# Just when I thought I had it figured it out ?



## polly (Oct 29, 2010)

Okay, so here are my new labs for October as compared to my labs in September. As, my Endo said, bad, bad, bad. Ask if I was taking my meds, even though she knows I do so religiously.

*So, I'm still hyper, right ?* Pulse is higher, BP higher, getting somewhat hotter than before, but nothing else major.

I'm sure whatever else is going on in my body (possible vasculitis) and stress is playing into my thyroid levels. I do have another app with my Rheumatologist on 11/17, so maybe I will know what's going on soon.

Thanks,
Polly

October 
Tsh - < 0.006 Low (Ref Range 0.450-4.500)
Free T4 - High 1.87 (Ref Range 0.82 - 1.77)
Free T3 - High 6.0 (Ref Range 2.0 - 4.4)

September
Tsh - 0.021 Low (Ref Range 0.450-4.500)
Free T4 - 1.46 (Ref Range 0.82 - 1.77)
Free T3 - 4.4 (Ref Range 2.0 - 4.4)


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I would say you are WAY hyper.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

polly said:


> Okay, so here are my new labs for October as compared to my labs in September. As, my Endo said, bad, bad, bad. Ask if I was taking my meds, even though she knows I do so religiously.
> 
> *So, I'm still hyper, right ?* Pulse is higher, BP higher, getting somewhat hotter than before, but nothing else major.
> 
> ...


Well; did your endo adjust your med? That would be the protocul here. Bump you up a bit. What are you taking right now and how much?

Are you on a beta-blocker as well?


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## polly (Oct 29, 2010)

I take Tapazole. I was on 7.5 and she upped that to 30mg. But my meds have been up and down dramatically for the past year. I'm actually on a higher dose than when I was first diagnosed (20mg). I also take Toprol XL and was put on that in 2004 before my diagnoses.

Like I keep saying I don't really feel bad but guess I'm wearing my feelings on my shoulders AND my husband is REALLY getting on my nerves 

I'm definitely ready to have surgery now. So after I know what's going on with this other thing and doctors okay it I'm going for it !

Have a good night.


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## Serenia (Sep 27, 2011)

Your Sept labs are looking good. Your FT3 is just coming into range and your FT 4 is slightly on the low side of the normal range. It could be a bit higher. Now if you get your FT 3 and FT4 both into the middle of range and you will feel great. But you do need to continue the MMI (Tapazole).

Have you had any TRab tests? These are the antibodies and these are also important - as I have discovered.

If you have to choose between surgery and RAI - then I strongly suggest that you take the surgery.

The doctors are pushing you to do something just because it is makes their lives easier.

Once you lose your thyroid altogether, you will eventually go hyPOthyroid which means you are put onto thyroxine (or other hormone) which you MUST take for the rest of your life!!!!

It is much easier for the doctors to manage.

Graves disease (or being hyPER thyroid) is much harder for the doctors to manage and they usually just cant be bothered.

My father had Graves disease. He was pressured into having the RAI (he calls it being zapped, we call it being nuked), and he is now hypo and must now take thyroxine every day for the rest of his life.

He doesnt regret taking the RAI - especially since it did work for him and he only needed to do it once - (see Andros on this board - he had to have the RAI 3 times) but my dad does understand why I refuse to do it and why I plan on staying on MMI for as long as necessary.

My family doctor told me last week that he has one patient who has been taking MMI for 6 years and has no liver problems - and this makes me feel a lot better. It IS doable to continue with the meds. You just have to educate the doctors or in my case - educate the endo.

Both my endo and family doctor pushed the RAI but I told both of them, that I refuse to take the RAI and they have both backed off.

Once you make a decision, you just have to be strong about it.

If you do take the RAI - or do the surgery and have your thyroid removed - you will go hypo and you will have to take hormone for the rest of your life.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Serenia said:


> Your Sept labs are looking good. Your FT3 is just coming into range and your FT 4 is slightly on the low side of the normal range. It could be a bit higher. Now if you get your FT 3 and FT4 both into the middle of range and you will feel great. But you do need to continue the MMI (Tapazole).
> 
> Have you had any TRab tests? These are the antibodies and these are also important - as I have discovered.
> 
> ...


Serenia, after reading your post a few times, I'm curious about your line of thinking. I'm not questioning you...I'm just curious about something.

What I think I'm reading is that you do not want surgery or RAI because the end result is a need to take thyroid replacement for life. True. At the same time, you say you are comfortable taking MMI for years and years. (Forever? I don't know much about MMI.)

So, what makes taking one drug better than taking another for you? Or am I interpreting your post incorrectly?

Octavia


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

polly said:


> I take Tapazole. I was on 7.5 and she upped that to 30mg. But my meds have been up and down dramatically for the past year. I'm actually on a higher dose than when I was first diagnosed (20mg). I also take Toprol XL and was put on that in 2004 before my diagnoses.
> 
> Like I keep saying I don't really feel bad but guess I'm wearing my feelings on my shoulders AND my husband is REALLY getting on my nerves
> 
> ...


I could not agree more. If I could do it over, I would have never gone on the Tapazole. Just wheel me into surgery and yank that "bad girl!"

Wasted all that time on the Tapazole when I could have been healing.

Let us know.


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## polly (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I have a really good Endo, who from the beginning allows me make my own decisions. I have been on Tapazole since 2006. It just doesn't seem to be working anymore, too many up and downs. That's why I've decided to go with the surgery.

The one thing I do want to stress here is that my Endo said she wouldn't do the RAI because of my eye involvement. I wouldn't have done that anyway after all my research and how it can make the eyes worse, etc

Either way you go, you end up on medication the rest of your life. I feel it will be easier to control the hypo issues than the hyper, just my opinion.

I know I'll just have to stay on top of things as I've been doing.

Polly


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## andi9610 (Nov 16, 2011)

Octavia said:


> Serenia, after reading your post a few times, I'm curious about your line of thinking. I'm not questioning you...I'm just curious about something.
> 
> What I think I'm reading is that you do not want surgery or RAI because the end result is a need to take thyroid replacement for life. True. At the same time, you say you are comfortable taking MMI for years and years. (Forever? I don't know much about MMI.)
> 
> ...


I have also opted for the anti-thyroid meds. My endo said that about 10% of people in this course of treatment go in to remission within one year and can stop taking. About 80% go in to remission within 10 years, and the other 10% end up taking it their whole lives. I figured as long as my symptoms are under control, and there is a chance of it going to remission, I would like to try. A diagnosis of Hashi's along with the Graves has since changed my idea of possibly being able to stop taking thyroid medication one day, but am still taking methimazole and having it work well.


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