over active thyroid

Posted , 7 users are following.

Hi Everyone,

I was diagnosed with an over active thyroid on 8/7/10. I have been taking 40mg Carbimazole a day for the last 5 weeks. The first 3/4 weeks were a nightmare. I was having good and bad days, thankfully this has improved in the last week or so. I saw the specialist yesterday and he's more or less advised the same as my GP, re. treatment. He has prescribed Levothyroxine 100mg in addition to the carbimazole, which I will start taking in 2 weeks time. The joys of having this condition!

My symptoms seemed to have calmed down now, ie. disturbed sleep, irritable, shortness of breath, palpitations, feeling hot, tiredness, slight tingling in face. My main worry is returning back to work and how I will cope. I am hoping to go back on a phased return, but am worried about my mood swings as my work is pretty stressful.

I would be grateful for all your advise/comments on returning to work and how you all coped. Is it normal to gain weight whilst taking carbimazole and levothyroxine? I have gained approx 2 kgs since taking tablets after losing approx 1/2 stone prior. My stomach swelled up like a balloon a few days ago and I looked about 5 months pregnant!

Look forward to all your comments.

Thanks

Margaret

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  • Posted

    Hello Margaret, sounds like you have been having a horrible time. I have put back on the weight I originally lost and am anxious not to put any more on. I am only on 5mgs Carbimazole so will just try to lay off the cake ! I can't advise re returning to work as I am now retired but I think you may have to stick up for yourself. When I was first diagnosed I found that even the slightest effort made me very tired and I had to keep sitting down. Trouble is, when looking at us, people can't see what the problem is and don't really understand. The only way I could cope was to give in when I needed to rest and not to keep stubbonly carrying on, it only made it worse. I hope you feel much better soon and hope there is no pressure on you at work. Take care. Bess.
  • Posted

    Hi Bess,

    Thanks for that. One thing I have noticed recently is how common this condition is, although saying that it still doesn't make it any better sad I suppose I can cope with taking tablets for the next 12 - 18 months as long as the symptoms go completely. I know what you mean about taking things slowly as when I was first diagnosed I didn't really understand the full effect it would have on my day to day life. Boy, did I learn quickly! Just simple things like hoovering, made me out of breath and feeling extremely hot.

    I have been sleeping a lot better in the last few days and feeling better in general. I have noticed though that my right eye in particular has become quite dry. I think I will have to get some eye drops to relieve it.

    Back to my Dr's on Wednesday to see whether I can return to work. I'm quite enjoying my time off work as it's been quite stress free. Luckily you being retired, wish I was!

    Take care,

    Margaret

  • Posted

    Hi Margaret. Sorry you haven't been feeling very well. It really is a horrible illness, and as Bess says we look normal and don't get a lot of sympathy. I've been on treatment for three months now, and feel much better. I'm on carbimazole and thyroxine, but I haven't put any weight back on. It's best to rest when you feel tired. Don't try and push yourself. I don't go put to work, and it's just as well as I don't feel I could cope with it at the moment, as I don't have a lot of energy.

    You should be able to get eye drops on prescription. I use artificial tears, and they help a lot.

    Take care. Hope you feel better soon.

    Marigold.

  • Posted

    Hi Marigold,

    Hope you are feeling well. My eyes have felt a lot better today. I wear contact lenses and I don't suppose that I will be able to wear them whilst using eye drops. I will mention to Dr when I see her next week. How long have you been taking carbimazole and thyroxine for and have you noticed any chances since taking both medications? I have only been taking carbimazole so far and am due to add thryoxine in about a weeks time. Not sure why I have had to wait 2 weeks before taking thryoxine.

    How long have you been off work for and how long have you been signed off for? I have been off for 7 weeks now and see Dr again on Wednesday. Although I have been feeling better in the last week or so, I get quite anxious and irritable very easily. Oh well will see what Dr says and let you know.

    Take care,

    Margaret

  • Posted

    Hi Margaret. I started carbimazole in May and thyroxine in June. I started on 100 mcg thyroxine, that was reduced to 75 a month ago. I had my blood checked yesterday, and my GP phoned today to say it was too high and I have to reduce it to 50. I'm not surprised really as I was feeling hot and fidgety. It sounds as though you're on block and replace the same as me. The carbimazole stops the thyroid working, but it takes a few weeks. Then you start to take thyroxine to replace what your thyroid's not making. (Hope that makes sense).

    I've felt fine on the two drugs. I'm on propranolol too to calm me down and stop my heart beating so fast. I certainly feel better than I did before I started treatment. I've never felt so ill. My legs were really swollen too. I lost about a stone, and I haven't put any of the weight back on yet.

    I'm retired now so I can't advise on how long you should be off work.

    Let us know how you get on at the docs.

    Take care.

    Marigold.

  • Posted

    Hi Bess, Marigold and everyone else! Hope you are all well. Had app with Dr today and she advised that my blood test was fine and within the range. Still waiting on results from antibodies test. Although symptoms appear to be fine, I have become very emotional and irritable. Mentioned this to Dr and she said that it's more to do with me worrying about the thyroid as opposed to the thyroid playing up, which I guess is correct. I'm worrying about the slightest thing, i.e my heart because of the palpitations and concerns re. my eyes as they have been dry.

    Will start taking thyroxine tablets next week and see how that goes. I've been signed off work for another 2 weeks in the meantime. Just want to feel normal again, whatever that feels like, I can't remember it's been so long!

    Take care and let me know how you are all getting on.

    Margaret

  • Posted

    Hi Margaret. Hope you are ok. I'm pleased your blood test was fine. It's only natural to worry when you have something the matter with you, especially when it's an illness you haven't had before.

    My thyroxine has been reduced to 50 now as my blood test last week showed I'm hyper again, although I feel ok. I've been fine on the carbimazole and thyroxine, and I hope you are too. I could do with some more energy though.

    I'm off to see the ophthalmologist on Friday to see if I can have RAI. Fingers crossed.

    Take care. Hope everyone else is ok.

    Marigold.

  • Posted

    Hi Everyone,

    Hope you are all well. Haven't been on here for a while and thought I would give a quick update.

    I returned back to work on a month's phrase to return on 8th September and although only started by working 3.5 hours every other day, I was absolutely exhausted. I eventually increased my hours and have been back in work full time for 4 weeks now. At first it was tiring but I am coping now and touch wood, have been feeling fine.

    The only symptoms I have now, is feeling tired now and then. I'm still taking 40mg Carbimazole and 100mg Levothyroxine a day. My next app to see specialist was for 22/11 but this has been moved to April 2011 now. I can only presume that the antibodies test was positive and therefore I will carry on block and replace. By the time I see him again in April, it will be 8 months, is this normal?

    Don't know if this is right or not, but everytime I go to collect my prescription, the pharmacist says that I don't need to pay for my Levothyroxine. I have queried this with my Dr and she said that it's only free to patients who have hypoactive thyroid and are on medication long-term. I thought 18 months was long-term?!

    Let me know how you are all getting on,

    Margaret

  • Posted

    Free prescriptions for Levo are for Hypo people only, does not apply if you are Hyper and on block and replace.

    You might want to tell your pharmacist he/she is wrong.

  • Posted

    Hi Guest is right only free if you have to take thyroxine not carbs or both. I would check this out otherwise you may well get a bill. Take care. Elaine.
  • Posted

    Hi everyone,

    Hope you are all well. Just a quick query. Do any of you suffer from a sore throat, i.e. as though there is something stuck in your throat. Not sure whether this is thyroid acting up or not. Also, I have been getting colds now and off and feel as though I have to cough more than normal just to clear my throat. As I am on the phone in work and have to talk a lot, I guess this doesn't help!

    I have been on meds for nearly 5 months now and so far have been fine, except for last Monday when I got up and felt very light headed and very nauseous, luckily it only lasted a day. Last time I felt like this, was just before I was diagnosed. Get dry eyes now and then and noticed that upper eyelid has begun to kind off stick for a sec or 2, whilst moving eye around and even when looking down, very strange and also very annoying. Does anyone else have this problem? Does this mean that I have graves?

    Take care,

    Margaret

  • Posted

    Hi margaret I have been diagnosed hyper since august and ever since then have always experienced what ur saying i e feels like I'm always getting a build up of phlem in my throat I manage to coff it up now and then. I asked the doctor in hospital this he said it's because my metabolism is so high I've also suffered exactly the same with my eyelids i don't think it's the tablets I think it's the thyroid, have they found a cause for ur thyroid yet? Take care Barry
  • Posted

    Margaret and Barry. I was interested to read what you said about feeling as though you have something stuck in your throat, and coughing a lot. I had this too, and never associated it with my thyroid, but it has got better while I've been on treatment.

    Graves disease can cause your eyes to protrude, and they become dry and can catch on your eyelids. My eyes protrude a little bit, one eye more than the other and I find that eye drops help a lot.

    Take care.

    Marigold.

  • Posted

    hi, I too get a tickly cough, and since becoming hyperthyroid have had constant chest infections. THe biggest problem for me at the moment since

    my level has come down is that i am putting weight on ,i never feel full and can eat and eat , the best way i can explain it is my stomache is hollow and my brain isnt telling it its full, i was wondering if i was going hypo ...have any of you experienced this ..thanks to you all for being here

  • Posted

    Hi All, I too had the lump in the throat feeling for quite a while and wasn't sure if it was thyroid or anxiety as I know this can cause the throat muscles to go into spasm. Strangely it just disappeared after a few weeks, I had been a bit bothered as I felt it difficult to swallow my food ok. there always seemed to be something there. Glad its gone, hope you all ok. Bess

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