Thyroid problems, and immune disorders?

Question

Found out two weeks ago that I've got thyroid problems. It started out as hyper, but I've got all of the symptoms of hypo. I keep losing weight. I am sick all of the time my throat is really messed up, and I fear doctors. What are some things I should ask the doctors? Does anyone here have grave's disease? Thanks for any help. ~Rosanne~

What the heck is Hashimoto thyrodiditis?

Answer 1

I have thyroid from last 11 years and is under control with medication. If you are losing weight then its hyper thyroid and not hypo. Ask the doctor about the correct dosage/when/how to take it and what to do if you miss it. How frequently do you have to go for your tests to check thyroid levels. and Rosanne........ don't worry.. with medication its easily controllable with almost no effect on your day to day life. Don't worry too much about it. All the best :)

Answer 2

Rosanne --

Number 1, calm down. It's going to be OK. Number 2, it is very possible (it happened to me) to have what seem to be hypoactive symptoms yet be hyperactive. Here's what happens -- your body goes so overboard, it is literally killing itself. However, all I have is great news. When you see the doctor, he/she will pull your blood for T3, T4, and thyroid uptake levels. You will probably also have a screening, which 15 years ago consisted of me drinking a radioactive pill (yet it was not harmful), allowing it to process, and a big machine coming close to my neck making all sorts of thunks and clicks to show the iodine breaking down half-lives. You could ask you doc about it (if you want to know) but I have found that the technicians who run the test are so much more patient-friendly and will tell you the truth. Then, diagnosis. Either hyper or hypo.

For hyper, you will undergo treatment, trying with the pills first. You will take either PTU or methimazole (tapazol). PTU is taken multiple times a day (3 or 4 a day, depending on your levels) whereas methimazole is once a day, but may be multiple pills at that time. What the pills are doing is attacking the gland which is prompting the over or underusage of the thyroid ... it is completely painless and consists of monthly blood tests to see if the medication is working. DURING THIS TIME YOUR WEIGHT WILL STABILIZE AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO FEEL GOOD AGAIN. (I put that in all caps since I wanted you to understand the trouble is nearing an end -- the psychological side of thyroid issues is never mentioned, but for me it was the terror of not knowing how this would occur.)

If the pills don't work, you have the real options of radiactive treatment of the thyroid to burn away the thyroid, or subpartial thyroidectomy (a sugrery which leaves a 6-8 inch scar at the base of the neck). However, I did not get that far, so I know just about my aunts who had the surgery. I wasn't scared of it, I just knew it was a possibility.

Pill treatment for me lasted about 9 months until my levels were good again and I was weaned off of methimazole. (PTU did not work for me.) AT THIS TIME I GAINED WEIGHT!! When I say gained, my goodness, it felt great. I started at 95 pounds and finally chunked up to 110, which is a solid weight for me. When I saw the first fat cell ever on my body, I cried with happiness, since fat for a hyper person is an unrealistic goal ... now I have all sorts of fat and could not be happier (I'm 115). Yes, you will gain back your weight ... it will all be OK.

There are no real long term effects of being hyper or hypo, once treatment is begun. Don't be scared of these doctors -- once I got to an endocrinologist to handle the thyroid, it all went perfectly. I changed doctors due to a move, and happened upon a great endocrinologist who'd also had Graves and could relate to me, but I know those are few and far between ... but it is still OK. This is old hat for them and treatment is very standard.

I wish you the speediest recovery. I know about the weight issue, since I had Grave's for 8 years, asymptomatic. And I was the sickest with Grave's my doc had ever seen (I was on heart attack medication due to the absurdly high levels). However, it was all gone very soon. Now I have Hashimoto's (the thyroid is dying - another autoimmune thyroid disease), but that is anoither story.

You will be fine. Be calm, be patient with yourself, and you soon won't look anorexic anymore. Good luck!

Answer 3

I've got hypothyroidism....before I was diagnosed, I was cranky all the time, tired all the time, um....sh*t, can't really remember. Been so long since I found out. But they should have put you on a thyroid pill, either way. Assuming they have, give it time...you'll notice change eventually. Not gonna be an overnight TAH-DAH sort of thing :op

Answer 4

hyper and then hypo , sounds like Hashimoto thyroiditis

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

ROSANNE, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE HEALED BUT YOU HAVE TO DO SOME CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE. YOU NEED TO FEEL THAT YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROBLEM NATURALLY. OR IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN'T THEN YOU NEED TO GO TO THE DOCTOR AND DO HIS WAY. THAT WAY YOU WILL BE ON PILLS THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND WILL AWAYS HAVE THE PROBLEM. I HELP PEOPLE WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS AND I'VE SEEN COMPLETE TURN AROUND IN 3 MONTHS WITH 2 PEOPLE. THIS PROGRAM THAT I WOULD PUT YOU ON WILL HELP YOUR HEALTH IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS. YOU KNOW IF YOU TRY THIS YOU WON'T HAVE TO SEE THE DOCTOR. LISTEN TOO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY AND YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE PRODUCT FOR YOURSELF. IF YOU FEEL YOU WANT TO GO WITH IT SET YOU MIND ON IT AND YOU'LL BE HOME FREE IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS.

E- MAIL ME: [e-mail]

Answer 7

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graves_Disease
"Graves-Basedow disease, also known simply as Graves disease, is a medical disorder that may manifest several different conditions, including goitre and hyperthyroidism (over-activity of thyroid hormone production), infiltrative exophthalmos (protuberance 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 hyperthyroidism. It is known to be related to an antibody mediated type of auto-immunity, but the trigger for the reaction is unknown.

Medical treatment of Graves' disease includes antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine and thyroidectomy (surgical excision of the gland).
Treatment of the hyperthyroidism of Graves-Basedow disease may be with medications such as methimazole or propylthiouracil (PTU), which reduce the production of thyroid hormone, or with radioactive iodine. Surgical removal of the thyroid is another option, but still requires preoperative treatment with methimazole or PTU. This is done to render the patient "euthyroid" (i.e. normothyroid) before the surgery since operating on a frankly hyperthyroid patient is dangerous. Therapy with radioactive iodine (I-131) is the most common treatment in the United States and in many other parts of the world. Thyroid blocking drugs and/or surgical thyroid removal is used more often than radioactive iodine as definitive treatment in Japan, perhaps because of general fear of radioactivity among many Japanese."

I don't have any thyroid problems, but I do have a chronic lifetime disease and I have seen over 100 doctors so I may have some good tips (check my Avatar for details).

1.Every reporter looks for the 5 Ws of a story; Who, What, Where, When and How.
Who = you
What = the exact diagnoses, and form of the disease, and what do I need to look watch out for.
Where = what areas of your body will be affected?
When = how long will it be before I get more complicated symptoms?
How = how did it start, it could have been for several reasons from a form of the plague to a viral disease, and to diabetes one (Do you have that? Diabetes can be worse than Graves Disease because it is chronic and it can kill you).
2.What will the treatment be?
3.Do you have the auto-immune deficiency and what must you do to avoid infection (the simplest solution is to wash your hands frequently). If you started out with hyperthyroidism then this is a serious issue with you.
4.Will I get the eye bulging problem (it's a little vain, but if you do then when
people stare at you, you will feel horrible)?
5.Are you going to get goitre (or goiter) (Latin struma), also called a bronchocele, is a swelling in the neck (just below adam's apple or larynx) due to an enlarged thyroid gland?

When you get more information then you can get a better idea of what questions to ask or what to research. Sore throat, nausea (feeling sick), and weight loss are not symptoms of Graves disease so (with luck) you may have something else, maybe even a form that you can live with. I am not saying your thyroid isn’t giving you serious trouble, but your symptoms can indicate some other condition than Graves disease; your doctor will be able to find out what this is.

I don’t have any fear of doctors, but I do have a fear of not getting my problems addressed. Whenever I go see a doctor I prepare a 1/2 page to 1 page note for the doctor. I do it on a word processor, make sure that it is spelled right and the grammar is corrected, then I print it out. Every doctor I have ever had has read my report, and they read what I had to say and responded to it. Most doctors like it because it is a written record of my (in this case YOUR) opinions, fears, and desires. I also have a copy of that report I keep on my computer at home. I have to go to the Veterans Administration for my treatment and it is one of the world’s largest HMOs so my doctors never have more than 15 minutes to see me. I never leave my doctor saying, “I wish I had said this or that, oh I should have told him…” I do the report at home a few days before the appointment and I take my time so I get exactly what I want to say in it. If you are afraid of doctors then this will help to quell that fear, you are prepared. It also opens up the visit; I give the paper to my doctor right when I step in the door (I never give it to the nurse, only the doctor). Since the doctor reads this paper first it will give you time to sit down and calm down. This should help with your fear.

NO ONE knows exactly how you feel, or what you are feeling except you. The first one to know if a medication is working or not, and if the side effects are damaging is YOU. Doctors see passive patients all day. These people come to the doctor and say cure me, then wait for him to “do his magic.” Medicine is still an art, it is imperfect and doctors are always feeling their way. Become an active member of your medical team. If a doctor sees a patient that wants to get involved in their treatment then the doctor feels better. The passive patients are the ones who give up and die. The active ones are the fighters; the doctor knows he has a better chance of curing these patients. My paper and my questions help prove that to my doctors. I make my attitude clear, and I don’t try to make the doctor angry. I have suggested to be taken off or put on medications, and the doctors usually are willing to agree, they at least listen to me and if they don’t agree then they have a sound medical reason for that. You are in the wilderness of a serious disease, and your doctors will do their best to guide you through it, but you have to do the walking, and you have to want to get better, and actively seek it.

Another good thing with my little reports is that I include a list of all my medications, including the ones that are nonprescription, that I buy and take myself. Sure, the list of the medications is in your file, but with my paper it is right in front of them. It is very easy for them to see if there is a medication conflict. If more than one doctor gets involved then error can creep in. I do what I can to prevent those medication errors.

People hate taking medication, it is a pain, it has side effects that you don’t like, it makes you feel different, and it reminds you that you are ill. I feel the same things, but I never have problem taking my medication, because of my attitude. My medication is my ammunition in my fight to get better! I will never be cured, but I can feel better, and I can do more things. When the side effects get bad I tell the doctor and they can give some other medications to help or they can change the medications. They don’t know how the medication is going to affect you only you will know that? The pharmacist will give you a fact sheet that lists the side effects of your medication, if he doesn’t then ask him (or her) for it. They have it on file and should give it to you when you first start taking the medication.

Attitude is everything when it comes to handling an illness. The most famous case is a cancer patient that was given six months to live, and lived for five! He thought to himself that laughter is the medicine so I am going to put a lot of laughter in my life. He watched movies that he thought were funny and he laughed himself into remission. I don’t know if that will work for you, but find something that gives you joy in life and make sure you set aside time to indulge yourself in it. Whatever you enjoy, doing it can help you.

Depression is the natural result of any serious disease. In my case it is part of the disease. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. A preacher, a school councilor, a trusted friend can all be a help her. Psychiatrists will only give you more medications. So seek out a support group and talk with them, even if it is only on the Internet. But, be careful in who you go to. I found that I was being a big drag on my family by telling them of all my woes. It helped me a little, but it hurt them a lot. My family couldn’t do anything more for me and all I was doing was making them as sad as I was. Don’t fall into that trap. The movie “Young Frankenstein” was a very good one. In one scene Igor and the doctor were digging in a graveyard looking for body parts. Dr. Frankenstein was complaining about how he had to steal body parts, and he couldn’t be taken seriously for his research. Igor responded, “It could be worse, it could be raining.” Then it started to rain. Remember, no mater how bad things are it can always be worse, it could be raining. There is always someone in the world who is more miserable than you. Don’t try to get into a “I’m more miserable than you contest” because you can’t win. You can only get more depressed. Your support group will listen to your woes and troubles because they can provide suggestions and support.

You are going to be having serious problems, you will see pain in your future, and hard times. I know it, and you know it. This is a fact of your life and you need to get used to it. Whoever your disease won’t kill you, there are treatments for it, and you can get better (unlike me). There is a light at the end of this experience, so push forward to the light and be willing to fight the fight to get better.

According to: http://4women.gov/faq/hashimoto.htm
"What is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is a type of autoimmune thyroid disease in which the immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid gland. The thyroid helps set the rate of metabolism, which is the rate at which the body uses energy. Hashimoto’s stops the gland from making enough thyroid hormones for the body to work the way it should. It is the most common thyroid disease in the U.S."