# New with ?s.



## Sherry (May 14, 2010)

Hello. I was dxed with Graves about 2 weeks ago. Actually, after reading several stories I'm pretty lucky and was dxed early per my pcp and the endo he consults with. He started me on 5mg a day of methimazole and will recheck labs in 1 month to see if the dose needs to be readjusted. My recent beginning labs : ( these were 2 weeks after I had the first set of abnormal labs)
TSH .02
Free T4 1.06 ( upper limit 1.6)
Free T3 492 ( upper limit 390)
TSI 139 ( upper limit 125)
How long does it normally take for the meds to "make you feel normal" again? I used to have tons of energy and was like the energizer bunny! Now some days it is all I can do to make it through the work day.
Has anyone found any dietary restrictions, additions to be helpful?
I work in the medical field and I think in 16 years of working, we've had maybe 5 Graves patients!
Thank you for any help!
Sherry


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

Hello Sherry and welcome to the boards and to Graves' Disease. Your Labs are classic Graves'.

""make you feel normal" again?" is an individual issue and up to your systems genetics.

Methimazole is not a permanent solution and has its own health issues from long time use. Usually its prescribed to get levels down for permanent treatment as RAI or surgery. If it is used for 18 months no longer, is to see if your levels go into remission. However this is not a 100% guarantee and you might eventually come out of remission and have to start all over again from day one or finally have to do the other two treatments, RAI or surgery.

Yes, stay away from iodine foods, food that contain iodine, grown in iodine soil, or equipment cleaned in iodine as in milking cows etc. Almost everything is iodine affected.

Good luck with your journey and keep us up dated on your progress.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Sherry said:


> Hello. I was dxed with Graves about 2 weeks ago. Actually, after reading several stories I'm pretty lucky and was dxed early per my pcp and the endo he consults with. He started me on 5mg a day of methimazole and will recheck labs in 1 month to see if the dose needs to be readjusted. My recent beginning labs : ( these were 2 weeks after I had the first set of abnormal labs)
> TSH .02
> Free T4 1.06 ( upper limit 1.6)
> Free T3 492 ( upper limit 390)
> ...


Welcome to the board, Sherry! I am so sorry you have Graves' but you are lucky to have gotten an early diagnosis.

GDWomen has give excellent feed back on the situation. Stick w/us; lots of knowledge here.


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## hillaryedrn (Dec 14, 2009)

Hi there!! I'm so glad that you were diagnosed early!! That's going to help prevent many of the side-effects of Graves. Welcome aboard!!


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