update on my husband

[Guest guest]

Hi Ashton,

Treatment for Graves' Disease should never be a do-it-yourself project. You

really do need a doctor who is familiar with whatever treatment methodology

you choose. (You also need the proper monitoring -- at least Free T3 and

Free T4 tests -- approx. every 4 weeks while Graves' is active.) If you are

going to do herbal remedies (such as bugleweed, lemon balm), you need a

naturopathic doctor, or another certified professional who is experienced

in treating Graves'. Supplements alone are insufficient, and this disease,

untreated, can be dangerous. He is risking thyroid storm and damage to his

heart. With proper treatment, chances are he will do well. And so you need

to decide on your path, guided by someone who is legitimately qualified.

Iodine is to be avoided. I realize in high doses it can shut down the

thyroid. It is not a long-term treatment.

Why not ATDs? That should get him stabilized the quickest, and then if you

like to go natural, then transition to bugleweed and lemon balm under the

guidance of an experienced practitioner.

Best wishes,

At 09:05 PM 8/28/2003, you wrote:

>Hi all,

>

>Hubby just called from his endo's office. The Dr. said that he

>definitely has hyperT, Anemia, and a goiter.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Maybe I am confused, but I thought the purpose of ithyroid.com was

so that HyperT could be treated without medications. I am not

trying to treat him without a doctor, he is under a doctor's care,

however, we wanted to try vitamins so that we could avoid any meds,

if possible. Is it possible to treat HyperT and goiter with vitamins

only? Or does he need the meds as well?

I must have missunderstood when I thought I had read that they

ithyroid.com supplements list was to treat the hyperT and that

had done it this way and avoided the HyperT meds.

I will be having a lot of questions because I am very confused. I

don't know which is the best way to go, the only thing I do know is,

he is better off on the vitamins, but is that alone enough?

Ashton

> >Hi all,

> >

> >Hubby just called from his endo's office. The Dr. said that he

> >definitely has hyperT, Anemia, and a goiter.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

At 09:52 PM 8/28/2003, you wrote:

>Hi ,

>

>Maybe I am confused, but I thought the purpose of ithyroid.com was

>so that HyperT could be treated without medications.

No, supplements are supplemental. He is ill and needs a primary form of

treatment.

> I am not

>trying to treat him without a doctor, he is under a doctor's care,

>however, we wanted to try vitamins so that we could avoid any meds,

>if possible. Is it possible to treat HyperT and goiter with vitamins

>only? Or does he need the meds as well?

Meds as well.

>I must have missunderstood when I thought I had read that they

>ithyroid.com supplements list was to treat the hyperT and that

>had done it this way and avoided the HyperT meds.

It is not advisable.

>I will be having a lot of questions because I am very confused. I

>don't know which is the best way to go, the only thing I do know is,

>he is better off on the vitamins, but is that alone enough?

In my opinion, no. You want to get this thing under control, as the

possible consequences of experimenting without proper guidance are not to

be taken lightly. But that is just my opinion.

Best,

[Guest guest]

Ashton, when I first visited ithyroid.com that was my first thoughts also. I

too, was also confused. I can see how you would be. I think from all I've

read, it's supposed to be easier to control with those vitamins once the atd's

start working. I myself am not sure I personally would try to control

Graves/hyperT with just vitamins alone, without somebody to guide me like a ND,

or it's equivalent. Normally if you're started out on ATD's, then the dose can

be reduced at or around 6 - 8 weeks (normally) to see what the numbers are. I'm

sure if I've made an error here, somebody will be along shortly to correct me,

but I think it's kind of risky to just start vitamins in hopes that it alone

will correct the problem. :-)

is right. My Endo had me take the uptake test, but it was only for

ablation purposes which I had no intentions of doing. They should be able to

check the antibodies with a TSI test as well as doing an ultrasound to see the

thyroid gland. I personally am having no more uptake scans.

Sandy~Houston

Re: Update on my Husband

Hi ,

Maybe I am confused, but I thought the purpose of ithyroid.com was

so that HyperT could be treated without medications. I am not

trying to treat him without a doctor, he is under a doctor's care,

however, we wanted to try vitamins so that we could avoid any meds,

if possible. Is it possible to treat HyperT and goiter with vitamins

only? Or does he need the meds as well?

I must have missunderstood when I thought I had read that they

ithyroid.com supplements list was to treat the hyperT and that

had done it this way and avoided the HyperT meds.

I will be having a lot of questions because I am very confused. I

don't know which is the best way to go, the only thing I do know is,

he is better off on the vitamins, but is that alone enough?

Ashton

> >Hi all,

> >

> >Hubby just called from his endo's office. The Dr. said that he

> >definitely has hyperT, Anemia, and a goiter.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

Thank you. I think my whole problem is I come from a " fix it all

with vitamins " background, as my mother still uses Adelle

books, which are great, but very outdated. I do think things have

changed since those days, and one needs be willing to listen to

changes. She is deadset on not listening to the Vitamin C theory

given on the ithyroid.com. She also keeps telling me to put him on

iodine, that all goiters are caused by difficiency in iodine. From

what I have read thus far, HyperT's goiter isn't formed from lack of

iodine, it's formed from overwork and making too much hormone, as

well as possible nodules.

I read hubby the info about the RAIU on the ithyroid site, and he

now sees that it isn't worth risking the possible side effects, so

he said that he will contact his endo and inform him that he wants

an ultrasound instead and also a TSH test. If I am missing anything

else that he should have, please do let me know.

He will also be letting the endo know that he would like to start on

Tapazole. The endo did give him a prescription for Atenolol 50-mg

p.o. q.d. (I can't make out how many times q.d., however.) This is

for his tachycardia and tremors.

I am taking a course in medical transcription, so I actually

understand most of the medical jargon that I am running across.

Thanks again,

Ashton

> > >Hi all,

> > >

> > >Hubby just called from his endo's office. The Dr. said that

he

> > >definitely has hyperT, Anemia, and a goiter.

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thank you, I have seen the light hehe. Thank you for all of your

help, as well as Sandy's.

Ashton

> >Hi ,

> >

> >Maybe I am confused, but I thought the purpose of ithyroid.com was

> >so that HyperT could be treated without medications.

>

> No, supplements are supplemental. He is ill and needs a primary

form of

> treatment.

>

> > I am not

> >trying to treat him without a doctor, he is under a doctor's care,

> >however, we wanted to try vitamins so that we could avoid any

meds,

> >if possible. Is it possible to treat HyperT and goiter with

vitamins

> >only? Or does he need the meds as well?

>

> Meds as well.

>

> >I must have missunderstood when I thought I had read that they

> >ithyroid.com supplements list was to treat the hyperT and that

> >had done it this way and avoided the HyperT meds.

>

> It is not advisable.

>

> >I will be having a lot of questions because I am very confused. I

> >don't know which is the best way to go, the only thing I do know

is,

> >he is better off on the vitamins, but is that alone enough?

>

> In my opinion, no. You want to get this thing under control, as

the

> possible consequences of experimenting without proper guidance are

not to

> be taken lightly. But that is just my opinion.

> Best,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

At 12:41 AM 8/29/2003, you wrote:

>She also keeps telling me to put him on

>iodine, that all goiters are caused by difficiency in iodine.

This is not true.

> From what I have read thus far, HyperT's goiter isn't formed from lack

> of iodine, it's formed from overwork and making too much hormone, as well

> as possible nodules.

Yes. And maybe there are antibodies that stimulate growth. I don't know

much about this issue, as I fortunately don't have a goiter.

>I read hubby the info about the RAIU on the ithyroid site, and he

>now sees that it isn't worth risking the possible side effects, so

>he said that he will contact his endo and inform him that he wants

>an ultrasound instead and also a TSH test.

It is a TSI test that you want, which is for Thyroid Stimulating

Immunoglobulins -- these are the antibodies that are responsible for

Graves'. They mimic TSH, and cause the thyroid to produce too much hormone.

That is very different from TSH, which is thyroid stimulating hormone, the

hormone the pituitary gland produces to tell the thyroid to make more

thyroid hormone (thyroxine). So the TSH test is not what you want right

now, as relates to the purposes we discussed earlier. While you are at it,

please also request the TPO-Antibodies test. And if he has bulging eyes,

please request the TBII test (for a baseline of the blocking antibodies),

if they will be so good to run this one as well.

> He will also be letting the endo know that he would like to start on

>Tapazole.

Good!

> The endo did give him a prescription for Atenolol 50-mg

>p.o. q.d. (I can't make out how many times q.d., however.)

q.d. is 4 times a day.

Best of luck tomorrow,

[Guest guest]

Ashton, be sure to get copies of all lab work. This will come in so handy. I

did not realize just how much we need that to be sure we are being treated

properly. TSH, FT3 and FT4 are good. FT3 and FT4 are the free tests and will

tell your dr more. I can tell you that those vitamins do help me to feel

better, which I can assume come from the deficiency I've read that we have.

It's hard to explain, but I just seem to have better days while I'm on the

Methimazole and Atenolol along with the vitamins. I'd bet that if you're

hubby's test weren't any worse off than mine, he's going to get 50 mgs of

Atenolol a day. Well, at least that's what I was started off on. My hands

shook like crazy and I had never had that happen before.

I've finally purchased a notebook to put all my labwork in so I can now request

copies of what I don't have, to go with all that I've rounded up in the last few

months. These reports are really interesting to look over later, and keeping a

journal of how he feels is helpful too. It's so easy to forget how good we felt

or did we really feel bad when our levels are fluctuating. The TSH is going to

be supressed in the beginning from the ATD's if I'm not mistaken so I don't pay

any attention to it at all when I look at my numbers. I'm only on 5 mgs now,

and I feel pretty good, along with 50 mgs of Atenolol (I have high blood

pressure though) although we're getting ready to start learning a new acctng

software at work, so I know I'm going to have to keep stress down to a minimum.

I'm determined to not let this new program get the best of me and get so bogged

down that I let it make me sick again.

If there's anything I can possibly say at this point, it's to really read all

you can, and when you get labs, post here, cuz somebody will understand and get

back to you. I really did myself a great disservice in the beginning when I got

so complacent, but it was a valuable lesson and I learned it well. I think that

if you're hubby can be treated with meds, and his dr keeps his dosages on track,

they are a much better choice, but that is just my opinion, and the vitamins are

an added plus.

And never be afraid to ask does something sound right. If I'd not joined some

of these groups and just sat and read, it's a possibility I'd have let my lame

Endo #2 let me get so bad, there's not much telling what would have happened. I

loved Jody's reply to my post about my #2 Endo. The guy just really didn't earn

a dime of that insurance money, not to mention how sick he let me get! I'm onto

him now though and I've changed Dr's. Good luck on the transcription course!

There are still things I have trouble understanding, but I just look up the

words online! lol. I ran across some tonite while I sat reading Elaine's book,

Graves Disease while I took my son out to eat. I knew I should have had my pen

and paper handy! Cuz now I forgot what the words were! hahahaha.

My son thinks I'm nuts cuz I have that book with me almost everywhere I go, just

in case I need some good reading material. lol

Sandy~Houston

Re: Update on my Husband

Sandy,

Thank you. I think my whole problem is I come from a " fix it all

with vitamins " background, as my mother still uses Adelle

books, which are great, but very outdated. I do think things have

changed since those days, and one needs be willing to listen to

changes. She is deadset on not listening to the Vitamin C theory

given on the ithyroid.com. She also keeps telling me to put him on

iodine, that all goiters are caused by difficiency in iodine. From

what I have read thus far, HyperT's goiter isn't formed from lack of

iodine, it's formed from overwork and making too much hormone, as

well as possible nodules.

I read hubby the info about the RAIU on the ithyroid site, and he

now sees that it isn't worth risking the possible side effects, so

he said that he will contact his endo and inform him that he wants

an ultrasound instead and also a TSH test. If I am missing anything

else that he should have, please do let me know.

He will also be letting the endo know that he would like to start on

Tapazole. The endo did give him a prescription for Atenolol 50-mg

p.o. q.d. (I can't make out how many times q.d., however.) This is

for his tachycardia and tremors.

I am taking a course in medical transcription, so I actually

understand most of the medical jargon that I am running across.

Thanks again,

Ashton

> > >Hi all,

> > >

> > >Hubby just called from his endo's office. The Dr. said that

he

> > >definitely has hyperT, Anemia, and a goiter.

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

At 01:52 AM 8/29/2003, you wrote:

> The TSH is going to be supressed in the beginning from the ATD's if I'm

> not mistaken so I don't pay any attention to it at all when I look at my

> numbers.

Actually, TSH is suppressed in GD because of the presence of TSI

antibodies. These antibodies mimic TSH and stimulate the thyroid, and so

the pituitary decreases production of TSH, as it detects that there is

enough thyroid hormone in the system and that more is not needed. (A

homeostatic system.)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thank you so much for all your help. I now have a list of tests he

needs taken. Are these tests to be done every six weeks, or just

the first time?

Also, I got your email and yes q.d. is daily. It is latin for daily

(quaque die = every day). Thank goodness I have been in Medical

transcription school for 2 years. It has helped me understand these

huge medical words I keep coming across lol.

Ashton

> >She also keeps telling me to put him on

> >iodine, that all goiters are caused by difficiency in iodine.

>

> This is not true.

>

> > From what I have read thus far, HyperT's goiter isn't formed

from lack

> > of iodine, it's formed from overwork and making too much

hormone, as well

> > as possible nodules.

>

> Yes. And maybe there are antibodies that stimulate growth. I don't

know

> much about this issue, as I fortunately don't have a goiter.

>

> >I read hubby the info about the RAIU on the ithyroid site, and he

> >now sees that it isn't worth risking the possible side effects, so

> >he said that he will contact his endo and inform him that he wants

> >an ultrasound instead and also a TSH test.

>

> It is a TSI test that you want, which is for Thyroid Stimulating

> Immunoglobulins -- these are the antibodies that are responsible

for

> Graves'. They mimic TSH, and cause the thyroid to produce too much

hormone.

> That is very different from TSH, which is thyroid stimulating

hormone, the

> hormone the pituitary gland produces to tell the thyroid to make

more

> thyroid hormone (thyroxine). So the TSH test is not what you want

right

> now, as relates to the purposes we discussed earlier. While you

are at it,

> please also request the TPO-Antibodies test. And if he has bulging

eyes,

> please request the TBII test (for a baseline of the blocking

antibodies),

> if they will be so good to run this one as well.

>

> > He will also be letting the endo know that he would like to

start on

> >Tapazole.

>

> Good!

>

> > The endo did give him a prescription for Atenolol 50-mg

> >p.o. q.d. (I can't make out how many times q.d., however.)

>

> q.d. is 4 times a day.

> Best of luck tomorrow,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Ashton,

I would like to recommend to you Elaine 's book, Graves' Disease: A

Practical Guide. There is also Thyroid for Dummies, and The Thyroid

Solution. These sources can help to fill in the blanks.

As for labs, I will give a general outline, but I would advise you to do

more reseach/reading and use common sense (like, if he's feeling bad but

your appointment is in two weeks, then maybe get labs now instead, and

certainly if he is showing any sign of infection -- sore throat, fever --

which you will then need to stop the meds and get a blood test immediately

to make sure it isn't agranulocytosis). Typically, the idea is to get Free

T3 and Free T4 (thyroid hormone levels) every 4 weeks, along with a WBC.

Get these Free T's, not T3 uptake or T4 total, which are inferior and

outdated. You want to stay on top of these levels, especially as you can

expect that he will start off on a relatively high dose of ATD (i.e., 30mg

Tap), and then decrease to a maintenance dose (such as 10 or 5mg), probably

within the next 2-3 months. The reason is that on the high dose, thyroid

hormone production is being blocked, and excess stored hormone is being

used up. But when it is used up, in about 6-8 weeks, then you can expect to

be on a lower maintenance dose. Once stabilized, I would feel comfortable

getting labs every 4 weeks or so while on ATDs. Perhaps if I was very

stable and on them for a long time, I would stretch out to 6 weeks. Who

knows. You want to watch for hypOT symptoms, and try to avoid hypO, so the

labs are there to help you make dosage decisions.

The doc will probably want TSH as well, but dosage adjustment should not be

done according to TSH. TSH lags, and if your doc relies on this one to

guide treatment, then your husband will wind up hypO and suffer needlessly,

in all likelihood. The FT's are the numbers to go by, as these most

accurately tell you where the thyroid is at right now. TSH can stay

artificially suppressed by the presence of TSI antibodies.

LFT (liver function tests) should be done with a CBC (and especially for

the WBC) right before starting ATDs to get a baseline. They should be done

at week 4 and at week 8, along with thyroid levels. I would keep up with

the WBC every 4 weeks with thyroid levels, and then do LFT every few

months, if everything has been OK. You can get kidney function tests

periodically as well.

Antibody tests (TSI and TPO-Ab) are good to do at the start of treatment

(should be done at diagnosis), and then at most every 3 months. This is

because it takes 3 months for the proteins in antibodies to break down once

produced, so they will float around for 3 months even after they have

stopped being produced. The TSI is an expensive test, but should really be

done when one is doing really well on a very low dose of ATD and there is a

consideration of stopping meds, as in a possible remission. You want to

know the results of the TSI before stopping meds, as a " positive " result on

this test, or presence of antibodies, means that he will be at high risk

for relapse if meds are discontinued (you want to be negative, and ideally

have a TSI of <2% activity before stopping meds; some say <20% activity may

be adequate, but if you can get lower, then maybe better to continue a bit

longer).

One doctor I know also likes to use a TBII test in addition to the TSI

test, for the purpose of deciding remission, so you might want to get a

baseline for this one, but I wouldn't hold up the start of treatment for a

second in order to get it.

An ultrasound of the thyroid should be done at the outset (I forgot if you

had one done), and then at least annually.

Whew. If you have a specific question, let me know. Hope I didn't leave

anything out...

Please be advised that having too high a dose of ATD can increase liver

enzymes, cause rash/hives, and decrease WBC. So don't panic if your doc

says that something looks slightly off in these areas. GD can cause these

problems as well. You just want to stay on top of things, and do your best

to avoid overmedication, which will keep things clearer.

Also, take Tapazole 3x a day, or every 8 hours (same with PTU). These are

the new guidelines (previously, it was thought taking Tap 1-2 times a day

was fine). It is best to keep levels even, as it speeds recovery.

Best wishes,

At 04:29 PM 8/29/2003, you wrote:

>Hi ,

>

>Thank you so much for all your help. I now have a list of tests he

>needs taken. Are these tests to be done every six weeks, or just the

>first time?

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I just read this note, and in thinking of what I typed in my

previous post, I remember the practitioner put hubby on Tap 10-mg

b.i.d., which means 20-mg a day (I can add whoohoo lol).

As I said, the only test scheduled today, which hubby will have done

tomorrow, is TSI and TPO-AB, no ultrasound or TBII or LFT. I will

read your post to hubby when he gets home from work.

He does have another lab request for mid October, and on it it has

TSH, T4 Free and written at the bottom, total + Free T3, so I think

that this will be good.

Thanks,

Ashton

[Guest guest]

Hi, Ashton,

I was on Tapazole and Synthroid for 4 years.(Block and Replace) which I

learned about from this BB..... I was not an easy case. Each time we

stopped my thyroid fired up again and went Hyper. Then I read on this BB

about tapering off rather than stopping cold turkey. We tried that...I have

an endocrinologist who is willing to try different treatments rather than

just RAI. I tapered even more than Dr. had said.... I then had ONE YEAR

with no medications before my thyroid went HYPO!!

I now take .075 Synthroid daily but am so much better off than friends who

had the RAI.

Everyone is different but stand your ground. Don't let Drs. stampede your

husband into making decisions you all regret. As my Dr. said......we can

always go to RAI later, we can't try alternate methods later!

Best wishes,

Fran

Re: Update on my Husband

>Hi ,

>

>I just read this note, and in thinking of what I typed in my

>previous post, I remember the practitioner put hubby on Tap 10-mg

>b.i.d., which means 20-mg a day (I can add whoohoo lol).

>

>As I said, the only test scheduled today, which hubby will have done

>tomorrow, is TSI and TPO-AB, no ultrasound or TBII or LFT. I will

>read your post to hubby when he gets home from work.

>

>He does have another lab request for mid October, and on it it has

>TSH, T4 Free and written at the bottom, total + Free T3, so I think

>that this will be good.

>

>Thanks,

>

>Ashton

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Ashton,

I don't see you mentioning tests for WBC. This is an important one to do

before starting ATDs, and every 4 weeks. (Since he has just started, maybe

you can get one done now; good to have a baseline, so in case he is

borderline low before the meds, there won't be such cause for alarm if he's

borderline low after starting meds.) There is a very small risk of

agranulocytosis, so this should be monitored to make sure he's not having a

bad reaction. Also, if he develops a sore throat, fever, or any sign of

infection, he must stop the meds and get blood work done immediately (and

be cleared before resuming meds -- in which case I'd press them to get

results done stat), as agranulocytosis is a serious problem that can be

fatal. This is not likely to happen, but safety is paramount. I am

concerned that your doctors didn't run a liver panel and CBC/WBC -- just

confirms that you will need to be on top of things.

BTW, a total T3 is unnecessary; Free T3 is the way to go.

TSI and TPO-Ab are sufficient at this point. He should ask for WBC and LFT

as well, while they're at it.

Best,

At 06:55 PM 9/4/2003, you wrote:

>Hi ,

>

>I just read this note, and in thinking of what I typed in my

>previous post, I remember the practitioner put hubby on Tap 10-mg

>b.i.d., which means 20-mg a day (I can add whoohoo lol).

>

>As I said, the only test scheduled today, which hubby will have done

>tomorrow, is TSI and TPO-AB, no ultrasound or TBII or LFT. I will

>read your post to hubby when he gets home from work.

>

>He does have another lab request for mid October, and on it it has

>TSH, T4 Free and written at the bottom, total + Free T3, so I think

>that this will be good.

>

>Thanks,

>

>Ashton

[Guest guest]

Kim,

We also will continue to pray for your family and all you are going through.

It is good to get good news and we rejoice with you.

Veri & Jaye

[Guest guest]

--Kim,

What wonderful, positive news!!! Thanks for sharing with us and our

prayers will continue for things to keep heading in the right

direction!!

Hugs Helen and (8,systemic)

- In , mnmomof1@... wrote:

>

> I thought I would send a quick update on my husband's CT scan

results.

> Everything appears to be heading in the right direction. He is

responding to chemo

> with all of his tumors shrinking! Yeah! He has had 4 treatments so

far. He will

> have 2 more and then they will do a Pet scan and another bone

marrow biopsy

> and then will decide if he needs radiation at that point. Thanks

so much for

> all the prayers. Kim

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

i had my husband in our local hosp. recently, he was sent home on oxygen after 3

days for shortness of breath. they said it is due more to his muscle weakness

than anything else. he was stil sob on the o2 so i drove him over an hour to a

big teaching hosp. - shands at un of fl. they did many more tests & confirmed

that his diaphragm is weak & he is now retaining co2 in his lungs. they kept him

almost a week, sent him home on a bipap machine, last nite was his 1st nite on

it. he is still sob. so he has asthma, weak breathing muscles & his chronic pain

in his ribs. his speech & swallowing have been affected for a couple years, he

can be understood & he can eat. he is down to 124# even though eating a lot, the

drs say he can't get enough calories in because his breathing issues take up so

many calories & he now has muscle wasting. he will have to decide on a jpeg &

trac. & vent. so far he doesn't want either as the drs say he is progressive. i

will honor whatever he decides.

he has progressed from pls to als apparently.

[Guest guest]

Anne-- 50mg of iodine is totally safe. I'll bet they don't even ask what

supplements he's on.

Thank you for the update. I can imagine how you are feeling and I feel bad

for you.

--

At 07:33 PM 10/5/2010, you wrote:

>The radioactive dye they used on his test was not iodine, after all.

>So I had prepared for the wrong test, & they condescended to me when

>I mentioned creatinine, because I was too dumb to know that that

>wasn't a factor in the test they were actually doing (which I still

>don't know the name of!)

>

>I have been meaning to give you all an update, but I don't have one.

>I HATE the way they run this office. They would not let me go in with

>my husband during the test. (There was only one wife who was allowed

>to go in with her husband, & that is because the poor man had a panic

>attack in the machine, & they hoped she could calm him down enough to

>finish the test. Note to all husbands: Learn how to simulate a panic

>attack & beg for your wife!) They wouldn't explain anything to me --

>or to my husband (not that he would ask.) We spent 3 hours there, &

>they told us we would get a call " in a day or two " if the results

>were " really serious. " Now, they sent my husband home from the

>previous appointment with a warning that in increase in his heart

>rate could precipitate a sudden death event, so I don't know WHAT

>constitutes " serious " for these people! If they don't deem it " really

>serious, " the doc will tell him the results at a follow-up

>appointment. (We made the follow-up appointment for next Friday

>before we even left the office.) I want him to change docs, but he

>doesn't want to " start over. " And right now, we really both want some

>sort of idea of what is going on. A new doc would mean waiting for a

>new appointment, starting over with all the obnoxious forms, etc.

>

>I know that they can't give him a clean bill of health, because I

>have caught him furtively checking his pulse, & it is uniformly

>erratic & slow. There is DEFINITELY a problem. But I still have no

>idea how serious the problem IS!

>

>At the moment, I am really schizoid about how much iodine to give

>him. He doesn't have the hypothyroid type symptoms my son & I

> " enjoy, " & he didn't really have detox symptoms (that I can tell)

>except for cloudy, smelly urine. If anybody sits down & asks me what

>all supplements he is on, I know they will flip out if I admit to

>iodine. And there is not even total agreement on this list as to what

>constitutes the average maintenance dosage... ARGH!

>

>In the meantime, I bought an ultrasonic cleaner & have been making

>liposomal vitamin C to try to boost his levels, & I am throwing all

>the heart nutrients I can think of at him -- & wincing every time the

>phone rings!

>

>Anne

>

>

>------------------------------------

>

>All off topic posts should go to the IodineOT

>group IodineOT/

>

>

>Commonly asked questions: http://tinyurl.com/yhnds5e