What is the normal way of taking care of hyperthyroidism?

@sueinmn and others I was nearly finished crafting a beautiful response when my iPad locked up. My post disappeared and I had to start over. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism/ Graves’ disease in 2001. At that time I was away from home for long periods of time taking care of my parents and in-laws who were elderly and had medical conditions that needed care giving. I had tons of energy. I was very active and rarely slept. I was never hungry but I could eat a lot of everything and was loosing weight. I was hot all the time. My menstrual cycle was goofed up and I thought I was going through menopause. I rather enjoyed the other symptoms. When I was home and due for an endocrinology follow up I told my doctor about my symptoms. She ordered tests and diagnosed hyperthyroidism/ Graves’ disease. She prescribed Methimazole. She also told me that it is common for hyperthyroidism/ Graves’ disease to flip to hypothyroidism in time. When I described all of this to my mother it turns out that she had the exact same thing when she was younger but it wasn’t officially diagnosed. I took the Methimazole for a few years and my numbers eventually returned to normal. The Methimazole was discontinued. My medical records show that I have a history of hyperthyroidism / Graves’ disease. My doctor continues to monitor me and is watching for the potential “flip” to hypothyroidism.

I had Graves’ Disease .00000 for about 2 years before it turned into cancer. Unlike Hypo, you WILL develop symptoms that can be permanent and yes, it is NOT to be “let go”. I went into Hypocalcemia shock post surgery and they almost killed me by avoiding the issue until it was almost too late. I was VERY sick when I went in to get it out. After 10 years, no thyroid, my body went into Hyper again and I’m on meds and always have been. I’ve tried almost ALL of them. When you don’t have a thyroid or a good working thyroid, it Absolutely causes Chemical Chaos in your body. I attempted to treat mine via homeopathic means, I obviously failed.
If you can take meds to balance it out, in addition to have regular blood work to determine your vitamin deficiencies, hopefully you can stave off the worst effects.
The tremors can be a few different things, i would recommend consuming calcium citrate in liquid form and a good multi vitamin with plenty of D3 and B12/B6. You should notice a decrease in the tremors and heart palps. Deep breathing exercises can help with palps as well. Find a good Endocrinologist, you'll be seeing him for the rest of your life.

@arlinevs welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I just read your post in the Autoimmune Diseases Group. I usually hang out in the Diabetes & Endocrinology Group. You might also find discussions there of interest to you and a place to help others. I relate to your testimony of faith in your profile story. Will you keep posting?

I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism (Graves Disease) last year. I have the palpitations and heat intolerance. I am on Methimazole 5 mg daily. My numbers are back in the normal range...especially the tsh. I didn't want to go on medication but I had no choice. It has helped. I only can tolerate 1/4 tablet of the Methimazole.

I keep reading where Graves Disease can go into remission after a year to a year and a 1/2. I pray that is the case for both of us.

God Bless you & praying for you;

I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism (Graves Disease) last year. I have the palpitations and heat intolerance. I am on Methimazole 5 mg daily. My numbers are back in the normal range...especially the tsh. I didn't want to go on medication but I had no choice. It has helped. I only can tolerate 1/4 tablet of the Methimazole.

I keep reading where Graves Disease can go into remission after a year to a year and a 1/2. I pray that is the case for both of us.

God Bless you & praying for you;

I forgot to mention the reason I feel so bad is because I have terrible body/joint pain.

I am right there with you marshbs. This is just my opinion. I have Fibromyalgia and thyroid disease I believe tends to go along with that. Thyroid disease can exacerbate joint pain as well.

Praying for you. Joint pain is tiring. God Bless You. Blessings....

FYI - The metallosis was responsible for the hyperthyroidism. No one believed it at the time, but it was later proven to be the case after dozens of MoM hip implant patients experienced the same thing, and had it end as metal left their bodies after revision surgery (or surgeries in my case - I had two MoM hips.)
Once I had revision surgery and the metal ions worked their way out of my body, my thyroid normalized. Nobody recognized the thyroid issue until after the hip revision surgery, when I spiked a fever and high heart rate. This was crazy because I had all the signs and symptoms - fast heart rate, PVC's, tremor, weight loss, fatigue, hair loss... The surgeon ignored all pages, my RN daughters hounded the nurses until they called the hospitalist in and she recognized it as an impending thyroid storm - the next hospitalist on rotation in the morning looked up my history of thyroid nodules (he was my previous PCP) and started meds immediately.
I was lucky to be in a first rate hospital with experienced, awesome staff hospitalists or my outcome may have been much different.

@sueinmn I’m unfamiliar with metallosis or MoM hips, but it sounds like these things are working out for you. Thank God for your RN daughters! I found that interesting that you mentioned the history of thyroid nodules. Was there a connection between those and the near thyroid storm? My youngest daughter had a thyro-glossal duct cyst that was surgically removed when she was in college. Years later she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and put on Levothyroxine/ Synthroid. This past spring she was diagnosed with a breast cancer. She is getting chemo every week and an immunotherapy every third week. Her last immunotherapy was last Friday. She felt weaker and more tired than usual but attributed it to overdoing it on a short camping trip over the 4th holiday. Then “all hell broke loose” Tuesday 7/9. She had new issues including chest pain, heart palpitations. She ended up spending the night in ER where it was concluded the immunotherapy became toxic and destroyed both her thyroid and adrenal glands! Neither are functioning. Both are being replaced with medication which was started in ER. She got sent home yesterday morning at 5 am.
Sorry this is getting long and straying from the topic of hyperthyroidism. I should have put this in a PM. Mama bear is stressed over her ailing cub(s).