The fence and ALL !

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I am just back in town, and not even sure where to start. Golly... you

people were sure talkative while I was gone. :-)

Liz, yours is easy .

IF memory serves, you have been very badly dosed on your ATDs up until now

when the fact that YOU must be in charge of your own health has become

abundantly clear. If we don't care about ourselves, it is not very likely

anyone else is going to either.

Remember... we are the pioneers in proving in THIS country, that antithyroid

drugs can work beautify. Unfortunately the " standard of care " in our medical

system is driven by cost and malpractice insurance. Which boils down to RAI

is not only cheaper, but if the patient complains, the doctor is scot free

because the book says RAI is the way to go. And if the patient is non

compliant with medications, as a hypo person, they go to sleep, but as a

hyper patient, they can cause harm to others.

We have a duty to those that come behind us, to learn all we can, and do

this right. We must do everything slowly and carefully. This is the only way

you will end up in remission and stay there. Our doctors have not had any or

many...patients hit remission, because they have no idea how to direct the

patient in meds, diet, etc.

If they say... everyone gets tired of it and ends up taking RAI anyway...

This is your first clue this doctor does NOT understand diddly squat about

the correct labs or doses ! Think about it... all his patients on ATDs were

sick ! Move on...

The reason the remission statistics are low in this country are many...but

the main problem is our doctors simply do not have enough experience with

these drugs to do it correctly. Not to mention the fact that they do NOT

test our TSI antibodies before withdrawing the drugs. A complete set up to

failure. These antibodies MUST read less than 2% before the drugs are

discontinued. Period !

As Graves' patients we ARE sensitive to iodine in our diet . Period... no

question about it or we wouldn't be here. Ask your doctor about iodine in

the diet. If he is also telling you how they all end up with RAI, trust me..

he is also going to tell you the same thing he told them... that iodine

makes no difference.

Same holds true for MSG, Flavorings of all kinds, and Aspartame. These are

not vital nutrients needed for a healthy life. Many CAN eat them... but

those people do not have an autoimmune disease or the genes that bring us

together.

You ask about herbs. Please slow down and do one thing at a time. To do

otherwise is going to result in confused lab results, and you not being able

to know what caused it. Not to mention the symptoms that go with the labs...

Yikes !

You must be one one steady dose for 4 weeks... then labs, then adjust.

Both ATDs must be taken every eight hours.

Both of these things are the key to SLOW , proper healing and remission.

Which is possible for anyone that cares to do this right. It is not a odd

thing, or some tiny % of patients. Remission is going to happen IF the doses

are correct, slow,and diet and lifestyle ARE corrected. The time it takes

each of us to get there is the only difference

..

Not rocket science... get rid of the antibodies... no more Graves'. Because

we are the lucky ones. We have a perfectly healthy thyroid that is doing

exactly as it is being told to do.

The TSI antibodies are telling it to make more thyroid hormone.

IF we also have TPO antibodies, that in time would make our thyroid 'burn

out', we are very lucky, because our ATDs also get rid of these. The

patients diagnosed with hypo and TPO antibodies are given only increased

replacement hormone, and their antibodies are allowed to continue the

destruction.

So... being hyper is lucky... we CAN take these immunosupressent drugs, and

in time, be done with it.

BUT... the proper tests must be done at the correct times, and with PROPER

monitoring, we do NOT have great danger to ourselves. But... that would cost

the insurance company a bit more $ than TSH once a year if we give in and go

with the RAI :-(

Not MY piece of cake for sure. I am not willing to take those kinds of odds.

Besides the fact that my own thyroid makes MANY hormones, and does it in a

wonderful way. It changes how much I make early and late in the day, by the

season, and even changes if I am stressed or ill. The replacement pills do

not do this at this time or in the near future.

Some choose to continue with existing triggers, and they will do fine on a

steady maintained dose of ATDs. To each his / her own.

Liz,

I think you are on PTU and possibly Propranolol ?

Both of these slow conversion of T4 into the more potent T3, so labs for FT3

are not really important at THIS time. First you need to get stabilized. The

FT4 is going to guide you to that magic spot.

The patients that have had RAI seem to be the ones with T4 to T3 conversion

problems, from what I see the most often, not hyper patients.

Later... once you are stable, THEN a FT3 test could be something needed if

you are still having problems. Odds being huge against it, but anything is

possible.

In the very beginning of ATD use, the T3 may remain high on the first more

normal FT4 reading, but by the next lab it should come down as well. I

always used T3 to follow along, from time to time while I was still on my

ATDs. My T3 just followed along like a well trained puppy dog. It went up

and down right along with my FT4, so I never bothered with the MUCH more

expensive FT3 until a few months after I had NOT had to take my ATDs for a

few months. I figured that was such a big day !!!! I went all out, and did

get the FT3.

Yep... Had to go around and around with the office help... sheesh... they

all insisted it is the same as T3. I think not ! For one thing it is just

over $100 MORE than T3 !!!

It was not in any info they had IN the office or their lab books... but as I

refused to leave till they found the damn code number... they DID find it

online at the lab. Though they STILL insisted it was the same thing. Can you

say, not worth fighting anymore at that point ? Heck... I was all pooped out

by them. LOL

Please don't go messing up with any herbs or home remedies now... please.

You must be tired of being jacked around by now ?

One thing at a time !

-Pam L-

3 1/2 years Graves', TED, and PTU. Remission due to SLOW reduction of PTU

(despite an incompetent endo ! ), improved lifestyle, excellent nutrition,

herbs, and looking at the big picture.

Pills alone only help the symptoms. We must help our bodies to heal.