Hello everyone

I was wondering if anyone has experience with thyroid problems.

My wife has an overactive thyroid. She is being tested next week to determine what sort of problem it is. Could be post partum thyroiditis or Graves' disease.

I sure would appreciate any advice from people that have had to cope with thyroid problems.

Thank you
Anthony



Anthony

Elliott's dad and Katie's husband

i have a underactive thyroid and it does meen a bit of testing i just have to take meds for the rest of my life because at the moment there is no cure it is not a big deal but with an overactive one i think that there may be a few more complication because of weight loss and if she is breastfeeding they may ask her to stop as you can loose more weight doing that if you are really concerned go to the Dr with her and ask all the questions in the world my partner does hope that it helps but i have never had a overactivity one

sharon

<center><font face="verdana,arial,sans-serif" size="1" color="black">after a 6 year engagement!!!</font><br /><a href="http://daisyPath.com"><img src="http://daisyPath.com/days/051001/2/1/+10/0" alt="Daisypath Ticker" border="0" /></a></center>

Hi Anthony,

10 years ago I had thyroid cancer and had to have my
thyroid removed. I am therefore permanently on thyroid
replacement medication. The dosage has had to be
altered several times, particularly during pregnancy
and breastfeeding.
When I take too much medication, I am simulating an
overactive thyroid and I lose weight, become jittery,
get sweaty, can't sleep etc. Conversely, when my
dosage is too low I display underactive thyroid
symptoms such as lethargy, weight gain etc. It just
takes a simple blood test to work out if the dosage is
right. I have a blood test every 6 months on average -
more during/after pregnancy.
Until something is wrong with your thyroid, you don't
realise what an important role it plays in maintaining
the equilibrium in your body. But the medication is
fine and does a good job of getting things right
(although you now have to keep the medication in the
fridge which is a bit of a pain when you are away from
home). Your wife should begin to feel much better and
more balanced once she is on medication.

I hope that helps. Thyroid problems are fairly common
and can be treated well nowadays. Good luck.

alex

Hi,

I was diagnosed with Graves Disease a few years ago and ended up having the 'Radioactive Iodine' treatment.

I now need to take medication daily to keep my levels up and I have blood test every few months to check everything is OK. My levels fluctuate badly during pregnancy and I need to have tests more often while pregnant.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Gill

I have Hashimoto's Thyroditis (underactive with antibody issues) and had really bad thyroiditis after the birth of my 2nd baby.
I had been diagnosed after the birth of my DD but never understood how serious it was. I just took my tablet everyday and went on like normal.
After Darcy's birth I noticed some swelling in my neck (goitre) & got very ill. My hair was falling out, I could hardly function I was so lethargic, I felt as if I was walking around in a fog. As soon as I saw an Endocrinologist & got my levels right (had to triple my dose)I felt better within 8 weeks.
I was very closely monitored with my recent pregnancy & Cam was tested at day 4 & 10. I have been so much better this time and have only had to undertake minor adjustments.
Anyway, what I am trying to say in a long winded way ;)is that it's not a huge issue as long as you watch your levels but please realise it's a pretty important job our thyroids do!
Hope that helps - PM me if you'd like some info.

Leah,

DD Anna-Jayne 3yrs
DS Darcy ^i^ 2/6/03-5/6/03 http://www.heartsofhope.iinet.net.au/darcy/darcy.html
DS Cameron 29/4/05

This message was edited by Mayflower on Friday, 22 July 2005 @ 7:28 AM

I was diagnosed with post partum thyroiditis 9 months after my second baby was born. My thyroid was overactive and an ultrasound showed that there was a small goitre. I didn't need any treatment and it self corrected at about 13 months post partum.
I did a lot of reading on the internet about thyroid problems which probably helped me recognise I had more symptoms than I told the doctor about. My main prompt to have the test was I kept losing my hair but this isn't a very common symptom. Apart from having the high levels of T3 in my blood I didn't have any of the common symptoms like fast pulse, shaky hands. I probably suffered from mood swings and a bit of insomnia but nothing too bad. I managed to lose 5kg without really trying.
Depending on how unwell your wife feels and what is causing it, she may not need to be treated, but should be monitored. I was told not to get pregnant again until my throid was ok as an overactive thyroid can cause infertility but also miscarriages.
There are some treatments that can be done while breastfeeding if your wife is breastfeeding. The most common permanent treatment, radioactive iodine, can't be used while breastfeeding.
Here is a link for more info: www.thyroid.org.au . There are many more sites for info if you do a search on hyperthyroidism, post partum thyroiditis or graves disease.
I know several women with thryoid problems and not all need medication to correct it, but those who do take medication find they feel much better now than before they were diagnosed so it is good that your wife has found out now.
Hope your wife feels better soon.