Thyroid...

[Catty1]

Well, there I was thinking it was the job(and I moved out of that), and was having anxiety, which I DON'T get.

Made the doc's appt, had some blood work...

I have an elevated THYROID? T3 and T4 (especially the T4, above normal!) It was FINE last September - but I understand that a hysterectomy can affect this a bit.

So, am waiting for another scan....meanwhile, off to Google.

If anyone knows of hyperthyroid diets etc, let me know.

Thanks!

[smokey the elder]

I don't know about hyperthyroid "diets". I was hyperthyroid and was treated with radioactive iodine. Don't fool around with hyperthyroidism; it can be life-threatening. It causes your metabolism to redline and can cause all sorts of cardiovascular trouble. I can give you loads of info, so PM me if you want so others don't think it's TMI.

Good luck!

[Freedom]

I'm a bit confused. I thought a high T4 went with hyPOthyroid?

Is it overactive, or underactive?

Either can be treated; don't know anything about a diet plan, though.

I have underactive thryoid, it runs on both mum's and dad's side of the family, all of us have it. Pill a day for life. Tendency for weight gain, irritable, sleepy, other symptoms let us know when it is time to see the doc for bloodwork and an adjustment to the meds.

I have 2 friends with overactive thyroid. I know it means weight loss, and complications with eyes.

As someone already mentioned, not to be ignored, either way!

[sirrahbed]

I also have thyroid disease. Mine was hyper (Graves) and treated with radioactive iodine. Oddly enough, my husband and two of my three grown children have it - possibly my third also. We suspect it is related to living in Germany during the explosion at Chernobyl. We all support Synthroid

Anyway, thyroid can really mess up your health when it goes off balance. T3 & T4 represent the usable and preconverted hormone in your blood. One or both are elevated if you are HYPER. Normally the TSH is low at the same time in a hyper person. In a HYPOthyroid patient - the levels are pretty much the opposite with T3 &T4 being low while the TSH gets high (this is thyroid stimulating hormone) essentially begging your body to make more thyroid hormone.

Estrogen DOES play a key role in regulating thyroid. Mine went all crazy again at menopause and daughter Missy's went unstable with her pregnancies. I have a couple really good books by Mary Shomon and she has a website at About.com. The has thyroid disease herself - let me find that...http://thyroid.about.com/

Very good site and she has a newsletter also. As for controling it with diet - some people try this with mixed results. Sounds like yours may well be related to the hyst. and hopefully you can get it regulated. Hope some of this helps

[*iluvskipper*]

My mom has thyroid probelms.. She takes medicine for it likee.. every day i think.

[carole]

My mother also had this, she had the overactive one first, and was treated with the iodine etc, now it has changed to the underactive one,it is indeed a tricky thing to treat,she is on daily medication, and she swears things are not quite right for her at the moment,although she would need to re-visit a specialist to find this out for sure.

Do take it seriously and get the right kind of treatment, it affects a lot of things going on in your body, I have not heard of a specific diet for it either, but if you find out let me know ok, take care and HUGS.

[Catty1]

Thanks, everyone.

Since the thyroid levels were just fine in Sept of 2006, I assume this disruption happened after the hysterectomy near the end of May this year.

I will be on Tapazole for a while. If that works, and the thyroid 'behaves' after that, all well and good.

If NOT, then the only option is the radioactive iodine.

I must admit - I am surprise and not a little annoyed that with the progress made in medicine, that the options here are "thyroid behaves or we nuke it!"

Should it get to that point, I am starting to save my coins now to get a second opinion from a very well-known and well-respected complementary physician here.

Hopefully the tapazole will do the job.

I feel just crappy like this. But NO antibodies, thank goodness, and will see what Stage 1 does.

Off for another scan next week!

[sirrahbed]

If I could go back and be treated for my thyroid disease again, I would have wanted a longer trial type with the Tapazole or Propylthiouracil to see if the thyroid would "behave" ...it sometimes becomes noraml again on it's own. The RAI does the job too but it is permanent and even though they say nuke the thyroid and take a daily pill all your life - our family has learned that that pill may need to be adjusted and readjusted as your body faces any stresses or changes. Also since I have Graves, nuking the thyroid still leaves me with Graves disease. I have to be checked regularly for the eye complications that can come at any time. I did not think that RAI was used for non-Graves hyperthyroidism?? Yours sounds secondary to hysterectomy - the estrogen connection.

So Catty - I think that second opinion would be a great idea. Also, if the Tapazole does not help, the PTU might. Good luck to you

[sabies]

I was diagnosed with hyperthyroid last December (2006) when I had severe morning sickness. I know I was not hyperthyroid before pregnancy (it was tested). I have been on and off PTU since (safe during pregnancy) and am waiting to see how it works out now that pregnancy is over. Tests have been normal the past few months but the doctor thinks the levels are going up again and things don't look good, I can see a nodule in my throat.

Catty I agree with you, I'm surprised and annoyed that nuke it is the best medicine has to offer.

Please don't worry about TMI here, anyone reading this thread is most likely concerned about their thyroid and looking for info. Catty thanks for bringing the subject up. This is an evolving situation for me and I'm scared and previously felt alone not personally knowing anyone suffering with it. Anyone I know with a thyroid condition is hypo!

[Catty1]

I am attaching three pages - they are from separate websites. There is nothing really exciting in there.

If it comes down to nuking or not for me (I don't think it will, but who knows?), I will definitely see the complementary physician in town and get his two cents.

These pages are not definitive - they just have information that I have saved.

Though I have run into the "virgin coconut oil" thing a couple of times...but I think that is for hypothyroidism.