Posted , 7 users are following.
Need help ASAP
I am due a total thyroidectomy tomorrow and am terrified, i am scared to leave my children, terrified
Something during the op will go wrong, such as a thyroid storm or bleed, i have never had a GA before. Terrified about my life afterwards being hypo etc.
My background is i was diagnoised graves last May, i have a large goite which does not bother me at all, my other symptoms were tremors, anxiety, palpatations and weight loss. It took a long time to
respond to the meds and i am now on 60mgs carb and it was only in my last blood tests that my levels were in normal range. Physically i feel very well and dont have any symptoms.
My endo thinks surgery will be inevitable but i just dont know what to do. Can anyone help?
Oh i ruled out RAI.
Thanks
0 likes, 31 replies
Screwball21
Posted
Tracy
lally678
Posted
Just wanted to share my latest results too
TSH 0.01
Free T4 11.9
Free T3 3.5
Screwball21
Posted
Can you not ring your doctor and talk to him/her and say that you are having second thoughts and ask why you need to have the op so soon after diagnosis?
Let me know how you get on.
Ladykinkavel
Posted
Ladykinkavel
Posted
linda187
Posted
You can start the L-carnitine at a low dose of 250 mg a day and raise it to 500 or 1,000 mg a day depending on your lab results. Why have such a major thing like surgery when it is not necessary, when adding a supplement that is naturally present in your body when you don't have Graves and is not harmful to you would improve the situation. My endocrinologist is astounded at my results.
Screwball21
Posted
linda187
Posted
When I first added L-carnitine to my medications and my TSH rose to 0.05 (still far below normal), I was able to lower my dose of Methimazole from 10 mg to 7.5 mg and then to 5 mg. Hopefully, one day I can stop it altogether.
Screwball21
Posted
linda187
Posted
I do note that when it is higher, i.e. over 1.0 that my eyes do not feel as dry or irritated though.
RossF
Posted
With the level of symptoms you seem to have there isn't that much of an option long term, but I've not regretted the op.
HOWEVER - you do need to get the thyroxin dosage levels right afterwards. That can take some time and can be quite critical - I'm still learning about that 2 years on and its been a roller coaster ride, but it can be sorted and is mostly fine tuning. I take 160 ug approx. which involves cutting a tiny pill in half !
So , my experience is that the op isn't a problem, but you need to spend a bit of time getting the dose right afterwards as there can be a large delay between cause and effect ( mine can be 2 weeks ! ) and its better out than in if its giving that level of problem!
Don't be afraid to pester the doctor to get the dose right - they tend to leave you and move on and you need frequent checks on your levels although you soon get to realise if you are over or under and can alter the dose to suit.
Stitches out after a few days.
Good luck ... and free prescriptions :-)
linda187
Posted
Ladykinkavel
Posted
linda187
Posted
At the beginning of December I was on 500 mg of Acetyl-L-Carnitine as well as 5 mg of methimazole and at that time I had blood tests done in a different lab so their norms are slightly different. My values were TSH 2.43 (normal range 0.40 - 3.80), Free T3 4.9 (normal range 4.0 - 5.8), Free T4 13 (normal range 12 - 21). Because my TSH was the highest it has ever been, I discontinued the Acetyl-L-Carnitine but will restart it if my TSH falls to about 0.50. If I do restart the Carnitine, I will do so at a lower dose of 250 mg because this is very well absorbed by the body and very effective for raising the TSH.
linda187
Posted
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