this so-called Graves Disease ...

She didn't tell me much else - just that I should make sure to get plenty of calcium and Vitamin-D, and she told me I would eventually go hypothyroid and have Hashimoto's disease. Meanwhile, her office stops accepting my insurance and I have to pay out-of-pocket for the office visit. I search for a new endocrinologist and get on the new one's waiting list. They send the wrong lab sheet, I have to get the blood work re-done, and I go back in the queue for an appoitnment ... my appointment with the new endocrinologist is scheduled for 02 MAR, about four months after I initially called. No problem though - so far, I've been feeling pretty good!

Roll the clock forward to January 2010. I start feeling really crappy, and figure I'm hypothyroid now. I get the blood work done - to my amazement, I'm hyperthyroid again. I hadn't really grasped what Graves Disease is before this point, and I was totally caught off-guard. I continue feeling worse, and get more labs, and my T3 and T4 are even higher.

Here's the interesting thing ... I am feeling so bad right now that I think I need some medicine - I assume Tapizole. Remember - I'm still waiting for my appointment with my new endocrinologist to arrive ... meanwhile, my regular doctor says that if I want, he will start some symptomatic treatment in the meantime. I'm all for it - I am feeling BAD. But ... he ran a "Reverse T3" test, which also came back high. He offered then to prescribe cytomel - isn't that synthetic T3? His logic is that I have all this T3 that isn't usable in my system because my Reverse T3 is high, so since I'm so tired - i.e. a symptom of hypothyroidism - the cytomel should help that. I feel like he ignored that my T3 is also high! And wouldn't the cytomel just put me right through the roof ???

My most bothersome symptoms right now are the shakiness and weakness - I drop things, and shake when lifting something a little heavy or climbing steps. And if I don't eat, I get soooo sick - just weak, shaky, stomach queasy etc. And I seem to need to eat just about every hour or two. I am of course losing weight but I have about 20 lbs. to spare. And I have trouble remembering things and I have problems concentrating and staying on-task. I have other symptoms too, but these are the most bothersome. Is the eating thing something that everyone else gets too? I haven't read about that anywhere, but truly I get almost sickly before I'm hungry and I just MUST eat or I feel just awful.

I will post my labs soon, but in the meantime -
Is what I posted kind of normal for someone with Graves?
Do other people have the eating problem when they are hyperthyroid?
Am I right to doubt a prescription for cytomel when I am hyperthyroid ??

Thanks so much for listening ...
Lorraine