Travelling with Graves disease

[Garbbo]

Hi I'm desperately wanting some advise. I’ve been on 20mg carbimazole since the beginning of November. My recent levels are:

T4 13.5 (9.0- 23.0)

T3 4.0 (2.5- 5.7)

TSH 0.01 (0.30- 4.20)

I have a holiday booked to Crete in the middle of May for a week. I don’t worry too much about the flight, I’m just thinking if I’ll be ok to tolerate the heat. I’m planning to have a consultation with my GP and Endo regarding my trip.

Did anyone go on holiday to a hot temperature country while having Hyperthyrodism/ Graves?

Shall I cancel my trip?

Thank you!

[Valarian]

I went to Portugal, and was fine - although Crete in May will probably be warmer. My thyroid levels were still over range, but I felt great after the break. Perhaps try to keep out of the sun during the middle of the day, and aim for a relaxing time rather than full-on dashing about. Make sure you’ve always got water available, as you may get thirsty very quickly. Don’t forget that you may need to declare your condition to your insurer.

[Garbbo in reply to Valarian]

Thanks for your reply Valarian, you’re right I should declare my condition as well!

[SickLeo17]

I am surprised that your TSH is still so low while taking Carbimazole.

Are you still heat intolerant?

Which hyperthyroid symptoms do you still have?

I have been on Carbimazole since the start of December 2017 and have responded really well to meds. Too well in fact tgat they had to be stopped altogether due to becoming severely hypothyroid.

[Rmichelle in reply to SickLeo17]

Hi sickleo some people's tsh does remain suppressed whist taking carbi-its the frees 3 and 4 that count the most on how we feel in ourselves We are all different and our bodies react differently to meds-im still on carbi from july 2017 and on titration doses and my tsh is jumping from hyper to hypo and back at present but its good news that you are feeling great.🌟🌟🌟

[SickLeo17 in reply to Rmichelle]

Not feeling great I’m sorry to say. Looking forward to being stabilised and hoping for remission

[Rmichelle in reply to SickLeo17]

I understand , its a rollercoaster of a ride-7th month of work now and still rubbish-good and bad days-keep up the fight. Good luck leo.xx

[SickLeo17 in reply to Rmichelle]

Thank you for your support. I hope your health improves. Do you have Grave’s Rmichelle?

[Rmichelle in reply to SickLeo17]

I have hashis and graves-im greedy with immune diseases i have celiac aswell-im aiming for a 4th!!.😊

[SickLeo17 in reply to Rmichelle]

Oh no that’s no good at all.

You definitely don’t need any more.

My daughters and husband have Coeliac Disease. Not fun.

Interestingly my sister was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and pernicious aneamia and vitiligo

[Rmichelle in reply to SickLeo17]

yes you get one auto immune disease and watch the others junp in!!.😊

[Garbbo in reply to SickLeo17]

Yes, my TSH been low for ages, even when I was still not on meds it was low for a few years :/ that’s why my Endo kept me on 20mg of carbimazole for so long.

I have palpitations, hand tremors sometimes, anxiety, rapid heartbeat.

I was feeling much better 1,5 month ago, but my palpitations came back...I had some stress recently so maybe I should put a blame on it :/

[hattersteapar]

I visited Krakow last July and hadn't been properly diagnosed by an Endo however my GP had put me on 20mg carbizamol a day. It was over 30 degrees every day and I coped absolutely fine, in fact I seemed to be able to cope better than normal.

Enjoy your holiday, take your time and rest

[Garbbo in reply to hattersteapar]

Thanks, I’ll see how it goes! Hopefully everything will be fine!

[Fruitandnutcase]

Yes, I went camping in the south of France and I had no problems.

The year before we were in the south of France too. I was feeling really ill back then, went to see a GP the week before we left and she looked at me as I described how lousy I felt, sat back in her chair and told me I ‘was need8ng my holiday’! I came out to my husband who was waiting in the car, almost crying with rage and told him ‘that woman thinks I’m nuts’.

We drive down through France, I was a nervous jittery Graves mess but I made it. Within two months I had fallen to bits and was diagnosed with Graves.

I’d go on holiday. Take your prescription with you. I looked up all the vocabulary connected with what was wrong with me in case but I never needed to use it.

[Rmichelle]

Hi there Garbbo if you are upto it go and enjoy your holiday, i understand what you mean the heat was a killer for me back in the summertime as i just could not tolerate it but you could always sit somewhere nice in the shade and keep cool with plenty of lovely cool drinks, aslong as you are not too symptomatic go!! 🌟🌟

[Nathalie70]

I'm from south of France. My mother 70th birthday was 2 weeks after my over-active thyroid diagnosis. I had just started Carbimazole, was not in range at all when I travel to south of France in August. Well, I just had good sweats but no other problems. I don't see why you shouldn't travel. Take care.