# exercise and Graves



## pandatx (Mar 27, 2013)

My endocrinologist knows how much I like to work out but has told me, in no uncertain terms "NO"....for now. What I don't understand is why. I am on beta blockers so my heart rate is down in the 80's but no other treatment yet. Just got the DX 3 days ago.

Can anyone educate me on why no cardio or weights right now if I'm on the Atenolol?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

pandatx said:


> My endocrinologist knows how much I like to work out but has told me, in no uncertain terms "NO"....for now. What I don't understand is why. I am on beta blockers so my heart rate is down in the 80's but no other treatment yet. Just got the DX 3 days ago.
> 
> Can anyone educate me on why no cardio or weights right now if I'm on the Atenolol?


If you exercise, your heart rate will go up and the Atenolol will no longer be effective. And you can damage your heart.

I know its hard but your doctor gave you sage advice.


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## pandatx (Mar 27, 2013)

Thank you Andros. I was going to try to do Shoulders and Arms from P90X but my Endo said NO. I'm worried about my bones. She said the best thing for my bones right now would be to start some treatment. So I told her to call in the RX since I'm not ready to make any other decision. May as well try it first.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Definitely no P90X. If anything, stick to walking.


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## pandatx (Mar 27, 2013)

Yeah, but now I'm not sure I even have Graves. My TPO antibody test came back negative. Maybe she's wrong. Or..maybe (probably) I'm still in denial.

Will go take my dog for a walk (and then maybe do some yoga?)


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## JPGreco (Mar 2, 2012)

Oh, I really would like to chime in here, but what I did goes against all the advice I've heard on this site. My doc failed to tell me not to exercise and I'll leave it at that.


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## pandatx (Mar 27, 2013)

but....but...I'd really like you to chime in (or message me?)


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## JPGreco (Mar 2, 2012)

* I am not a doctor nor am I all that intelligent some... err... most of the time. I do stupid things often disregarding my physical, emotional, and mental well being. Do not attempt to recreate any of the medical disregard you read here; seriously.*

I played soccer 3-4 times a week, on average for about 1.5 hrs each session. Sometimes with substitutes, sometimes without. Sometimes in very hot humid weather. The whole while I was on antenolol (50mg daily). Currently I'm still playing at that rate while on propanolol (60mg daily). Been playing at that rate for approx 10yrs now. I also have a physical job. Some days I have to physcially exert myself moving heavy items or just working hard on very hot days.

I could definitely feel the affects of Graves on my ability to do these things, as for a long while I just didn't have the strength or stamina I should have had. It seems to be slowly returning now after my 2nd dose of RAI, stamina definitely feels like it has increased as my last few games I've been able to run longer and harder. Last summer, after my first dose, I was really dragging and felt very out of breath often, but I still played.

Why did I disregard what everyone seems to agree on? Maybe becaues partly I believe it is one reason I've dealt with this so well, even with my doc freaking out some days. Also, it is my ONLY stress relief, though sometimes it seems to cause more stress... lol
Maybe I'm a moron digging my own grave (no pun intended).


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## pandatx (Mar 27, 2013)

thank you for sharing and being honest. I feel that way about exercise too..it is my stress reliever. My job can be physical but it just depends on the day. I'm just having to learn to listen harder to my body. The other day I put on a power yoga dvd, made it through 30 minutes and then gave up. I could feel that I was pushing too hard. I do not like to take medication. So they prescribed 25 mg of Atenlol for me and I decided to take 1/4 of a pill and only when I thought I needed it. The Endo did not like that and so I promised to take 1/2 a pill every day. It is keeping the heart rate down to the upper 80's (resting) which is high for me but not awful.


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## JPGreco (Mar 2, 2012)

I'm a carpenter. I never resisted the antenolol. I wasn't keen on switching to propanolol, cause the antenolol worked very well for me. So far though, so is the propanolol. I've also missed doses numerous times over the last few days, including days I played soccer, with no ill affects so far and my resting heart rate is 70 bpm right now (literally just timed it).

With the antenolol, for me at least, it acted VERY fast. I could feel it no more than 15 minutes after taking it. It also seemed to wear off before the next dose (I took it 2x a day), even though the doc said it was long lasting. When I first started propanolol, it didn't seem to make it to the next dose either.

However, the caveat here is that most medications react oddly to me. Novocaine takes FOREVER to kick in, so I need 3x the amount normal people need in order for it to take affect fast enough for the doc to do whatever they wan to do. Dentists never believe me nor did the doc last time I had to get stitches. The downside is once all of that kicks in, I'm numb for hours. Ibuprofen seems to have no affect on me at all, including Rx strength, at least for pain management. I do take it when I need to prevent swelling, but it does nothing for pain and I'm not even sure it prevents swelling for me, I just take it cause thats what you take to prevent swelling (old athletics habit). Acetaminophen (Tylenol) also seems to have only minor impacts at normal dosage amounts. I prefer aspirin to any pain medication because it seems to be the only one that impacts me at a reasonable dose. Neoprexene (aleve) did work as it states as well.
So out of the Big 4 OTC pain medications, only 2 seem to have any real affect on me at the normal suggested dose. I've never had any of the big Rx pain meds or muscle relaxers, so I don't know how they would affect me.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Try novacaine with out eppinephrine, or try carbocaine. I, too, take a ton of novacaine for it to kick in and if there is eppinephrine in there I have the shakes for hours after.


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## pandatx (Mar 27, 2013)

The Atenolol works super fast for me. I think that's why at first I thought I could just take it as needed. Because I knew it would work so fast. One morning I woke up with my heart rate at 132 and within 30 minutes it was 73. But yeah, when its time for the next dose my heartrate is heading upwards.

I get the paradoxical reaction to certain meds too. Like Nyquil is like taking speed for me. So weird. That's why I get nervous when medication is prescribed for me. I really don't know how I'll respond.

Do you guys know if joint pain is associated with Graves? I definitely have the muscle weakness...can't hardly do any pushups anymore. But some of my joints hurt real bad too.


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## JPGreco (Mar 2, 2012)

I didn't suffer joint pain, but definitely lost strength muscle strength and can't put it back on currently. But I should note that I take a daily multivitamin and often take glucosimine for joint health.

Webster, I don't get any side affects, it just doesn't work. If I remember the carbocaine, I'll ask for that.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Novacaine doesn't work on me either. Scary, I used to be in the dental field and I know how much they gave me and it didn't work! Epinephrine gives me the shakes something awful.. it is a vasoconstrictor.

I had major muscle weakness but no real joint pain. I was a heavy duty cyclist and couldn't understand what was going on. I fatigued easily too.


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## pandatx (Mar 27, 2013)

Webster, did you keep pushing before you had treatment?


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