I am a complete mess 
sabinaa
20 y
12,910
2 months ago I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism - went to the doctor because I thought something was wrong with my heart. I've had palpitations for most of my life but 3 months ago the palpitations started to be severe and up to an hour long.
My blut tests showed a t4 level of 2.45 and TSH was 0.01. The 1st doctor said I can try to see if it goes away since I told him that I oppose all medication. I have never taken anything - not even Antibiotics or headache pills. I never have been sick in my whole life except some anxiety and panick attacks but I had learned to deal with them and was able to control them. I am a very active woman (42) and I have always been proud of the way I am able to manage my health. Now I am a complete mess!
The doctor recommended RAI - which is out of the question for me. Read a lot of info on ithyroid.com and many other places and have started to change diet and include magnesium and B vitamins.
My symptoms seem to go up and down - I have tremors, palpitations, thickening of my lower legs, muscle weakness and pain, my neck hurts too and now I even have a little enlarged thyroid. Some days I feel completely fine and on other days I am sitting at work and cry continously because I feel so helpless.
Then, yesterday, was a nighmere! I felt an increased heart rate and had trouble falling a sleep. Finally I slept but then woke up at 1:30 am because my heart was pounding so violently. As I woke up, it became worse and my heart kept pounding faster and harder. I started to panic and that only made it worse. After 20 minutes I seriously thought I was going to die! My heart kept hittig my chest and I must have had a pulse of 200 or more! So I crawled out of bed, on my knees I crawled to the phone and I called 911 - I crawled on the floor since I couldn't get up and opened the door to let the ambulance guys come in. They immediately checked my pulse and then loaded me into the ambulance. On the way to the hospital the palpitations finally stopped - oh I was sooo relieved! I really thought I had seen my last day!
At the hospital I had to wait for someone to check me out and since I was feeling better, I called a friend to pick me up - without waiting for someone to do a check up. It was 3:30 am by then and I was exhausted. I was fianlly able to sleep after difficulty breathing and anxiety but I went to work anyways at 8.
Today I went to another doctor who was recommended to me and she, too, told me that the RAI would be the preferred treatment. I refused and asked to get PTU as I have read that many people are able to heal themselves with this medication. She referred me to a specialist for this and ordered some more tests. My guess is that my t4 and tsh levels have increased - I can feel it.
Anyhow, the new doctor prescribed Propranolol for my heart and here I am, sitting in front of the bottle but I just can't get myself to take it. I am soo scared! I am afraid that when I stop using this stuff, my heart will pound again - even worse as it flares up (so I read). I don't know what to do and I am trying to keep myself calm but I am really scared that this violent palpitation happens again. I don't want to die but I am not good with taking pills either.
Could you give me encouragement or advise? Should I take the meds or wait until I get motherworts and buggleweed which I ordered today and which is supposed to help too? Does anyone think at this stage that I should consider anything else?
To all who have the same problems - my blessings and best wishes for recovery to all of you. Some here seem to have won the battle with this condition and I wish I could do the same. There's got to be a way to naturally heal, no? May be we can all find out how?
May we all get healthy again!
Thanks for allowing me to pour my heart out here :|
Sabine
- Re: I am a complete mess Cheryl B
20 y
12,502
MoreThis is a reply to # 19,005You could be having a thyroid storm, or so my doctor called it.
I would probably go ahead and try the beta blocers for a while to protect your heart. I hate meds too, and only stayed on beta blockers for a month, but within a week my heart was much improved. In the meantime you can research and devise a plan before trying to come off the meds if you choose to do so. Reduce your stress. It figures you went right on in to work after being in ER most of the night. Learn to slow down. Take care. My prayers are with you. - Re: I am a complete mess Cheryl B
20 y
12,428
MoreThis is a reply to # 19,005Advertisement
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You could be having a thyroid storm, or so my doctor called it.
I would probably go ahead and try the beta blocers for a while to protect your heart. I hate meds too, and only stayed on beta blockers for a month, but within a week my heart was much improved. In the meantime you can research and devise a plan before trying to come off the meds if you choose to do so. Reduce your stress. It figures you went right on in to work after being in ER most of the night. Learn to slow down. Take care. My prayers are with you.- took meds sabinaa
20 y
12,595
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This is a reply to # 19,023thank you Cheryl - you are right - I have to relax more - hard to do as I am working full time and also 2 years into my Master's program - I may have to drop out for this semester to start dealing with my health. Can't concentrate anyway right now.
The day after my attack, I began taking half a tablet (10 mg) of the beta blocker and it copletely helped with my heart - even into the next day. So now I am taking half a pill every day in the evening and I think this has saved my life. In the evening my pulse will go up to over 120/min resting - with the beta blocker I go down to 90 - 100
Next week I am meeting with 2 new doctors. I want to do a detox soon and I have also ordered copper, motherwort for the heart and buggleweed to slow down thyroid. I've been taking a 1:1 magnesium / calcium supplement and a B-multi complex. Have also ordered the nerve 8 that was mentioned here. I am going to report here what it will do.
Also, been doing some research on German sites about hyperthyroidism. Seems that the RAI is only used in cancer cases or for real severe cases. Most of the time it is treated with hormones and beta blockers. A specialist site claims that the RAI will not help to reverse the damaged heart and that the heart problems are the REAL problems in hyperthyroidism. It is also said that once you have a hyper thyroid, you will deal with it for the rest of your life. Hasn't anyone ever gotten completely cured? I thought that in 30% of the cases the thyroid normalizes after some time.
I've also noticed an intolerance to alcohol. After one glass of wine (which I thought would relax me) I have an increased pulse and feel drunk. I used to be able to handle more than that. Has anyone experienced the same?
Wishing you the best for the holidays
Sabine
- Medication and alcohol don't mix #37276
19 y
12,694
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This is a reply to # 19,024If you're taking medication, don't drink alcohol. Alcohol puts extra strain on the liver which is often under strain to filter out the medication already. In some cases, it can cause serious problems.
The studies that the do on medication typically avoid patients who drink becuase that causes so many unpredictable outcomes and the drug companies will have more trouble getting the drugs approved.
Stress management is best approached through bio-feedback, so you learn how to consciously control the physical manifestations of stress -- and as a consequence, you relax. For example, learn to consciously warm your hands to lower blood pressure. Sounds weird, but it is possible and it works.Advertisement
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- Re: took meds Cheryl B
19 y
12,413
Lugol’s Iodine Free S&H
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This is a reply to # 19,024I am totally with you on the wine. Thought a glass would calm my nerves but it will speed my heart and I feel totally drunk on about 4 ozs.
Hope you are doing well. Glad the beta blockers helped you.
- Medication and alcohol don't mix #37276
19 y
12,694
- took meds sabinaa
20 y
12,595
- Re: I am a complete mess; Hi sabine ... mabel
19 y
12,608
- Getting better every day! sabinaa
19 y
12,712
This is a reply to # 19,055
Well, after learning so much about this over active thyroid, and since it wouldn't go away on its own, I decided to find a specialist who started me on PTU. I've only been taking it for the past 7 weeks, but I am already feeling better - I can concentrate again,my muscle pain has gone away, my hands don't shake constantly and I feel like exercising again - my mood is getting better too.
The first thing I noticed after taking PTU for about 2 week was I fell into some kind of down feeling. Without the PTU, I had gotten a feeling of being able to do anything, almost euphoric and I constatnly felt so good that I wanted to do things, but couldn't because I was easily out of breath and my muscles were weak. So after taking the PTU, I began to feel sad with low energy. It was as if I was coming down from a high and that bothered me. But I continued the PTU and now I feel so much better!
My Dr. said that I should continue the high dosage PTU for another month or two and then I can take a different thyroid medicine that I only have to take once a day. After that, there is just a small chance my thryoid will regulate itself again - may be after a year or two. I am glad for this bit of chance. I am glad I didn't destroy my thyroid! I think doctors like to destroy the overactive thyroid because it can be dangerous and it is safer to deal with a destroyed thyroid than to have heart failure with an over active one.
In any case, my T4 grew from 2.4 to 2.85 to 3.4 and has dropped with the PTU down to 2 - which is great. My T3 is still a bit high but it takes 6-10 weeks for all the hormones to be washed out of your body so there can never be a fast cure.
This whole experience with my thyroid started off like hell because I had always been so healthy and active throughout my whole life - without ever having taken any medications - not even headache pills. I never had any health problems until this - so it was a big shock for me to deal with. However, studying the disease and learning about the things involved have helped - so did some of the forums (although not particularily this one). I went through six different doctors before I found one that I felt comfortable with and he is a specialist. Most likely, I will see this doctor for many years, so it is important that your doctor is the one you will trust. My advise to all over active thyroid people is to take the PTU instead of distroying your thyroid.
My wishes to you all
Sabine- What is PTU?? priya
18 y
12,129
This is a reply to # 19,063Hi,
can you please explain what PTU is and how does it help Hypertyroid.
Thanks
Priya- Re: What is PTU?? sabinaa
18 y
14,594
This is a reply to # 753,458
PTU is a medication that will lower your T3 and T4 hormones that the overactive thyroid produces. On my prescription it reads Propylthiouracil. I took PTU for about 6 months and I only took half of what the doctor had prescribed. At first I had tried natural alternatives, changed my diet, switched to decaf coffee and tried to relax more. But my T3 and T4 kept going up and I had to do something as I began to litterally waste away.
After about 4 months of taking some PTU, I could feel how I was coming down from what had felt like a "high" before. Then I began to gain weight and I stopped taking PTU all together. I thought my thyroid would start going up agin - but it never did - it became dormant and is to this day. Since I have Grave's disease, I also have a mild affect on my eyes :(
In a way I wish I could raise my thyroid a bit again since I enjoyed the weight loss and energy. When I first found out that I have hyperthyroidism, I began to learn about it and that helped me calm down a lot. As I was feeling less anxiety, I began to actualy enjoy the feeling of being engergized, up and happy, and I was able to eat anything I wanted and I would still loose weight - that was the best part! On the other hand I was also constantly out of breath, had very shaky hands and I constantly had to use the bathroom - that was irritating. Today, I find myself much more tired, depressed in times, and not as upbeat as I was before.
It has been about 6 month since I have seen my Doc, but I am getting intereted in my blood levels and hope my thyroid isn't becoming hypo - which can sometimes happen after you take PTU. My advise for anyone with hyperactive thyroidism is to try PTU as your first treatment and don't rush into distroying your thyroid only because a doctor says so! PTU may solve your problem while keeping you thyroid intakt! I remember the first doctor I saw about this told me I had to use the radiation medication, and I am so glad I didn't do that.
Good Luck :)
Sabine
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- Re: What is PTU?? sabinaa
18 y
14,594
- What is PTU?? priya
18 y
12,129
- Getting better every day! sabinaa
19 y
12,712
- Re: I am a complete mess bitsvyk
16 y
11,942
This is a reply to # 19,005Hi Sabina,
I can relate so much with your situation. I was soooo healthy and quite a health buff before I got the palpitations and then the T3 T4 results and felt like coming apart with all the weird symptoms happening.
I've been taking copper for about 2 weeks now and feel great. I also bought a lot of mineral water and been taking that too though I still drink my regular water. I plan to go with this because I'm also pills-intolerant having taken Tapazole and steroids. Hoping this will cure me!- Re: I am a complete mess choc
11 y
4,743
- Re: I am a complete mess choc
11 y
4,743
- Re: I am a complete mess lacie
15 y
11,312
- Re: I am a complete mess lacie
15 y
11,484
This is a reply to # 1,351,228Hi Sabrina,
I relate to you so much I hope you get this message, I too was diagnosed with hyperthyroid disease exactly 1 year ago. I can't tolerate any medications, I hate taking them. My heart rate was high and my levels had matched yours. I didn't want to take the beta blocker either because my mom always told me if you get on them, you can't stop them suddenly, you have to wean yourself off them. My doctor prescribed 3 -20mg a day,and i only took 1 a day and it helped tremendously, i had to get off in 2 months because it had lowered my blood pressure as well,which i always carry a low normal. I am so glad i just took one, no telling what would have happened if i took 3 a day. I also started the PTU and was in normal range in 2 months, but continued to take a low dose. I started at 200mg, gradually came down each 8 week visit until taking 25mg (1/2 of a pill) once a day, and stayed normal for 8 months. However,todate I started to get swollen glands and think a absess tooth was to blame for bringing it back up again to wear I started. I religiously go to the doctor for blood work every 3 months,and it just jumped up out of nowhere. I am back to 150mg a day on PTU. I probably will start the beta blocker, but only 25mg per day. My heart rate without the meds right now is around 90. So I am not feeling that bad, at night it increase, i guess it is because the body is trying to repair itself and fight off infection, and the antibodies are going nuts to the thyroid. When I'm under covers, I burn up, if I don't have covers I not comfortable. I would like to hear what your conditons may be today, because I am only 1 year into this and you have been dealing with it for over 6 years. It would help me to get ready for the future. All your helpful info is great. Hope you returen.
Thanks, Bonnie
- Re: I am a complete mess lacie
15 y
11,484
- Re: I am a complete mess Cheryl B
20 y
12,502
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