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thyroid storm
Is it possible to go into thyroid storm without running the high temp?
Riding Out the Storm
I had no idea what was happening to me 4 years ago. The first go around, was dealing more with the physical symptoms. Had gone to both my family doctor and R.A doctor for blood work, had acute fatigue. The mental portion of it, had yet to surface.
I lost 30 pounds in 3 weeks, wasn't eating, wasn't getting the fluids I should have, was feeling awful. Now my mind was going into awful places. I go to the E.R., knew something was terribly wrong. They put me on an IV drip, remember thinking, good, this is what I need.
At the time, all I knew, could tell them, is "I am very sick and going crazy". The next thing I know, I don't have a doctor, I have a Shrink, asking me a ton of questions from childhood! Apparently the going crazy part, over-rode the "I'm very sick part" of that statement.
I apparently "admitted myself" to the nut-ward..
I was so sick, I stayed in bed the first 24 hours, no doctors came in. There is no room service in the nut ward.
They gave me a couple of pills my second day, said it would relieve the symptoms. Wondered, for a milli second, which ones, physical? Nausea, diarrhea, dehydration, heart beating out of my chest, or mental? Decided who cares, any relief would be good!
Within 20 minutes felt like I had drank a bottle of wine, was the happiest person alive. Now the Shrink wants to talk to me again, another slew of childhood question begin, except now I'm telling him happy stories.
I went back to my room. Around 7:30, a "real" doctor comes in my room and said lets pretend I'm your family Dr. Really, let's play pretend? I'm sick, not freaking blind, I can see your not my doctor, where is he?
He can't be here, I will give him the report, how do you feel? I said I'm dehydrated, can't eat, sick as a dog and if he doesn't get me out of here, I'm going to die. He said, no more bad thoughts, said they gave me some pills that made me higher then a kite, so right now I don't have one bad thought to give ya...
Well unfortunately, those pills wear off and the dark cloud was returning, asked them for something to sleep. Again didn't ask what is was, took it, it kept me wide awake ALL night!
This gave me an opportunity meet "Pro" and "Quite girl" other patients which had probably been given the same sleeping pill? "Pro" said you have to attend a meeting if you want to get out of here. We have one at 9:00am, you have to be there.
Pro showed me where the big meetings take place.. I now had a plan, I now had friends! (I thought, I'm Jack Nicholson, in the movie One Flew Over the Coo Coo's Nest) I enjoyed their companionship, we shared stories, that whole night.
We never did sleep, so onto the meeting, big group, my friends are there, so have confidence I can act normal. We had to tell a happy story of our childhood and sibling. Them and their freaking childhood stories. Been a happy well adjusted adult for 45 years, how about talking about that?
My mind was going back to that dark place, I was digging in for a happy story. I started telling them about my sister and me, killing flies to feed our turtles, oops killing something, probably a bad idea! Switched it quickly, to us putting our turtles in the swimming pool, to let them swim free, which they really enjoyed, till the chlorine in the pool killed them...Noooooo I didn't just say that! Killing flies, killing our family pets, I'm never getting out of here.
I was called out of the meeting, and was released, I think my family doctor may have ordered it? They did take blood while I was in there, to check for illegal drugs, it was negative.
They, never ran any other testing.
I was on my way home, to ride out my first of three thyroid storms.
I know now (4 years later), I had a better chance of surviving a collision with locomotive, then an un-treated thyroid storm. If the physical symptoms don't kill you, the mental ones will.
If you ever to the ER with one, keep the mental symptoms to yourself!
I had no idea what was happening to me 4 years ago. The first go around, was dealing more with the physical symptoms. Had gone to both my family doctor and R.A doctor for blood work, had acute fatigue. The mental portion of it, had yet to surface.
I lost 30 pounds in 3 weeks, wasn't eating, wasn't getting the fluids I should have, was feeling awful. Now my mind was going into awful places. I go to the E.R., knew something was terribly wrong. They put me on an IV drip, remember thinking, good, this is what I need.
At the time, all I knew, could tell them, is "I am very sick and going crazy". The next thing I know, I don't have a doctor, I have a Shrink, asking me a ton of questions from childhood! Apparently the going crazy part, over-rode the "I'm very sick part" of that statement.
I apparently "admitted myself" to the nut-ward..
I was so sick, I stayed in bed the first 24 hours, no doctors came in. There is no room service in the nut ward.
They gave me a couple of pills my second day, said it would relieve the symptoms. Wondered, for a milli second, which ones, physical? Nausea, diarrhea, dehydration, heart beating out of my chest, or mental? Decided who cares, any relief would be good!
Within 20 minutes felt like I had drank a bottle of wine, was the happiest person alive. Now the Shrink wants to talk to me again, another slew of childhood question begin, except now I'm telling him happy stories.
I went back to my room. Around 7:30, a "real" doctor comes in my room and said lets pretend I'm your family Dr. Really, let's play pretend? I'm sick, not freaking blind, I can see your not my doctor, where is he?
He can't be here, I will give him the report, how do you feel? I said I'm dehydrated, can't eat, sick as a dog and if he doesn't get me out of here, I'm going to die. He said, no more bad thoughts, said they gave me some pills that made me higher then a kite, so right now I don't have one bad thought to give ya...
Well unfortunately, those pills wear off and the dark cloud was returning, asked them for something to sleep. Again didn't ask what is was, took it, it kept me wide awake ALL night!
This gave me an opportunity meet "Pro" and "Quite girl" other patients which had probably been given the same sleeping pill? "Pro" said you have to attend a meeting if you want to get out of here. We have one at 9:00am, you have to be there.
Pro showed me where the big meetings take place.. I now had a plan, I now had friends! (I thought, I'm Jack Nicholson, in the movie One Flew Over the Coo Coo's Nest) I enjoyed their companionship, we shared stories, that whole night.
We never did sleep, so onto the meeting, big group, my friends are there, so have confidence I can act normal. We had to tell a happy story of our childhood and sibling. Them and their freaking childhood stories. Been a happy well adjusted adult for 45 years, how about talking about that?
My mind was going back to that dark place, I was digging in for a happy story. I started telling them about my sister and me, killing flies to feed our turtles, oops killing something, probably a bad idea! Switched it quickly, to us putting our turtles in the swimming pool, to let them swim free, which they really enjoyed, till the chlorine in the pool killed them...Noooooo I didn't just say that! Killing flies, killing our family pets, I'm never getting out of here.
I was called out of the meeting, and was released, I think my family doctor may have ordered it? They did take blood while I was in there, to check for illegal drugs, it was negative.
They, never ran any other testing.
I was on my way home, to ride out my first of three thyroid storms.
I know now (4 years later), I had a better chance of surviving a collision with locomotive, then an un-treated thyroid storm. If the physical symptoms don't kill you, the mental ones will.
If you ever to the ER with one, keep the mental symptoms to yourself!
AR,
your knowledge is impressive. and appreciate you sharing it.
How are you doing these days?
your knowledge is impressive. and appreciate you sharing it.
How are you doing these days?
Theoretically, yes. Your temperature would rise during the event, but it is possible to have no fever at the onset. It would be unusual, though. Fever is normally the first symptom.
You hear a lot of talk about thyroid storm, and people say they have experienced it, but it is rare, and most people do not survive one unless they happen to be in a hospital at the time.
Thyroid storm induces multiple system failure. Confusion or delirium along with tachacardia quickly escalates to vomitting, extreme delirium, coma, or seizures, along with the liver shutting down and heart failure.
Doctors have to treat multiple medical crisis simultaneously without the benefit of bloodwork, because treatment must be administered immediately or death occurs.
The event has a rapid onset and the window of opportunity for treatment is less than a half hour.
If you are laying in a hospital bed at the time and the doctor is aware that thyroid storm is a potential risk, your chances of survival are about 80%.
If you're at home and actually make it to an emergency room, the chances of survival are much lower.
What many people refer to as thyroid storm is a tachacardia event. It's scary, but it's not a thyroid storm.
You hear a lot of talk about thyroid storm, and people say they have experienced it, but it is rare, and most people do not survive one unless they happen to be in a hospital at the time.
Thyroid storm induces multiple system failure. Confusion or delirium along with tachacardia quickly escalates to vomitting, extreme delirium, coma, or seizures, along with the liver shutting down and heart failure.
Doctors have to treat multiple medical crisis simultaneously without the benefit of bloodwork, because treatment must be administered immediately or death occurs.
The event has a rapid onset and the window of opportunity for treatment is less than a half hour.
If you are laying in a hospital bed at the time and the doctor is aware that thyroid storm is a potential risk, your chances of survival are about 80%.
If you're at home and actually make it to an emergency room, the chances of survival are much lower.
What many people refer to as thyroid storm is a tachacardia event. It's scary, but it's not a thyroid storm.
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