head rushes

[nicobella]

I have a question about head rushes and getting lighthead/dizzy. I have been diagnosed with grave's disease...although now they are thinking it might be hashimoto's or something else. however....i keep getting lightheaded and head rushes when i go from lying to sitting/standing or if i bend down and get back up again. what could cause this and is there anything i can do to help it? I also notice that it is worse on days that i have a sinus or other type of headache and on days that i feel run down or more tired. ??? plus my head feels stuff and cloudy most days too . thanks
melissa

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

If you have hyperthyroidism, ask your doc before taking over-the-counter cold meds.  Hashimotos and Graves is usually not that difficult to distinguish -- sometimes there is too much focus on the names and this causes confusion -- they are both autoimmune diseases of the thyroid and graves classically is hyperthyroidism caused by TSH receptor stimulating antibodies (fooling the thyroid into making more thyroxine than the body needs).  Hashi is classically a destruction of the thyroid causing underactivity.  Some patients will have both blocking and stimulating antibodies and go between hyper and hypo but fortunately this is rare.

Your symptoms are likely related to thyroid dysfunction -- also consider adrenal disease -- check cortisol.

[ArmourGal]

When i did that dizzy thing when still hypo, I think it was because of my low blood pressure from being hypo.  
Folks with adrenal dysfunction also report similar symptoms.
Cindi

[nicobella]

hmm. according to my labs i am in normal range. except for a slightly lower t3. but the doc says that might have been a mistake. thanks.

[ArmourGal]

I'm not a doc...but...what i have learned from almost two years on the yahoo Natural Thyroid Hormone forum is that folks usually have to get their Free T4 over the midpt of the range and their Free T3 at the higher end of the range to be rid of symptoms.  That's where I am and I no longer have any hypo symptoms and my low blood pressure/low heart rate days are a thing of the past.  Everything is normal now.

Since your Free T3 (the Free lab, right?) was low...do you think that might be your problem?  I have read about how the Free ranges are skewed towards hypo with the lower values actually being suspect for hypo.  This is because folks with antibodies for example, were  not excluded from the population sample when the ranges were set...and so hypo folks were most likely included in the sampling.  
cindi

[nicobella]

hmm interesting. it is just weird because I started out hyper...with all the symptoms....lost weight and everything. then on meds i started to go towards hypo...never actually getting that low but was on the lower end so they took me off the meds. since then my levels have gone up to midpoints or around there. however i still have symptoms of both hyper/hypo and actually lost more weight??? i thought you gain with hypo or even being that close to hypo. ?? i was actualy VERy lethargic and constipated for a while too.
melissa

[ArmourGal]

The doc here will probably have some insight for you on the hypo/hyper thing.  That can be confusing at times because so many of the symptoms of each are the same...like anxiety and fatigue.  And some hypo folks lose weight and some hyper folks gain weight.  There is also something called Hashitoxicosis which is hypo/hyper stuff and I would imagine fairly hard to regulate.

[Ussie]

Yes, I have to have my Ft4 and Ft3 in the upper 1/3 of the labrange, to feel good. I also feel good when the Ft3 is way up at the top of the range. Wish my doc could realize that, it would make life much easier.

[nicobella]

does anybody know what effect over the counter meds can have? i rea this a few times before and am curious??

[nicobella]

You know what else...i have days where i get "motion sickness" feelings. weird?? dizzy and upset stomach. when i close my eyes too...like when you drink too much and the room spins a little. what could cause this?