Questions

[Meassi]

Dear Doctor Lupus

Thanks for the great work you do here on Medhelp!

I have been diagnosed with increased metabolism (and nothing else) and have been getting this medication
25/2-16/3:
3 x propyltiouracil 100mg
1 x propal retard 80mg

It made me very drowsy in the evening and made me itch real bad. But it kept me 100% symptomfree.

Because of the itching and because he wants me off propal retard, my doctor changed my medication as of 17/3 to:
4 x Thiamazol 1A 5mg
2 x ½ propranolol 40mg

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

You have hyperthyroidism - most likely from Graves Disease.  There is no proven alternative treatment -- so stay with your doctor's advice.

The recent levels still look high, so you may need more PTU or need to consider radioactive iodine or surgery for definitive treatment.  Keep working with your doctor to get the thyroid under consistent control.

[Meassi]

Here's the rest:

Where the first medication made me symptomfree in 12 hours, this medication is not making me symptomfree - maybe only 75%. My biggest symptoms are shaking hands and trouble breathing. I am still itching but doctor said to give it 3 days.

And then he went on a long vacation as of yesterday morning without telling me in advance or referring me to another doctor =/

My blood lvls for the last 2 examinations:

S-Thyr.stim. hormon 19-02-09     0.01 miu/l
                    17-03-09     0.01 miu/l
S-Thyroxin, total   19-02-09      254 nmol/l
                    17-03-09      173 nmol/l
S-Trijodthyronin    19-02-09      5.9 nmol/l
                    17-03-09      2.9 nmol/l

What do they mean? I just got them from the nurse this morning but as my doc is on vacation he can't tell me.

So my questions are:
- Is there an alternative that will keep me symptomfree and that will not make me itch?
- I heard cabbage and acupuncture can do something for this disorder - is it true or just "crystal ball"?
- I have heard this http://www.greenlife-herbal.com/shopping/index-all.asp?cpid=45 should be effective - is that also gibberish or true? Would be nice to have some medication that was natural!
- I heard different labs measure my blood in different ways - what should I ask the doctor to make sure I get the info I need for the future? I live in a very small town and the doctors are maybe not the most experienced, mine has to look in a book every time I ask him something about this disorder. (And it took him 4 years to find out what I had)
- Am I now chronically ill or is this a disorder that can be cured? My blood lvls seem to be going down and that’s a good sign – I think.
- I heard that this disease could either be autoimmune or an inflamation – what’s the difference in consequenses for me and how do I find out which it is?

Thanks in advance :)

Mette

(I am Danish, and don't know if you know the medicin I mention)