methimazole and leg cramps??

[hyper_what?]

I started having leg cramps a couple days ago and its been 2 weeks since I started methimazole.  Is this Grave's Disease or a med. side effect??

[GravesLady]

A Graves' site I belong to we have this list called "Graves' moments, you know you have Graves' when......."

Here is my Graves' moment:

You know you have Graves' when...
You only shaved one leg and forgot to shave the other.
You shave your legs and forget to changed to a new shaver/razor and end up with
band-aids all over your legs.
You spell a word wrong but when its read backwards its spelt correct.
You take dirty dishes out of the cabinet that you though you had washed.
You make a sandwich with cheese and you forget to take off the clear cellophane wrapper.
You make rice using tapioca pudding.
You force pecan pie on a  man with no teeth
You say  triglycerides instead of electrolytes

  GL  ;)

[hyper_what?]

My dad once said, "Great minds think alike, or get stuck in the same rut!"

Guess thats where all us Graves people are!! :P

[hyper_what?]

HAHAHA...and the funny thing is, I glazed right over your triglycerides and was thinking "electrolytes" in the original post. HAHAHAHAAAA

[GravesLady]

Oooops! Graves' Brain!  

Meant electrolytes not triglycerides. :D

GL

"I see patients all the time who are miserable and unhappy and want to blame something," Dr. Cooper said. "There are tears and anger when you tell them that it's not their thyroid that's causing their problems."

[hyper_what?]

My endo said there were 3 options to treat hyperthyroidism: RAI, TT, or meds.  He said meds would be "maybe 10%" successful in treatment of my particular type of Graves disease.  Those odds aren't good enough for me and he didn't recommend it anyways. I have nodules, one thats grown 1 mm in 3 months. the others haven't,  but there is always that chance.  RAI doesn't kill off the nodules, leaving them to grow, so I'm going for a TT.  I've talked to my hubby about it and he supports me in it.  (I think he wants my sex drive back..ha ha).  I have really good insurance right now that will cover surgery 100%. If I wait, I don't know if I'll have that in my insurance later on.  My unions MOU (memorandum of understanding) is up the end of this year, so negotiations can happen that change my insurance.  

[TheCarMan]

How did you decide on the TT?

I know a bunch of folks in the medical community and got 8 opinions from EMT, Gas Drs, Surgeons, GP, Endo and Internist. Few had strong opinions and most kind of just gave me options to consider. All of the options suck!

[hyper_what?]

HAHAHAHAAA..."monkey steak"  I'm only on methimazole (generic Tapazole) until my TT, which hopefully will happen in the next 6-8 weeks. I've had a lil problem with my endo. dr. in that he cancelled all his appointments last month and has been coming into the office 1x a week to "do paperwork."  I got a hold of his office manager and asked, since I've decided on the TT, if he could get the referral going. She said she'd make sure and talk to him about it before Wednesday. *crosses fingers*

[TheCarMan]

I've been chasing a leg pain thing for months now. Got off the Tapazole because it was thought it was irritating the veins, etc. That didn't work. I also have lower back (multiple) problems that might be interfering with the diagnosis. And the Hereditary Hemachromitosis makes things even goofier.

I'm getting blood work done tomorrow related to my Grave and HH. Hopefully, I will get some answers and can share with all.

If you want to test the potassium, eat a banana. They're full of potassium and I don't think that anyone has died from eating some monkey steak!

I do know this, the mind is a powerful drug. Aches and pain thresholds are different for all. A pain specialist told me that with the advances of today's technology, there is no reason to put up with pain...... I think that I'm a fairly smart fella and I'm pretty sure my Docs are. This thyriod thing can mess with you so many differnt ways, it seems to take a while to get squared around.
Try to keep positive.

GravesLady sounds like she has been around the block. I'm getting out a bar of soap!

[GravesLady]

My cramps are worse when my TSH and/or FT-4 go out of the hyper side of Labs. When they are in Labs (still on the hyper end) cramps don't seem too bad or as often.  I do take calcium with V-D and A, magnesium and potassium, along with all my other vitamins/mineral.  Drinking more water and keeping up triglycerides maybe through sports drinks or make your own.  This is going to sound funny - put a bar of wrapped soap under your bottom sheet and replace once a year, its an old wives tale which many have heard of passed down from their grandparents.  It seems to help with all the above.

Good Luck and Best Wishes for 2008.

(My information and comments are not meant to offend or be offensive nor obnoxious, they are what they are, just information and comment - GL)

[hyper_what?]

Thats what I was beginning to wonder. Any way to help lessen the cramps?? is it s potassium deficiency or something??

[GravesLady]

Could be both.  But I suspect Graves'.