I believe that the pharmacist adds a pine filler and some color (I think the color is a dose marker--fortunately it doesn't seem to bother me). I take capsules rather than tablets. HOWEVER, you might want to take the standard medicine to start with. First of all, the lactose might be so little that it doesn't bother you AND you want to be sure that the doctor doesn't ascribe potential problems, such as lack of efficacy or side effects, to the unfamiliar compounding. You want to simplify in the beginning as you are learning and when you need the doctor's advice the most. These are just my thoughts, of course. I am not a doctor. I did find this article that may be of interest: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9413813
I do understand the scared and anxious feelings. In HyperT, the brain can create anything from anxiety to panic, so be very forgiving of yourself. I hope you have good friends/family to lean on who can reassure you that all will be well eventually. Once I got my TSH to 1.47, all of the excess emotions disappeared like magic. I had to pin down the T4 range that was right for me. It all takes time. I wish I could erase those bad feelings for you. I certainly hope MMI will take them all away, but everyone is different. When you start the medication, assuming the doc does proceed with medication, it's not at all clear how you will react, so you have to take it a step at a time. I had no side effects, but some people do have negative effects, as I'm sure you know.
I have not had any change in weight with the return to normal TSH, except I gained back the 10-12 lbs I lost when the disorder occurred. I was happy to regain that weight and return to normal. I would encourage you to lay aside any and all potential fears that are "out there in the future." In other words, unless something is a problem right now, put off thinking about it. You can tackle fears about the future and "what ifs" much more effectively when your emotions are not under the influence of high thyroid.
Unfortunately endocrinologists can indeed lack compassion. The good news is that right now all you need is competence. You need a doctor who can read the numbers and give you info and prescribe the right amount of MMI. As you learn more, you can interview to find an endocrinologist who fits your needs more closely. Time time time. I finally found a doctor who recognizes that my body belongs to me and orders testing on a schedule that seems right to both of us. There are also private labs, but I would try to find the right endocrinologist, if possible, before striking out completely on your own. It took a couple of years before I began to feel confident in my knowledge. As with LC, patience is key. There's nothing fast about fixing the thyroid. The good news is that you can make decisions cautiously. Thank goodness this is treatable!
--T
It's official. And the winner is...Grave's Disease
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
T,
I can't begin to tell you how much your knowledge and compassion have helped to sooth this rapidly beating heart. I met with the endo doc today and with information you provided and some research on my own I was able to ask the questions I needed to and I believe very much what you said to be true. He may lack compassion, but he appears to be very competent and a minimalist. He has prescribed MMI. I did suggest the compound pharmacy, but just like what you said, his concern would be whether I'm actually getting what I need. I agreed with him as I agree with you to begin with the known and leave the unknown for a time when I am more capable and less frightened. I think I'm going to give this guy a chance. Based on what I've now learned, he appears to be reasonable in the care he is providing.
This fear/panic thing is SO not helpful. Typically I'm a competent, intelligent person who puts great consideration into major and minor life issues. However, right now every thing I have to deal with is fraught with indecision and fear. I will take your words and be forgiving of me, take more deep breaths and do my best to give the time required. I'm not fully committing to embracing patience willingly <grin> but I really do hear what you are saying.
Truth is all I want to do is feel better and my fear is I won't. But I will take the MMI, deal with whatever arises, hope for the best and look forward to the day I too can say "all of the excess emotions disappeared like magic". But whatever happens, so be it.
Thank you so much for taking so much time with me. You have made this so much more reasonable for me. I can't thank you enough.
A
I can't begin to tell you how much your knowledge and compassion have helped to sooth this rapidly beating heart. I met with the endo doc today and with information you provided and some research on my own I was able to ask the questions I needed to and I believe very much what you said to be true. He may lack compassion, but he appears to be very competent and a minimalist. He has prescribed MMI. I did suggest the compound pharmacy, but just like what you said, his concern would be whether I'm actually getting what I need. I agreed with him as I agree with you to begin with the known and leave the unknown for a time when I am more capable and less frightened. I think I'm going to give this guy a chance. Based on what I've now learned, he appears to be reasonable in the care he is providing.
This fear/panic thing is SO not helpful. Typically I'm a competent, intelligent person who puts great consideration into major and minor life issues. However, right now every thing I have to deal with is fraught with indecision and fear. I will take your words and be forgiving of me, take more deep breaths and do my best to give the time required. I'm not fully committing to embracing patience willingly <grin> but I really do hear what you are saying.
Truth is all I want to do is feel better and my fear is I won't. But I will take the MMI, deal with whatever arises, hope for the best and look forward to the day I too can say "all of the excess emotions disappeared like magic". But whatever happens, so be it.
Thank you so much for taking so much time with me. You have made this so much more reasonable for me. I can't thank you enough.
A
I am so glad you are feeling calmer. You're very welcome for any help I could provide. I really know that frightened feeling. I was not used to walking around scared out of my mind and it was bad. It's great that the doctor seems competent and you feel he can be trusted at least for now. By the way, high thyroid emotional attacks can come in waves, just so you know. I found that mornings were especially bad for me (especially because insomnia was part of the picture for me). Particularly because you are used to being competent, intelligent, and in control of your life, you may wonder where your old self went sometimes, and feel like your familiar old self other times. That was my experience, which was confusing. Hang on!
You said that you just want to feel better and fear you won't. The good news is that as others have said, if the medication doesn't work or you don't tolerate it or you don't want to do all the monitoring, there are other ways--surgery or radiation--to get rid of excess thyroid. You may eventually want to pursue one of those solutions, but you've got time to think about it and come to a conclusion. I don't know how much MMI your doctor prescribed or how soon he expects an effect, but with any luck (fingers crossed), you can think about your options when you aren't awash in T3! It's impossible to say how you'll feel once the excess thyroid hormones are gone, but one step at a time.
Finally, according to my doctor, 20% go into remission, like happened to sue777, which is good to know. This could just melt away.
I'll be happy to hear of your progress from time to time.
--T
You said that you just want to feel better and fear you won't. The good news is that as others have said, if the medication doesn't work or you don't tolerate it or you don't want to do all the monitoring, there are other ways--surgery or radiation--to get rid of excess thyroid. You may eventually want to pursue one of those solutions, but you've got time to think about it and come to a conclusion. I don't know how much MMI your doctor prescribed or how soon he expects an effect, but with any luck (fingers crossed), you can think about your options when you aren't awash in T3! It's impossible to say how you'll feel once the excess thyroid hormones are gone, but one step at a time.
Finally, according to my doctor, 20% go into remission, like happened to sue777, which is good to know. This could just melt away.
I'll be happy to hear of your progress from time to time.
--T
Hello. My name is Linda and I'm new to this site and I'm trying to figure out how to introduce myself to everyone. I've been diagnosed with Graves Disease/hyperthyroidism. I'm reacting to the Methimazole. I have itchy rash patches all over me. I'm taking Aller Tec, Benedryl and prescription hyrdrocortisol??? to manage the hives. It seems to have helped to be on the beta blocker as far as my heart rate and blood pressure. I'm not in remission in fact my numbers are showing that it's pushing me into type 2 diabetes. I have a moderate case and but my numbers are still high. I'm not thrilled with the idea of RIA at all (actually not any of the options but there's not much choice with this) and I'm leaning more towards the surgery...if I can't get this under control with medication. I'd rather wait to use PTU as a back up if needed. My purpose for talking today is that I usually talk to my daughter about what's going on and she just left for an 18 month mission for our church. I realized that I was writing about my health more than I think I should...she needs to be focused on her mission. My friend, JoAnne, introduced me to this site... So, I'm taking a leap of faith in introducing myself to new people to help me process what I'm experiencing. Is that ok? I hadn't thought about the filler ingredients in the medications as to being a problem...since I am intolerant to several things. I feel like I'm an 80 year old woman in a 45 year old body... it can be challenging to remain cheerful when I'm feeling like my health is staring me in the face. I'm in pain alot, nauseated constantly, weak as could be but I'm up, I can move, I can breathe, I can type, I can change how I think about what's happening to me and how I respond to it all is where my agency counts...it's just hard and I sometimes want to cry but then I'm thinking that I have a family who needs me to keep it all together and focus on the positive. Anyway, I thought I'd just write down what's going on in my heart and thank you all for the patience in allowing me to do it.
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the board. Any friend of JoAnn is a friend of ours. As you're well aware, hyperthyroidism is much trickier to treat than hypothyroidism. We have one member who was able to take the drug treatment for about a year (if my memory is correct), and her thyroid settled down and began to function somewhat normally, so she was able to discontinue the drug. I'm not sure what the other members here who have hyperthyroidism are doing to treat their thyroid.
If you are having an allergic reaction to the drug, be careful with that, because if you get to a point where your mast cells are reacting on a chronic basis for a prolonged period of time, IMO, that can lead to the development of other autoimmune diseases.
When the thyroid is malfunctioning, that disrupts many other body processes, so it's no wonder that you're having so many other issues. Most of us take our thyroid for granted, until it heads south, and then it captures our attention big time. Frankly, if I were in your shoes, I don't believe that I would continue to take a drug that causes an allergic reaction, at least not on a medium to long-term basis. I believe that I would be looking at one of the other options. Allergic reactions that are serious enough to cause hives can get out of hand, and really make life miserable. Hopefully, when the drug is discontinued, the allergic symptoms will quickly fade away.
Again, welcome to the board, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to the board. Any friend of JoAnn is a friend of ours. As you're well aware, hyperthyroidism is much trickier to treat than hypothyroidism. We have one member who was able to take the drug treatment for about a year (if my memory is correct), and her thyroid settled down and began to function somewhat normally, so she was able to discontinue the drug. I'm not sure what the other members here who have hyperthyroidism are doing to treat their thyroid.
If you are having an allergic reaction to the drug, be careful with that, because if you get to a point where your mast cells are reacting on a chronic basis for a prolonged period of time, IMO, that can lead to the development of other autoimmune diseases.
When the thyroid is malfunctioning, that disrupts many other body processes, so it's no wonder that you're having so many other issues. Most of us take our thyroid for granted, until it heads south, and then it captures our attention big time. Frankly, if I were in your shoes, I don't believe that I would continue to take a drug that causes an allergic reaction, at least not on a medium to long-term basis. I believe that I would be looking at one of the other options. Allergic reactions that are serious enough to cause hives can get out of hand, and really make life miserable. Hopefully, when the drug is discontinued, the allergic symptoms will quickly fade away.
Again, welcome to the board, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Oh Hello Tex. Thank you for responding. I appreciate your comments very much. JoAnn called me and mentioned that you had written to me on the thread and suggested that I post on the main message board. She was kind enough to guide me in that process. I'm still trying to figure out how to navigate this site and I appreciate being welcomed to join. Thank you.
You mentioned, if I understood correctly, that I should consider stopping the medication. The problem is that my numbers are already quite high and if I stop this drug then I'd need to use the PTU drug...which I thought was used when necessary for a thyroid storm...because it's fast acting. If I were to move on to that drug then wouldn't that eliminate my options? It does make sense to stop taking the first drug altogether...because my numbers are not looking good. It is throwing my insulin and glucose off.
I'm learning about the paleo diet too and it's so hard to change from eating grains to more meat...I've lived on grains, vegetables, fruits and some meats but this has been a rough year trying to figure out why I'm feeling so rotten. It started about a year ago...with symptoms of a heart attack...and the healthier I ate, the worse I became...so by October I had a sensitivity test showing all the listed intolerances listed in my profile. But by January 2013 I was feeling absolutely sick with the rapid weight loss and all I could eat was plain white rice and bananas. I talked with JoAnn and she mentioned to me about my thyroid and I talked to the doctors about testing my thyroid. By that point, it'd gone crazy and starting dumping into my system...and so since March 5th I've been taking this drug to stop it but I had a rash within two days that has progressively become much more miserable.
By the way, how do I get the American flag to show on my profile? I've tried to change it, but it doesn't.
Thank you again for talking to me. I'm not liking what's happening to me but I'm trying to be positive...and it's hard....I realize I'm sounding like a complete cry baby and whiner. I'm sorry...I honestly need a place to let my feelings out and figure out how to handle all the emotions in a positive way. Honestly...I'm scared...the allergic reaction scares me because this condition can be serious and the worst thing I could do is talk myself into an emotional state...so I just have tried to keep busy today baking for the kid's school lunches this week...something I haven't done in a long time. I've figured I'm sick either way, so I'm trying to be productive but I'm feeling like I alone in this. My family is kind and they try hard to understand but they're not miserable and I'm sure they're tired of me being not well. I don't blame them...I wished I was well too.
You mentioned, if I understood correctly, that I should consider stopping the medication. The problem is that my numbers are already quite high and if I stop this drug then I'd need to use the PTU drug...which I thought was used when necessary for a thyroid storm...because it's fast acting. If I were to move on to that drug then wouldn't that eliminate my options? It does make sense to stop taking the first drug altogether...because my numbers are not looking good. It is throwing my insulin and glucose off.
I'm learning about the paleo diet too and it's so hard to change from eating grains to more meat...I've lived on grains, vegetables, fruits and some meats but this has been a rough year trying to figure out why I'm feeling so rotten. It started about a year ago...with symptoms of a heart attack...and the healthier I ate, the worse I became...so by October I had a sensitivity test showing all the listed intolerances listed in my profile. But by January 2013 I was feeling absolutely sick with the rapid weight loss and all I could eat was plain white rice and bananas. I talked with JoAnn and she mentioned to me about my thyroid and I talked to the doctors about testing my thyroid. By that point, it'd gone crazy and starting dumping into my system...and so since March 5th I've been taking this drug to stop it but I had a rash within two days that has progressively become much more miserable.
By the way, how do I get the American flag to show on my profile? I've tried to change it, but it doesn't.
Thank you again for talking to me. I'm not liking what's happening to me but I'm trying to be positive...and it's hard....I realize I'm sounding like a complete cry baby and whiner. I'm sorry...I honestly need a place to let my feelings out and figure out how to handle all the emotions in a positive way. Honestly...I'm scared...the allergic reaction scares me because this condition can be serious and the worst thing I could do is talk myself into an emotional state...so I just have tried to keep busy today baking for the kid's school lunches this week...something I haven't done in a long time. I've figured I'm sick either way, so I'm trying to be productive but I'm feeling like I alone in this. My family is kind and they try hard to understand but they're not miserable and I'm sure they're tired of me being not well. I don't blame them...I wished I was well too.
Welcome Linda.
So sorry you are feeling so awful right now. I hope you find the balance you need from the thyroid treatments soon.
as for the diet, I know it is difficult to switch how you eat. I use to eat tons of fiber, fruits and salads ( i am a personal trainer and nutritionist) and this high high protein diet seemed so counterintuitive. ... BUT it works for people with MC! Granted, I am not one of those who had to take out all grains ( I can still eat rice and corn) but I do eat protein at every meal. I have gotten very good at cooking all types of meat and fish :) Can you tolerate eggs? They are a great source also.
Good luck
Leah
So sorry you are feeling so awful right now. I hope you find the balance you need from the thyroid treatments soon.
as for the diet, I know it is difficult to switch how you eat. I use to eat tons of fiber, fruits and salads ( i am a personal trainer and nutritionist) and this high high protein diet seemed so counterintuitive. ... BUT it works for people with MC! Granted, I am not one of those who had to take out all grains ( I can still eat rice and corn) but I do eat protein at every meal. I have gotten very good at cooking all types of meat and fish :) Can you tolerate eggs? They are a great source also.
Good luck
Leah
Linda,
Yes, just discontinuing taking the medication is not a good option, in view of your symptoms. To borrow a term often used in engineering mathematics, propylthiouracil is not a very "well-behaved" drug — it carries some serious health risks. What I was trying to say is that if I didn't begin to get better results from the current treatment program relatively soon, rather than to continue causing inflammation and ignoring the additional long-term health risks associated with that inflammation, I would give some serious consideration to the other treatment options.
But I would be very wary of propylthiouracil, because it carries a significant side effect risk of granulocytosis, and a slight risk of severe (life-threatening) liver damage. If granulocytosis develops, the blood level of granulocytes (white blood cells such as neutrophils, basophils, and eosinophils) can drop to extremely low levels, resulting in a relatively high risk of developing infections. If you should decide to consider this option, please discuss the risks involved with your doctor, but keep in mind that doctors almost always downplay the risks involved with taking drugs (because since they don't understand the power of diet, they feel that prescribing drugs is the only tool they have available for treating disease).
Allergic reactions can throw a monkey wrench into the overall functioning of various body systems. And when we have to take other drugs to suppress the allergic symptoms triggered by a previously-prescribed drug, that can only further complicate things, and make it more difficult for the body to handle issues as it normally would. The result can be other, unforeseen complications that cause additional problems. Once we begin taking drugs to combat the side effects of other drugs, matters can get out of hand, and become unpredictably complicated.
The basic problem is that doctors can usually handle routine health issues, because they have a program for that, and they feel comfortable in dealing with it. But when things go very wrong, they often don't have a reliable plan. And doctors are discouraged from thinking for themselves, because if they try a novel treatment approach, and it doesn't work, our convoluted legal system allows disgruntled patients to sue their pants off. As long as physicians "go by the book" (no matter how poorly it serves their patients), they are protected by the law.
That's why we have to research our health issues ourselves, so that we can make informed decisions about our treatment plans.
Tex
P. S. The first flag is assigned by the system, based on your current IP address associated with your last post. The one currently displayed simply means that the system was unsure about the country of origin associated with your IP address. As carriers become larger, and systems overlap borders, it becomes easier to "fool" computer systems about the origin of the IP address, especially since there doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason about the way that IP addresses are assigned and shuffled around, these days.
The second flag is the one you select in your profile.
Yes, just discontinuing taking the medication is not a good option, in view of your symptoms. To borrow a term often used in engineering mathematics, propylthiouracil is not a very "well-behaved" drug — it carries some serious health risks. What I was trying to say is that if I didn't begin to get better results from the current treatment program relatively soon, rather than to continue causing inflammation and ignoring the additional long-term health risks associated with that inflammation, I would give some serious consideration to the other treatment options.
But I would be very wary of propylthiouracil, because it carries a significant side effect risk of granulocytosis, and a slight risk of severe (life-threatening) liver damage. If granulocytosis develops, the blood level of granulocytes (white blood cells such as neutrophils, basophils, and eosinophils) can drop to extremely low levels, resulting in a relatively high risk of developing infections. If you should decide to consider this option, please discuss the risks involved with your doctor, but keep in mind that doctors almost always downplay the risks involved with taking drugs (because since they don't understand the power of diet, they feel that prescribing drugs is the only tool they have available for treating disease).
Allergic reactions can throw a monkey wrench into the overall functioning of various body systems. And when we have to take other drugs to suppress the allergic symptoms triggered by a previously-prescribed drug, that can only further complicate things, and make it more difficult for the body to handle issues as it normally would. The result can be other, unforeseen complications that cause additional problems. Once we begin taking drugs to combat the side effects of other drugs, matters can get out of hand, and become unpredictably complicated.
The basic problem is that doctors can usually handle routine health issues, because they have a program for that, and they feel comfortable in dealing with it. But when things go very wrong, they often don't have a reliable plan. And doctors are discouraged from thinking for themselves, because if they try a novel treatment approach, and it doesn't work, our convoluted legal system allows disgruntled patients to sue their pants off. As long as physicians "go by the book" (no matter how poorly it serves their patients), they are protected by the law.
That's why we have to research our health issues ourselves, so that we can make informed decisions about our treatment plans.
Tex
P. S. The first flag is assigned by the system, based on your current IP address associated with your last post. The one currently displayed simply means that the system was unsure about the country of origin associated with your IP address. As carriers become larger, and systems overlap borders, it becomes easier to "fool" computer systems about the origin of the IP address, especially since there doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason about the way that IP addresses are assigned and shuffled around, these days.
The second flag is the one you select in your profile.
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Yes Leah, I can eat eggs...I don't like them as well mainly because I threw up on them during my first pregnancy...but I think it's more of a psychological issue with eggs and I make myself eat them especially if I've run out of meat in the house.
Tex, thank you for the information. I did call the pharmacy today and found out that in each the Methimazole, hydrocortisone tablets, and metoprolol beta blocker there is lactose and in the methimazole it also has corn starch. That's scary about what you're saying with these drugs. I believe you. Should I consider maybe having a compounding pharmacy remake the medications and see if that helps??? Or just tell the doctor I'm going to just stop taking the medication? My husband is not thrilled with the idea of my choosing surgery over the Radioactive Iodine but that drug scares me too...I'm not sure I like the idea of having that in my body. I noticed that there was a thread on reccommended doctors you were putting together for new people like me. Is the list posted by state somewhere?
Thank you all for talking to me. I sincerely appreciate it so much.
Tex, thank you for the information. I did call the pharmacy today and found out that in each the Methimazole, hydrocortisone tablets, and metoprolol beta blocker there is lactose and in the methimazole it also has corn starch. That's scary about what you're saying with these drugs. I believe you. Should I consider maybe having a compounding pharmacy remake the medications and see if that helps??? Or just tell the doctor I'm going to just stop taking the medication? My husband is not thrilled with the idea of my choosing surgery over the Radioactive Iodine but that drug scares me too...I'm not sure I like the idea of having that in my body. I noticed that there was a thread on reccommended doctors you were putting together for new people like me. Is the list posted by state somewhere?
Thank you all for talking to me. I sincerely appreciate it so much.
It's difficult to say whether your reaction is due to the active ingredients, or the additives, but if it's the additives you named, then compounding would probably resolve the problem. You would need a new prescription from your doctor stating the details of the compounding formulation, though, and I doubt that it would be covered by insurance, but it might be, depending on your insurance company.
Regarding the information on doctors, there are two lists. The first list includes doctors whom members have found to understand how to treat MC, and who have been supportive of diet changes for treating MC. IOW, they understand food sensitivities. The second list includes doctors who are specially trained to treat mast cell issues for those of us who have mast cell activation disorder (MCAD) or similar issues. And these doctors certainly understand food sensitivities as well. Most allergists can treat skin disorders, but they are incapable of relating mast cell issues to digestive system problems. The list for mast cell specialists is rather short, but that's because there are precious few doctors who are qualified to deal with mast cell issues. For all of these physicians, their contact information, specialty, location, etc., are included.
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14420
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14421
You're very welcome,
Tex
Regarding the information on doctors, there are two lists. The first list includes doctors whom members have found to understand how to treat MC, and who have been supportive of diet changes for treating MC. IOW, they understand food sensitivities. The second list includes doctors who are specially trained to treat mast cell issues for those of us who have mast cell activation disorder (MCAD) or similar issues. And these doctors certainly understand food sensitivities as well. Most allergists can treat skin disorders, but they are incapable of relating mast cell issues to digestive system problems. The list for mast cell specialists is rather short, but that's because there are precious few doctors who are qualified to deal with mast cell issues. For all of these physicians, their contact information, specialty, location, etc., are included.
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14420
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14421
You're very welcome,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Linda 
I'm sure we're the same religion. My daughter also went on a mission (to Brazil) for 18 months. When she came back, she had digestive problems and was told she had "IBS." I thought that she had contracted a parasite and never accepted the IBS diagnosis. Once I was diagnosed with MC, I realized that she must also have MC. She is a teacher in Utah and I visit her regularly.
I went gluten-free within a short time of joining this website. As JoAnn has probably told you, gluten isn't good for us MCers. That's quite a change from what we have been told. I'm having a very difficult time convincing my daughters that it's harmful, but it is. My granddaughters are already having autoimmune problems and it pains me to know the source of the problem, but not be able to do anything about it.
Our church leaders recently sent a letter to the bishops telling them that persons with a gluten allergy should be accomodated when they take the Sacrament. I bring a portion of a pancake to the Sacrament table in a plastic condiment cup from a fast food place. The deacons put it on the Sacrament tray and make sure they bring that tray to my pew. I used to bring my own bread, but I can no longer make bread with my two flours: corn and almond.
Like Leah and you, I've had to change my idea of what constitutes a healthy diet. I've always eaten meat, but it wasn't the main component of my meals. Now, I eat meat at all of my meals except when I eat cereal two mornings a week. We need protein to heal, and meat accomplishes that goal.
I'm not familiar with thyroid problems, but there are many on the board who know about them. Tex is pretty familiar with them; you can trust his advice. I hope you can resolve the problems you're having.
Please don't hesitate to share your ups, downs, and concerns here. We are like a family and we understand how you're feeling. Say "Hello" to JoAnn for us.
Gloria
I'm sure we're the same religion. My daughter also went on a mission (to Brazil) for 18 months. When she came back, she had digestive problems and was told she had "IBS." I thought that she had contracted a parasite and never accepted the IBS diagnosis. Once I was diagnosed with MC, I realized that she must also have MC. She is a teacher in Utah and I visit her regularly.
I went gluten-free within a short time of joining this website. As JoAnn has probably told you, gluten isn't good for us MCers. That's quite a change from what we have been told. I'm having a very difficult time convincing my daughters that it's harmful, but it is. My granddaughters are already having autoimmune problems and it pains me to know the source of the problem, but not be able to do anything about it.
Our church leaders recently sent a letter to the bishops telling them that persons with a gluten allergy should be accomodated when they take the Sacrament. I bring a portion of a pancake to the Sacrament table in a plastic condiment cup from a fast food place. The deacons put it on the Sacrament tray and make sure they bring that tray to my pew. I used to bring my own bread, but I can no longer make bread with my two flours: corn and almond.
Like Leah and you, I've had to change my idea of what constitutes a healthy diet. I've always eaten meat, but it wasn't the main component of my meals. Now, I eat meat at all of my meals except when I eat cereal two mornings a week. We need protein to heal, and meat accomplishes that goal.
I'm not familiar with thyroid problems, but there are many on the board who know about them. Tex is pretty familiar with them; you can trust his advice. I hope you can resolve the problems you're having.
Please don't hesitate to share your ups, downs, and concerns here. We are like a family and we understand how you're feeling. Say "Hello" to JoAnn for us.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Hello...thank you for sharing with me. I went to the doctor's on Monday. Right now here's the plan, I heard back from the compounding pharmacist and he can make the methimazole and beta blocker without the fillers. In the interim, I'm to see an Ent about the possibility of having a partial thyroid removal with the nodules removed and hopefully the remaining portion would be enough to sustain me and correct itself...that's the next option if I continue to react to the medication...surgery to preserve the rest of my body's endocrine function. It's been hard because my daughter is who I usually converse about with these details and part of me is feeling like I'm not being honest with her by not divulging the medical details...but I think it would be too distracting. I received a letter from her and she's overwhelmed with the difficulty of the language but she's managing well enough. She LOVES being there and is doing GREAT! I'm trying hard to not think about it. I'm hoping that the pharmacist can get the medicines put together by the first of the week since I have a trip planned to see my oldest daughter in CA...she'd scheduled to have her baby for when I flew out there but ended up having an emergency c-section 3 weeks early...and I'm hoping to get feeling better but I make myself do things regardless to how I'm feeling. I like your ideas about the sacramental bread..I've been taking digestive enzymes regularly to help..Is that a bad thing??? I think with the grains it's so high carb that it becomes sugar and throws my glucose out too far for the insulin to catch...so that's why I'm limiting the grains even more so since I don't want to get diabetes on top of the graves and hyperthyroidism.
Hi Gloria, I know I've been AWOL for awhile. I actually checked in last Sunday with another post. I had been talking with Linda and realized it had been too long since I posted, and I needed to touch base. I don't think I'll ever leave this board-it's become a precious part of my life and support system. I owe a lot to everyone here. You have always been one of those special people who helped me in difficult times and better times. I hope you are feeling well. Love JoAnn
(Hi to you, too, Linda, I'll talk to you soon, JoAnn)
(Hi to you, too, Linda, I'll talk to you soon, JoAnn)
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. John Wayne
Dear Linda,
Hi there! I've been wanting to respond to your post for a while, because I'm one of the lucky few who also has hyperthyroidism. I know it's a really hard road especially at the beginning. I don't know what stage you're at, for example, in terms of the surgery. You mentioned that you might be going in for surgery because the Methimazole is causing a reaction I would certainly be very happy to assist you in answering questions where I can. I don't know everything about hyperthyroidism by any means, but I have become something of an expert on the disorder by necessity.
Another thing we share in common is that although I'm from Chicago I have many relatives in Utah. In fact I will be in Salt Lake City taking care of my mother-in-law from June for about three weeks and probably other times throughout the summer. You mentioned that it's difficult with your daughter gone on her mission. That's a really big sacrifice. I'd be happy to talk more about what's happening now.
By the way, I hope you are aware of the emotional anxiety that hyperthyroidism can cause. Everyone is different, but it's really important to keep in mind that if you're not feeling like your usual self, the culprit may be the hyperthyroidism itself and not that you're suddenly a different person than you used to be. I've come to have a great respect for the power of these hormones.
--T
Hi there! I've been wanting to respond to your post for a while, because I'm one of the lucky few who also has hyperthyroidism. I know it's a really hard road especially at the beginning. I don't know what stage you're at, for example, in terms of the surgery. You mentioned that you might be going in for surgery because the Methimazole is causing a reaction I would certainly be very happy to assist you in answering questions where I can. I don't know everything about hyperthyroidism by any means, but I have become something of an expert on the disorder by necessity.
Another thing we share in common is that although I'm from Chicago I have many relatives in Utah. In fact I will be in Salt Lake City taking care of my mother-in-law from June for about three weeks and probably other times throughout the summer. You mentioned that it's difficult with your daughter gone on her mission. That's a really big sacrifice. I'd be happy to talk more about what's happening now.
By the way, I hope you are aware of the emotional anxiety that hyperthyroidism can cause. Everyone is different, but it's really important to keep in mind that if you're not feeling like your usual self, the culprit may be the hyperthyroidism itself and not that you're suddenly a different person than you used to be. I've come to have a great respect for the power of these hormones.
--T
Thank you...I haven't been on the site for a while. I've decided to go ahead with the surgery...Did you do that? I'm allergic to the medication and it's been rough being on it but I can't go off of it or the doctor said I'd die. We're hoping that my heart rate and labs will show that I'm stable enough to operate next week...May 28th. I'm curious if you had the surgery and if so, how'd you do? Also, I'm considering staying on the paleo diet...Is this something you did? Oh man...the emotions have been up and down like a roller coaster and it's been rough! I can tell things are going awry lately because I've been much more emotional and my insomnia is back...ugh...my muscles ache like a bad case of the flu and today I've been dizzy, light headed, and my eyes are burning and tearing and a slight headache. I hesitate to take an Ibuprophen because I'm scheduled for surgery next week. My appetite is down today too. Honestly...I'm feeling not so good.