Hi there

[Guest guest]

Hi Lori...

I've never heard of anyone being able to definitively DX a

pseudarthrosis from xray, so I'm not sure how to comment. I'm

GUESSing that they couldn't see as much fusion at L2-L3 as they could

for the other levels, so maybe they put you in the second brace to

help keep that area motionless a little while longer. You might want

to mention it to your doctor and ask for a comment.

Regards,

[Guest guest]

,

The x-ray said something about a lucency running through the fusion

mass, which they concluded was a pseudarthrosis....

Thanks for your reply,

loriann

> Hi Lori...

>

> I've never heard of anyone being able to definitively DX a

> pseudarthrosis from xray, so I'm not sure how to comment. I'm

> GUESSing that they couldn't see as much fusion at L2-L3 as they

could

> for the other levels, so maybe they put you in the second brace to

> help keep that area motionless a little while longer. You might want

> to mention it to your doctor and ask for a comment.

>

> Regards,

>

[Guest guest]

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation and wish I had some knowledgeable

advice to offer. I think you are right to avoid surgery, if possible, until you

can arrange some help for the post-op period. Have you considered the

possibility of spending some time in a rehab facility if you absolutely have to

have surgery? This has been a really decent option for some of us. I am

thinking especially about those facilities that are affiliated with/attached to

a large teaching hospital, such as Jordan Rehab in Boston (where I stayed after

my own complex revision surgery several years ago) and the Rehab Institute in

Chicago, which always gets very high ratings.

You might want to consider second and third opinions, too, regarding the extent

of any surgery you might need. I wonder if there is any possibility that this

could be a fairly simple, straightforward operation? In any case, you might be

pleased to discover how time and medical progress have improved on the whole

procedure since your first operation.

I know this will be a very major decision for you. I welcome you to the group

and wish you the best.

---

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Version: 6.0.659 / Virus Database: 423 - Release Date: 4/17/04

[Guest guest]

Hey a,

My rod bent an dpoked out of my skinf nearly 6 years post-op. The surgery to

remove the rod was a breeze. But then again I was 17 once it was removed.

I'm sorry to hear you're frightened, but hang in there. This is a GREAT group

to sound off to.

xoxo's

[Guest guest]

Now that's an idea for a poll or discussion..

How many of you have met another heterchromatic in person?

I've met only two.. a boy who had brilliant blue and green eyes(*I*

was so jealous- his eyes were beautiful! LOL!) and a woman who had

one blue eye and her other eye was very unusual, it was neatly

divided in perfect halves of blue and brown. Two or three people who

noticed mine have commented knowing someone who had " eyes like

those " . *grin* But that's about it for me..

> about it can only assume it's hereditary most likely from my great-

> granmother on my mum's side as she is the only blood relative who's

> known to have had brown eyes. weird to find out later how rare it

is

> as my best friends dad had it too, so I never thought of it as

> unusual.

[Guest guest]

Hi Willie,

Welcome to the group. I am sure you will meet a lot of wonderful people

to help you on the road to hearing. Larry

Hi There

> Hi There

> Let me introduce myself, my name is Willie and I live in Scotland.I

> hope you don't mind me joining your group before I have my CI,I hope

> to have it in the new year.I suffer from sudden onset (overnight)

> profound deafness.I lost my hearing in my right ear in 1974 and in my

> left ear July 2004. I managed ok for 30 years with my left ear, but

> when I lost the hearing in my good ear it took a lot of getting used

> to, I'm glad I found your group and have enjoyed reading your messages

> of support to one another,I can't wait to get my CI.

>

> Willie

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Willie welcome to the group I have two CIs and I cant imagine life with out

them again welcome Greg

weedram1 <weedram1@...> wrote: Hi There

Let me introduce myself, my name is Willie and I live in Scotland.I

hope you don't mind me joining your group before I have my CI,I hope

to have it in the new year.I suffer from sudden onset (overnight)

profound deafness.I lost my hearing in my right ear in 1974 and in my

left ear July 2004. I managed ok for 30 years with my left ear, but

when I lost the hearing in my good ear it took a lot of getting used

to, I'm glad I found your group and have enjoyed reading your messages

of support to one another,I can't wait to get my CI.

Willie

[Guest guest]

Hello Willie,

I'm Ivan - I too have been through the experience, I

lost my hearing in my right ear in 1978 and my left in

1985. Overnight too, so I know the trauma and distress

that such a situation causes.

I am in the process of getting an implant too, I've

had my scans etc and have my final evaluation on 6th

Jan, at Manchester (UK).

Best of luck

--- weedram1 <weedram1@...> wrote:

> Hi There

> Let me introduce myself, my name is Willie and I

> live in Scotland.I

> hope you don't mind me joining your group before I

> have my CI,I hope

> to have it in the new year.I suffer from sudden

> onset (overnight)

> profound deafness.I lost my hearing in my right ear

> in 1974 and in my

> left ear July 2004. I managed ok for 30 years with

> my left ear, but

> when I lost the hearing in my good ear it took a lot

> of getting used

> to, I'm glad I found your group and have enjoyed

> reading your messages

> of support to one another,I can't wait to get my CI.

>

> Willie

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________

DSL – Something to write home about.

Just $16.99/mo. or less.

dsl.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sarma and welcome to the group!

First of all I just want to say that no one here has any medical

training...so I don't think any of us can really answer your

specific question...but perhaps help you formulate questions for a

follow-up visit.

I think I have read stories where rod removal is anything from a

fairly simple procedure to a very difficult one. It can depend on

how much overgrowth has ocurred and even the condition of the rod.

I think I would be interested in asking the question to the doctor

who recommended this, " Why did the rod slip? " Is there an area of

non-fusion from the original surgery?, Is the spine below the fusion

slipping? Is the rod intact? How is you saggital balance?

It is very common for those of us with old Harrington Rod surgeries

to develop degenerative discs below the long fusions, and that can

bring on it's own pain as the nerves are compressed...and for me

this is what happened and was fairly " sudden " . One day I thought my

fusion/HR was a problem of the past, and suddenly I realized I had a

much bigger problem on my hands than I ever anticipated.

No matter what you do, it is important for you to find a doctor who

has plenty of experience dealing with patients who have " vintage "

Harrington Rods in adult patients. Who have you seen? I know there

are surgeons in the CA area this group considers to be top notch.

No doubt you will think of many more questions...but ask away, maybe

we can point you to some of the liturature that will help you find

answers to you questions.

Take Care, Cam

[Guest guest]

Dear Sarma,

I had my rod removed during a Lami/ decompression surgery. My rod had cut

out, meaning both hooks were no longer placed in the spine, for about 16

years before the rod was removed. My Harrington rod was removed without a

lot of trouble from the surgical notes. I had two revisions, 12 months

apart, and they had more trouble removing my first revision hardware due to

bony growth than my Harrington rod, maybe the fact that it had cut out made

it's removal easier. I have it in a bag at home, glad to have it, it's very

interesting to look at, all shiny and new looking, which surprised me, since

it had been in me 27 years. This is just my experience, many here still have

part of theirs and their revision hardware is hung off of or near it. Bony

overgrowth plays a part in wheather it can be removed, and I was just lucky

mine could be removed. There are many here who have had good outcomes to

surgery and still have theirs, just like I have had a good outcome and have

had mine removed.

You are very lucky to be in a good area, Northern California, great doc's at

UCSF. I wish you luck! I had my Harrington Rod installed at UCSF in 1973,

I'm a displaced California girl, Grew up in Santa / Petaluma, and went

to High School in Modesto. Sure wish we were having your winter, we could

use some of the rain you all are getting, weve only gotten about 1/6 the

snow we usually do here in Colorado Springs. More than half the people here

in Colorado are from California. I still miss it there, but all my family

except for a couple of cousins have moved away to Nevada and Idaho. It's

just gotten too expensive.

Glad to have you here among us, and there are a few who went before you who

have had surgery with the doc's at UCSF and will be a great outlet for you

to get info. Good luck and Welcome!

Colorado Springs

[ ] Hi there

> Hello

>

> My name is Sarma, I just came to know about this group from

> http://www.scoliosislinks.com.

>

> I am a scoliosis patient, I got my sugery done as a kid in 1979,

> they inserted Harring rods to support the fusion. I was doing great

> until a month back when I started having some lower back pain. The

> doctor I consulted said one of the Harring rods has shifted which is

> causing the pain. And suggested both rods to be removed since they

> are not required any more.

>

> Are there any risks removing the rods after 26 years. How big is the

> surgery to remove the rods ?

>

> I would like to hear some opinions on this and also need help in

> finding good scoliosis specialists in Bay Area, California. Appreciate

> any pointers.

>

> Thanks in advance,

> Sarma

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> scoliosis veterans * flatback sufferers * revision candidates

>

[Guest guest]

/ Cam

Thanks for your responses. This group is great, it has

been just 24 hours since I joined, I have seen so much

activity already.

I have seen Dr. Hieu Ball in SanRamon, CA who

suggested the rods be removed since one of them has

shifted. It did not occur to me to ask why it would

have shifted. He mentioned surgery is simple (takes an

hour), 2 days at hospital and 6 weeks rest at home. Is

this the simplest case or the norm ?

He also mentioned that the spine curve will have to be

analysed further through MRI (after rod removal), to

determine if I need another surgery. One step at a

time. Further stated another approach will be to

remove the rods and revision in one surgery...which

will be a major one.

My Harring rod instrumentation was done in 1979 in

India, it was one of its kind surgeries done there at

that time. Never thought I will be revisiting this

after 26 years, I am now 37.

From this forum, I saw very good reviews for doctors

at UCSF. Appreciate names of these doctors, any

reviews for Dr. Hieu Ball as well.

Thanks & regards

Sarma

--- Kirkaldie <.Kirkaldie@...>

wrote:

> Dear Sarma,

>

> I had my rod removed during a Lami/ decompression

> surgery. My rod had cut

> out, meaning both hooks were no longer placed in the

> spine, for about 16

> years before the rod was removed. My Harrington rod

> was removed without a

> lot of trouble from the surgical notes. I had two

> revisions, 12 months

> apart, and they had more trouble removing my first

> revision hardware due to

> bony growth than my Harrington rod, maybe the fact

> that it had cut out made

> it's removal easier. I have it in a bag at home,

> glad to have it, it's very

> interesting to look at, all shiny and new looking,

> which surprised me, since

> it had been in me 27 years. This is just my

> experience, many here still have

> part of theirs and their revision hardware is hung

> off of or near it. Bony

> overgrowth plays a part in wheather it can be

> removed, and I was just lucky

> mine could be removed. There are many here who have

> had good outcomes to

> surgery and still have theirs, just like I have had

> a good outcome and have

> had mine removed.

>

> You are very lucky to be in a good area, Northern

> California, great doc's at

> UCSF. I wish you luck! I had my Harrington Rod

> installed at UCSF in 1973,

> I'm a displaced California girl, Grew up in Santa

> / Petaluma, and went

> to High School in Modesto. Sure wish we were having

> your winter, we could

> use some of the rain you all are getting, weve only

> gotten about 1/6 the

> snow we usually do here in Colorado Springs. More

> than half the people here

> in Colorado are from California. I still miss it

> there, but all my family

> except for a couple of cousins have moved away to

> Nevada and Idaho. It's

> just gotten too expensive.

>

> Glad to have you here among us, and there are a few

> who went before you who

> have had surgery with the doc's at UCSF and will be

> a great outlet for you

> to get info. Good luck and Welcome!

>

>

> Colorado Springs

> [ ] Hi there

>

>

> > Hello

> >

> > My name is Sarma, I just came to know about this

> group from

> > http://www.scoliosislinks.com.

> >

> > I am a scoliosis patient, I got my sugery done as

> a kid in 1979,

> > they inserted Harring rods to support the fusion.

> I was doing great

> > until a month back when I started having some

> lower back pain. The

> > doctor I consulted said one of the Harring rods

> has shifted which is

> > causing the pain. And suggested both rods to be

> removed since they

> > are not required any more.

> >

> > Are there any risks removing the rods after 26

> years. How big is the

> > surgery to remove the rods ?

> >

> > I would like to hear some opinions on this and

> also need help in

> > finding good scoliosis specialists in Bay Area,

> California. Appreciate

> > any pointers.

> >

> > Thanks in advance,

> > Sarma

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > scoliosis veterans * flatback sufferers * revision

> candidates

> >

[Guest guest]

Sarma,

Let me preface my remarks by saying I am in no way contradicting

your doctor...he has way more information and training than me. That

said...you have not said that you have been given a flatback

diagnosis or if you just stumbled into this site by accident.

If you have been told you have flatback, or suspect you do...then I

would very strongly recommend you get another opinion before you do

anything else...and I would try to see one of the UCSF doctors most

often consulted by folks here. I suspect you will save yourself

time, money and most importanly pain.

I say this because the time frames you are being quoted are not too

far outside the parameters of recovery from full revision surgery,

and this doctor sounds like he suspects your sagittal balance needs

to be considered. At this time, the top revision surgeons will

address all of these problems as once. I am on the east coast and my

surgeon is one who actually prefers to retain the Harrington rod

when possible...shorten it and place all the new hardware connected

to the old rod. He does the osteotomy to correct the alignment and

replaces the discs with cages and ties this together to the sacrum

in two days of surgery....but the recovery and time off work for

most of us has been somewhere around 8-10 weeks...so it seems crazy

to go half way only to need another surgery to really fix the

problem, if there is one of sagittal balance, to really address what

is wrong with your back.

Your dates of original surgery pretty perfectly fit the parameters

of those of us who some 20-30 years later developed flatback.

Perhaps you could call the doctors office back and ask for copies of

the office notes created from your visit. You are entitiled to them

and they may shed some light on his thinking.

Take Care, Cam

[Guest guest]

Hi Sarma...

I'm pretty familiar with all of the scoliosis specialists in the Bay

Area, and have never heard of Dr. Ball, so I would urge you to proceed

VERY cautiously with him. If you want to stay near home, check out

Dr. Booth:

http://www.ncsi.tv/intro/programoverview/po_meet_booth.htm

Or, if SF is OK, Drs. Serena Hu, Sigurd Berven, and Vedat Deviren are

all very experienced.

Regards,

>

> / Cam

>

> Thanks for your responses. This group is great, it has

> been just 24 hours since I joined, I have seen so much

> activity already.

>

> I have seen Dr. Hieu Ball in SanRamon, CA who

> suggested the rods be removed since one of them has

> shifted. It did not occur to me to ask why it would

> have shifted. He mentioned surgery is simple (takes an

> hour), 2 days at hospital and 6 weeks rest at home. Is

> this the simplest case or the norm ?

>

> He also mentioned that the spine curve will have to be

> analysed further through MRI (after rod removal), to

> determine if I need another surgery. One step at a

> time. Further stated another approach will be to

> remove the rods and revision in one surgery...which

> will be a major one.

>

> My Harring rod instrumentation was done in 1979 in

> India, it was one of its kind surgeries done there at

> that time. Never thought I will be revisiting this

> after 26 years, I am now 37.

>

> From this forum, I saw very good reviews for doctors

> at UCSF. Appreciate names of these doctors, any

> reviews for Dr. Hieu Ball as well.

>

> Thanks & regards

> Sarma

[Guest guest]

Cam

The doctor definitely has not mentioned flatback.

I visited him because of the pain I started having few

weeks back. Upon studying the latest x-rays, he said

one of the rods shifted which is causing the pain and

that both rods can be removed. He further mentioned

the curve needs to be looked into (MRI) and may need

another surgery.

Is this group exclusively for flatback ?

Thanks also to , any where in Bay Area is OK.

Please let me know who I should try first,

Booth

Sigurd Berven

Serena Hu

Vedat Deviren

Thanks

Sarma

--- cammaltby <cammaltby@...> wrote:

> Sarma,

>

> Let me preface my remarks by saying I am in no way

> contradicting

> your doctor...he has way more information and

> training than me. That

> said...you have not said that you have been given a

> flatback

> diagnosis or if you just stumbled into this site by

> accident.

>

> If you have been told you have flatback, or suspect

> you do...then I

> would very strongly recommend you get another

> opinion before you do

> anything else...and I would try to see one of the

> UCSF doctors most

> often consulted by folks here. I suspect you will

> save yourself

> time, money and most importanly pain.

>

> I say this because the time frames you are being

> quoted are not too

> far outside the parameters of recovery from full

> revision surgery,

> and this doctor sounds like he suspects your

> sagittal balance needs

> to be considered. At this time, the top revision

> surgeons will

> address all of these problems as once. I am on the

> east coast and my

> surgeon is one who actually prefers to retain the

> Harrington rod

> when possible...shorten it and place all the new

> hardware connected

> to the old rod. He does the osteotomy to correct the

> alignment and

> replaces the discs with cages and ties this together

> to the sacrum

> in two days of surgery....but the recovery and time

> off work for

> most of us has been somewhere around 8-10 weeks...so

> it seems crazy

> to go half way only to need another surgery to

> really fix the

> problem, if there is one of sagittal balance, to

> really address what

> is wrong with your back.

>

> Your dates of original surgery pretty perfectly fit

> the parameters

> of those of us who some 20-30 years later developed

> flatback.

> Perhaps you could call the doctors office back and

> ask for copies of

> the office notes created from your visit. You are

> entitiled to them

> and they may shed some light on his thinking.

>

> Take Care, Cam

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Sarma,

No, this group is not exclusivly for flatback...I just asked if he

mentioned the words to you to see if he gave you a hint of his thinking.

None of the reasons, that I can think of, for a rod shifting would

prompt me to want to have them removed until I knew why they shifted.

You need to get a very qualified second opinion. The names you mention

from UCSF should be able to help.

Do you have a forward leaning posture?

Cam

[Guest guest]

Hi Sarma...

You're honestly in great hands with any of these doctors. The big

difference between Dr. Booth and the UCSF doctors, is that Dr. Booth

is in private practice. Some people prefer that, while others prefer

the university setting.

I would let any of these doctors operate oon me.

Regards,

>

> > Sarma,

> >

> > Let me preface my remarks by saying I am in no way

> > contradicting

> > your doctor...he has way more information and

> > training than me. That

> > said...you have not said that you have been given a

> > flatback

> > diagnosis or if you just stumbled into this site by

> > accident.

> >

> > If you have been told you have flatback, or suspect

> > you do...then I

> > would very strongly recommend you get another

> > opinion before you do

> > anything else...and I would try to see one of the

> > UCSF doctors most

> > often consulted by folks here. I suspect you will

> > save yourself

> > time, money and most importanly pain.

> >

> > I say this because the time frames you are being

> > quoted are not too

> > far outside the parameters of recovery from full

> > revision surgery,

> > and this doctor sounds like he suspects your

> > sagittal balance needs

> > to be considered. At this time, the top revision

> > surgeons will

> > address all of these problems as once. I am on the

> > east coast and my

> > surgeon is one who actually prefers to retain the

> > Harrington rod

> > when possible...shorten it and place all the new

> > hardware connected

> > to the old rod. He does the osteotomy to correct the

> > alignment and

> > replaces the discs with cages and ties this together

> > to the sacrum

> > in two days of surgery....but the recovery and time

> > off work for

> > most of us has been somewhere around 8-10 weeks...so

> > it seems crazy

> > to go half way only to need another surgery to

> > really fix the

> > problem, if there is one of sagittal balance, to

> > really address what

> > is wrong with your back.

> >

> > Your dates of original surgery pretty perfectly fit

> > the parameters

> > of those of us who some 20-30 years later developed

> > flatback.

> > Perhaps you could call the doctors office back and

> > ask for copies of

> > the office notes created from your visit. You are

> > entitiled to them

> > and they may shed some light on his thinking.

> >

> > Take Care, Cam

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Missi,

Please explore ALL of your options before taking RAI, which does not address

the underlying causes of thyroid disease, and can exacerbate existing

problems, such as thyroid eye disease.

There are meds you can take long-term that will keep you healthy while you

can use natural methods like nutrition, supplements and acupuncture to address

the underlying imbalance. PLEASE go to our sister site, iThyroid.com, to

research your options BEFORE you do anything drastic, like destroying your

thyroid,

from which there is no return.

My advice is to cancel the procedure, at least for now, and explore healthy,

alternative options for treatment. PLEASE don't kill your thyroid gland, it

is an unnecessary murder.

If you have Graves, meds should work just fine; even with other problems,

surgery is a better option than RAI.

Please keep us " in the loop " --we've all been there, and we care. I recovered

from Graves disease 8 years ago after a short course of meds, augmented by

nutrition, supplements and acupuncture. I have been fine, and off meds, since

then. You have many options and choices, please don't jump into anything.

Take care,

AntJoan

[Guest guest]

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 08:27:30 EDT, AntJoan@... wrote:

> Dear Missi,

>

> Please explore ALL of your options before taking RAI, which does not

> address

> the underlying causes of thyroid disease, and can exacerbate existing

> problems, such as thyroid eye disease.

>

> There are meds you can take long-term that will keep you healthy while you

> can use natural methods like nutrition, supplements and acupuncture to

> address

> the underlying imbalance. PLEASE go to our sister site, iThyroid.com, to

> research your options BEFORE you do anything drastic, like destroying your

> thyroid,

> from which there is no return.

>

> My advice is to cancel the procedure, at least for now, and explore

> healthy,

> alternative options for treatment. PLEASE don't kill your thyroid gland,

> it

> is an unnecessary murder.

> If you have Graves, meds should work just fine; even with other problems,

> surgery is a better option than RAI.

>

> Please keep us " in the loop " --we've all been there, and we care. I

> recovered

> from Graves disease 8 years ago after a short course of meds, augmented by

> nutrition, supplements and acupuncture. I have been fine, and off meds,

> since

> then. You have many options and choices, please don't jump into anything.

>

> Take care,

> AntJoan

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Lurker (Missi),

I was not at all ill when I took the RAI. But for years afterwards, I have not

had much luck at really balancing my thyroid replacement hormones. This is not

always easy. I truly wish I had tried anti-thyroid meds and tried to go into

remission. I think it would have been a better route for me. But " hindsight is

20/20! "

I was not allowed to share my dishes with anyone in my family. I had to have my

own bed & bedding, and had to flush the toilet twice each time I used it. I

think this was for about 3 days. Not a big deal because my family is grown up

and I only had one kid left at home.

Good luck

Kate

Hi there

I have been lurking for a little while now and have a question or two.

I was diagnosed with Graves disease and my endo wants to do RI an kill

it and put me on thyroid meds. I am ok with this. My question is for

those who have had this done, what are the restrictions as far as being

around others. I have heard different things. My hubby even said he

heard that the RI can make some people sick. Did any of you get sick?

Please let me know your experiences. I should be going thru it this

week.

Thanks,

Missi

[Guest guest]

Unfortunately due to other medical issues I don't have time to try the

antithyroid meds first. The thyroid has to go.

AS for the dishes and bedding does it have tp be destroyed? Or is just

washed ok?

I have an 8 year old and 17 year old at home still. My 17 year old is

going to do my home daycare for me.

Missi

________________________________

From: hyperthyroidism

[mailto:hyperthyroidism ] On Behalf Of Kate

Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2006 8:54 PM

hyperthyroidism

Subject: Re: Hi there

Hi Lurker (Missi),

I was not at all ill when I took the RAI. But for years afterwards, I

have not had much luck at really balancing my thyroid replacement

hormones. This is not always easy. I truly wish I had tried anti-thyroid

meds and tried to go into remission. I think it would have been a better

route for me. But " hindsight is 20/20! "

I was not allowed to share my dishes with anyone in my family. I had to

have my own bed & bedding, and had to flush the toilet twice each time I

used it. I think this was for about 3 days. Not a big deal because my

family is grown up and I only had one kid left at home.

Good luck

Kate

Hi there

I have been lurking for a little while now and have a question or two.

I was diagnosed with Graves disease and my endo wants to do RI an kill

it and put me on thyroid meds. I am ok with this. My question is for

those who have had this done, what are the restrictions as far as being

around others. I have heard different things. My hubby even said he

heard that the RI can make some people sick. Did any of you get sick?

Please let me know your experiences. I should be going thru it this

week.

Thanks,

Missi

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/11/2006 7:44:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

weegrace@... writes:

I have been refused

beta blockers because I am an asthmatic - is there an alternative to beta

blockers that have the same effect?

Dear Grace,

Yes, I have heard of that before, that asthmatics are refused beta blockers.

I don't know of a natural alternative, but maybe someone else on this list

does.

Best,

AntJoan

[Guest guest]

Grace,

You might check your calcium and magnesium balance. There is a great article

about this on ithyroid.com. (In the search window on the site enter " cal and

mag " .) Basically, calcium controls muscle contracting. And magnesium the

muscle relaxation. The article I mentioned goes into detail on how the cal/mag

balance or imbalance can effect the heart.

After I read the article, then looked at my dietary intake and supplements, I

realized I was overloading on calcium and very low on magnesium intake to

compensate. Although I did not have high bp or high pulse rates with my hyperT,

adding in magnesium to balance things has helped my hyperT levels. My dr did

mention that although everything on my heart checked out she said she could

" hear " it beating very strongly. This correlated with what the article said.

After I balanced the cal/mag my dr has said my heart is sounding alot better.

It is also interesting to note that high levels of calcium, in relation to

magnesium, can contribute to hyperthyroidism. This seems to be a contributing

factor for my body. So balancing calcium and magnesium can help in more than

one area.

Hope that helps some.

Kim

Re: Hi there

In a message dated 6/11/2006 7:44:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

weegrace@... writes:

I have been refused

beta blockers because I am an asthmatic - is there an alternative to beta

blockers that have the same effect?

Dear Grace,

Yes, I have heard of that before, that asthmatics are refused beta blockers.

I don't know of a natural alternative, but maybe someone else on this list

does.

Best,

AntJoan

[Guest guest]

I am sorry you feel so rushed. I rushed myself into it and found out later that

that frequently happens when you have Graves disease. You just want to feel

better no matter what. The problem is that this is not really a solution, just

a change in how the disease affects us.

I used paper plates and plastic cutlery - no problem...

I washed the bedding a few times before I used it again...

K

Hi there

I have been lurking for a little while now and have a question or two.

I was diagnosed with Graves disease and my endo wants to do RI an kill

it and put me on thyroid meds. I am ok with this. My question is for

those who have had this done, what are the restrictions as far as being

around others. I have heard different things. My hubby even said he

heard that the RI can make some people sick. Did any of you get sick?

Please let me know your experiences. I should be going thru it this

week.

Thanks,

Missi

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kim,

Have been looking at iThyroid and reading about the balance between Calcium

and Magnesium. My heart has slowed on the carbimazole but still beats very

" hard " so this may be the answer for me too. Not sure how much to take, on

iThyroid it suggests ratio 1:1 for hypers but on the Carbimazole I am heading

hypo so unsure if this will be right for me but will give it a shot. I too

am looking at my diet and ways to improve it.

All good advice guys, keep it coming cos the Dr certainly doesn't mention

any of this. In fact my Dr has never even checked my pulse or blood pressure,

nothing! You guys seem to get a lot more done. the only reason I know my

heart rate is cos I got my husband to take it regularly for me with a stopwatch

because I was feeling so ill with it at the time.

Grace

___________________________________________________________

Tiscali Broadband from 14.99 with free setup!

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/broadband/

[Guest guest]

Hi Grace

Do you have blood pressure monitors at the stores there? Here when I want to

know, I can take my bloodpressure and heartrate at the grocery store or at the

drug store. I know you can't go there in the middle of the night, but if you

check regularly you may get some comfort or have something concrete to tell your

doctor.

Just a thought...

Kate

Re: Hi there

Thanks Kim,

Have been looking at iThyroid and reading about the balance between Calcium

and Magnesium. My heart has slowed on the carbimazole but still beats very

" hard " so this may be the answer for me too. Not sure how much to take, on

iThyroid it suggests ratio 1:1 for hypers but on the Carbimazole I am heading

hypo so unsure if this will be right for me but will give it a shot. I too

am looking at my diet and ways to improve it.

All good advice guys, keep it coming cos the Dr certainly doesn't mention

any of this. In fact my Dr has never even checked my pulse or blood pressure,

nothing! You guys seem to get a lot more done. the only reason I know my

heart rate is cos I got my husband to take it regularly for me with a

stopwatch

because I was feeling so ill with it at the time.

Grace

__________________________________________________________

Tiscali Broadband from 14.99 with free setup!

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/broadband/

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