Re: New Endo

[Guest guest]

Hi,

>>>I am on propanolol, that is going to be inaccurate, or is it that the

>>>propanolol lowers the FT3?<<<

The propanolol is a beta blocker and used to protect your heart and bring

your heart rate down. I have never heard of it having any effect on bringing

our numbers down at all. The drugs that do that are ATD's like MMI,

Tapazole and PTU...until you get on one of these your thyroid numbers won't

begin to come down.

>>>I don't remember, I got Elaine's book last week in the mail but reading

>>>it makes me a little nuts. It is a bit daunting to see all the

>>>complications that are possible.<<<

The book can be overwhelming at times, especially when we are either very

hyper or very hypO because our minds just can not comprehend or remember

very well then. The GOOD thing about the book for when we are not able to

grasp it all is you can skip around. Reading Chapter One, with Elaines

story, skipping to the back a bit and reading others stories and experiences

with the different treatment options those folks have used...then start with

the Lab test chapter, maybe moving on to treatment options...whatever is

pertinent to what is happening to you at the time. If you have specific

questions, the index of that book really does make it very easy to find

those answers.

By skipping around, you won't 'lose your place' like with a novel so your

not cheating ;-)

>>>I am also worried that my endo is scheduling me for a RAI-U. I don't

>>>understand why this is necessary, I hate the idea of exposing myself to

>>>radioactivity.<<<

Tell him this, tell him you would rather he schedule a thyroid ultrasound

and used antibody testing that you are just not willing to expose your body

to any amount of radioactivity right now.

Did he give you a script for one of the atd's? If not, why? If so, did he

order the Liver Function Tests BEFORE you swallow your first atd? This

should ALWAYS be done first. Graves, on it's own, can mess with the liver a

bit...but many doctors don't do this, so about a month after starting atd's

they will run them, having nothing to compare them to and if they are

elevated will tell you your liver is reacting badly and you can not do the

ATDS <refusing to prescribe the other one...and it is RARE that someone can

not do both of those drugs> and shove you to RAI. So LFT's are ESSENTIAL

BEFORE swallowing your first ATD.

Back to the RAI-U, remember this is YOUR body and your choice and there are

alternatives.

Take care,

Jody

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[Guest guest]

Kit,

I will send you a personal email about this doc you saw.

Love,

[Guest guest]

Yes, I noticed on the sheet that he did order a liver function panel,

and that relieved me somewhat. I was told in here by someone that he

ought to order a TSI as well. It may be in my other docs records, I

am not sure which antibody tests she ordered last time when I begged

her to. I was only told antibodies were " high. " I KNOW I should

have asked for test copies. I get so keyed up over things I am

starting the habit of putting my head in the sand, and this is

probably the worst possible time for that.

On page 103 in Elaine's book she does mention that propanolol

causes " altered T4 level results, " not T3 as I said before. I don't

understand the mechanism of this alteration, I know it doesn't

actually affect the thyroid itself, or didn't think it did anyway.

I am surprised at how well I am able to absorb some of this technical

stuff, probably just because I am so doggedly interested, I keep

reading it over and over until it sinks in. This is good because I

am not retaining as well as I used to before. The part of the book

that is so upsetting is that I have so many possible confrontations

to face with my doctors, and that there are so many long term

problems ahead. I feel like I am waiting for the other shoe to

drop. If I think about this stuff before going to bed, forget about

sleep until 3 in the morning, so I am just protecting myself on one

hand...

I just read the NGDF website about natural alternatives where they

say there are NONE. Pretty enlightening after what I have learned

from some in here, but not surprising. I am still amazed at the

arrogance of ignorance in all walks of life.

He did not order ATD's for me yet, probably because of needing the

LFP. He seemed like an o.k. guy, we will see once I start resisting

his dictims. His name is Dr. Goel, he is in the Strelitz Diabetes

Group. There are no Thyroid Groups here, but at least this place is

connected to a teaching hospital.

Kit,

Chesapeake, VA

> Hi,

> >>>I am on propanolol, that is going to be inaccurate, or is it

that the

> >>>propanolol lowers the FT3?<<<

>

> The propanolol is a beta blocker and used to protect your heart and

bring

> your heart rate down. I have never heard of it having any effect on

bringing

> our numbers down at all. The drugs that do that are ATD's like

MMI,

> Tapazole and PTU...until you get on one of these your thyroid

numbers won't

> begin to come down.

>

> >>>I don't remember, I got Elaine's book last week in the mail but

reading

> >>>it makes me a little nuts. It is a bit daunting to see all the

> >>>complications that are possible.<<<

>

> The book can be overwhelming at times, especially when we are

either very

> hyper or very hypO because our minds just can not comprehend or

remember

> very well then. The GOOD thing about the book for when we are not

able to

> grasp it all is you can skip around. Reading Chapter One, with

Elaines

> story, skipping to the back a bit and reading others stories and

experiences

> with the different treatment options those folks have used...then

start with

> the Lab test chapter, maybe moving on to treatment

options...whatever is

> pertinent to what is happening to you at the time. If you have

specific

> questions, the index of that book really does make it very easy to

find

> those answers.

>

> By skipping around, you won't 'lose your place' like with a novel

so your

> not cheating ;-)

>

> >>>I am also worried that my endo is scheduling me for a RAI-U. I

don't

> >>>understand why this is necessary, I hate the idea of exposing

myself to

> >>>radioactivity.<<<

>

> Tell him this, tell him you would rather he schedule a thyroid

ultrasound

> and used antibody testing that you are just not willing to expose

your body

> to any amount of radioactivity right now.

>

> Did he give you a script for one of the atd's? If not, why? If

so, did he

> order the Liver Function Tests BEFORE you swallow your first atd?

This

> should ALWAYS be done first. Graves, on it's own, can mess with

the liver a

> bit...but many doctors don't do this, so about a month after

starting atd's

> they will run them, having nothing to compare them to and if they

are

> elevated will tell you your liver is reacting badly and you can not

do the

> ATDS <refusing to prescribe the other one...and it is RARE that

someone can

> not do both of those drugs> and shove you to RAI. So LFT's are

ESSENTIAL

> BEFORE swallowing your first ATD.

>

> Back to the RAI-U, remember this is YOUR body and your choice and

there are

> alternatives.

> Take care,

> Jody

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.

> http://www.hotmail.com

[Guest guest]

Hi Kit,

>>>Yes, I noticed on the sheet that he did order a liver function panel, and

>>>that relieved me somewhat. I was told in here by someone that he ought

>>>to order a TSI as well. It may be in my other docs records, I am not

>>>sure which antibody tests she ordered last time when I begged her to. I

>>>was only told antibodies were " high. " I KNOW I should have asked for

>>>test copies. I get so keyed up over things I am starting the habit of

>>>putting my head in the sand, and this is probably the worst possible

>>>time for that.<<<

The good things about getting labs, we can go back and request all previous

labs so don't worry about it, just make a note to call his office and tell

them you will be stopping in on such and such a day to pick up copies of all

your labs for your own personal records to track your journey. If you feel

like you have to beg for antibody testing you may want to print the article

from the following website ... for some silly reason some make us beg to

have these done, but in the end we ususually can accomplish that.

http://www.labodia.com//en/thyroid/review_thyroid_english.htm

>>>On page 103 in Elaine's book she does mention that propanolol causes

>>> " altered T4 level results, " not T3 as I said before. I don't understand

>>>the mechanism of this alteration, I know it doesn't actually affect the

>>>thyroid itself, or didn't think it did anyway.<<<

Hopefully Elaine will see this and pop in and explain. My daughter asked to

borrow my book and I let her...something I normally wouldn't do but now I

know where it is.

>>>I am surprised at how well I am able to absorb some of this technical

>>>stuff, probably just because I am so doggedly interested, I keep reading

>>>it over and over until it sinks in. This is good because I am not

>>>retaining as well as I used to before. The part of the book that is so

>>>upsetting is that I have so many possible confrontations to face with my

>>>doctors, and that there are so many long term problems ahead. I feel

>>>like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. If I think about this stuff

>>>before going to bed, forget about sleep until 3 in the morning, so I am

>>>just protecting myself on one hand...<<<

Your retaining will come back as you begin to heal, it will make things

easier for you to understand. When we are very lucky, we don't have the

confrontations with our doctors...and when we do, well they just chalk that

up to Graves disease because they think we are all crazy ;-) Don't look for

problems where none are currently existing, just deal with what you have to

for right now.

The not sleeping until 3 a.m. I can relate to even now. I am working on text

for a web site with my story, along with my endocrinologist fantasy...and I

will get in bed and think 'oh sh#t I need to remember to add this and start

rewriting or adding in my head for a couple of hours. Am not quitting work

on it by 8 p.m. and doing my 'toes relax, feet relax' to help get to sleep.

>>>I just read the NGDF website about natural alternatives where they say

>>>there are NONE. Pretty enlightening after what I have learned from some

>>>in here, but not surprising. I am still amazed at the arrogance of

>>>ignorance in all walks of life.<<<

To each it's own I guess. I am thankful for this group which allows all

treatment plans to be talked about. The one point I do agree with them on

is that not having any treatment, or being monitored closely with your

chosen treatment is NOT an option for us. We need to be treated and we need

to be monitored or graves can indeed turn dangerous and sometimes deadly.

>>>He did not order ATD's for me yet, probably because of needing the LFP.

>>>He seemed like an o.k. guy, we will see once I start resisting his

>>>dictims. His name is Dr. Goel, he is in the Strelitz Diabetes Group.

>>>There are no Thyroid Groups here, but at least this place is is connected

>>>to a teaching hospital.<<<

I hope he starts you on atd's very soon then. I would call his office

tomorrow and ask when he will start you on them...if he starts pushing RAI,

insist on the drugs until your mind clears and you can make an educated

treatment decision. Then look for a new endo. If there is a teaching

hospital there, check and see if they have a Head and Neck Center there,

then call them and see if they have any head and neck endos. My first 2

endo's were both connected to diabetes groups and I found that they were

much more knowledgeable in that area and really didn't have a clue relating

to thyroid. My current endo is in a head and neck center, is a whiz at

thyroids and doesn't make her bread and butter from diabetes patients. I

have much more confidence in this arrangement. I drive 2 hours each way to

see her and as much as I hate the thruway, it is well worth it.

Aren't you and going to get together? If all works out with and

her new endo, this may be another option for you. If a doctor is not

currently on your insurance list, you can always bug the insurance company

to get them on. I have had good results in this area in the past.

Take care,

Jody

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