Carbimazole and cramps update

[LadyAbash]

Hi Everyone,

I have been on a roller coaster since my last post, hence my relative silence. My mother was seriously ill, I was asked to sign a DNR, then my mother recovered, now I am able to focus on my own issues.

Since my last post about my severe cramps, they seem to have subsided since introducing magnesium citrate into my daily vitamin intake as suggested by several contributors.

I am due to see my Endo team next week so had the blood test they had requested done today. I received the results below:

TSH: 10.2 (0.27 - 4.2 mlU/L)

Thyroxine (T4): 12.7 pmol/L (12 - 22 pmol/L)

This was all that was requested.

Previous March results

TSH: 0.12 mlU/L

Thyroxine (T4): 17 pmol/L

I am somewhat confused by the current results but could explain my recent lethargy. Could this also indicate the need to change my carbimazole dosage? Any help will greatly appreciated. It will also help me prep my questions to my Endo team next week.

Many thanks!

LadyA

[pennyannie]

Good morning :

Your THS reading is now much too high signalling that you are now hypothyroid.

Your Free T4 now just 7% through the range - no T3 reading :

Ideally you need your TSH to recover to around 1.20/1.50 with a T4 at around mid point through the range -

though since you have ' grumbling Graves ' your TSH will likely recover to a lower TSH reading since the antibodies circulating in your blood tend to ' get stuck on TSH receptor sites ' causing lower readings than someone without Graves - and why it's more important to monitor and dose on T3 and T4 readings.

So, anyway, now the AT drug - Carbimazole - is blocking too much of your own, new daily thyroid hormone production and needs to be reduced down in order to release more T4 into your blood stream.

Your core strength vitamins and minerals may have nose dived - and fallen through the ranges - so ask for your ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D to be run and we can advise where these are best maintained for optimal health and well being.

Amongst ' all that is going on ' is the cramp worse or has this eased off and do you feel any better for coming off the Propranolol ?

[LadyAbash in reply to pennyannie]

Good morning Pennyannie,

Thank you for your speedy response.

I had a feeling my TSH level indicated i had made me become hypothyroid.

I wanted to prep myself to ask the right questions on Tuesdsy when I see my Endo team.

I was surprised that ferritin, folate, B12 & D were not checked as they were the previous time. If they have issues with checking them, then I will get this done privately. I am also wondering if there is anything I can do to help myself apart from what I am already doing?

The cramps have completely subsided. I can only put it down to my magnesium intake and coming off propranolol. This seems to have helped.

It looks like I will have to do more reading on hypothyroidism as I have been hyper for a long time so explains why my energy levels have dropped dramatically.

Enjoy your day!

LadyA

[pennyannie in reply to LadyAbash]

Good to read those symptoms have subsided - Thyroid UK - thyroiduk.org - the charity who support this forum have a check list of both hyper and hypo symptoms you may like to consider - as it can become confusing as some symptoms sit in both hyper/hypo camps - and it can be more about how you feel and what works best for you.

The blood tests are just a snap shot in time and tend to run a couple of weeks behind symptoms being tolerated.

Elaine Moore has a section within her very extensive website - elaine-moore.com detailing holistic and more alternative treatment options for Graves which helped me with my own issues managing stress and anxiety which I still do, tend to bury !!!

Old habits !!

[LadyAbash]

Good afternoon everyone. Had my phone appointment with a member of my Endo team this afternoon .

They asked me to stop carbimazole for one week followed by reducing the dosage from 10 mg to 5 mg there after. They reminded me that removing my thyroid will still be my better long term option. I said NO, of course. I have a face2face in October so hopefully I will have returned to some kind of normality by then. As usual, I will do a blood test the week before, with my Ferritin etc being checked this time.

I feel so tired with my arms and legs feeling like lead weights. I hope I'll feel better than I do now soon. It's horrible!

LadyA