Thyroid problems, and immune disorders?

Found out two weeks ago that I've got thyroid problems. It started out as hyper, but I've got all of the symptoms of hypo. I keep losing weight. I am sick all of the time my throat is really messed up, and I fear doctors. What are some things I should ask the doctors? Does anyone here have grave's disease? Thanks for any help. ~Rosanne~

I have thyroid from last 11 years and is under control with medication. If you are losing weight then its hyper thyroid and not hypo. Ask the doctor about the correct dosage/when/how to take it and what to do if you miss it. How frequently do you have to go for your tests to check thyroid levels. and Rosanne........ don't worry.. with medication its easily controllable with almost no effect on your day to day life. Don't worry too much about it. All the best :)

I've got hypothyroidism....before I was diagnosed, I was cranky all the time, tired all the time, um....sh*t, can't really remember. Been so long since I found out. But they should have put you on a thyroid pill, either way. Assuming they have, give it time...you'll notice change eventually. Not gonna be an overnight TAH-DAH sort of thing :op
ROSANNE, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE HEALED BUT YOU HAVE TO DO SOME CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE. YOU NEED TO FEEL THAT YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROBLEM NATURALLY. OR IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN'T THEN YOU NEED TO GO TO THE DOCTOR AND DO HIS WAY. THAT WAY YOU WILL BE ON PILLS THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND WILL AWAYS HAVE THE PROBLEM. I HELP PEOPLE WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS AND I'VE SEEN COMPLETE TURN AROUND IN 3 MONTHS WITH 2 PEOPLE. THIS PROGRAM THAT I WOULD PUT YOU ON WILL HELP YOUR HEALTH IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS. YOU KNOW IF YOU TRY THIS YOU WON'T HAVE TO SEE THE DOCTOR. LISTEN TOO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY AND YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE PRODUCT FOR YOURSELF. IF YOU FEEL YOU WANT TO GO WITH IT SET YOU MIND ON IT AND YOU'LL BE HOME FREE IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS.

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GIFTS OF NATURE
hyper and then hypo , sounds like Hashimoto thyroiditis

Rosanne --

Number 1, calm down. It's going to be OK. Number 2, it is very possible (it happened to me) to have what seem to be hypoactive symptoms yet be hyperactive. Here's what happens -- your body goes so overboard, it is literally killing itself. However, all I have is great news. When you see the doctor, he/she will pull your blood for T3, T4, and thyroid uptake levels. You will probably also have a screening, which 15 years ago consisted of me drinking a radioactive pill (yet it was not harmful), allowing it to process, and a big machine coming close to my neck making all sorts of thunks and clicks to show the iodine breaking down half-lives. You could ask you doc about it (if you want to know) but I have found that the technicians who run the test are so much more patient-friendly and will tell you the truth. Then, diagnosis. Either hyper or hypo.

For hyper, you will undergo treatment, trying with the pills first. You will take either PTU or methimazole (tapazol). PTU is taken multiple times a day (3 or 4 a day, depending on your levels) whereas methimazole is once a day, but may be multiple pills at that time. What the pills are doing is attacking the gland which is prompting the over or underusage of the thyroid ... it is completely painless and consists of monthly blood tests to see if the medication is working. DURING THIS TIME YOUR WEIGHT WILL STABILIZE AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO FEEL GOOD AGAIN. (I put that in all caps since I wanted you to understand the trouble is nearing an end -- the psychological side of thyroid issues is never mentioned, but for me it was the terror of not knowing how this would occur.)

If the pills don't work, you have the real options of radiactive treatment of the thyroid to burn away the thyroid, or subpartial thyroidectomy (a sugrery which leaves a 6-8 inch scar at the base of the neck). However, I did not get that far, so I know just about my aunts who had the surgery. I wasn't scared of it, I just knew it was a possibility.

Pill treatment for me lasted about 9 months until my levels were good again and I was weaned off of methimazole. (PTU did not work for me.) AT THIS TIME I GAINED WEIGHT!! When I say gained, my goodness, it felt great. I started at 95 pounds and finally chunked up to 110, which is a solid weight for me. When I saw the first fat cell ever on my body, I cried with happiness, since fat for a hyper person is an unrealistic goal ... now I have all sorts of fat and could not be happier (I'm 115). Yes, you will gain back your weight ... it will all be OK.

There are no real long term effects of being hyper or hypo, once treatment is begun. Don't be scared of these doctors -- once I got to an endocrinologist to handle the thyroid, it all went perfectly. I changed doctors due to a move, and happened upon a great endocrinologist who'd also had Graves and could relate to me, but I know those are few and far between ... but it is still OK. This is old hat for them and treatment is very standard.

I wish you the speediest recovery. I know about the weight issue, since I had Grave's for 8 years, asymptomatic. And I was the sickest with Grave's my doc had ever seen (I was on heart attack medication due to the absurdly high levels). However, it was all gone very soon. Now I have Hashimoto's (the thyroid is dying - another autoimmune thyroid disease), but that is anoither story.

You will be fine. Be calm, be patient with yourself, and you soon won't look anorexic anymore. Good luck!