Graves Disease Treatment
Hello everyone! I'm going to spill my whole story and it might be a little lengthy. Sorry!
Three months ago I went to my general practitioner in hopes of finding a treatment for my severe migraines. The nurse noticed that my pulse was extremely high at resting (155) and very low blood pressure. This led to blood tests and more visits, resulting in a diagnosis of Graves' disease induced hyperthyroidism. Blood work revealed that my T3 and T4 hormone levels were three times the norm. My doctor believes that the disease presented during puberty and has gone in diagnosed until this year because the changes that came with the thyroid issues were dismissed as hormonal changes from puberty. I rarely get ill so I have not been to the doctor for a very long time until now.
Besides the thyroidtoxicosis causing damage to my heart I had none of the traditional symptoms of Graves' disease, possibly because my body acclimated to increased hormone levels. I am 5 foot 4 inches and have always has a rock steady body weight at 130. Not scrawny, but normal and healthy, and never fluctuating.
After being on propanolol (120 mg/day) and methimazole (10mg/day) for three months my heart rate has come down to 80 bpm and my blood pressure has come up into the healthy range. However, my doctor is pushing RAI treatment next month because of some relatively severe side effects I am experiencing from one of the drugs (extreme insomnia, edema, and nausea).
Since being on the beta blocker and hormone pill my formerly steady weight shot up 10 pounds in the first month. My exercise regimen has been sporadic at best in the past ( I did not feel the need to exercise regularly because I thought I was healthy and loved the way I looked) at once to twice a week. When I hit 140 I realized that wasn't cutting it and started working out for a half an hour three times a week. My weight continued to climb to 156, so I upped my workouts to an hour five times a week. The gain has ground to a halt, but I am not losing. My diet is was very consistent prediagnosis and remained so until a month ago. I am a vegetarian and very health conscious. I tried a diet change when I upped my workouts too so now I am at 1400 calories a day.
Yesterday my endocrinologist said that RAI was the way to go, and after the research I've done I trust him. However when I told him that my pulse hops back up to 150 when I do my cardio he almost choked and said I had to cut down my intensity. I have a full time job and there simply isn't enough time in my day to work off the same amount of calories at low intensity.
Doc suggested that I not look at the scale for a year. He said getting my hormones level was the first priority and I can lose the weight later. Of course I'm going to have the treatment. I need it for my heart and my health. Not having a heart attack or stroke is much more important to me than my figure, but keeping up with a steady exercise and diet plan will help me come back down more easily right?
Can anyone recommend a thyroid specific diet or exercise program that will help me to keep the weight down after the treatment and lose it when I'm balanced out? After reading all these forums I could really use a success story. I already am very uncomfortable with the weight I have gained and I realize there might be more. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my long, dry post. I would greatly appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Thank you!
Last edited by gravesgirl; 09-05-2013 at 09:49 PM.
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