normal numbers

[Guest guest]

I was just diagnosed. Can anyone tell me what the

normal range of numbers are? My doctor is recommending

RAI which I don't really want to do. She said that my

numbers are so high that I really need to do something

quick. I really don't want to do the RAI. Any

duggestions would be appreciated. Thanks,

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

CFAITH - Your Online Faith Family - http://www.cfaith.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Your doctor, as you may suspect, is playing mind games with you. They seem

to love to push people into quick RAI to " fix " the problem--which it doesn't

do, it simply supplants one problem with another even stickier one. They

always seem to love strong-arming you with the threat of your numbers being

" too high " --of course they're too high! That's what the diagnosis of Graves

Disease means.

Anyway, do go to the files on the home-page, read the letter to the newly

diagnosed, read the top 20 reasons not to have RAI (all annotated, and

worthy of bringing to the doctor to help him understand why you don't want

to go that route), and the symptoms list.

You'll hear from plenty of people from this list and also, do go back and

read archives--since there are now so many of us, there are an awful lot of

archives but there's lots in there from people with post-RAI problems,

including Graves eye disease, which is often stimulated by the RAI itself.

If you want to look at the photos on the home page, you'll see what the eye

problems can do to you.

You can get better taking anti-thyroid drugs (ATD's). You will probably need

a beta blocker as well until your heart rate settles down, although for some

of us, managing without that part was necessary (if you normally have low

blood pressure, the beta blocker can make you pretty woozy). The ATD's,

either Tapazole/methimazole (/the generic) or PTU, take a number of weeks to

take effect, because your body has to use up stored thyroid hormone.

Do get lab results and share them here. Your doctor, if he/she is up to

date, should be running FT4 (free T4) not total, which is an out-of-date and

somewhat less meaningful test. The doctors all rely on TSH, so that will

undoubtedly be done. Free T3 is good to get as a baseline, as well. There is

plenty of expertise on this list, you'll get good answers to all your

questions. As for what is " too high " , it's easier to interpret lab results

(with the lab's norms included) than to generalize. But you should know that

the TSH is suppressed in Graves disease, while the FT4 is elevated.

By the way, there's another in the group, can we add an initial or

something to keep from confusing you two?

Terry

>

> Reply-To: graves_support

> Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 18:34:26 -0700 (PDT)

> To: graves_support

> Subject: normal numbers

>

> I was just diagnosed. Can anyone tell me what the

> normal range of numbers are? My doctor is recommending

> RAI which I don't really want to do. She said that my

> numbers are so high that I really need to do something

> quick. I really don't want to do the RAI. Any

> duggestions would be appreciated. Thanks,

>

>

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

> CFAITH - Your Online Faith Family - http://www.cfaith.com

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

>

>

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

> The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not

> intended to replace expert medical care.

> Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments.

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

> DISCLAIMER

>

> Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list do not have the endorsement of

> the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails.

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

> --------

>

>