# Confused, afraid, Can't breathe- newly diagnosed Graves



## jayde

Hi,

I hope someone can share their experience.

I have just received the TSI results which I believe confirms Graves.. I see the endo again next week. My results

TSH < 0.02 (range 0.34-5.6)
FT3 = 5.5 (range 2.5 - 3.9)
FT4 = 2.81 (range .58-1.64)
TSI = 300 (baseline 140)

I have been so short of breath at times, I feel like I cannot fill my lungs and when I try and take some deep breaths I feel like my lungs are being constricted and cannot fully expand. I have to gasp to take a breath. I originally went to the doc because I thought I had a lung problem, but lung xray and pulmonary test show lungs are ok.

This lead to the investigation and and discovery of hyper... Doctor thinks the breathing issue is anxiety/ panic attacks due to the hyper, but it is not like that, I can go a whole day not being able to breathe properly... I can also recognize when I am experiencing anxiety due to this and it is not always at the same time as the breathing difficulty. Has ANYONE experienced this related to Hyper or Graves??

I am taking metoprolol 25mg twice a day but have not yet started any other treatment as my labs just came back. I still get palpitations, heart pounding (not all the time) and now I have chest/ rib pain. I am crying a lot, feel desperate, unable to control my emotions and really afraid. Sometimes I feel normal for few hours and think I'm making this all up.

Does the high TSI show conclusively Graves, or could it just be hyper??

Any input about the breathing issue and opinion on the labs would be so appreciated. I feel like I am going crazy and can't help feeling that the breathing is not related to the thyroid and something else is wrong. PLease help.

Thank you so much

Jayde

I am a 38 year old active, athletic female if that makes any difference...


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## webster2

Hello, and welcome!

Shortness of breathe and feeling winded is pretty common as well as being sweaty, heart pounding, crying, mood swings, tired, incoherent thinking. The mood swings drove me over the edge. I am normally a calm rational person, when the Graves was raging, I was unbelievably irrational. I did not recognize myself nor could I control these outbursts. Anxiety is common.

Let your people close to you know the symptoms of a thyroid storm, if you should experience a huge increase in symptoms. Mine started with a lung infection.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001437/

TSI along with the charateristics of Graves are usually how the diagnosis is made. Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRab) and anti Thyroid Perioxidase (anti-TPO) are other tests that can be used as well as the TSH, T3 and T4.

Has your doctor mentioned prescribing an anti-thyroid medication such as methimazole in addition to the beta blocker? And, a radio active uptake scan, ultra sound? You probably shouldn't exercise until your heart rate is under control.

Graves sure does make you think you are going crazy but it does get better. Take care!


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## midgetmaid

Before I was diagnosed with Grave's, I thought something was wrong with my lungs also.

You are very hyper and that affects the emotions in a big way. It's not in your head. While you're waiting for the next steps of your treatment plan, try to rest as much as possible. Your body is very stressed right now.

Renee


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## Lovlkn

Jayde,

It's all going to get better once your thyroid levels go down.

What you are feeling is due to your thyroid levels and also movement of your thyroid hormone levels moving because of the anti thyroid meds you are now on.

You could ask your doctor for some Lorazapam until you stabilize.


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## greatdanes

jayde said:


> Hi,
> 
> I hope someone can share their experience.
> 
> I have just received the TSI results which I believe confirms Graves.. I see the endo again next week. My results
> 
> TSH < 0.02 (range 0.34-5.6)
> FT3 = 5.5 (range 2.5 - 3.9)
> FT4 = 2.81 (range .58-1.64)
> TSI = 300 (baseline 140)
> 
> I have been so short of breath at times, I feel like I cannot fill my lungs and when I try and take some deep breaths I feel like my lungs are being constricted and cannot fully expand. I have to gasp to take a breath. I originally went to the doc because I thought I had a lung problem, but lung xray and pulmonary test show lungs are ok.
> 
> This lead to the investigation and and discovery of hyper... Doctor thinks the breathing issue is anxiety/ panic attacks due to the hyper, but it is not like that, I can go a whole day not being able to breathe properly... I can also recognize when I am experiencing anxiety due to this and it is not always at the same time as the breathing difficulty. Has ANYONE experienced this related to Hyper or Graves??
> 
> I am taking metoprolol 25mg twice a day but have not yet started any other treatment as my labs just came back. I still get palpitations, heart pounding (not all the time) and now I have chest/ rib pain. I am crying a lot, feel desperate, unable to control my emotions and really afraid. Sometimes I feel normal for few hours and think I'm making this all up.
> 
> Does the high TSI show conclusively Graves, or could it just be hyper??
> 
> Any input about the breathing issue and opinion on the labs would be so appreciated. I feel like I am going crazy and can't help feeling that the breathing is not related to the thyroid and something else is wrong. PLease help.
> 
> Thank you so much
> 
> Jayde
> 
> I am a 38 year old active, athletic female if that makes any difference...


I have both antibodies for graves and hashi's. I can tell you that shortness of breath is a symptom of both hyper and hypo. Yes, I think we've all been there where we thought it was something else too. This disease causes a lot of anxiety and hypochondria. If you are getting at least 97% oxygen and your xrays are fine, stop worrying!


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## jayde

Thanks for the replies and the information. I just haven't read a lot about people having so much difficulty breathing, I can't help feeling like if its this bad it's not thyroid related.

I am not on any anti thyroid meds yet, just the beta blockers. The endo I went to recommends RAI but I am not willing to do it so am looking for a holistic endo, I'll take the drugs but not RAI at this early stage.

THe beta blockers do help a bit, but when I'm feeling my worst, i feel like I'm dying.

Has anyone taken the ATDs and felt better?

Thanks for the support everyone.


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## Sarah31905

Jayne, you really need to research thyroid storm!!! My mom had Graves' disease, and she went un-diagnosed for many years. Her thyroid levels always ran boarder line, so the docs always said she was fine. Finally she got a new doctor and he was great. He didn't rely on the numbers, he sent her for RAIU. She turned out to be very hyper. That is why even though she would get about 8 hours of sleep a night, she still didn't feel rested, her body wasn't shutting down and resting. Her heart constantly felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She had her menstral cycle every two weeks, she felt short of breath. By the time they got the results of the RAIU, they moved very quickly to give her the RAI. The doctor told my mom that she could have went into thyroid storm any minute. It is a very serious condition. Be very careful. I am lucky enough that I have a new Endo and she found my Hashi's early. The past couple of days though I have been feeling very hyper.


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## stellablue

Hi Jayde, 
Your breathing difficulty and chest pain symptoms sound very similar to mine. I have been hyperthyroid for at least a year straight, but have had problems for over 5 years. The entire time I have had trouble breathing, chest pains, and heart palpitations. When I was not medicated and very hyperthyroid, I was often short of breath, but that has gotten better with the medicine. Now the only time I have shortness of breath or heart palpitations is when I do something physically stressful; however, I still have trouble with chest pain below the ribs and between them, and painful breathing. I have attributed it to the hyperthyroid, but recently someone on here told me that I should get checked for lupus.

As for your medication question, I am not an expert, but I can share my experience. The first time I was diagnosed with hyperthyroid (almost 5 years ago), I was breastfeeding and chose to try an all-out natural path. For 6 months I ate a super healthy diet, rich in dark green vegetables, no meat, no grains, etc. In addition, I took different supplements and herbs that were supposed to help. I tried to relax, took peaceful walks daily, went to bed early, didn't watch tv or get on the computer much, etc. My blood tests kept getting better until they leveled out.

Unfortunately, as soon as I stopped doing all of this, everything spun out of control little by little again, and before I realized it, I was REALLY sick. Since May, I have been doing a mixture of natural things with anti-thyroid drugs. I take a fairly high dose of tapazole daily, and I guess I am lucky that my liver is tolerating it so far. In addition, I take a variety of supplements and herbs that I have researched and gotten on my own, and once a week, I am going to accupuncture. I am trying to limit computer time, spend time in the garden, talking walks, getting a lot of sleep (when I can). I DEFINITELY feel better than I did before, but I still don't feel great. I don't know if it is "working" or not. I am trying to be positive and feel like it is. I would like to go into remission and try to maintain it with a continuous healthy lifestyle.

A lot of people swear that the way to get feeling better is RAI or the surgery, but I am still not convinced by either of those methods. I may change my mind somewhere down the line.


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## jayde

Thanks Stella Blue. I really appreciate the input, I am willing to take meds if necessary but feel it is very important to try and get to the cause of the imbalance in my body. I hope with some stress reduction and natural treatments I will have the success you did initially. You said you stopped all the natural treatments and then it came back.. maybe you need to stay on that plan... Thank you for the comment about your breathing, it is the aspect that scares me most and contributes greatly to my fear and anxiety.

Sarah thank you I am going to pass the info on to my family.

Thank you everyone. Its great to have the support.


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## Andros

jayde said:


> Hi,
> 
> I hope someone can share their experience.
> 
> I have just received the TSI results which I believe confirms Graves.. I see the endo again next week. My results
> 
> TSH < 0.02 (range 0.34-5.6)
> FT3 = 5.5 (range 2.5 - 3.9)
> FT4 = 2.81 (range .58-1.64)
> TSI = 300 (baseline 140)
> 
> I have been so short of breath at times, I feel like I cannot fill my lungs and when I try and take some deep breaths I feel like my lungs are being constricted and cannot fully expand. I have to gasp to take a breath. I originally went to the doc because I thought I had a lung problem, but lung xray and pulmonary test show lungs are ok.
> 
> This lead to the investigation and and discovery of hyper... Doctor thinks the breathing issue is anxiety/ panic attacks due to the hyper, but it is not like that, I can go a whole day not being able to breathe properly... I can also recognize when I am experiencing anxiety due to this and it is not always at the same time as the breathing difficulty. Has ANYONE experienced this related to Hyper or Graves??
> 
> I am taking metoprolol 25mg twice a day but have not yet started any other treatment as my labs just came back. I still get palpitations, heart pounding (not all the time) and now I have chest/ rib pain. I am crying a lot, feel desperate, unable to control my emotions and really afraid. Sometimes I feel normal for few hours and think I'm making this all up.
> 
> Does the high TSI show conclusively Graves, or could it just be hyper??
> 
> Any input about the breathing issue and opinion on the labs would be so appreciated. I feel like I am going crazy and can't help feeling that the breathing is not related to the thyroid and something else is wrong. PLease help.
> 
> Thank you so much
> 
> Jayde
> 
> I am a 38 year old active, athletic female if that makes any difference...


Hi; firstly..................hyper thyroid causes muscle myopathy and the lungs are not only supported by muscle but their function depends on it. I know because it happened to me.

Everything prolapsed; it was horrible and very very scary. For that reason I made the irreversible decision. Get rid of the thyroid (target under attack.)

You may not have Graves'. I hope you do not.

Here is info.

Myopathy from hyper.
http://www.medicalonly.com/2007/07/27/thyrotoxicmyopathy_hyperthyroidism

If you have any TSI, even if it is below the range, that is "definitive" for hyperthyoid. As to the reason, that's another story. It could be because of cancer, Hashimoto's or Graves'.

Hashimoto's is diagnosed by FNA. If certain Hurthle Cells indigenous to Hashi's are present, then you have Hashi's.

Histologic diagnosis of Hashimoto's
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/120937-diagnosis

Hashimoto's Hurthle cells
http://www.pathconsultddx.com/pathCon/diagnosis?pii=S1559-8675(06)71549-2

The criteria for Graves' is clinical. You must exhibit..........goiter, exophthalmos, pretibial myxedema and thyrotoxicosis as per Dr. Robert Graves' of the 1800 era. 3 out of the 4 qualify.

http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/diagnosis-and-treatment-of-graves-disease/


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## webster2

Graves isn't something to take lightly, it can be life threatening. I had a lot of lung issues when I went undiagnosed. The last one, ended with a thyroid storm, which is life threatening. I know RAI or surgery seems drastic but I have felt so much better since having the surgery. I never imagined it was possible to feel good again.

I wish all of you in the decision making phase, all the best.


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## jayde

THank you,

My endo prescribed 10mg methimazole twice a day for 1 weeks and then after that 5mg twice a day. I am afraid to start these meds, but I guess I have to...

THanks for the support.


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## Andros

jayde said:


> THank you,
> 
> My endo prescribed 10mg methimazole twice a day for 1 weeks and then after that 5mg twice a day. I am afraid to start these meds, but I guess I have to...
> 
> THanks for the support.


Hope your endo put you on a beta-blocker to protect your heart. If not, insist on it. Many of us hypers have permanent heart damage because this was not addressed.


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## jayde

Yes, thanks been on the beta blockers for over a month now, while waiting for more definitive diagnosis and treatment. Couldn't do without them.


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## adenure

Hi,
Like everyone else has said, the "constricted breathing" as I always call it when I try to describe it to someone, is definitely part of being hyper. I have Graves Disease and was put on methimazole for 7 weeks (5 mg a day); it got my thyroid levels balanced, but unfortunately, my liver enzymes shot up 8 times the normal range. So, I had to stop taking it immediately.

I chose surgery 6 weeks later. Fortunately my levels stayed normal for the 6 weeks! I didn't want RAI, so I was fortunate enough to be able to have surgery. I'm 3 months post op. now and I feel much, much better than when I was hyper, but I won't lie and say I feel 100% perfect or as well as I did before Graves. I don't. But, I can exercise, take care of my family, sleep most nights fairly well and the constricted breathing isn't nearly as bad as it was nor the anxiety. It comes and goes on occasion, but it's more of a nuisance than a major problem like it used to be. I thought I was going to pass out at the height of my worst time with Graves. I have headaches still too, but I guess we do the best we can each day.

When you have your labs done, request a liver panel just to make sure your levels are okay there. I didn't have any symptoms, but had the liver issues all the same. Good luck!

Alexis


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## slivola

Jayde- your symptoms sound very similar to mine before I started taking the beta blockers and anti-thyroid meds. I, too, prefer more natural approaches. I went to acupuncture often while waiting to see the endocrinologist to start medication. Even my acupuncturist recommended I do a combo of acupuncture and the beta blockers and anti thyroid medicine because he said hyper is much harder to treat and control naturally in comparison to hypo. He said my body will respond the best with a combination of east meets west, and there are studies of patients taking the medicine during acupuncture which show that they reduce their dose faster and a high percentage obtain remission. I've known my acupuncturist for 10 years and he also teaches it at a school of acupuncture, so I really trust his judgement.

There is also another website you should know about by a scientist who researches graves and other immunological conditions. You can even register and post a question to her and she will personally answer it. Her name is Elaine Moore and here is the link: http://www.elaine-moore.com

The best advice I could give you is to make sure you find an endocrinologist who is willing to work with you and adjust your dose based on how you feel. After being overmedicated by my first endo, I have since learned that the starting dose has been lowered to 20mg as studies show it is just as effective as 30mg but with less risk to your liver.

You will feel better once you begin treatment!


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## jumpingbean

Shortness of breath is one of my worst symptoms! It's very scary and I thought I was going to black out at times. Add to that the overwhelming anxiety and it's a recipe for disaster! My resting heart rate was over 130 bpm and I felt on-edge constantly. I am currently on a low dose of a beta blocker as well as PTU and I'm feeling so much better!! Talk to your doctor about your issues and see what can be done to immediately help with the discomfort of GD. I felt better within one day when I started my meds. Also, I took one bata blocker that wasn't a good fit for me so my doctor switched me to a different one. I know they're supposed to do the same thing but the first one didn't help with the anxiety and made me feel woozy. I hope you feel better soon.


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## slivola

One thing I have found helpful is taking my medication at night (especially beta blockers). Since anti-thyroid and beta blockers are both medications that slow us down, I have used them to my advantage by taking them at night. I have such a good sleep, and if there are any side effects like feeling woozy, it makes drifting off to sleep even better!


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## jayde

Thank you all for your responses. Especially hearing about the breathing difficulties has helped a lot. Thinking that I have some kind of lung problem as well as GD has added to my fears, anxiety and depression, so hearing that you've had this problem too makes me feel better. Its one of my most difficult symptoms (aside from the emotional) and its not one of the commonly listed symptoms for hyper..

I have not been taking the methimazole, I am afraid of the potential hair loss, white blood cell damage, liver damage and weight gain. I am trying the natural treatment taking L Carnitine and will see how that goes till I see the holistic doc on the 11th..

I am taking the beta blockers still and sleeping pill - hearing stories about how you feel better when starting the right dose of meds makes me wonder if I should just start and take a short course. I just want to feel myself again, I feel like I am losing my mind and how I used to be... I want to be able to think and exercise and be a "happy" person again.. I would try every possible treatment out there, but I don't have a lot of money and no insurance right now so have to be selective. It seems every time you look at a doctor, natural or conventional it costs about $200.

I am 38 and would still like to have the chance of having a child in the next couple of years, but it seems that unless I have the thyroid killed, I will probably be spending the next couple of years getting my levels healthy enough. Difficult choice. THanks for the advice on dosage and when to take the meds. And, most of all thanks to each of you for sharing your story with me.

Thank you.
J


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## minli

Jayde ((((hugs)))) there are so many things those of us with Graves typically get misdiagnosed with.

I have a Tshirt a friend gave me when I first got the diagnosis ....it reads:

"I am not depressed, pregnant, bulemic, schizophrenic, manic-depressive, epileptic, spastic, going through menopause, ADD, ADHD, on meth, crank, or coke, or even just plain crazy....I just have Graves' Disease"

I have been diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar type 1, asthma, unspecified high blood pressure, unspecified generalized anxiety disorder, and a severe emotional disturbance.......yeah....15 years later.....2 storms later...I don't have any of that.....it's just Graves 

One of the biggest problems I think we face is how long it takes for someone to get it right. It breeds a sort of distrust that is difficult to overcome. That and no one tells us it is "normal" for us not to feel "normal".

Lots of prayers coming your way, this journey is never an easy one. Just breathe and take things as they come, it will get better.


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## Sunshine_chaser

Jayde, I cannot breathe properly even as I type this, I know the feeling you described so well. My doc won't medicate me as they say my levels are currently fine even though I was diagnosed with graves last year. I am not fine, and fed up of being 'told' I must be anxious when I am clearly not. Ugh. Hope you are better soon, I am sure with meds, symptoms will improve.


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## webster2

Sunshine_chaser said:


> Jayde, I cannot breathe properly even as I type this, I know the feeling you described so well. My doc won't medicate me as they say my levels are currently fine even though I was diagnosed with graves last year. I am not fine, and fed up of being 'told' I must be anxious when I am clearly not. Ugh. Hope you are better soon, I am sure with meds, symptoms will improve.


Are you able to seek another opinion? Breating with difficulty should not be part of your daily life.


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## Andros

jayde said:


> Thank you all for your responses. Especially hearing about the breathing difficulties has helped a lot. Thinking that I have some kind of lung problem as well as GD has added to my fears, anxiety and depression, so hearing that you've had this problem too makes me feel better. Its one of my most difficult symptoms (aside from the emotional) and its not one of the commonly listed symptoms for hyper..
> 
> I have not been taking the methimazole, I am afraid of the potential hair loss, white blood cell damage, liver damage and weight gain. I am trying the natural treatment taking L Carnitine and will see how that goes till I see the holistic doc on the 11th..
> 
> I am taking the beta blockers still and sleeping pill - hearing stories about how you feel better when starting the right dose of meds makes me wonder if I should just start and take a short course. I just want to feel myself again, I feel like I am losing my mind and how I used to be... I want to be able to think and exercise and be a "happy" person again.. I would try every possible treatment out there, but I don't have a lot of money and no insurance right now so have to be selective. It seems every time you look at a doctor, natural or conventional it costs about $200.
> 
> I am 38 and would still like to have the chance of having a child in the next couple of years, but it seems that unless I have the thyroid killed, I will probably be spending the next couple of years getting my levels healthy enough. Difficult choice. THanks for the advice on dosage and when to take the meds. And, most of all thanks to each of you for sharing your story with me.
> 
> Thank you.
> J


How much L-carnitine are you taking? It should be at least 6 G (grams.) Tell me how this is going for you!


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## Sunshine_chaser

Thanks Webster, unfortunately I can only speak to the specialist when they arrange an appointment and the next one is not until December. I'm off to the doctors this afternoon to try again to get them to move things forward, although I feel like I am bashing my head against a brick wall. They are going by my blood results being normal, even though I know its possible for them to prescribe treatment based on symptoms alone. The specialist told me last time that the goitre had got bigger, and she laughed at how shocking my tremor was. When I asked why I was still having these symptoms while being assured I was 'normal', she just looked at me puzzled and said that yes, I was unusual. I'd been on carbimazole for a month but when I had a neutropenic reaction, they decided not to treat me any further at that point. They believed one month was enough to haved work? I despair!


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## Andros

Sunshine_chaser said:


> Thanks Webster, unfortunately I can only speak to the specialist when they arrange an appointment and the next one is not until December. I'm off to the doctors this afternoon to try again to get them to move things forward, although I feel like I am bashing my head against a brick wall. They are going by my blood results being normal, even though I know its possible for them to prescribe treatment based on symptoms alone. The specialist told me last time that the goitre had got bigger, and she laughed at how shocking my tremor was. When I asked why I was still having these symptoms while being assured I was 'normal', she just looked at me puzzled and said that yes, I was unusual. I'd been on carbimazole for a month but when I had a neutropenic reaction, they decided not to treat me any further at that point. They believed one month was enough to haved work? I despair!


I hope you know that not receiving medical intervention for Graves' can be and often is life-threatening. Surely you can at the very least have RAI or surgical ablation if you can't tolerate anti-thyroid meds which is not unusual in advanced cases of hyper by the way.

Are you on a beta-blocker?

Since you are not being treated; please familiarize yourself with the symptoms below.

Thyroid Storm Symptoms
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001437


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## slivola

Jayde, If you don't want to take the anti-thyroid Rx, there are more natural things you could take that are similar. I highly suggest you go to www.elainemoore.com and register on the site so that you can submit a question to her under the Q&A forum. Be sure to include all of your labs, the ranges, and any pertinent info. She has often talked about Acetyl-L-Carnitine (like Andros mentioned above) which can help immune system healing & reduce hyper symptoms; reduces goiter size & liver enzymes (may decrease ferritin levels though). She also discusses something called Bugleweed (effective for lowering thyroid hormone levels instead of ATD.) If you go this route, please make sure to post a question to her so that she can guide you on the dosage, etc. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!


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## Sunshine_chaser

Thank you Andros, I'm at work now and just back from the doctor's. I was given a piece of paper with a website address which give's advice on hyperventilating and how to control breathing. Despite going over all my symptom's, they refuse to believe that it's my graves and will not push my specialist appointment further. The doctor told me I am safe to train - didn't check my heart rate either might I add. I know I am not safe to train because when I increase my heart rate, I get chest pain's and my heart goes mental.

I have NO idea what to do!!!  I know the symptom's can be dangerous, but any idea why my T.S.H is 'normal' but I have such bad symptom's? Thanks.


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## Sunshine_chaser

Yes I'm on 3 time's 40mg propranalol beta blocker a day - they are happy to prescribe this?


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## slivola

Sunshine Chaser- sorry you're not getting your appointment any sooner. It's so frustrating having to wait for your specialist's appointment, especially with how you're feeling. I can't believe they didn't even check your heart rate! Now you know that you'll have to insist on getting your vitals checked in the future. I would encourage you to email the scientist I mentioned in my post above to Jayde. She will answer within a few days and she has been researching thousands of graves and hyper cases. Many people write to her with in range TSH. There are natural things you can take and she will help you. Hang in there!


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## jenny v

Sunshine chaser, are you on the propranalol now and still having the chest pains and rapid heart rate? Also, have you ever been checked for thyroid antibodies? Those can make your levels look normal but you still feel awful.


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## Sunshine_chaser

Jenny - no I haven't had the antibodies checked recently, but that's interesting that you suggest that.

I was tested last year when I was first diagnosed with Graves but since being told I was 'better' I've not had that tested again - only the T.S.H/T4 etc.

Thank's for that suggestion - I can see a problem getting my doctor to agree to doing it when they think I'm simply hyperventilating but I will keep hassling them.

Even with the beta blocker's I get chest pain's and shortness of breath - it constantly feel's like I just can't catch enough breath.

Slivola - thank you for that link, I will certainly check that out. I am desperate for any real advice/info.


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## davidhjkang

Sunshine Chaser,

I do agree that the root cause of your shortness of breath and chest pains are caused by your hyperthyroidism, however anxiety does make the symptoms worse. Let me explain.

Anxiety is a vicious cycle. There's an initial catalyst (whatever induces stress whether it be work, school, or even a very real disease symptom if you catch my drift), a behavioral response to that catalyst with worry or fear, and physical sensations of anxiety based on the severity of your worry or fear.

With anxiety, you experienced sensations caused by the flight or fight response, you internalize those sensations, you create more fear, you experience more sensations, it just keeps going and going on forever. In the case that you would be experiencing shortness of breath from anxiety EVEN if you didn't have Graves', you could still feel like you are not able to breath at all and hyperventilate.

Now you are experiencing very real symptoms of chest pains and shortness of breath from Graves', but those symptoms aren't dangerous, just highly unpleasant. Unfortunately, even if you were the most non-anxious person in the world, with Graves' you can still experience symptoms of shortness of breath and chest pain, so I feel for you when your doctors laugh it off as anxiety.

This is the point I'm trying to make. Whether the symptoms are caused by Graves' or anxiety, those symptoms are not dangerous to you at all. You WILL NOT suffocate either way. However, for as long as you WORRY and FOCUS on them, because you do have that flight or fight anxiety response, they will get worse. They won't get any more harmful, but definitely FEEL worse. My suggestion would be to let the sensations be there, know they cannot harm you, and focus on something else. It may not rid you of the symptoms because of the Graves', but it definitely will alleviate the symptoms to an extent because of the anxiety. I hope this makes sense.

Keep your head up. =]


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## Sunshine_chaser

Thank you for that reply, I do appreciate it.

I have realised that the symptom's are not dangerous, just uncomfortable and unpleasant, like you said - and I try to distract myself or just get on with things.

Exercise has always been helpful in getting rid of any excess adrenaline, I guess I'd been stressed that even exercise was becoming difficult. I saw the specialist on Monday who said she can't give me anything while T.S.H etc but is doing an exercise tolerance test just to put my mind at rest.

Thanks for your reassuring words.


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## Serenia

jayde said:


> I have not been taking the methimazole, I am afraid of the potential hair loss, white blood cell damage, liver damage and weight gain.
> 
> I am taking the beta blockers still and sleeping pill - hearing stories about how you feel better when starting the right dose of meds makes me wonder if I should just start and take a short course. I just want to feel myself again, I feel like I am losing my mind and how I used to be... I want to be able to think and exercise and be a "happy" person again..
> 
> I am 38 and would still like to have the chance of having a child in the next couple of years, but it seems that unless I have the thyroid killed, I will probably be spending the next couple of years getting my levels healthy enough.
> Thank you.
> J


I know this is late - but I dont visit these boards very often.

I am 48 years old and had my one and only child at age 38 - and beleive me, if you do NOT Start taking your methimazole now - you will miss your chance to ever have kids.

I went through 4 pregnancies and had 3 miscarriages between the ages of 36 and 38 - I was only able to carry 1 child to term. My son is now a very happy and reasonably healthy 10 year old but that's another story.

At the time I was having these miscarriages, I had no idea there was anything wrong with my body and the doctors certainly did not check either.

I went into a thyrotoxicosis storm in January 2010 (now almost 3 years ago) when my son was 7 years old and thats when my thyroid problems were discovered. I have been taking MMI (methimazole) ever since.

I feel so much better now that I am taking MMI.

Ok so the weight has not come off, but then I am not exactly exercising much either. But my heart is stable and I dont have a goiter (touch wood). I put on weight in puberty - thats over 30 years ago now - and it has never come off.

I refuse to take RAI - I refuse to be nuked - mostly because there is no place for me to be apart from my spouse and my son for a week while I am "radio active." We all live in a 2 bedroom apartment and I have no other family close by whom I could stay with.

But so far I am doing very well without the RAI. The MMI is keeping my thyroid hormones under control.

I have not lost any hair, my white blood cell count has stayed reasonably normal, my liver is still normal -

umm white blood cells - sore throats - I think I better get my TSH checked again - I have had several sore throats ( as well as coughs and colds) lately.


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