SUE O'NEILL - 07/14/98 20:14:10
My Email:SONEILL@MON.GENCORP.COM
Where are you from?: MONROE, NC
How did you find these pages?: SEARCHED FOR THEM
Are you a regular visitor here?: NO
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: YES

Comments:
I'VE HAD GRAVES' DISEASE FOR 17 YEARS NOW. AS A TEENAGER I WAS VERY THIN - EATING LARGE QUANTITIES OF FOOD DIDN'T EVEN PUT ANY WEIGHT ON. AFTER DELIVERING MY SON I BECAME SHAKEY, SWEATY, IRRITABLE, HAD AN ALLOVER SENSE OF NOT FEELING WELL. WENT TO MY REGULAR DOCTOR - SAID JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT LET'S CHECK TO SEE IF YOU HAVE A THYROID CONDITION. MY MOTHER ALSO HAS GRAVES' DISEASE. FOUND OUT THAT I HAD IT - WAS AT FIRST DIAGNOSED AS HYPER THYROID. THROUGH YEARS OF VARYING STRENGTHS OF TH ROID AM NOW HYPO THYROID, WHICH MEANS I HAVE GAINED LOTS OF WEIGHT OVER THE 17 YEARS. DECIDED TO GO TO A NEW DOCTOR - HE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS NOT TAKING ENOUGH THYROID. HAVE HAD BLOOD WORK DONE EVERY 6 WEEKS FOR THE PAST 4 MONTHS - CONSTANTLY INCREASING AMOUNTS OF THYROID - HAVE SWITCHED FROM ARMOUR THYROID TO SYNTHROID - STI L TRYING TO GET ME WHERE I NEED TO BE. HOPE TO BE ABLE TO LOSE SOME WEIGHT AND JUST GENERALLY FEEL WELL. I LOOK FORWARD TO READING ALL OF YOUR ARTICLES. THANKS, SUE

Carole Moreno - 07/14/98 15:54:12
My Email:shellsdor@mindspring.com
Where are you from?: Acworth, Ga
How did you find these pages?: general search of thyroid
Are you a regular visitor here?: 1st time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: depends on who you talk to!!!

Comments:
Hi, As I read through your up dates I see myself. I have not felt well since early May when I finally went to the Dr. After approx 6 weeks and being treated for Broncitis, allergies, and asthma my pc finally drew a pc102. The only elevated lab was my thyr id which I believe he told me was 15.?. He then drew a free t4 which also came back elevated. By this time I had made an emergency room visit due to resp distress and a heart rate of 136. I rec a breathing treatment of albuterol a shot to calm me down, and told to follow up with my pc in the am. This is when he finally drew lab work. At this point it was an effort to simply take a show and get dressed. This was on a Tuesday, by Thursday when I returned for more lab work I could not even sit up in th chair I felt so bad. He drew the t4 and started me on tenorman 50 mg every day. With in days although I was still very tired, no energy I did feel 100% better. He referred me on to the endocrinologist which I saw on 7/7/98. Again 4 tubes of blood wer draw and she told me at that time I did not present with symptoms of hypertyroidism. She did however leave herself an out by say the tenorman might be masking my syptoms. She did not even bother to call be back with the lab results, she had her nurse c ll to let me know all my labs came back "normal" and to follow up with my pc in 3 months unless I was having problems. Well I was once again having symptoms. Tired, decreased appetite, apprehensive and nervous, and a "sinking" feeling in my chest. Xana .5 helps but all I want todo is sleep. I was also having a feeling of shortness of breath but not having difficulty breathing. More like I'm sucking air through a straw. When I told the nurse these symptoms she said she would tell the Dr. and get back o me. Well she did,again the nurse called me back to say the Dr said these were not symtoms of hyperthyroidism and I needed to follow up with my pc. My pc wasnot happy with the way I was treated and seems very concerned about me. I feel at loose ends a d never know from one day to the next how I'm going to feel. It has been a very emontional time for me. It may in fact not be my thyroid but if not then what? I at first tried to tell my pc it was my mitral valve prolapse but he does not hear a murmur a d my ekg is normal. I can identify with alot of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. I don't understand why my t4 would be elevated in one office and normal just a couple of weeks later. The endo said I probably had a virus that settled in my thyroid causi g the symptoms but if thats the case my question is why when we tried to reduce the dose of tenorman did my symptoms return? My pc said this was a very good question and plans to talk to the endo today and get back with me. Thanks for listening. I would love to hear back from you and your thoughts on the symptoms I present with. I need some reassurance that I will once again feel well. Thanks again, Carole PS Do you know why it is so hard to Dx hyperthyroidism?

Zorro - 07/14/98 09:05:43
My Email:zorro@smartt.com
Where are you from?: Canada
How did you find these pages?: link
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: mother has it

Comments:
I think you probably have some really good information here but your graphics are making it very difficult to read, along with your extended use of a very small sized bold font. I hope you may consider redesigning your page as I would really be interested in reading what info you have here. Unfortunately, I can't read it as the graphics in the background keep jumping around.

Julie L. - 07/14/98 00:47:31
My Email:jbuglives@yahoo.com
Where are you from?: Elkton, MD
How did you find these pages?: Yahoo Search
Are you a regular visitor here?: First Time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Grave's Disease

Comments:
This has been really great. I have been on line for hours reading about this. I was diagnosed with Graves October 1997at the age of 26. I had been through some time before that being referred to as Shake's the Clown and so on. I could feel my irregula heartbeat. In my mind, i didn't think I had hit the major weight loss part, so I was taking Phen-Fen. Want to talk about your heart racing. My first notice was the bulging eyes. The fact that my eye doctor still to this day hasn't said anything really bothers me. I was diagnosed because I went to have my heartbeat checked after the Phen-Fen scare. Doc sent me for blood work. I was then diagnosed with Graves. I have since gone hypothyroidatic with all the Tapazole and Synthroid I have been on. My f ther is Hypo for the jump and I am on a stronger dosage of Synthroid than he is. I just don't think I am getting the right treatment. I haven't been to see any endocrinologist. Wondering if I should make an appointment. I see my Doc at least once a mo th. Sometime once every 2 months.. I have been noticing that my feet are swollen and I am getting tired and depressed again. Just looking for a little friendly advise to help out a fellow suffer. Of course, I still have the goofy protruding eyes. I t ought it was my contacts because I had just started wearing them and people could see my eyes now and not my glasses. Thanks for letting me share. Please feel free to share any advise with me. I could use it. I am really feeling low about the weight g in. I have always had a tendency for weight and having one hell of a time accepting it. I had lost over 50 pounds 4 years ago and have proceded to put it all back on because of this stupid disease. I just can't handle it well. Thanks for the ear. Ju ie L.

Monica Anderson - 07/14/98 00:34:20
My Email:zentuition@cybergal.com
Where are you from?: Kansas City
How did you find these pages?: Search
Are you a regular visitor here?: No
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
Just wanted to thank you for your site; I only found it today. I was FINALLY diagnosed correctly three years ago. I always felt that there were other people out there who went through the same ordeal I did - the problems coping, the misdiagnoses, the co stant question "What's WRONG with me?", the resulting lack of self-esteem, the relationship problems...(need I continue?) - but it's truly overwhelming to actually see your story and the stories of those who have signed your guestbook. Thank you for maki g your tale public.

Kathy - 07/13/98 06:54:27
My Email:chermans@jps.net
Where are you from?: Los Angeles
How did you find these pages?: Searching
Are you a regular visitor here?: I am now!
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Hyperthyroid

Comments:
Gee, I'm so glad I found your site. It is terrific, and to get experiences from others with this, and to get some idea of what might be expected for the future, is so helpful. I've had awful trouble with heat, extreme exhaustion, achy muscles; have had ast racing heart at times. Dealing with this for the last three years, doctor finally told me hyperthyroid 2 days ago and gave me prescription for antithyroid med. ALL after 3 different doctors gave me prescription for antidepressants (which I promptly ore up), and dealing with Diabetes. Also told fibromyalgia. Hoping getting a handle on the hyperthyroid will help. Glad I was persistent asking for tests and nagging the doc with all my problems. I'm SO glad you've got this site!

Natalie - 07/13/98 04:07:12
My Email:natieka@hotmail.com
Where are you from?: Winnipeg, Manitoba
How did you find these pages?: Looking for information on Grave's Disease
Are you a regular visitor here?: No
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
It's been terrific to hear from other people who have this condition and what they went through. I was one of the lucky ones as far as speed of diagnosis was concerned. My family doctor had me diagnosed within 1 week when I went to him with the symptoms I had been having a very stressful time, trying to complete my last year at university and preparing to get married a month after graduation. In addition to this, my parents were making my life extremely miserable, so I had to move out, or I would neve make it through the school year. Then I had the financial strain of going to school full time and working 3 part time jobs to pay my rent. It was in the middle of winter when all this happened, and as a result of the stress, I developed a lot of strang symptoms. My resting pulse rate went to about 130. I was always way too hot (to the point where I would wander around in -30C weather with only a t-shirt and jeans, and would still be too hot and sweating). I was falling asleep all the time, in class, during spares, on the bus on the way to and from school, after school and would sleep through the night and have a hard time getting up the next day. I had severe hand tremors, would cry over the smallest thing, lost 30 lbs in one month. I thought it wa just stress, and until a concerned professor pulled me aside to talk to me because my grades were suffering, she suggested I see a doctor to get help. Thinking I would end up in a phsychiatrists office, I was surprised when I heard the diagnosis of Grav 's Disease. I am only 25, have now been married 2 years and am wondering about whether I can have kids and what the effect of this disease would be on them. It is quite stressful. At any rate, I appreciate hearing your stories. Thank you.

Stacey Lasater - 07/13/98 03:08:40
My Email:slasater@gowebway.com
Where are you from?: Bloomfield, NM
How did you find these pages?: I was researching thyroid disease on the internet
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
I am very glad to know that I am not alone, and there are others you have suffered what I have and have been through the same things. Thank you!

Pam Mason - 07/12/98 17:17:37
My Email:PMason@twu.edu
Where are you from?: Denton, TX
How did you find these pages?: Yahoo/Health
Are you a regular visitor here?: first time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I e-mailed you from a different location. To re-cap I almost died from not being diagnosed in time - and then it was my fault for letting it go too far. I ended up in the hospital the April with heart rate of 200 beats/minute, my heart was twice the normal size, I had fluid in my lungs, and I was losing my muscle strength. Graves' Disease doesn't run in my family. No one before was diagnosed with this. Many thought I was just stressed out and tired. There isn't much on this disease, and it is not widely known. I would like to hear from others who have gone through this. Thanks for your web-site.

connie - 07/12/98 11:57:33
My Email:tucson2@gte.net
Where are you from?: largo,fl
How did you find these pages?: yahoo
Are you a regular visitor here?: no, first time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: ???

Comments:
maybe you can help me. i need suggestons! it has been one year since i passed out 3 times. 2 days later, i started having tachycardia everytime i would eat soemthing. i have had all heart tests-negative. i have had thryoid tests all normal. i am so tired. is leep most of the time when i'm not at work, an endrocrinolgost said that i am not tired enough to have a thyroid problem, yet all the symptoms you listed i have. heart rate goes up to 150 when i eat, xanax does not help. any suggestions?