Re: In shock-Dr Appt/Elaine

[Guest guest]

Aldyth Rae wrote:

>

> TSH 2.09 (range 0.4 - 6.4)

>

> FT3 4.5 (range 2.67 - 7.03)

>

> Last month FT3 was 4.4, TSH <0.01

>

> She told me I might as well stop the Carbimazole, or if I prefer stop it

slowly. Now that my levels are normal I don't need it any more. How crazy is

that.....I told her surely it was the ATD that was keeping me euthyroid?????

She said Carbimazole have nasty side effects and if the hyperT comes back I

would have to discuss more permanent measures!!!! Oh yes and not to bother

having any more blood tests!!!

> I was only diagnosed in August this year, surely it can't go away as quickly

as that?

Some Japanese studies suggest that remission often happens

within 6 months, certainly the 18 months many places use is

plenty long enough, if not excessive.

The protocol of taking the drug till euthyroid, and then weening

off is fine, but the doctor may be rushing things.

Elaine advocates checking the antibodies before stopping the

drugs, as with a high antibody count you'll almost certainly go

hyper again, and no one will have learnt anything new from your

suffering - neither you or the doctors.

I don't know enough to say if Elaine is right on this, but it

sure sound sensible and I'd discuss it with my endo before

stopping ATD's (should the issue ever arise - I wish).

The good news is that with the TSH at 2.09, you should(!) be

reducing the dose. Go on brave a " jump " to 10mg, it isn't so

radical a change, and avoids messy pill cutting.

I'd listen to your endo, my first endo dealt with all my thyroid

issues, and I hardly ever saw my GP (since hardly anything

unrelated to Graves' happened fortunately). But then wood

was conveniently situated just a couple of miles from work, it

was as easy to have all my blood done at the hospital pathology

department, as drive home during the hours of my doctors

surgery. I had an appointment every three months, with a blood

test a week or so earlier.

> As for the eye thing she took my bp and it was ok, so I have to go see the

optician.

Sorry, what eye thing?

[Guest guest]

Aldyth Rae wrote:

>

> TSH 2.09 (range 0.4 - 6.4)

>

> FT3 4.5 (range 2.67 - 7.03)

>

> Last month FT3 was 4.4, TSH <0.01

>

> She told me I might as well stop the Carbimazole, or if I prefer stop it

slowly. Now that my levels are normal I don't need it any more. How crazy is

that.....I told her surely it was the ATD that was keeping me euthyroid?????

She said Carbimazole have nasty side effects and if the hyperT comes back I

would have to discuss more permanent measures!!!! Oh yes and not to bother

having any more blood tests!!!

> I was only diagnosed in August this year, surely it can't go away as quickly

as that?

Some Japanese studies suggest that remission often happens

within 6 months, certainly the 18 months many places use is

plenty long enough, if not excessive.

The protocol of taking the drug till euthyroid, and then weening

off is fine, but the doctor may be rushing things.

Elaine advocates checking the antibodies before stopping the

drugs, as with a high antibody count you'll almost certainly go

hyper again, and no one will have learnt anything new from your

suffering - neither you or the doctors.

I don't know enough to say if Elaine is right on this, but it

sure sound sensible and I'd discuss it with my endo before

stopping ATD's (should the issue ever arise - I wish).

The good news is that with the TSH at 2.09, you should(!) be

reducing the dose. Go on brave a " jump " to 10mg, it isn't so

radical a change, and avoids messy pill cutting.

I'd listen to your endo, my first endo dealt with all my thyroid

issues, and I hardly ever saw my GP (since hardly anything

unrelated to Graves' happened fortunately). But then wood

was conveniently situated just a couple of miles from work, it

was as easy to have all my blood done at the hospital pathology

department, as drive home during the hours of my doctors

surgery. I had an appointment every three months, with a blood

test a week or so earlier.

> As for the eye thing she took my bp and it was ok, so I have to go see the

optician.

Sorry, what eye thing?

[Guest guest]

Aldyth Rae wrote:

>

> TSH 2.09 (range 0.4 - 6.4)

>

> FT3 4.5 (range 2.67 - 7.03)

>

> Last month FT3 was 4.4, TSH <0.01

>

> She told me I might as well stop the Carbimazole, or if I prefer stop it

slowly. Now that my levels are normal I don't need it any more. How crazy is

that.....I told her surely it was the ATD that was keeping me euthyroid?????

She said Carbimazole have nasty side effects and if the hyperT comes back I

would have to discuss more permanent measures!!!! Oh yes and not to bother

having any more blood tests!!!

> I was only diagnosed in August this year, surely it can't go away as quickly

as that?

Some Japanese studies suggest that remission often happens

within 6 months, certainly the 18 months many places use is

plenty long enough, if not excessive.

The protocol of taking the drug till euthyroid, and then weening

off is fine, but the doctor may be rushing things.

Elaine advocates checking the antibodies before stopping the

drugs, as with a high antibody count you'll almost certainly go

hyper again, and no one will have learnt anything new from your

suffering - neither you or the doctors.

I don't know enough to say if Elaine is right on this, but it

sure sound sensible and I'd discuss it with my endo before

stopping ATD's (should the issue ever arise - I wish).

The good news is that with the TSH at 2.09, you should(!) be

reducing the dose. Go on brave a " jump " to 10mg, it isn't so

radical a change, and avoids messy pill cutting.

I'd listen to your endo, my first endo dealt with all my thyroid

issues, and I hardly ever saw my GP (since hardly anything

unrelated to Graves' happened fortunately). But then wood

was conveniently situated just a couple of miles from work, it

was as easy to have all my blood done at the hospital pathology

department, as drive home during the hours of my doctors

surgery. I had an appointment every three months, with a blood

test a week or so earlier.

> As for the eye thing she took my bp and it was ok, so I have to go see the

optician.

Sorry, what eye thing?

[Guest guest]

Hi Aldyth,

I'm with Granny here and you apparently know more than this doc. If

your TSI are still elevated (which we'll just have to assume without the

test), your thyroid hormone levels will rise without the ATDs. But since your

TSH has risen so nicely, you probably do want to reduce your dose a bit.

I'd stay on your meds until your Jan appointment although if you notice hypo

symptoms, you could again lower your dose a bit.

People can achieve remission within a few weeks, especially if they had mild

GD to start, but most people achieve remission within one year. Without the

TSI to go by, though, the only way to tell is to reduce your dose very slowly

over time, at the end taking a small amount every other day. You'd then have

to watch your pulse and temperature carefully to tell if symptoms were

returning. Before the TSI was available, many people did this. The ones who

just stopped the meds abruptly generally relapsed because of the sudden

change away from immune suppression.

Granny and Pam can give you lots of tips to help you slowly ease into

remission or later re-introduce the meds if need be. Best to you, Elaine

[Guest guest]

Aldyth Rae wrote:

>

> I can't stay on Carbimazole for long as it's such a 'horrible' drug and have

to look at something more permanent.

Look at Granny C - if you take it for 20 years it makes you

into a difficult patient ;-)

> The Endo said any eye probs to be referred back to him, but I didn't feel I

could say that to the GP, so just made a run for the door!

The endo will have a secretary - the NHS does that for them -

give the endo's secretary a call and discuss. Always stay on the

right side of secretaries and receptionists!

The list has discussed difference between opticians and other

eye specialists before, so you might want to check if the endo

recommends someone else. Although I've not heard of the problem,

it might be unrelated.

> how are you these days? We haven't had a chat recently. Any plans for future

visits to your Auntie yet?

I'm okay - got another cold, but everyone here has this one, I'm

still losing weight without trying, we'll see if it stops when

the cold goes.

[Guest guest]

Aldyth Rae wrote:

>

> I can't stay on Carbimazole for long as it's such a 'horrible' drug and have

to look at something more permanent.

Look at Granny C - if you take it for 20 years it makes you

into a difficult patient ;-)

> The Endo said any eye probs to be referred back to him, but I didn't feel I

could say that to the GP, so just made a run for the door!

The endo will have a secretary - the NHS does that for them -

give the endo's secretary a call and discuss. Always stay on the

right side of secretaries and receptionists!

The list has discussed difference between opticians and other

eye specialists before, so you might want to check if the endo

recommends someone else. Although I've not heard of the problem,

it might be unrelated.

> how are you these days? We haven't had a chat recently. Any plans for future

visits to your Auntie yet?

I'm okay - got another cold, but everyone here has this one, I'm

still losing weight without trying, we'll see if it stops when

the cold goes.