I haven't been to
medhelp.org since 2014, so my first question is, what happened to the doctor forums? Did all the doctors withdraw? I appreciated the advice I received from Dr. Lupo on several different occasions as a supplement to the information I get from my own endocrinologist, who is usually too rushed to go into any detail.
Anyone else ever have undeniable Graves Disease (hyperthyroidism), received treatment through medication (methimazole in my case) alone, went into remission for a few months, then dived headfirst into hypothyroidism that didn't quit even after anti-thyroid hormone meds were stopped? If so, how did your doctor handle the switch?
After a year of methimazole for Graves, my TSH raised to normal levels and my free T4 normalized. After a few months of no treatment, my TSH level began to rise in January 2014, and hasn't stopped. At first my endocrinologist was reluctant to prescribe more than a token amount of levosynthroid, although I was becoming symptomatic with hypothyroid symptoms. She feared Graves disease returning. I see her every 6 weeks and get blood drawn, and she has gradually raised the synthroid every time so that I am up to 112 mg per day. Obviously, every time I get labs done, I am thyroid-deficient. The last TSH level was 9.5.
9.5 is high, but not super high. Nonetheless, I feel exhausted. 58-year-old women here working full-time, and it is a trial to fight the fatigue just to make it through the day. I have other symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as hand numbness and recalcitrant high blood pressure. I've gained a lot of weight. Can Graves disease turn into Hashimotos? Should I be a lot more aggressive in pushing for higher doses of synthroid? Would I be inviting a return to Graves disease if I did so? Although I had heart palpitations, had to go the bathroom constantly, was anxious, and crashed to sleep for 14 hours on Saturdays with Graves disease, it still seems preferable to this sluggish, every-day tiredness of this existence with excess weight to carry around. Anyone else every been in this boat?