Graves Disease/Hyperthyroid

[magandab]

Anyone ever been diagnosed as hyperthyroid? I recently was told that I have Graves' Disease (same as Barbara Bush and George Bush, Sr.). We alll wish for an overactive thyroid when we are fighting weight, but trust me, it's no picnic.

I will probably take radioactive iodine to damage or kill my thyroid gland, but would love some firsthand stories!

[YellowRoseTex]

I don't have Graves but my Aunt was diagnosed last year. She had the radioactive iodine and is doing really well now. Before she had the treatment she had tried various meds and didn't do well on them. She told me that she did the treatment as a last resort, but is really glad that she did it.

Best wishes to you. Keep us posted on how you're doing and the decision you make. It's not an easy one for sure.

[4evernbluejeans]

My daughter-in-law has Graves,it has been a terrible time for her.She found out about it after the birth of our grandaughter going on 5 years ago!!!I say terrible because it seemed like no one would help her!! It is such a long story.She ended up with gangrene after the delivery(intestines and who knows where else)so we almost lost her.After a couple of months she started losing her hair,we thought it was the stress her body went thru,then she gained alot of weight,up to almost 200 lbs.Lost all her hair at this point.Her hair grew back...then she lost over 80 lbs within 2 monthsDoctors told her that she had Graves,she has had 2 radioactive iodine treatments in a year and s aid the worse is behind her,hair loss again and has gained 5 lbs in the last couple months,got some fuzz coming on her head but it has been total h--- for her and the family.She live in another state and I just feel so bad for her. Hopefully they have got her on track.Looking at thyroid medicationin a month or so,she how she does with this last treatment. Hang in there,and please find the right doctors to treat you.I will be thinking of you!

[kitnkat]

Hi there!
Graves disease is no picnic, you are very right. I lost approx. 70 pounds in 6 mos and lost all of my muscle tone,....I couldn't lift a 10 pound bag of potatoes out of my car :(
I would try to avoid RAI at all costs, please get your doc to try the antithyroid drugs first. I believe they rarely use the radioactive treatment now in Canada at least. I had that done about 8 years ago, and if I'd only known then what I know now, I would have never let them do it!! I have the Thyroid Eye disease which was caused from the RAI treatment and I have double vision every day till about noon, it is awful, but I have learned to live with it.
My doc says that now we have my meds under very good control we can hope that it will improve, but like I said it's been about 7 1/2 years like this.
So, please check into and maybe try the antithyroid drugs first :)

[Kayaking]

I was diagnosed with Graves Disease 26 years ago. Once diagnosed, I was treated with a radioactive iodine uptake which "knocked out" the overactive thyroid. Since then, I've taken Synthroid, without any problems at all. I take my little pill in the morning, I see my endocrinologist annually, have periodic blood tests for monitoring of thyroid hormone levels, and basically, that's it.

They may do things a little differently today than they did 26 years ago, but I can definitely say that the period PRIOR TO diagnosis and treatment (when I didn't know why I was having heart palpitations, was losing weight, was losing my hair, etc.) was much worse than the 26 years afterward!

Good luck to you!

[4evernbluejeans]

Hope this has helped you some Magandab,keep your spirits high and you are in my thoughts.Kayaking so glad that you are doing well and kitnkat..what are the antithyroid drugs? My daughter-in-law lives in West Virginia and I try to keep close tabs on how she is doing..like I said it took almost 5 years for her to get a doctor to help her.She has been taking heart medication for the "racing",off and on when she needs it Take care all.

[kitnkat]

Hope this has helped you some Magandab,keep your spirits high and you are in my thoughts.Kayaking so glad that you are doing well and kitnkat..what are the antithyroid drugs? My daughter-in-law lives in West Virginia and I try to keep close tabs on how she is doing..like I said it took almost 5 years for her to get a doctor to help her.She has been taking heart medication for the "racing",off and on when she needs it Take care all.
Hi there!
TYPES OF ANTITHYROID DRUGS — Two antithyroid drugs are currently available in the United States: propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI, brand name Tapazole). A third drug, carbimazole, is available in Europe, but not in the United States; the body converts carbimazole to MMI. Doctors usually first recommend MMI for the medical treatment of Graves' disease, but PTU is recommended during pregnancy or nursing.
Hope this helps :)

[pepper123]

I was diagnosed with Graves disease a year after my son was born. At first I thought life was great because I was loosing the baby weight much faster than with my daughter, and I didnt have to change my eating style. Then came the migraine headaches, the hair loss, and the constant shaking in my hands. It took them almost a year to figure out what was wrong. I had the radiation I131 pill almost 6 years ago, and other than gaining the weight back, it was well worth it. It took a while for the dr's to get my dosage of synthroid right, but now I go in once a year for a check up unless I feel out of whack. You get very good at knowing your body. Good Luck!

[magandab]

Checking back in... I decided to go for the meds first, and my doctor was more than willing to let me try. I've been on Methimazole for about two weeks now and feel incredibly better. I has some nausea the first few days on the meds, but now that's gone and I actually feel like they gave me my life back. What I have noticed though, is how quickly things can get knocked out of whack by eating the wrong foods. Twice I overdid salty food and the next day was terrible. Too much iodine! I'm hoping for best case, which is meds for a year or so, then wean off and find I"m in remission.

[4evernbluejeans]

megandab,so glad to hear you are feeling better! I am going to mention to m daughter-in-law about the salty food because she (sometimes)feels really bad on certain days,maybe she does not realize it could be the salty stuff she eats.She lives in the south and loves all that good southern food,plus she like Mc Ds alot with the granddaughter!! I am also going to mention about the meds. Keep hanging in there and THANk YOU for your personal imput, I now can see abit of light and possibly not worry soooo much about her.Take care. 4evernbluejeans