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Graves Disease
I was just diagnosed with Graves Disease. I've been doing reasearch on the Internet and now I am TERRIFIED! Are my eyes going to bulge and my hair fall out? Does this happen to everyone with Graves Disease. I know this sounds vain, but fear is fear and this is all I can think about. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Hi these posts are from a few years ago but I just got diagnosed with Graves and like you were I'm terrified of bulging eyes.
How have things worked out for you? I'm sitting at the endo's office right now and it's only making me more terrified.
How have things worked out for you? I'm sitting at the endo's office right now and it's only making me more terrified.
I would also check into a natural health doctor that may work with the MD world. I too was diagnosed with graves and hyper. I went to the natural doctor and we checked my adrenal glands and complete food panel. My adrenal glands came back very fatigued and she put me on supplements to help restore my adrenal glands and also 5000 vitamin D because I was just at 30 the minimal level. Its been approx 2.5 months and I feel so much better and stronger and have dropped the methamazole 10mg everyday to 5mgs every other day and the beta blocker stopped completely. I feel better and have returned to normal exercise within reason. 15 mile bike ride the other day and no problems with my heart. I wish you a good doctor and always listen to your body. The doctors are not God. The natural doctor was my life saver and she put me in touch with an MD endo that thinks outside the box. I love her too. I drive over an hour to get to these doctors but it is truly worth it. good luck, carol
Make sure that the if and when you atek the beta blocker...that you 'spave' the dose out.
With Hyper and Graves, the thyroid 'spikes' at different time of the day.
I started off (a newbie like you) taking 40mg Inderal in the morning and by night time, I felt like I had 240 volts electricity going through me with a heartrate to match.
So I spaced out my beta blocker and even got down to solitting into 1/4's and taking 4 times a day.
But I took the largest amount at bedtime as between 2-4am the thyroid releases the MOST hormone and dumps it.
Most hypers will know the feeling of waking up around 4am with a racing heart and sometimes a feeling of a panic attack.
Spreading the beta blocker dose out during the day......helps this tremendously and you dont then feel so edgy.
It also helps the waking up early in the morning which is a pain if you work.
I took mine...morning, lunch, teatime and then bedtime.
And beta blockers can be taken without food too.
A full glass of water with it is the secret to it 'working fast'
I also found taking the one dose of beta blocker in one hit dropped my blood pressure too low and would knock me around a bit. When the dose is divided....you dont get that effect but you still get the effect of the beta blocker within 5 minutes of taking it where it will slow the heartrate down and stop the sweats.
Hope that helps xx
With Hyper and Graves, the thyroid 'spikes' at different time of the day.
I started off (a newbie like you) taking 40mg Inderal in the morning and by night time, I felt like I had 240 volts electricity going through me with a heartrate to match.
So I spaced out my beta blocker and even got down to solitting into 1/4's and taking 4 times a day.
But I took the largest amount at bedtime as between 2-4am the thyroid releases the MOST hormone and dumps it.
Most hypers will know the feeling of waking up around 4am with a racing heart and sometimes a feeling of a panic attack.
Spreading the beta blocker dose out during the day......helps this tremendously and you dont then feel so edgy.
It also helps the waking up early in the morning which is a pain if you work.
I took mine...morning, lunch, teatime and then bedtime.
And beta blockers can be taken without food too.
A full glass of water with it is the secret to it 'working fast'
I also found taking the one dose of beta blocker in one hit dropped my blood pressure too low and would knock me around a bit. When the dose is divided....you dont get that effect but you still get the effect of the beta blocker within 5 minutes of taking it where it will slow the heartrate down and stop the sweats.
Hope that helps xx
Thanks for your responses. This is all so new to me and I feel like I'm in a room with no doors or windows; trying to find a way out. A way back to me. Too many questions, too many fears. Too emotional to even think rationally right now.
I appreciate your comments. Thank you very much. I want to be informed. I know I have to attack this head-on. This, however, is going to be very difficult for me because my personality has always been to run away from fear or pain or the unknown. Kind of the "What you don't know can't hurt you" syndrome. I know I cannot do that this time and it's terrifying.
And, yes, this board does have some very nice people on it. I've already met one who has been very helpful.
Good luck to you both.
I appreciate your comments. Thank you very much. I want to be informed. I know I have to attack this head-on. This, however, is going to be very difficult for me because my personality has always been to run away from fear or pain or the unknown. Kind of the "What you don't know can't hurt you" syndrome. I know I cannot do that this time and it's terrifying.
And, yes, this board does have some very nice people on it. I've already met one who has been very helpful.
Good luck to you both.
Not eveyrone gets thyroid storms, or bulging eyes (thyroid eye disease). Everyone is different.
I have TED, it is not that bad. I may have to have the surgery, but not for in how I look, but because the pressure is causing me headaches, & eye pain in the sockets. I have looked like this for the past 16yrs. I don't know if my eyes became like this due to RAI, or because I went untreated & undiagnosed (kept telling me I was depressed) for 6 months with severe hyper/grave symptoms. I had to hit a thyroid storm before I was believed. I can't remember though when my eyes became this way.
I have TED, it is not that bad. I may have to have the surgery, but not for in how I look, but because the pressure is causing me headaches, & eye pain in the sockets. I have looked like this for the past 16yrs. I don't know if my eyes became like this due to RAI, or because I went untreated & undiagnosed (kept telling me I was depressed) for 6 months with severe hyper/grave symptoms. I had to hit a thyroid storm before I was believed. I can't remember though when my eyes became this way.
Hi i to have grave's have been on carbimazole for 20 odds month's at presant i'am in normal range my endo took me off med's 6 week's ago and i'm doing good he hope's i go into remmision ,will no more in 12 weeks when i go back to see him.it was a long hard road geting to this point.some go the med's road some go RAI or TT everyone is diffrent some doc's no straight from the start that med's wont work for you so they advise you to take another route.just take your time.i no at the start it's very scary but you will be fine keep posting the girl's are a great help on his site they will keep you sane.take care xxxxx annmarie
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