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Graves disease and very light period

Posted , 3 users are following.

Sweetlove
Sweetlove

Hello everyone,

Does anyone with graves also suffering from scanty period. Did you find any solution to this problem.

After diagnosed with graves, my period became very light and only for 1.5 days. From last 2 years, i am facing this.

Please help.

Thank you.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Cecelo
    Cecelo Sweetlove

    Posted

    I believe light to non-existent periods are one of the symptoms of graves (forgot the medical term ATM) when I was first diagnosed my period was very light and lasted about 2 days compared to my normal cycle of 5 days, also one of many signs I knew something was wrong with me. Since I've been on meds (tapazole) and my levels stabilized, my period has returned to normal. Are you on any medication? 

    • Sweetlove
      Sweetlove Cecelo

      Posted

      Thank you so much for replying Cecelo.

      Yes, i am taking medicine from last 2 year since i was diagnosed. More than 1.5 years, i was on methimazole. Currently i am taking PTU. Even when my level got normal, i did not have normal period. I had a normal period of 4-5 days before graves. I don't know what is wrong with me.

      Do you think level should be stablized for long period of time to get normal period.

  • linda187
    linda187 Sweetlove

    Posted

    I would ask your doctor to check you for polycystic ovary disease, known as PCOS for short.
    • Sweetlove
      Sweetlove linda187

      Posted

      Thank you so much Linda for replying.

      My doctor did ultrasound and said everything is normal. I also met with RE, he ordered some bloodwork and ultrasound, said everything is normal.

      But my prolactin is in high normal range. Do you think this may cause light period. My doctor said may be due to my thyroid, prolactin is high normal.

      Any advice on this.

  • linda187
    linda187 Sweetlove

    Posted

    I had a high prolactin level before I was menopausal and docs did not know why.  It normalized when I got into menopause.  There is no known one test for PCOS but several factors would indicate it.  A physical exam will include checking for signs of excess hair growth, insulin resistance and acne.  Your blood may be analyzed to measure hormone levels. This testing can exclude possible causes of menstrual abnormalities or androgen excess that mimics PCOS. You might have additional blood testing to measure glucose tolerance and fasting cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  I would think scanty periods would certainly be hormonally- related.  Also depending on your thyroid values when you were diagnosed with Graves, you may have some deficiencies from your metabolism running so high.  I was deficient in Carnitine, vitamin D and Magnesium.
    • Sweetlove
      Sweetlove linda187

      Posted

      Thank you so much Linda.

      My prolactin is high normal, it was 23 and upper range is 24. Do you think its high.

      In the last 2 years, my doctors did not manage my thyroid well.

      Right now, my free t3 is too high and free t4 at the bottom of the range.

      Tsh: 0.007

      Free T4: 0.98 (0.82-1.77)

      Free T3: 8.4 (2.0-4.4)

      3 weeks before my level were:

      Tsh: 0.017

      Free T4: 0.70

      Free T3: 4.9

      I statred acetyl l carnitine 200 mg 2 weeks ago. Why my level goes up when i started acetyl l carnitine.

      Any advice on that.

      Does it carnitine help if anti thyroid medication and l carnitine taken at the same time.

      I am taking both at different time.

  • linda187
    linda187 Sweetlove

    Posted

    Your TSH has risen slightly and that's what Acetyl will do.  You have to take it at the same time as  your medication in order for it to work on the TSH.  It usually drops both your T4 and T3 but in your case it only dropped the T4.  As long as they stay at the bottom of the range it is okay but if they drop out of range, stop the Acetyl immediately.  I read an article recently by an Endocrinologist that Vitamin D was an extremely important vitamin for proper thyroid functioning.  A lady was hypo and had a low vitamin D level and he said having a not good vitamin D level would affect T4 to T3 conversion which is what you appear to have.  He said most people do not get enough vitamin D and if supplementing, they should take 1,000 to 4,000 IU per day.  So if I were you, I would ask for your vitamin D level to be checked.  I wouldn't worry too much about the prolactin level.  Mine was out of range high.  I think you have this because of hormone imbalances.  I know I was estrogen-dominant at the time.  Also, try to avoid stress if you can while you are trying to balance your thyroid hormones. 

    • Sweetlove
      Sweetlove linda187

      Posted

      Thank you so much again Linda.

      I think i was not clear above, sorry for the confusion.

      My current results are:

      Tsh: 0.007

      Free T4: 0.98 (0.82-1.77)

      Free T3: 8.4 (2.0-4.4)

      So now my tsh is low again, 3 weeks ago it was 0.017 and now it is 0.007. Also free t4 and free t3 are high now.

      I also checked for vitamin d and it is now 41.8 (30-100). I am taking 5000 IU vitamin d. I think i need to increase.

      I don't know why my free t3 is so high compared to my free t4.

      I am on 100 mg PTU from almost 7 weeks, so no dose change when i statred acetyl l carnitine.

      I am reading here and find that acetyl l carnitine lowers free t4 and t3 and increase tsh. But it my case it did not help sad

      Do you think i should increase the dose of acetyl l carnitine.

      May be i am not taking it at the same time of PTU is the reason of its not working.

      Can i take acetyl l carnitine on empty stomach with the PTU.

      I am also thinking that may be i am deficient in some vitamins/mineral, but could not find any multivitamin without IODINE/SELENIUM.

      Any suggestion on multivitamin.

  • linda187
    linda187 Sweetlove

    Posted

    Forgot to ask.  What dose of meds are you on?
    • Sweetlove
      Sweetlove linda187

      Posted

      Hi Linda,

      Sorry to bother you again, can you plz tell me if acetyl l carnitine can be taken on empty stomach with methimazole.

      Thank you once again for all the help and knowledge.

  • linda187
    linda187 Sweetlove

    Posted

    I am sorry, I really don't have an answer to your question.  I took all my meds once a day all together at the same time and not always at the same time of day.  I didn't usually take it on an empty stomach because I am rushing around first thing in the morning.  You could ask the pharmacist about taking Methimazole on an empty stomach and at a Natural Health store that sells Acetyl-L-Carnitine those questions.  I just know that to get the TSH to rise, I had to take Methimazole at the same time as Acetyl-L-Carnitine.  I don't know if the discrepancy in your T4 (low) and T3 (high) was caused by your taking Acetyl-L-Carnitine at different times of day than your antithyroid drug but to me that indicates that your T4 is converting to T3 very quickly.  Again I don't know if Acetyl had any part in that.  When I was taking Acetyl, both my T4 and T3 were at the bottom of the range as my TSH rose.

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