Aa
more graves help please
im coping and pasting this info from another thread i started a while ago because it shows all my test results
my test results from feb 17 were as follows
tsh = .16 ref rang = .35 to 5
free t 4 = 18 ref range =12 to 22
free t 3 = 6.1 ref range = 2.6 to 5.7
TPO ab = 102 ref range <35kiu/l
after this some time went by before my first appointment with endo doc i had some ups and downs and thought i was actully starting to feel better
next blood test even showed that my tsh was starting to climb back to normal levels but just barely i thought doc was going to say that it was just something that was gonna pass and i wouldnt need any treatment , not that i really knew anything much about graves . test results were from
may 6th
tsh = .39 ref range = .35 to 5
free t4 = 18 ref range =12 to 22
free t3 = 6.2 ref range =2.6 to 5.7
no TPO test done this time
so at first i said i didnt want any meds and i had the RAIU test which i think was 31 percent uptake and no nodules seen then i had one of these weird attacks called doc and he started me on the tapazole 5 mg per day . and like i said had some trouble with the meds making me sick so tried taking them in half dose and then missing a day here and there wen they made me sick even went for a week or two with none then had the latest attack and went for another blood test date was july 8th results were
tsh = .28 ref range = .35 to 5
free t4 =19 ref range =12 to 22
free t3 = 6.7 ref range 2.6 to 5.7
so after this last test the doc told me he wanted me to take two 5 mg pills a day which i did but then i was starting to get some unwanted side effect again , or what i precived to be from the pills so again i went down in dose on my own and then back up and down . but never tottally stoping the meds like before . then had another blood test
results from aug 9th
tsh = .30 ref range .35 to 5
free t4 = 16 ref range 12 to 22
free t3 =5.3 ref range 2.6 5.7
so on this last blood test i can see that my free t4 and free t3 are in the normal range although the t3 is still in the high normal . and tsh is still low , so had another appointment with the doc .
he told me to keep taking the two pills which i did everyday for about two weeks straight up untill last sunday . but i was feeling increasing ly dizzy and sick , and constipated . enough to make me crazy , i was bloated up like i was 8 month pregnant and im a male . so ya i had about enough of that . desided too go down to one again . and then on monday i had another blood test . now this is were it gets interesting and brings me to wonder what to do now ?
im not sure when i will get to see the doc again so hoping i can get more help here again i should say thanks to barb as she has answered my other question in other threads hopefully she sees this one too .or anyone eles that can help . anyway results from sept 19
tsh = 6.76 ref range .35 to 5
free t4 = 12 ref range 12 to 22
free t3 = 4.9 ref range = 2.6 to 5.7
so what jumps out at me is the sudden jump in my tsh , so my immediate thought is ok i need to take less tapozole but im wondering now with my brain signaling with the high tsh to make more hormone but my free t3 is still almost 5 do i risk it jumping up if i do keep taking less ? im so confused and feeling like crap what to do and what it all means i also had a utrasound done in the last couple weeks on my thyriod and it said this
both lobes of thyriod are normale in terms of size right lobe measures 44 mms x 25mms x 16mms
left lobe 42mms x24mms x14mms
both lobes are distictly heterogeneous and are hyperemic
the appearance is consistant with graves disease
any help would be great thanks ...
my test results from feb 17 were as follows
tsh = .16 ref rang = .35 to 5
free t 4 = 18 ref range =12 to 22
free t 3 = 6.1 ref range = 2.6 to 5.7
TPO ab = 102 ref range <35kiu/l
after this some time went by before my first appointment with endo doc i had some ups and downs and thought i was actully starting to feel better
next blood test even showed that my tsh was starting to climb back to normal levels but just barely i thought doc was going to say that it was just something that was gonna pass and i wouldnt need any treatment , not that i really knew anything much about graves . test results were from
may 6th
tsh = .39 ref range = .35 to 5
free t4 = 18 ref range =12 to 22
free t3 = 6.2 ref range =2.6 to 5.7
no TPO test done this time
so at first i said i didnt want any meds and i had the RAIU test which i think was 31 percent uptake and no nodules seen then i had one of these weird attacks called doc and he started me on the tapazole 5 mg per day . and like i said had some trouble with the meds making me sick so tried taking them in half dose and then missing a day here and there wen they made me sick even went for a week or two with none then had the latest attack and went for another blood test date was july 8th results were
tsh = .28 ref range = .35 to 5
free t4 =19 ref range =12 to 22
free t3 = 6.7 ref range 2.6 to 5.7
so after this last test the doc told me he wanted me to take two 5 mg pills a day which i did but then i was starting to get some unwanted side effect again , or what i precived to be from the pills so again i went down in dose on my own and then back up and down . but never tottally stoping the meds like before . then had another blood test
results from aug 9th
tsh = .30 ref range .35 to 5
free t4 = 16 ref range 12 to 22
free t3 =5.3 ref range 2.6 5.7
so on this last blood test i can see that my free t4 and free t3 are in the normal range although the t3 is still in the high normal . and tsh is still low , so had another appointment with the doc .
he told me to keep taking the two pills which i did everyday for about two weeks straight up untill last sunday . but i was feeling increasing ly dizzy and sick , and constipated . enough to make me crazy , i was bloated up like i was 8 month pregnant and im a male . so ya i had about enough of that . desided too go down to one again . and then on monday i had another blood test . now this is were it gets interesting and brings me to wonder what to do now ?
im not sure when i will get to see the doc again so hoping i can get more help here again i should say thanks to barb as she has answered my other question in other threads hopefully she sees this one too .or anyone eles that can help . anyway results from sept 19
tsh = 6.76 ref range .35 to 5
free t4 = 12 ref range 12 to 22
free t3 = 4.9 ref range = 2.6 to 5.7
so what jumps out at me is the sudden jump in my tsh , so my immediate thought is ok i need to take less tapozole but im wondering now with my brain signaling with the high tsh to make more hormone but my free t3 is still almost 5 do i risk it jumping up if i do keep taking less ? im so confused and feeling like crap what to do and what it all means i also had a utrasound done in the last couple weeks on my thyriod and it said this
both lobes of thyriod are normale in terms of size right lobe measures 44 mms x 25mms x 16mms
left lobe 42mms x24mms x14mms
both lobes are distictly heterogeneous and are hyperemic
the appearance is consistant with graves disease
any help would be great thanks ...
hi there im back , have another question . im about to stop taking my tapozole . i have been seeing a new endo doc but im worried he doesnt know what he is doing .
i have been taking the tapozole exactly like he told me too now for almost 4 months . im doing a bit better then i was at previous times when i posted here , but still not great. anyway .
this new doc has only ever tested my tsh and free t4 . which has made me wonder if he really knows what he is doing . anyway my tsh has been over the refference range now for pretty much the whole 4 months . and my t4 has been in the green . but i didnt know my free t3 because he never tested for it .
i shoud note it was only my free t3 that ever was out of wack and my t4 was always normal which is one reason i wonder if he knows what he is doing . when i asked him about this he wouls get very irrated . he was a real jerk .
anyway i asked my family doc to give me a blood test which he did and tursn out my free t3 is still in the upper level of normal and my t4 is in the lower level of normal .
also my tyriod has been growing since i have been taking the tapozole like the new doc said to its now visable and bothers me sometimes when i swallow .
the good thing is my antibodies are down now my tpo is in the normal but my tsi is still in the red a bit but has fallin as well .
when i told this new doc that i had blood results from a test i asked for from my family doc he got tottaly pissed off and told me he didnt care and would not even look at them .
so im not going back to this guy but im worried that my thyriod is bigger now i think because this guy kept my tsh high should i be worried that if i stp the tapozole that my thyiod is bigger and so will make even more hormone now ?
i have been taking the tapozole exactly like he told me too now for almost 4 months . im doing a bit better then i was at previous times when i posted here , but still not great. anyway .
this new doc has only ever tested my tsh and free t4 . which has made me wonder if he really knows what he is doing . anyway my tsh has been over the refference range now for pretty much the whole 4 months . and my t4 has been in the green . but i didnt know my free t3 because he never tested for it .
i shoud note it was only my free t3 that ever was out of wack and my t4 was always normal which is one reason i wonder if he knows what he is doing . when i asked him about this he wouls get very irrated . he was a real jerk .
anyway i asked my family doc to give me a blood test which he did and tursn out my free t3 is still in the upper level of normal and my t4 is in the lower level of normal .
also my tyriod has been growing since i have been taking the tapozole like the new doc said to its now visable and bothers me sometimes when i swallow .
the good thing is my antibodies are down now my tpo is in the normal but my tsi is still in the red a bit but has fallin as well .
when i told this new doc that i had blood results from a test i asked for from my family doc he got tottaly pissed off and told me he didnt care and would not even look at them .
so im not going back to this guy but im worried that my thyriod is bigger now i think because this guy kept my tsh high should i be worried that if i stp the tapozole that my thyiod is bigger and so will make even more hormone now ?
hi there im back , have another question . im about to stop taking my tapozole . i have been seeing a new endo doc but im worried he doesnt know what he is doing .
i have been taking the tapozole exactly like he told me too now for almost 4 months . im doing a bit better then i was at previous times when i posted here , but still not great. anyway .
this new doc has only ever tested my tsh and free t4 . which has made me wonder if he really knows what he is doing . anyway my tsh has been over the refference range now for pretty much the whole 4 months . and my t4 has been in the green . but i didnt know my free t3 because he never tested for it .
i shoud note it was only my free t3 that ever was out of wack and my t4 was always normal which is one reason i wonder if he knows what he is doing . when i asked him about this he wouls get very irrated . he was a real jerk .
anyway i asked my family doc to give me a blood test which he did and tursn out my free t3 is still in the upper level of normal and my t4 is in the lower level of normal .
also my tyriod has been growing since i have been taking the tapozole like the new doc said to its now visable and bothers me sometimes when i swallow .
the good thing is my antibodies are down now my tpo is in the normal but my tsi is still in the red a bit but has fallin as well .
when i told this new doc that i had blood results from a test i asked for from my family doc he got tottaly pissed off and told me he didnt care and would not even look at them .
so im not going back to this guy but im worried that my thyriod is bigger now i think because this guy kept my tsh high should i be worried that if i stp the tapozole that my thyiod is bigger and so will make even more hormone now ?
i have been taking the tapozole exactly like he told me too now for almost 4 months . im doing a bit better then i was at previous times when i posted here , but still not great. anyway .
this new doc has only ever tested my tsh and free t4 . which has made me wonder if he really knows what he is doing . anyway my tsh has been over the refference range now for pretty much the whole 4 months . and my t4 has been in the green . but i didnt know my free t3 because he never tested for it .
i shoud note it was only my free t3 that ever was out of wack and my t4 was always normal which is one reason i wonder if he knows what he is doing . when i asked him about this he wouls get very irrated . he was a real jerk .
anyway i asked my family doc to give me a blood test which he did and tursn out my free t3 is still in the upper level of normal and my t4 is in the lower level of normal .
also my tyriod has been growing since i have been taking the tapozole like the new doc said to its now visable and bothers me sometimes when i swallow .
the good thing is my antibodies are down now my tpo is in the normal but my tsi is still in the red a bit but has fallin as well .
when i told this new doc that i had blood results from a test i asked for from my family doc he got tottaly pissed off and told me he didnt care and would not even look at them .
so im not going back to this guy but im worried that my thyriod is bigger now i think because this guy kept my tsh high should i be worried that if i stp the tapozole that my thyiod is bigger and so will make even more hormone now ?
well its been about three months since i last posted here. seems as though my blood test for free t3 and t4 are now in the normal range . and have been for a couple months . and my TSH is in the normal too . although my free t3 is just and the very top of the scale of what is considerd normal . its 5.7 if it was just one tenth of a point higher 5.8 it would be back in the red . i should be feeling better right ? seems my doc thinks so .
but i think im worse then ever i have anxity so bad i dont drive anymore , i hardly leave the house always feel worried like im gonna have a heart attack or somehting .
i started working out . push ups , leg rasies and chin ups . about three or four sets of 15 each , every other day or sometimes two day in a row then one rest day . all was going pretty good for about a month then one day after a set of chin up i started to have a panic attack . my heart rate went up to 177 before i ripped the monitor of so i couldnt see my heart rate .
anyway the panic attack was so severe i was an inch away from calling 911 i thought i was gonna have a heart attack for sure . now im too parinoid to even work out again . i havent had what i would call a normal bowel movement since around last may when i first started taking the meds . im severly irratable moody depressed and sometimes i get unexplained head achs so bad i call them brain stem head achs . and nothing seems to make them go away they just have to run there coarse of about 24 hours . anyway im not a happy camper at all ..
can tapozole cause anxity ?
but i think im worse then ever i have anxity so bad i dont drive anymore , i hardly leave the house always feel worried like im gonna have a heart attack or somehting .
i started working out . push ups , leg rasies and chin ups . about three or four sets of 15 each , every other day or sometimes two day in a row then one rest day . all was going pretty good for about a month then one day after a set of chin up i started to have a panic attack . my heart rate went up to 177 before i ripped the monitor of so i couldnt see my heart rate .
anyway the panic attack was so severe i was an inch away from calling 911 i thought i was gonna have a heart attack for sure . now im too parinoid to even work out again . i havent had what i would call a normal bowel movement since around last may when i first started taking the meds . im severly irratable moody depressed and sometimes i get unexplained head achs so bad i call them brain stem head achs . and nothing seems to make them go away they just have to run there coarse of about 24 hours . anyway im not a happy camper at all ..
can tapozole cause anxity ?
3 Comments
i just wanted to post here again with my thyriod hell . im still taking tapozole i take 5 mg 4 days a week and 7.5 , 3 days a week .
my levels were in the green for a couple months taking a lower dose like a pill every other day . but for some reason i went back up in free t3 .
even had to go to hospital a couple more times . now im back in the green levels again except for my tsh for the last couple months . my last blood test were
free t4 15 ref range 12 to 22
free t3 5 ref range .35 to 5.7
tsh 5.43 ref range 2.6 to 5
also my TPO which was elevated is now in the green referance range
my TSI or TRAB has also gone down from 12.74 to 3 . something
so im ok according to my doctors and i suppose in some ways some of my symptoms are better but .
im still suffering big time . particularly with anxity and panic attacks my doctors keep telling me its not related to my thyriod lol ya right i try and tell them that i can actully feel when my T3 is out of range the endo doc told me that i couldnt feel it though but I CAN !! anyway im going to therapy for anxity and panic attacks . but i thinking if i just have the stupid thing nuked a huge amount of my anxity would go away even though the docs tell me no . anybody eles out there that suffered from severe anxity and got any relive after having there thyriod removed or iradiated
my levels were in the green for a couple months taking a lower dose like a pill every other day . but for some reason i went back up in free t3 .
even had to go to hospital a couple more times . now im back in the green levels again except for my tsh for the last couple months . my last blood test were
free t4 15 ref range 12 to 22
free t3 5 ref range .35 to 5.7
tsh 5.43 ref range 2.6 to 5
also my TPO which was elevated is now in the green referance range
my TSI or TRAB has also gone down from 12.74 to 3 . something
so im ok according to my doctors and i suppose in some ways some of my symptoms are better but .
im still suffering big time . particularly with anxity and panic attacks my doctors keep telling me its not related to my thyriod lol ya right i try and tell them that i can actully feel when my T3 is out of range the endo doc told me that i couldnt feel it though but I CAN !! anyway im going to therapy for anxity and panic attacks . but i thinking if i just have the stupid thing nuked a huge amount of my anxity would go away even though the docs tell me no . anybody eles out there that suffered from severe anxity and got any relive after having there thyriod removed or iradiated
Your last lot of labs show you are a bit hypothyroid. Anxiety/panic attacks are possible symptoms of both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. I actually get hyperthyroid when I go to the gym due to improvement in immune function and less attack on my thyroid gland (I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis). When I consistantly go to the gym I have to cut my thyroxine dosage from 50 mcg to 25 mcg.
Just to add, my TPOAb went up with hyperthyroidism and down with selenium.
COMMUNITY LEADER
It could be the high TSH signalling your thyroid to produce more hormones, or possibly your TSH doesn't really correlate well with your actual hormone levels, or you could have nodules producing hormones independently of the thyroid... Have you had an ultrasound to determine if you have nodules?
Thyroid storm is something you always have to worry about, so might have to increase the med again, but you're pretty much keeping yourself on a roller coaster... you should probably talk to your doctor and see what he recommends, based on the labs and how you feel. If you aren't having any symptoms, perhaps you can let things level out and see what happens; however, as soon as you have symptoms, you must be ready to act.
There is something to be said for having a TT, getting on a daily replacement hormone and getting everything on an even keel again. You're taking a daily medication now and it's not keeping you leveled out, so taking a daily thyroid hormone wouldn't be a whole lot different.
Thyroid storm is something you always have to worry about, so might have to increase the med again, but you're pretty much keeping yourself on a roller coaster... you should probably talk to your doctor and see what he recommends, based on the labs and how you feel. If you aren't having any symptoms, perhaps you can let things level out and see what happens; however, as soon as you have symptoms, you must be ready to act.
There is something to be said for having a TT, getting on a daily replacement hormone and getting everything on an even keel again. You're taking a daily medication now and it's not keeping you leveled out, so taking a daily thyroid hormone wouldn't be a whole lot different.
COMMUNITY LEADER
The TRab is not really the same as TSI, but is sometimes used in its place, though it's not quite as good. Yours, being elevated, would indicate that you do have Graves Disease; however, some people have both, Hashimoto's and Graves Disease and since your TPOab is elevated, as well, it's possible you could have both.
People with Hashimoto's, have only TPOab and/or TgAb; they don't have the TRab or TSI.
How are you feeling now?
People with Hashimoto's, have only TPOab and/or TgAb; they don't have the TRab or TSI.
How are you feeling now?
1 Comments
well i was having a terrible time a couple weeks ago when i was taking two tapazole pills a day, then went down to 1 and still feeling not well at all.
i was thinking it was the meds that were making me feel so sick so after another blood test that i also had on the same day as the above . i will post at bottom .
but the doc said to cut dose again so i am currently only taking a half pill a day and think maybe im feeling better but its only been about a week . and now after these latest test im worried its gonna jump back up again . since i dropped dose. should i be worried about thyriod storm ?
im really kind of confused not sure if i feel sick because of the disease or because of the meds , but with all these test pointing to graves disease im starting to accepet that i do have graves ,it took a while to belive . it and hoping it would just go away .
because i dont really want to have to lose an organ especialy as you need it to live unless you are to take meds the rest of your life , and it *****
anyway after the following blood test doc droped me to half a pill
tsh = 6.01 ref .35 to 5
free t4 = 16 ref = 12 to 22
free t3 =5.7 ref = 2.6 to 5.7
this was after lowing the dose from two pills to one . and as you can see my free t4 and t3 have gone up and tsh was starting to go down
but at the rate my hormone levels have went up , i am thinking and think i can maybe feel ,
that my levels or probably climbing back possibly even higher now because of the high tsh singnaling my thyriod to produce more hormone so im wondering if i should maybe take maybe a whole pill one day and a half the next or something
i was thinking it was the meds that were making me feel so sick so after another blood test that i also had on the same day as the above . i will post at bottom .
but the doc said to cut dose again so i am currently only taking a half pill a day and think maybe im feeling better but its only been about a week . and now after these latest test im worried its gonna jump back up again . since i dropped dose. should i be worried about thyriod storm ?
im really kind of confused not sure if i feel sick because of the disease or because of the meds , but with all these test pointing to graves disease im starting to accepet that i do have graves ,it took a while to belive . it and hoping it would just go away .
because i dont really want to have to lose an organ especialy as you need it to live unless you are to take meds the rest of your life , and it *****
anyway after the following blood test doc droped me to half a pill
tsh = 6.01 ref .35 to 5
free t4 = 16 ref = 12 to 22
free t3 =5.7 ref = 2.6 to 5.7
this was after lowing the dose from two pills to one . and as you can see my free t4 and t3 have gone up and tsh was starting to go down
but at the rate my hormone levels have went up , i am thinking and think i can maybe feel ,
that my levels or probably climbing back possibly even higher now because of the high tsh singnaling my thyriod to produce more hormone so im wondering if i should maybe take maybe a whole pill one day and a half the next or something
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'm sorry, I missed that TPOab in Feb. You're right, it's elevated, which "is" an indication of autoimmune condition. Typically, elevated TPOab indicates Hashimoto's, but it can be slightly elevated with Graves Disease, as well. This is why it's so important that you get the TSI test, which is the definitive test for Graves Disease.
I don't know why your pcp said you didn't need treatment in Feb; it's obvious your levels were too high and that you had hyperthyroidism. Some doctors "would" think that what they consider "slightly elevated" Free T3 should not cause symptoms and would not require treatment. This is an indication that they aren't good thyroid doctors and you would be wasting your time trying to get answers from them. Even many endocrinologists are not good thyroid doctors, as many of them specialize in diabetes, not thyroid conditions. You have to be careful in who you choose...
It's not surprising that your endo's office thinks it's not important to test antibodies right now; many doctors don't think that's a priority, but in the case of hyperthyroidism, it's important to know whether you're dealing with Graves or Hashimoto's, because if it's Hashimoto's, you symptoms can swing back and forth so quickly. Your doctor should know this.
I'm beginning to wonder if you should try to get another opinion. Is that something you might consider?
I don't know why your pcp said you didn't need treatment in Feb; it's obvious your levels were too high and that you had hyperthyroidism. Some doctors "would" think that what they consider "slightly elevated" Free T3 should not cause symptoms and would not require treatment. This is an indication that they aren't good thyroid doctors and you would be wasting your time trying to get answers from them. Even many endocrinologists are not good thyroid doctors, as many of them specialize in diabetes, not thyroid conditions. You have to be careful in who you choose...
It's not surprising that your endo's office thinks it's not important to test antibodies right now; many doctors don't think that's a priority, but in the case of hyperthyroidism, it's important to know whether you're dealing with Graves or Hashimoto's, because if it's Hashimoto's, you symptoms can swing back and forth so quickly. Your doctor should know this.
I'm beginning to wonder if you should try to get another opinion. Is that something you might consider?
1 Comments
hi barb thanks again , so i went and asked for the TSI antibody test , but when i went to get the blood drawn i noticed it said TRAB test . so i hope its what i need ,anyway i just got the results back from the lab but havent went to the doc yet . can you tell me is this the right test i needed i dont see TSI anywere . but the results were as follows
THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES
= 146 ref < 35
TSH RECEPTOR ANTIBODIES
= 12.82 ref <= 1.75
from what i gather the first is the same as the TPO test i had before ? if so then it has gone up since i started treatment . is the second one the same as the TSI test ?
if so does this mean that i defiantly have graves disease ? as it is even higher then the other one by comparison to the ref range .
also do some people with hashimottos have both kinds of antibodies the same way as some with graves have both or do they not and is this why we can tell that it is definatly graves ?
THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES
= 146 ref < 35
TSH RECEPTOR ANTIBODIES
= 12.82 ref <= 1.75
from what i gather the first is the same as the TPO test i had before ? if so then it has gone up since i started treatment . is the second one the same as the TSI test ?
if so does this mean that i defiantly have graves disease ? as it is even higher then the other one by comparison to the ref range .
also do some people with hashimottos have both kinds of antibodies the same way as some with graves have both or do they not and is this why we can tell that it is definatly graves ?
COMMUNITY LEADER
The total number of pills doesn't really matter; it's the consistency that really makes the difference.
I'm not disputing that many of your symptoms are those of hyperthyroidism... What I'm disputing is whether or not it's caused by Graves Disease. If it's caused by Hashimoto's instead of Graves, these swings would be expected, because they're characteristics of Hashimoto's.
Right now, your TSH and Free T4 are indicating hypo and some of your symptoms are also those of hypo. Some symptoms can actually apply to both hyper and hypo, such as anxiety, depression, sleeplessness. The slow, lethargic symptoms would be hypo. Constipation is also a symptom of hypo.
With your Free T4 being so low, it looks like it's all being converted to Free T3, which is the usable hormone. Free T4 is the storage form of hormone and isn't used directly by the body. Your thyroid produces both, but mostly T4. Yours doesn't seem to be producing much right now.
I think you should talk to your doctor and ask for the antibody tests to be done, so you'll know exactly what you're dealing with. To determine if you have Hashimoto's, the tests you need done are Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb). You need them both, because some of us have one or the other and some have both of them.
The definitive test for Graves Disease is Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI).
If you have Hashimoto's, you will eventually, go hypo and stay that way. At that point, you'll need take a daily replacement thyroid hormone pill. You'll have to be consistent with taking the medication or you won't be able to keep your hormone levels stable.
If you have Graves Disease, you may have to stay on, either, the tapazole or try PTU. I realize that PTU has side effects - there are few medications that don't - but not everyone is bothered by them. From what I've read, the side effects from PTU are more likely to go away after you start taking the medication for a while.
You were only down to one of the tapazole for one day before you tested, so you'll need to wait and test again to see if your TSH and FT4 levels come back up again, but you really don't want your FT3 to come up much, since it's already at 74% of its range. Typically, symptoms correlate best with FT3, but low FT4 can also cause your hypo symptoms. Can you retest again in a few weeks?
I'm not disputing that many of your symptoms are those of hyperthyroidism... What I'm disputing is whether or not it's caused by Graves Disease. If it's caused by Hashimoto's instead of Graves, these swings would be expected, because they're characteristics of Hashimoto's.
Right now, your TSH and Free T4 are indicating hypo and some of your symptoms are also those of hypo. Some symptoms can actually apply to both hyper and hypo, such as anxiety, depression, sleeplessness. The slow, lethargic symptoms would be hypo. Constipation is also a symptom of hypo.
With your Free T4 being so low, it looks like it's all being converted to Free T3, which is the usable hormone. Free T4 is the storage form of hormone and isn't used directly by the body. Your thyroid produces both, but mostly T4. Yours doesn't seem to be producing much right now.
I think you should talk to your doctor and ask for the antibody tests to be done, so you'll know exactly what you're dealing with. To determine if you have Hashimoto's, the tests you need done are Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb). You need them both, because some of us have one or the other and some have both of them.
The definitive test for Graves Disease is Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI).
If you have Hashimoto's, you will eventually, go hypo and stay that way. At that point, you'll need take a daily replacement thyroid hormone pill. You'll have to be consistent with taking the medication or you won't be able to keep your hormone levels stable.
If you have Graves Disease, you may have to stay on, either, the tapazole or try PTU. I realize that PTU has side effects - there are few medications that don't - but not everyone is bothered by them. From what I've read, the side effects from PTU are more likely to go away after you start taking the medication for a while.
You were only down to one of the tapazole for one day before you tested, so you'll need to wait and test again to see if your TSH and FT4 levels come back up again, but you really don't want your FT3 to come up much, since it's already at 74% of its range. Typically, symptoms correlate best with FT3, but low FT4 can also cause your hypo symptoms. Can you retest again in a few weeks?
2 Comments
thanks again barb i called the endo doc office yesterday about my latest results . the secretary called me back today and said the doc wants me to keep taking the tapozole but just one pill a day . i asked about getting the blood work done and if i could get the tsi and tpo and the ab test done . she said to just stay with the one pill a day and when i come back in december to ask the doc about getting the antibody test hopefully i dont crash into hypo before that ? i may go to my family doc before that and ask for the test
i did have the tpo ab done back in feb ans it was 102 with a reference range of <35 kiu .
l is this a sure sign i do have auto immune disease ?
belive it or not my family doc told me that my original test results from back in feb were normal and lots of people test positive for the antibodies and that that was normal too .
can you tell me what you think of him saying this ?
if i had of just seen him he would have not done anything and not even treated me . i had to look at him funny and say what ? normal look at my tsh and free t3 .
i think he maybe an idiot but can you tell me ? am i wrong do some docs think that my first blood test done back in feb would be of no concern and not even need to be treated ?
l is this a sure sign i do have auto immune disease ?
belive it or not my family doc told me that my original test results from back in feb were normal and lots of people test positive for the antibodies and that that was normal too .
can you tell me what you think of him saying this ?
if i had of just seen him he would have not done anything and not even treated me . i had to look at him funny and say what ? normal look at my tsh and free t3 .
i think he maybe an idiot but can you tell me ? am i wrong do some docs think that my first blood test done back in feb would be of no concern and not even need to be treated ?
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Hi there... for future reference, instead of starting a new thread and copy/pasting all the old information to it, you can just add continue to add new information to this thread, then we'll have all your information and labs in one place, but it won't be so much work for you...
Instead of stopping/starting the tapazole because of the dizziness, you could ask your doctor if you could try propylthiouracil (PTU), instead. It's another anti-thyroid medication, but doesn't come with the dizziness, though it can cause some nausea and other side effects that usually go away once you get used to the med.
That said, you should make a point of talking to your doctor, because your TSH is getting too high and your FT4 is too low, indicating hypo. In this case, you'd want to stop the tapazole, but that means you could swing back hyper again...
Can you refresh my memory and tell me which test was used to diagnose Graves Disease? I'm wondering if you have Hashimoto's, instead, which is often characterized by swings from hyper to hypo or normal...
Instead of stopping/starting the tapazole because of the dizziness, you could ask your doctor if you could try propylthiouracil (PTU), instead. It's another anti-thyroid medication, but doesn't come with the dizziness, though it can cause some nausea and other side effects that usually go away once you get used to the med.
That said, you should make a point of talking to your doctor, because your TSH is getting too high and your FT4 is too low, indicating hypo. In this case, you'd want to stop the tapazole, but that means you could swing back hyper again...
Can you refresh my memory and tell me which test was used to diagnose Graves Disease? I'm wondering if you have Hashimoto's, instead, which is often characterized by swings from hyper to hypo or normal...
1 Comments
thanks barb i think the doc is basing my graves diagnoses on my symptoms . and the high free t3 and what was the low tsh . also maybe the RAIU test . and ultra sound . im a fairly skinny guy and all ways have been weighed about 165 pounds my whole life im 5 11 45 years old this is why i think , but not sure . my symptoms have been irritability , anxiety , anger sleeplessness crazy diarrhea spells in which i almost pass out and have ones actually extremely hyper and emotional type stuff, and much more but seems to be more inline with some crazy mania type stuff then a slow or lethargic type symptoms . i read that the PTU med has more side effects and you have to take more of it and im awful at taking any pills as is i seem to always get messed up side effects . is a jump in tsh like that common in just a month ?
edit i should mention that even with my ups and downs taking the meds i have taken i have takin about 120 of them since aorund may i think
edit i should mention that even with my ups and downs taking the meds i have taken i have takin about 120 of them since aorund may i think
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