# exercising with graves



## stephhaze (Aug 23, 2013)

I was diagnosed with Graves about 7 weeks ago. I am on 10mg methimazole 3 times a day and 20mg propranolol 3 times a day. I have always been active and enjoy running and working out. I have not been able to exercise for some time now and have just started walking a mile and even tried running. I felt like I had run a marathon after walk/run 1 mile in 13 minutes. Also, it takes days before my legs stop hurting. Anyone else have this problem? If so, what works for you? I use to be pretty fit now I have no muscle tone.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

How long have you been on the methimazole now? Has your doctor given you the all clear to exercise?

I only ask because Graves can wear your heart out making it beat so fast and hard, so you have to be extra careful about any kind of workout until your levels come down and your body begins to recover.


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

I hate to sound like a Debbie Downer, but until I had my thyroidectomy nothing worked. I, like you, had no muscle tone. I also had quite a bit of muscle breakdown and am just now starting to rebuild it. It typically takes between 2 and 4 months after getting thyroxine levels back into the normal range for symptoms to subside, but can take up to a year depending on length and severity of the hyperthyroidism. In my case the anti-thyroids weren't controlling the hyper episode this time around, and I'd had multiple battles with it.

Right now your best bet is probably to try and stay active but alter your routine to something less strenuous. Stick to walking and save the running for awhile, swimming is excellent if you have access to a pool, and yoga is really good for reactivating and strengthening atrophied muscles. And like jenny mentioned, do make sure you're cleared for exercise.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

stephhaze said:


> I was diagnosed with Graves about 7 weeks ago. I am on 10mg methimazole 3 times a day and 20mg propranolol 3 times a day. I have always been active and enjoy running and working out. I have not been able to exercise for some time now and have just started walking a mile and even tried running. I felt like I had run a marathon after walk/run 1 mile in 13 minutes. Also, it takes days before my legs stop hurting. Anyone else have this problem? If so, what works for you? I use to be pretty fit now I have no muscle tone.


Exercise like that is absolutely contraindicated. You could seriously damage your heart or have a stroke.

You may have to tone it down to walking a couple of times a day and not fast walking either.

I am sorry for your disappointment and I share that. It was a horrible time for me not being able to exercise.

Consider an ablation and get your life back on track. If I had known, I would not have wasted 2 years on anti-thyroid meds.

I have been back in the gym for 14 years now and do lots and lots of cardio and much fast walking (I am 70, female) and enjoying my life.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> I am on 10mg methimazole 3 times a day and 20mg propranolol 3 times a day.


You are on a very high dose of anti thyroid medication and also a very high dose of a beta blocker.

As long as your heartrate is higher than normal you should likely hold off on exercising. I can remember walking into a retail store and taking my BP - my heartrate was 106 from walking into the store. I imagine yours is higher if you are exercising -

I also noticed you mentioned a DX 7 weeks ago. Your doctor should have run a liver function test on you prior to beginning anti thyroid meds - did they run that? Your doctor should also be checking your progress every 4 weeks with labs to make sure you do not go hypo. At the doses of medication you are on you will likely go hypo within 2 to 3 months at most.

Please get into the habit of asking for your lab results - the actual paper copy and begin a tracking sheet with ranges, doses and symptoms.

I hurt terribly the entire 4.5 years I was on anti thyroid medication - it was not until my Thyroid was removed and I stabilized on replacement that my pains went away.


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## stephhaze (Aug 23, 2013)

Liver function is good. 
TSH is 0.004
TT3 is 189
FT4 (new) 2.08


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## blueyes (Feb 15, 2013)

I've been going through the Graves thing since the beginning of August 2012 and I just got the "ok" to start doing some light exercise about a month ago. I was on similar doses of medication and my endo specifically told me not to change my diet -- that if I ate chocolate cake every night for dinner, keep eating chocolate cake for dinner (I do not eat cake for dinner, but you get the idea) and he told me not to exercise. My GP also told me to call her right away if my pulse ever went over 90 while on the high doses of beta blockers, which meant no exercise.

I, like you, was in pretty good shape, but I lost so much muscle mass in the beginning and now I've regained that weight in fat since I haven't been allowed to exercise more or eat less. It's a horrible feeling - there's no denying that - but I agree with everyone else that you should probably not try to do anything more than casual walking if you want to be healthy (and of course check with your doctor before exercising, especially with Graves and these meds).


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