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How long does it take to recover?

Posted , 5 users are following.

GazD77
GazD77

Five weeks ago I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism / thyrotoxicosis.  I only began treatment of Carbimazole a week ago.  My T4 level is 75 which I'm told is quite high.  I am taking 40mg a day.  I also take amiodarone for arrythmia (irregular heart beat).  I am constantly knackered, even drying myself after showering feels exhausting.  I have tremors in the hands but also it feels as if my whole body is shaking.  I would be very grateful if you could let me know how long it takes to recover.  I know everyone is different but a frame of reference would be appreciated.  Thank you.  

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • linda187
    linda187 GazD77

    Posted

    Wow, you are at a very high level.  I did not have that experience because my hyperthyroidism was caught very early since my thyroid levels were being routinely monitored for different reasons.  My highest Methimazole dose was 10 mg daily. After 2 years of a TSH of less than 0.001 I took extra steps besides what my medical practitioner gave me.  I became an empowered patient.  I came across a valid medical research paper written by Dr. Salvatore Benvenga of Italy that showed that hyperthyroid patients benefitted greatly from adding Regular L-Canitine 3,000 to 4,000 mg a day to their treatment program.  Symptoms were not as severe and thyroid storms were not as severe.  I had my carnitine levels tested and was deficient in this amino acid (probably because I am not a big meat eater), I was also deficient in vitamin D and low on Magnesium.  So I added all these supplements.  You can Google Dr. Benvega's paper and see what you think.  Later on, I experimented with different kinds of carnitines and Acetyl-L-Carnitine rapidly lowered my thyroid lab values.  However, it does require extremely close monitoring and adjustments or will result in severe HYPOthyroidism so I would not use this as a first step.

    • GazD77
      GazD77 linda187

      Posted

      Thank you Linda.  I will definately have a look at that.  I do take a multivitamin each day which has vitamin d.  I will speak to my doctor about my carnitine levels, but it is still early days for me.
    • linda187
      linda187 GazD77

      Posted

      Yes I know it is early days for you.  The sooner you add supplements, the faster you will improve.  You will need more than a multivitamin because the vitamin contents in those are not high enough.  Vitamin D is especially important.  I take 1,000 mg a day and 200 mg a day of Magnesium.  Now that all my levels have normalized, i only take my Methimazole every other day at 2.5 mg and on the off days I will take 500 mg of L-Carnitine.   For myself and others that I have seen, I find that we all did better when we added these supplements to our medication program.  We recovered faster.
    • GazD77
      GazD77 linda187

      Posted

      Thanks Linda. I have now ordered the supplements!
  • Guest
    Guest GazD77

    Posted

    Hi GazD77, my initial T4 level was 62 pmol/L, normal range [10 - 20]. Carbimazole interfers with the production of 'fresh' T4, however it does not affect the hormone already produced and stored in your body.

    That will have to be used up gradually. For me it took about 3 weeks to feel better (at 30mg Carbimazole per day).

    I remember being constantly exhausted, could hardly lift my arms or walk up the stairs. If you have constant muscle pain it might be caused (among other factors) by a lack of minerals, L-Carnitine, and/or breakdown of muscle tissue due hyperthyroidism.  

     

    Btw, after reading about it on this forum I also started taking L-Carnitine. My muscles slowly improved within a time frame of 1-2 month. 

     

  • evergreen
    evergreen GazD77

    Posted

    You are very high indeed. My levels were around 50 upon diagnosis and I was told that was very high. I felt just like you and also had a lot of heart problems which became quite serious at one point, but all is well now. I was diagnosed in March and the carbimazole took around 5 weeks to make me feel improved. I then had good periods and relapses, as well as dipping into being hypo and having a whole load of hypo symptoms. It really is a rollercoaster. Only in the last two weeks have I started to feel normal again. I am supposed to be on 5mg of carb a day now (has been vastly reduced), but I'm only taking 2,5mg as I felt I was going hypo again. I am being tested again in 3 weeks, but feel pretty good at the moment. Hang on in there, it will get better, but expect to have some relapses.

  • Anachr
    Anachr GazD77

    Posted

    I feel it took me about three months to feel better. But as you said, each case is individual and my diagnosis was Graves which is an ongoing process.
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