Guest guest Posted June 29, 2000 Report Share Posted June 29, 2000 e I remember when you discovered you had liver problems and were forced to choose between surgery and RAI. I empathized because I was in a similar position nearly a year ago. Luckily, mine was a post-partum diagnosis and I went into remission after I weaned my daughter and began an alternative health care regime. But finding out I wasn't an ATD candidate was devastating. I'm glad you're feeling well post-RAI and I hope the good news continues! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2000 Report Share Posted June 30, 2000 B, You'd be a good one to ask since your diagnosis was post partum. How long do the symptoms usually occur? My mom said the dr said 1 year and I thought he said 6 months if it was post partum. Thanks! Jewls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2000 Report Share Posted June 30, 2000 In a message dated 6/30/00 4:15:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, petr0013@... writes: << You mean hyperthyroid symptoms? The sources I've seen vary on that. My endocrinologist feels that after six months it's not post-partum anymore, but a non-transient case of Graves disease. Other sources have said up to nine months. Was yours a post-partum diagnosis? >> Ya I meant the hyperthyroid symptoms. My dr (GP) said that IF this was post partum, that my symptoms would disappear in 6 months, my mom argues that issue and says no its a year..but that's neither here nor there. My endo said with my TSH levels the way they were back in March when I saw him it was definately Graves. I think my GP was just saying because he wasn't sure of the different levels. He himself had just been diagnosed with a viral hyperthyroidism, that I had not/have not heard of anyone speak of, but he didn't know very much about GD, or hyperthyroidism, so he was basically shooting off at the hip. My endo said it was definately GD. I guess I was asking because I wanted to know if maybe these symptoms of mine might disapate after a 6 months (which is long gone) or a year which we're coming up on. Somehow i really doubt that it is post partum only because I remember feeling really yucky while I was pregnant. Guess I'm rambling.... Jewls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2000 Report Share Posted June 30, 2000 Jewls, You mean hyperthyroid symptoms? The sources I've seen vary on that. My endocrinologist feels that after six months it's not post-partum anymore, but a non-transient case of Graves disease. Other sources have said up to nine months. Was yours a post-partum diagnosis? Re: Liver > B, > > You'd be a good one to ask since your diagnosis was post partum. How long do > the symptoms usually occur? My mom said the dr said 1 year and I thought he > said 6 months if it was post partum. > > Thanks! > Jewls > > > > ------------------------------------- > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace expert medical care. > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > ---------------------------------------- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2000 Report Share Posted June 30, 2000 In a message dated 6/30/00 6:47:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time, cfyoung2@... writes: << My GD was diagnosed at 7 months postpartum, with symptoms starting 6 weeks earlier and I'm about to start Tapazole. Truth is, I need it! >> and just to go along with this Faye, WHY if they KNOW it's postpartum and know it's going to quit on it's own, not give you PTU, that isn't as strong as Tap? Jewls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2000 Report Share Posted June 30, 2000 About the possibility of a Grave's diagnosis actually being postpartum thyroiditis: could medicating a patient under the assumption it's the former when it's actually the latter be detrimental (or at best, simply unnecessary)? My GD was diagnosed at 7 months postpartum, with symptoms starting 6 weeks earlier and I'm about to start Tapazole. Truth is, I need it! Good luck, Fay Young ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 1, 2000 Report Share Posted July 1, 2000 > About the possibility of a Grave's diagnosis actually being postpartum > thyroiditis: could medicating a patient under the assumption it's the > former when it's actually the latter be detrimental (or at best, simply > unnecessary Hmmm. I don't know. Maybe Elaine does. My feeling on this -- a feeling, not anything based on empiricism -- is that medicating might mask or interfere with the body's natural process. After my dramatic improvement post-lactation (and similar experiences for other women), I would urge any woman with a post-partum diagnosis who's still nursing to wean as soon as possible, without taking antithyroid medication if the docs will monitor you anyway, and just see what happens. My improvement was immediate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 1, 2000 Report Share Posted July 1, 2000 WHY if they KNOW it's postpartum and > know it's going to quit on it's own, not give you PTU, that isn't as strong > as Tap? > I keep bringing this up because it really disturbs me. PTU is classified as a " probable carcinogen " by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the 8th report on carcinogens. I think it's been classified as that since the fourth. From what I understand, PTU is much more toxic to the body than tapazole. Now, this doesn't mean that I would tell people to never take PTU: to contextualize its classification, estrogen (a naturally occurring hormone) shares the same cancer category. Too much estrogen has been linked to specific cancers, just as too much PTU has been linked to thyroid cancer (the report cites a study in which 4 out of 350 people developed thyroid cancer and lab rats given HUGE amounts got cancer). To me, this means one should consider PTU as carefully as one might consider fertiltiy treatments or other helpful measures that may have increase one's risk for certain types of cancer. It also makes me wonder how desirable the drug actually is for nursing and pregnant women. Even though tiny amounts pass through to the fetus or in the breast milk, how knows what those tiny amounts are doing? As far as I know, there have been no long-range follow ups on infants whose mothers were either nursing or pregnant while on PTU. I find it a bit -- not a lot, a bit -- worrisome and question just how safe PTU really is for fetuses and breastfed babies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 1, 2000 Report Share Posted July 1, 2000 wrote:>From what I understand, PTU is much more toxic to the body than tapazole. Now, this doesn't mean that I would tell people to never take PTU: to contextualize its classification, estrogen (a naturally occurring hormone) shares the same cancer category. Too much estrogen has been linked to specific cancers, just as too much PTU has been linked to thyroid cancer (the report cites a study in which 4 out of 350 people developed thyroid cancer and lab rats given HUGE amounts got cancer). Hi : Do you know if Tapazol contains estrogen as well as PTU ? Kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 1, 2000 Report Share Posted July 1, 2000 This is about being prescribed Tapazole over PTU: My insurance doesn't cover PTU though it would with a letter of medical necessity. I didn't look into this too much and find your suggestion interesting. But, I understand that Tapazole is easier to take as far as scheduling; also, I've heard that PTU is carcinogenic. My blood work seems like Graves, I have a goiter, and the thyroid scan looked like Graves; so the dr. says. I haven't started it yet due to a pharmacy mixup. Fay Young ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 1, 2000 Report Share Posted July 1, 2000 I don't know why PTU would be excluded from insurance coverage since it is a prescription, but insurance can be strange. I take it. It is cheap. Perhaps it is so cheap it is beneath a price reimbursement ceiling set by your insurance carrier. I am now at one PTU a day. It has made a tremendous difference in my life and it has allowed me to stave off the distressingly and frequently recommended RAI and I now appear to be entering a remission. Tests later this month will be telling. Tapazole and PTU are both ATD and should be in the same class of prescription coverage. I think I prefer taking my chances with PTU over RAI. Elaine Re: Liver > This is about being prescribed Tapazole over PTU: My insurance doesn't > cover PTU though it would with a letter of medical necessity. I didn't > look into this too much and find your suggestion interesting. But, I > understand that Tapazole is easier to take as far as scheduling; also, > I've heard that PTU is carcinogenic. My blood work seems like Graves, I > have a goiter, and the thyroid scan looked like Graves; so the dr. says. > I haven't started it yet due to a pharmacy mixup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 2, 2000 Report Share Posted July 2, 2000 > Hi : Do you know if Tapazol contains estrogen as well as PTU ? > Kit Kit, I don't think PTU contains estrogen -- I was using estrogen as an example of something that's classified as a carcinogen but is also a naturally occurring hormone and also an extremely beneficial substance. I don't think Tapazole has estrogen, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 3, 2000 Report Share Posted July 3, 2000 I took the same amount of Tapazole as I did of PTU, in the beginning. There was no problem for me, scheduling the dosages. It was two in the morning, and two at night, of Tap (until I got hives), and then the same amounts of PTU. Which I've since lowered to one pill in the morning. I'm outraged that they'll cover Tap but not PTU. Of *course* it's a medical necessity! Gadzooks. What ARE these insurance companies thinking?? Kari Re: Liver This is about being prescribed Tapazole over PTU: My insurance doesn't cover PTU though it would with a letter of medical necessity. I didn't look into this too much and find your suggestion interesting. But, I understand that Tapazole is easier to take as far as scheduling; also, I've heard that PTU is carcinogenic. My blood work seems like Graves, I have a goiter, and the thyroid scan looked like Graves; so the dr. says. I haven't started it yet due to a pharmacy mixup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 2000 Report Share Posted August 16, 2000 Elaine: Good to know. I'll check it out. I was a little concerned not only about the cost, but I think SAMe may be derived from animals. Milk thistle would be better all around. At 02:13 PM 08/16/2000 EDT, you wrote: >, >I took SAMe for a while but don't remember anything special about it except >that it was expensive. It seems milk thistle would be better. I do take that >and there are 2 active ingredients, silymarin and silibinin, I think, that >are supposed to be excellent for the liver. There's info regarding this in >the German Commission's Herbal Monographs and Life Extension ( www.lef.org ) >in the last few months had two different lengthy articles about it their >magazines. you should be able to access these articles on line. I bring this >up because milk thistle has been around a long time and its results are >known, and it's cheaper. In fact, it's one of the only known anecedotes for >some plant poison (its name escapes me) that damages liver cells and can be >fatal. > > > >------------------------------------- >The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace expert medical care. >Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. >---------------------------------------- > > Shen Holy Macro! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 2000 Report Share Posted August 16, 2000 I was on PTU for close to two years in 91-92, and again since 1998, am now down to one PTU a day. I recently underwent hepatic testing although my endo has never thought it was necessary believing that I tolerated it well and never exhibited symptoms that I was having problems. My HMO gatekeeper agreed to the testing at my request. Results were fine. I am counting on that. I thought SAMe has recently received some unfavorable publicity. I hope others here know more about it. Elaine Liver > There's been some threads about possible liver damage from the ATD's. I've > been on PTU since last November, and my wholistic doctors says that my > liver is compromised - no surprise there. Among many other supplements I > am to take, he prescribed SAMe, which helps to boost the liver as well as > have beneficial effects on joints and some types of depression (manic > depressives are contraindicated though). > > Anyone else have any experience with this supplement? > > , who's new motto is > > " Here's to a whole day without hot flashes! " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2000 Report Share Posted August 17, 2000 Jody, All my herb books are in temporary storage, but the web site I've found lately for this type of information is Null's. Go into www.garynull.com and try doing a search there. I've got some lab articles on Hepatitis C I can look through also and e-mail you privately if I find anything. elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2000 Report Share Posted August 17, 2000 Jody, All my herb books are in temporary storage, but the web site I've found lately for this type of information is Null's. Go into www.garynull.com and try doing a search there. I've got some lab articles on Hepatitis C I can look through also and e-mail you privately if I find anything. elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2000 Report Share Posted August 17, 2000 Jody My husband the acupuncturist/herbalist has successfully treated (cured) someone with hep B, and says yes, that herbs can help. Find a well-trained Chinese herbalist, wherever you are there ought to be one around! Terry P > > Reply-To: graves_supportegroups > Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 12:11:56 EDT > To: graves_supportegroups > Subject: Re: Liver > > To all, > We have a friend here who has Hep C, after undergoing 2 different test > programs he is not responding at all to them. Does anyone here know all of > the Herbal/Natural remedies that may beable to help him? He has tried the > Milkweed Thistle, that alone did nothing. He is 52 years old and the only > numbers I know for his liver are I believe it is his enzymes (not sure) but > they are at 4 mil. I don't know what that is short for either. > > I'm sorry I can't be more specific, his wife called me this morning very > upset and I told her I would ask anyone in this group if they had any idea > of what he could try to possibly buy him some time. > > Thanks in advance for any help any of you can offer. > Jody > ________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > > > > > ------------------------------------- > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not > intended to replace expert medical care. > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > ---------------------------------------- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2000 Report Share Posted August 17, 2000 Jody My husband the acupuncturist/herbalist has successfully treated (cured) someone with hep B, and says yes, that herbs can help. Find a well-trained Chinese herbalist, wherever you are there ought to be one around! Terry P > > Reply-To: graves_supportegroups > Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 12:11:56 EDT > To: graves_supportegroups > Subject: Re: Liver > > To all, > We have a friend here who has Hep C, after undergoing 2 different test > programs he is not responding at all to them. Does anyone here know all of > the Herbal/Natural remedies that may beable to help him? He has tried the > Milkweed Thistle, that alone did nothing. He is 52 years old and the only > numbers I know for his liver are I believe it is his enzymes (not sure) but > they are at 4 mil. I don't know what that is short for either. > > I'm sorry I can't be more specific, his wife called me this morning very > upset and I told her I would ask anyone in this group if they had any idea > of what he could try to possibly buy him some time. > > Thanks in advance for any help any of you can offer. > Jody > ________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > > > > > ------------------------------------- > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not > intended to replace expert medical care. > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > ---------------------------------------- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2000 Report Share Posted August 17, 2000 Thanks so much Elaine, Things are getting pretty bad for them I will try the search on 's site, I found it earlier this week and really like it. Jody ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2000 Report Share Posted August 17, 2000 Thanks so much Elaine, Things are getting pretty bad for them I will try the search on 's site, I found it earlier this week and really like it. Jody ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2000 Report Share Posted August 17, 2000 There is an acupuncturist about a half hour from here and I will pass that along Terry, thank you for the suggestion. The medical field has basically given up on him since the test group studies didn't work for him. One Dr. in Erie told them he will just have to wait it out until the liver becomes cancerous and he dies. At this point they won't even consider him for a transplant as he is so severe. Jody ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2000 Report Share Posted August 17, 2000 There is an acupuncturist about a half hour from here and I will pass that along Terry, thank you for the suggestion. The medical field has basically given up on him since the test group studies didn't work for him. One Dr. in Erie told them he will just have to wait it out until the liver becomes cancerous and he dies. At this point they won't even consider him for a transplant as he is so severe. Jody ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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