Re: emotional lability

[Guest guest]

Oh Amy's Pam, the emotional state is so very tied to Graves. I was a

mess...a total and complete mess emotionally. Add to that the fact that I

knew I was a mess and began questioning my every thought....I spiraled into a

deep abyss. Words failed me when I attempted to explain what I was feeling

to my loved ones. I felt so very alone with this disease.

Everything was happening TO me....I felt as though *I* could not control any

of it. I had always been the " rock " for everyone else in my family...so me

being out of control was very scary.

My emotions improved when my levels became normal....but for me, I didn't see

my " old self " until I had been stable in the normal range for quite a while.

It must be so hard on a teenager! I cannot imagine what your Amy is going

through...Graves coupled with normal teenager fluctuations. Give her a big

hug from me and let her know that she's got " old veterans " out here pulling

for her!

Doris/K9Mom

[Guest guest]

Amys Pam,

Oh my, this is so hard to explain. Imagine PMS symptoms ( the emotional part )

that never

go away. Then add some adrenaline, that never goes away. This goes on 24 hr. a

day. It

does not stop while you are trying to sleep. Your sleep is only surface sleep.

You close

your eyes, but the brain keeps churning all night long. You never accurally

sleep. Just

rest in this part awake, part asleep world. And you night is spent in WORRY.

Then it is

time to get up and face the challenges of an other day.

Then those around you think you should act your age, and at least be civil to

them. Well,

it sounds easy, but after many months of living like this, you just get so

tired. And

every single thing in your body hurts. Like having a bad case of the flu, except

it lasts

longer than a few days. It just never stops.

Then try to speak and express any old thought at all, and you find simple words

you know

are simple words, and as you speak, you can not think of these simple words,and

the

entire sentence is an effort . Much less try to put an whole paragraph together

quickly

before the entire idea leaves your mind.

Then try to be inside this body and mind, and try to understand what is

happening to you.

And think how hard it is to not raise your voice in frustration .

I read one thing early on , that helped me, but I am an adult. It said Graves

patients

perceive this oddly. This is very true. I KNEW I was right and everyone else

was wrong.

Sounds silly now, when I look back, at the small things that seemed like giant

mountains

of problems then. Maybe this is part of what they meant.

Amy is so lucky to have you REALLY on her side. And I know it must be very hard

for you to

even start to understand how she is feeling. So I type this here. Certainly not

for

sympathy by any means. Just thinking family members must find this so confusing.

Wild

guess here, I think it was a couple of months before I started making much

sense. :-)

-Pam-

[Guest guest]

Amys Pam,

Oh my, this is so hard to explain. Imagine PMS symptoms ( the emotional part )

that never

go away. Then add some adrenaline, that never goes away. This goes on 24 hr. a

day. It

does not stop while you are trying to sleep. Your sleep is only surface sleep.

You close

your eyes, but the brain keeps churning all night long. You never accurally

sleep. Just

rest in this part awake, part asleep world. And you night is spent in WORRY.

Then it is

time to get up and face the challenges of an other day.

Then those around you think you should act your age, and at least be civil to

them. Well,

it sounds easy, but after many months of living like this, you just get so

tired. And

every single thing in your body hurts. Like having a bad case of the flu, except

it lasts

longer than a few days. It just never stops.

Then try to speak and express any old thought at all, and you find simple words

you know

are simple words, and as you speak, you can not think of these simple words,and

the

entire sentence is an effort . Much less try to put an whole paragraph together

quickly

before the entire idea leaves your mind.

Then try to be inside this body and mind, and try to understand what is

happening to you.

And think how hard it is to not raise your voice in frustration .

I read one thing early on , that helped me, but I am an adult. It said Graves

patients

perceive this oddly. This is very true. I KNEW I was right and everyone else

was wrong.

Sounds silly now, when I look back, at the small things that seemed like giant

mountains

of problems then. Maybe this is part of what they meant.

Amy is so lucky to have you REALLY on her side. And I know it must be very hard

for you to

even start to understand how she is feeling. So I type this here. Certainly not

for

sympathy by any means. Just thinking family members must find this so confusing.

Wild

guess here, I think it was a couple of months before I started making much

sense. :-)

-Pam-

[Guest guest]

Amys Pam,

Oh my, this is so hard to explain. Imagine PMS symptoms ( the emotional part )

that never

go away. Then add some adrenaline, that never goes away. This goes on 24 hr. a

day. It

does not stop while you are trying to sleep. Your sleep is only surface sleep.

You close

your eyes, but the brain keeps churning all night long. You never accurally

sleep. Just

rest in this part awake, part asleep world. And you night is spent in WORRY.

Then it is

time to get up and face the challenges of an other day.

Then those around you think you should act your age, and at least be civil to

them. Well,

it sounds easy, but after many months of living like this, you just get so

tired. And

every single thing in your body hurts. Like having a bad case of the flu, except

it lasts

longer than a few days. It just never stops.

Then try to speak and express any old thought at all, and you find simple words

you know

are simple words, and as you speak, you can not think of these simple words,and

the

entire sentence is an effort . Much less try to put an whole paragraph together

quickly

before the entire idea leaves your mind.

Then try to be inside this body and mind, and try to understand what is

happening to you.

And think how hard it is to not raise your voice in frustration .

I read one thing early on , that helped me, but I am an adult. It said Graves

patients

perceive this oddly. This is very true. I KNEW I was right and everyone else

was wrong.

Sounds silly now, when I look back, at the small things that seemed like giant

mountains

of problems then. Maybe this is part of what they meant.

Amy is so lucky to have you REALLY on her side. And I know it must be very hard

for you to

even start to understand how she is feeling. So I type this here. Certainly not

for

sympathy by any means. Just thinking family members must find this so confusing.

Wild

guess here, I think it was a couple of months before I started making much

sense. :-)

-Pam-

[Guest guest]

Pam:

Your daughter is on an emotional rollercoaster. Importantly, everything she

feels (and largely, she is probably alternating wildly between anxiety,

irritability, anger --and for some Gravesians, a sort of euphoric mania) is

very acute and real. Doesn't matter if the disease is triggering these

hormonal/psychological responses. They are her reality.

Hang in there. Help Amy understand that her mind/body are sending her

inaccurate messages right now and that situations she perceives as

impossible or painful might not be--her perception isn't doing her justice.

Not that it's 'wrong,' because again, this is her reality. Yes, she's

angery and stressed, and weepy and it's probably all your fault as

parents.

But she can't trust her judgement and as hard as it is, needs to learn that

it's okay to let others guide her.

A quick story: I was hyperthyroid and didn't know it during the pre Y2K

scare. My neighbors were very into the self-reliant movement and convinced

all the computer systems were falling apart. They talked to me about it all

the time and actuallypurchased a dozen rabbits that they bred, killed, and

froze for food, and bought thousands of dollars of food and supplies. I

typed in: Y2K and self-sufficiency " on a computer search and was treated to

such a horrible array of fear that I got off-line convinced that we needed

to move to my friend's reservation and start buying canned food.

Happily, my husband told me that I hadn't been myself and I shouldn't trust

my judgement. He said " let me worry about the Y2K thing for our family and

make all the plans. Turn it over, trust me. " I did, because I knew he was

right (I was diagnosed with Graves a few weeks later and sort of went 'aha " '

to my fears, which were HORRIBLE. I had nightmares about the millenium and

was very very frightened).

As for preparing for Y2K filled up the car tank with gas on December

30th and bought a movie to watch on New Year's Eve.

The key here is that somewhere along the line I knew I wasn't

thinking/feeling rationally or like myself. I was able to trust someone

else enough to take on the burden adn guide me. If you can give Amy that,

you'll be giving her so much. I hope she can allow you to be the 'judge'

for her for a while, although that's so hard for a child, struggling to find

her personal sense of power, to do

B

ps: for some odd reason, the only stockpiling I did while hyper and freaked

out was to buy Q-tips that were on sale at Target one day. We have approx.

5,000 Q tips in our basement.

Re: emotional lability

> Amys Pam,

> Oh my, this is so hard to explain. Imagine PMS symptoms ( the emotional

part ) that never

> go away. Then add some adrenaline, that never goes away. This goes on 24

hr. a day. It

> does not stop while you are trying to sleep. Your sleep is only surface

sleep. You close

> your eyes, but the brain keeps churning all night long. You never

accurally sleep. Just

> rest in this part awake, part asleep world. And you night is spent in

WORRY. Then it is

> time to get up and face the challenges of an other day.

>

> Then those around you think you should act your age, and at least be civil

to them. Well,

> it sounds easy, but after many months of living like this, you just get so

tired. And

> every single thing in your body hurts. Like having a bad case of the flu,

except it lasts

> longer than a few days. It just never stops.

>

> Then try to speak and express any old thought at all, and you find simple

words you know

> are simple words, and as you speak, you can not think of these simple

words,and the

> entire sentence is an effort . Much less try to put an whole paragraph

together quickly

> before the entire idea leaves your mind.

>

> Then try to be inside this body and mind, and try to understand what is

happening to you.

> And think how hard it is to not raise your voice in frustration .

>

> I read one thing early on , that helped me, but I am an adult. It said

Graves patients

> perceive this oddly. This is very true. I KNEW I was right and everyone

else was wrong.

> Sounds silly now, when I look back, at the small things that seemed like

giant mountains

> of problems then. Maybe this is part of what they meant.

>

> Amy is so lucky to have you REALLY on her side. And I know it must be very

hard for you to

> even start to understand how she is feeling. So I type this here.

Certainly not for

> sympathy by any means. Just thinking family members must find this so

confusing. Wild

> guess here, I think it was a couple of months before I started making much

sense. :-)

>

> -Pam-

>

>

>

> -------------------------------------

> 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.

> ----------------------------------------

> DISCLAIMER

>

> Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list does not have the

endorsement of

> the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails.

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Pam,

When I was suffering through the symptoms of hyperactivity before

my Graves diagnosis, I kept thinking that i heard someone trying to

break into my house. One night i was so convince that i hit the panic

button on are burglar alarm and dialed 911. The police were nice,

but they told my husband that there was no evidence of intruders.

I spent lots of money on counseling. The therapist diagnosed me as

having Obsessive-Comulsive Disorder. The therapy didn't help much. I

kept waking up at every sound, then waking my husband up as well. It

was hard enough to get to sleep as it was. Once I finally did fall

asleep, I'd soon be awake again for hours. It was a nightmare.

Then they discovered the Graves thing. I had RAI, which I wouldn't

recommend for a variety of reasons (especially the worsening eye

symptoms) but it did pretty much end my " Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder " within a few months. No one is trying to break into my

house anymore. I do have bouts of anxiety that my be related to

thyroid levels. If I take my daily levoxyl more than an hour off the

time it's supposed to be taken, then take the next day's dosage at

the regulqar time, I have minor problems. However, it's nothing like

it was.

Your poor daughter should level out with competent medical help

and with your support. I think you're wise to consider that there

could be another cause. You don't want to overlook a potentially

serious condition. It probably is just the Graves, but if you could

take her to a mental health practitioner who is thoroughly familiar

with both Graves' Disease and the fragile adolescent psyche, it might

be time and money well spent.

Hanf in there.

> Pam:

>

> Your daughter is on an emotional rollercoaster. Importantly,

everything she

> feels (and largely, she is probably alternating wildly between

anxiety,

> irritability, anger --and for some Gravesians, a sort of euphoric

mania) is

> very acute and real. Doesn't matter if the disease is triggering

these

> hormonal/psychological responses. They are her reality.

>

> Hang in there. Help Amy understand that her mind/body are sending

her

> inaccurate messages right now and that situations she perceives as

> impossible or painful might not be--her perception isn't doing her

justice.

> Not that it's 'wrong,' because again, this is her reality. Yes,

she's

> angery and stressed, and weepy and it's probably all your fault

as

> parents.

>

> But she can't trust her judgement and as hard as it is, needs to

learn that

> it's okay to let others guide her.

>

> A quick story: I was hyperthyroid and didn't know it during the

pre Y2K

> scare. My neighbors were very into the self-reliant movement and

convinced

> all the computer systems were falling apart. They talked to me

about it all

> the time and actuallypurchased a dozen rabbits that they bred,

killed, and

> froze for food, and bought thousands of dollars of food and

supplies. I

> typed in: Y2K and self-sufficiency " on a computer search and was

treated to

> such a horrible array of fear that I got off-line convinced that we

needed

> to move to my friend's reservation and start buying canned food.

>

> Happily, my husband told me that I hadn't been myself and I

shouldn't trust

> my judgement. He said " let me worry about the Y2K thing for our

family and

> make all the plans. Turn it over, trust me. " I did, because I knew

he was

> right (I was diagnosed with Graves a few weeks later and sort of

went 'aha " '

> to my fears, which were HORRIBLE. I had nightmares about the

millenium and

> was very very frightened).

>

> As for preparing for Y2K filled up the car tank with gas on

December

> 30th and bought a movie to watch on New Year's Eve.

>

> The key here is that somewhere along the line I knew I wasn't

> thinking/feeling rationally or like myself. I was able to trust

someone

> else enough to take on the burden adn guide me. If you can give

Amy that,

> you'll be giving her so much. I hope she can allow you to be

the 'judge'

> for her for a while, although that's so hard for a child,

struggling to find

> her personal sense of power, to do

>

> B

>

> ps: for some odd reason, the only stockpiling I did while hyper

and freaked

> out was to buy Q-tips that were on sale at Target one day. We have

approx.

> 5,000 Q tips in our basement.

>

>

>

> Re: emotional lability

>

>

> > Amys Pam,

> > Oh my, this is so hard to explain. Imagine PMS symptoms ( the

emotional

> part ) that never

> > go away. Then add some adrenaline, that never goes away. This

goes on 24

> hr. a day. It

> > does not stop while you are trying to sleep. Your sleep is only

surface

> sleep. You close

> > your eyes, but the brain keeps churning all night long. You never

> accurally sleep. Just

> > rest in this part awake, part asleep world. And you night is

spent in

> WORRY. Then it is

> > time to get up and face the challenges of an other day.

> >

> > Then those around you think you should act your age, and at least

be civil

> to them. Well,

> > it sounds easy, but after many months of living like this, you

just get so

> tired. And

> > every single thing in your body hurts. Like having a bad case of

the flu,

> except it lasts

> > longer than a few days. It just never stops.

> >

> > Then try to speak and express any old thought at all, and you

find simple

> words you know

> > are simple words, and as you speak, you can not think of these

simple

> words,and the

> > entire sentence is an effort . Much less try to put an whole

paragraph

> together quickly

> > before the entire idea leaves your mind.

> >

> > Then try to be inside this body and mind, and try to understand

what is

> happening to you.

> > And think how hard it is to not raise your voice in frustration .

> >

> > I read one thing early on , that helped me, but I am an adult. It

said

> Graves patients

> > perceive this oddly. This is very true. I KNEW I was right and

everyone

> else was wrong.

> > Sounds silly now, when I look back, at the small things that

seemed like

> giant mountains

> > of problems then. Maybe this is part of what they meant.

> >

> > Amy is so lucky to have you REALLY on her side. And I know it

must be very

> hard for you to

> > even start to understand how she is feeling. So I type this here.

> Certainly not for

> > sympathy by any means. Just thinking family members must find

this so

> confusing. Wild

> > guess here, I think it was a couple of months before I started

making much

> sense. :-)

> >

> > -Pam-

> >

> >

> >

> > -------------------------------------

> > 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.

> > ----------------------------------------

> > DISCLAIMER

> >

> > Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list does not have the

> endorsement of

> > the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to

emails.

> > ------------------------------------------------------------------

--------

> ------------

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Pam,

B mentioned letting you be the judge for your daughter's emotions

right now. Well that's a good idea I think. My husband also helped me,

in fact, it was he who kept saying: " I know you're not mentally ill, I

know there's something else going on. " I was just convinced that I was out

of my mind bonkers.

I did all kinds of crazy things, and I couldn't settle at night

either, I would be up half the night feeling like I was " high " on

adrenaline and though my body was tired and achy, sleep would not

come.

It sounds crazy, but one thing that helped me was that I kept

reminding myself that I was sick..That I had a real disease. I could

finally tell myself that I wasn't just a whack job, that there were

reasons for the rollercoaster. Maybe you can help remind Amy that it's

going to get better, that it's not a vague set of mental problems or

some undiagnosed mess of weirdness, but that it's treatable, and soon

she will feel more 'balanced'

The one other thing that helped me handle the emotional highs and lows; I

took some effort to remove myself from certain obligations that

proved too demanding. Some parts of my job and certain family things

that caused me stress and strain. I was prone in these environments to

flare ups of anger and tantrums, I also had days where I would be so

frazzle brained and tired and irritable that I wouldn't be able to

face all of my responsibilties. I'm not saying to let Amy slide in

essential areas like school etc. I'm just saying that if Amy is say,

supposed to babysit her little brother (as an example) every wednesday

and you find that it causes flare ups, than maybe that's something to

work around for awhile. I also tried to replace these " stressful "

parts of my life with relaxing or fun things. I know it's not

realistic for everyone, but it really helped me.

I hope that makes sense! I'm really tired and heading off to

bed. If I was rambling..please chalk it up to sleepyness.

Val

[Guest guest]

Pam,

B mentioned letting you be the judge for your daughter's emotions

right now. Well that's a good idea I think. My husband also helped me,

in fact, it was he who kept saying: " I know you're not mentally ill, I

know there's something else going on. " I was just convinced that I was out

of my mind bonkers.

I did all kinds of crazy things, and I couldn't settle at night

either, I would be up half the night feeling like I was " high " on

adrenaline and though my body was tired and achy, sleep would not

come.

It sounds crazy, but one thing that helped me was that I kept

reminding myself that I was sick..That I had a real disease. I could

finally tell myself that I wasn't just a whack job, that there were

reasons for the rollercoaster. Maybe you can help remind Amy that it's

going to get better, that it's not a vague set of mental problems or

some undiagnosed mess of weirdness, but that it's treatable, and soon

she will feel more 'balanced'

The one other thing that helped me handle the emotional highs and lows; I

took some effort to remove myself from certain obligations that

proved too demanding. Some parts of my job and certain family things

that caused me stress and strain. I was prone in these environments to

flare ups of anger and tantrums, I also had days where I would be so

frazzle brained and tired and irritable that I wouldn't be able to

face all of my responsibilties. I'm not saying to let Amy slide in

essential areas like school etc. I'm just saying that if Amy is say,

supposed to babysit her little brother (as an example) every wednesday

and you find that it causes flare ups, than maybe that's something to

work around for awhile. I also tried to replace these " stressful "

parts of my life with relaxing or fun things. I know it's not

realistic for everyone, but it really helped me.

I hope that makes sense! I'm really tired and heading off to

bed. If I was rambling..please chalk it up to sleepyness.

Val

[Guest guest]

Amy's Pam -

I can't even imagine what it must be like for your daughter to be dealing

with the hormonal/emotional aspects of puberty AND Graves' emotional roller

coaster as well! You and your husband have to be extremely patient parents

now! GD really takes a toll on the emotional state. Can make you very

irrational and easily angered. It's fantastic that you can help her calm

down at night, since she's still hyper, it's hard for her to calm herself.

You just have to realize that it's not necessarily your daughter, it's her

disease. She will get better with treatment (wish I could tell you the same

for the whole adolescent angst part of it!) You'll just have to keep in mind

that it's an illness that is causing her to be like this. Your support is so

wonderful for her!

emotional lability

>This aspect of Graves' seems to show itself almost more than any

>other symptom, although my daughter has had a host of symptoms. Has

>anyone else been on an emotional roller coaster, how do you deal with

>it, or more specifically, how does your family/friends deal with it,

>and does it get better with treatment?

>

>Seems I spend a great deal of time just calming down Amy, especially

>at night when she's really tired.

>

>Guess I'm just wondering if her emotional state is all tied to

>Graves' or if I should be looking at something else.

>

>Amy's Pam

>

>

>

>-------------------------------------

>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.

>----------------------------------------

> DISCLAIMER

>

>Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list does not have the

endorsement of

>the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails.

>---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam-

I was treated with RAI almost 15 years ago and I'm still emotionally labile

even at my most hypothyroid. It's not constant anymore though. It happens

in fits and starts.

Take care,

> Hi pam,

> emotional lability is a very common symptom in GD. Have you gotten hold of

> Ridha Arem's book yet, The Thyroid Solution. It's at most libraries and

> discusses the psychological changes in GD. These symptoms do improve when

> thyroid hormone levels fall back into the normal range. But anecdotally,

many

> of us have mentioned that we're more sensitive and some of us have a

tendency

> to still have an occasional outburst even after we're treated. High-strung

is

> what my mom called me, although my husband would describe this

differently.

> Combined with the emotional lability of puberty I guess you could be

noticing

> some interesting mood swings.

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam-

I was treated with RAI almost 15 years ago and I'm still emotionally labile

even at my most hypothyroid. It's not constant anymore though. It happens

in fits and starts.

Take care,

> Hi pam,

> emotional lability is a very common symptom in GD. Have you gotten hold of

> Ridha Arem's book yet, The Thyroid Solution. It's at most libraries and

> discusses the psychological changes in GD. These symptoms do improve when

> thyroid hormone levels fall back into the normal range. But anecdotally,

many

> of us have mentioned that we're more sensitive and some of us have a

tendency

> to still have an occasional outburst even after we're treated. High-strung

is

> what my mom called me, although my husband would describe this

differently.

> Combined with the emotional lability of puberty I guess you could be

noticing

> some interesting mood swings.

[Guest guest]

Doris,

Thank you, thank you for the candid response. It is exactly how Amy feels,

and we are relieved to know that others have dealt with this aspect of the

disease.

Amy's Pam

In a message dated 3/9/2002 8:48:19 PM Central Standard Time, k9mom1@...

writes:

> Oh Amy's Pam, the emotional state is so very tied to Graves. I was a

> mess...a total and complete mess emotionally. Add to that the fact that I

> knew I was a mess and began questioning my every thought....I spiraled into

> a

> deep abyss. Words failed me when I attempted to explain what I was feeling

>

> to my loved ones. I felt so very alone with this disease.

>

> Everything was happening TO me....I felt as though *I* could not control

> any

> of it. I had always been the " rock " for everyone else in my family...so me

>

> being out of control was very scary.

>

> My emotions improved when my levels became normal....but for me, I didn't

> see

> my " old self " until I had been stable in the normal range for quite a

> while.

>

> It must be so hard on a teenager! I cannot imagine what your Amy is going

> through...Graves coupled with normal teenager fluctuations. Give her a big

>

> hug from me and let her know that she's got " old veterans " out here pulling

>

> for her!

>

> Doris/K9Mom

I want to be the kind of friend Jesus would call, at the end of the day, just

to talk about nothing.-Wayne

[Guest guest]

Doris,

Thank you, thank you for the candid response. It is exactly how Amy feels,

and we are relieved to know that others have dealt with this aspect of the

disease.

Amy's Pam

In a message dated 3/9/2002 8:48:19 PM Central Standard Time, k9mom1@...

writes:

> Oh Amy's Pam, the emotional state is so very tied to Graves. I was a

> mess...a total and complete mess emotionally. Add to that the fact that I

> knew I was a mess and began questioning my every thought....I spiraled into

> a

> deep abyss. Words failed me when I attempted to explain what I was feeling

>

> to my loved ones. I felt so very alone with this disease.

>

> Everything was happening TO me....I felt as though *I* could not control

> any

> of it. I had always been the " rock " for everyone else in my family...so me

>

> being out of control was very scary.

>

> My emotions improved when my levels became normal....but for me, I didn't

> see

> my " old self " until I had been stable in the normal range for quite a

> while.

>

> It must be so hard on a teenager! I cannot imagine what your Amy is going

> through...Graves coupled with normal teenager fluctuations. Give her a big

>

> hug from me and let her know that she's got " old veterans " out here pulling

>

> for her!

>

> Doris/K9Mom

I want to be the kind of friend Jesus would call, at the end of the day, just

to talk about nothing.-Wayne

[Guest guest]

Doris,

Thank you, thank you for the candid response. It is exactly how Amy feels,

and we are relieved to know that others have dealt with this aspect of the

disease.

Amy's Pam

In a message dated 3/9/2002 8:48:19 PM Central Standard Time, k9mom1@...

writes:

> Oh Amy's Pam, the emotional state is so very tied to Graves. I was a

> mess...a total and complete mess emotionally. Add to that the fact that I

> knew I was a mess and began questioning my every thought....I spiraled into

> a

> deep abyss. Words failed me when I attempted to explain what I was feeling

>

> to my loved ones. I felt so very alone with this disease.

>

> Everything was happening TO me....I felt as though *I* could not control

> any

> of it. I had always been the " rock " for everyone else in my family...so me

>

> being out of control was very scary.

>

> My emotions improved when my levels became normal....but for me, I didn't

> see

> my " old self " until I had been stable in the normal range for quite a

> while.

>

> It must be so hard on a teenager! I cannot imagine what your Amy is going

> through...Graves coupled with normal teenager fluctuations. Give her a big

>

> hug from me and let her know that she's got " old veterans " out here pulling

>

> for her!

>

> Doris/K9Mom

I want to be the kind of friend Jesus would call, at the end of the day, just

to talk about nothing.-Wayne

[Guest guest]

B.,

That was such a great story. Thank you. Maybe you could market those

Q-tips? Just kidding.

Amy's Pam

In a message dated 3/9/2002 11:05:46 PM Central Standard Time,

petri017@... writes:

>

> ps: for some odd reason, the only stockpiling I did while hyper and

> freaked

> out was to buy Q-tips that were on sale at Target one day. We have approx.

> 5,000 Q tips in our basement.

I want to be the kind of friend Jesus would call, at the end of the day, just

to talk about nothing.-Wayne

[Guest guest]

B.,

That was such a great story. Thank you. Maybe you could market those

Q-tips? Just kidding.

Amy's Pam

In a message dated 3/9/2002 11:05:46 PM Central Standard Time,

petri017@... writes:

>

> ps: for some odd reason, the only stockpiling I did while hyper and

> freaked

> out was to buy Q-tips that were on sale at Target one day. We have approx.

> 5,000 Q tips in our basement.

I want to be the kind of friend Jesus would call, at the end of the day, just

to talk about nothing.-Wayne

[Guest guest]

,

If you come across the study, I would like to see it.

Thanks,

Amy

Re: Re: emotional lability

Hi Amy-

That's interesting about a high incidence of depression after Graves'

treatment. I wonder how much of that is undiagnosed hypothyroidism and how

much is really depression.

The only reason I mention it is because my doctor was convinced I was

depressed before I learned about my conversion problem. He prescribed

Zoloft for me which was disasterous. It made me very violent and I broke

out in a rash that I'm still scarred from. I hadn't felt depressed at the

time, just tired but I wanted to do something about it. I was finishing my

master's which was very grueling and I needed the energy to get through with

it.

Later, my mother died suddenly at a relatively young age (2 days after

diagnosis with leukemia). Now, that was depression! The miscarriage was

very depressing too. It's much different than the exhaustion I felt when I

had undiagnosed hypothyroidism.

You are probably already aware of Lithium causing hypothyroidism. I was

interested though to discover that sertraline (and some other drugs) is

suspected of causing levothyroxine to clear faster leaving patients on

replacement hormone more hypothyroid. I have the study somewhere if you'd

like a copy.

Take care,

> I have a masters degree in counseling. While I am not practicing as a

counselor (I do research) I will tell you that before I was diagnosed with

Graves I had never heard of it.

>

> I am sure there are counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists out there

that have heard of it (especially the psychiatristis), but I don't know if

(here in the US at least) we spend enough time ruling other things out

before prescribing medication. I am in NO WAY against psych meds. I work

with people with schizophrenia, bipolar and major depression and see a major

benefit. I also see a major benefit in those that are dealing with mental

illness on a much less extreme basis. My mother used psych meds (and still

does occastionally) and they have done wonders for her.

>

> We have a friend who was diagnosed and being treated for bipolar disorder.

Eventually they figured out that he had diabetes. Obviously a dangerous

thing not to be treated.

>

> I also think the public at large is under-educated. There is a great

stigma attached to psych meds and generally anything related with mental

illness. I believe anyone put on psych meds (and really any long term

medication) should have a good blood workup done first to rule out other

possibilities. I also believe that people who are seeing a counselor, etc.

and get a recommendation to go on meds should consult their own general doc.

to check for any physical relationship.

>

> I could go on forever about this subject, so I will leave it at that.

>

> By the way, I have done a lot of reading about the high incidence of

depression after Graves is treated. Again, don't know if it is the chicken

or the egg here. Interesting subject. Maybe I would have done my thesis on a

subject related to all of this, had I known!

>

> Amy

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[Guest guest]

Really: Q-Tips are the next hot thing on the child's toy market, as far as

I'm concerned. Who needs Leggos? Glue and Q-Tips are the wave of the

future. I'll be the major stock holder in the company.

Re: emotional lability

> B.,

>

> That was such a great story. Thank you. Maybe you could market those

> Q-tips? Just kidding.

>

> Amy's Pam

>

> In a message dated 3/9/2002 11:05:46 PM Central Standard Time,

> petri017@... writes:

>

>

> >

> > ps: for some odd reason, the only stockpiling I did while hyper and

> > freaked

> > out was to buy Q-tips that were on sale at Target one day. We have

approx.

> > 5,000 Q tips in our basement.

>

>

> I want to be the kind of friend Jesus would call, at the end of the day,

just

> to talk about nothing.-Wayne

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Really: Q-Tips are the next hot thing on the child's toy market, as far as

I'm concerned. Who needs Leggos? Glue and Q-Tips are the wave of the

future. I'll be the major stock holder in the company.

Re: emotional lability

> B.,

>

> That was such a great story. Thank you. Maybe you could market those

> Q-tips? Just kidding.

>

> Amy's Pam

>

> In a message dated 3/9/2002 11:05:46 PM Central Standard Time,

> petri017@... writes:

>

>

> >

> > ps: for some odd reason, the only stockpiling I did while hyper and

> > freaked

> > out was to buy Q-tips that were on sale at Target one day. We have

approx.

> > 5,000 Q tips in our basement.

>

>

> I want to be the kind of friend Jesus would call, at the end of the day,

just

> to talk about nothing.-Wayne

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Amy's Pam,

Amy doesn't sound too different from me when I was growing up. I blamed my

mood swings and irritability on having 5 brothers who picked on me, but I

remember wondering if I'd ever have a day where I wasn't crying about

something. Other than this similarity, all of us with GD are so different. I

doubt there's two of us with identical symptoms and disease course. And men

often have different symptoms, often they have more severe muscle weakness

but less of the emotional stuff. And older people often have heart symptoms,

apathy and depression. People with GD have different symptoms over time too.

Amy may get over the emotional stuff (I did and sort of switched to hypo type

symptoms for a while) and she may later develop other symptoms, but these too

will resolve as she achieves remission. It's really great that you're such a

cool mom about everything. And I totally agree with you. Knowing that none of

this is her fault and that she's probably miserable when she acts up makes it

much easier to deal with. Good luck finding the book. I think most hospital

libraries should have a copy. take care, elaine

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/11/2002 7:34:47 AM Central Standard Time,

hsutherland@... writes:

> " Your thyroid is talking again " .

Can I use that? It's great!

Amy's Pam

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/11/2002 7:34:47 AM Central Standard Time,

hsutherland@... writes:

> " Your thyroid is talking again " .

Can I use that? It's great!

Amy's Pam

[Guest guest]

Hi, Amy's Pam,

Oh, yeah. We " hypers " are a royal pain to live with. The best thing your

family and friends can do is understand that she really can't help it right

now, and to help her understand that as well. Somehow it helps to know that

you're not really a crazy, out of control psychopath, but that your thyroid

is doing it to you. It has a calming effect, especially if you can learn to

laugh at the outbursts together as a symptom of the disease! My boyfriend

just reminds me, " Your thyroid is talking again " .

Holly

[Guest guest]

Absolutely. It does help to add a little humor to lighten up this dreary

situation! And it will help her to see when she's being unreasonable, even

if it's not her fault all the time!

Holly

Re: emotional lability

In a message dated 3/11/2002 7:34:47 AM Central Standard Time,

hsutherland@... writes:

> " Your thyroid is talking again " .

Can I use that? It's great!

Amy's Pam

[Guest guest]

Absolutely. It does help to add a little humor to lighten up this dreary

situation! And it will help her to see when she's being unreasonable, even

if it's not her fault all the time!

Holly

Re: emotional lability

In a message dated 3/11/2002 7:34:47 AM Central Standard Time,

hsutherland@... writes:

> " Your thyroid is talking again " .

Can I use that? It's great!

Amy's Pam