the physical side effects..

consciously or unconconciously this takes it toll on the deepest of emotional and safety levels, and of course corresponds in the physical level... (there is a reason the one reason in the bible is THIS...

I was diagnosed last week with a hyperthyrpid disorder...can cause anxiety, depression, erratic behavior, (not that I didnt have any of those anyway, lol)... oh ya, and what is breaking my heart, infertility...

My Hearbeat was at 140, supposed to be 60 and apparently has been going at that for a year...i have lost 50 lbs with no explanation...

SIGH.

I think, we should add to the the link of "thinking of cheating on your spouse?"

A link that says...you could KILL them. literally.

Hope I am the opposite.. I have the Hypothyroidism...struggle losing weight and also all the same stuff that you have found with the hyperthroidism..and the infertility reversed it self for me ..I did have another child.. took a couple of yrs,

((((hugs)))

Pat

"Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time."

Dearest Hope,
I am so sorry that you are having all these physical issues to contend with on top of the emotional and psychological torture.

I don't really have any advice that doesn't sound trite - take care of yourself, do good things for yourself, take vitamins (which I just started to do and I think I feel more energetics), etc.

I also understand your pain over the fertility issue as I remember you talking about wanting another child. Have you seen a fertility specialist?

Sorry I have no words of wisdom but I do have lots of compassion.

Oh, Hope..I am sorry to learn of your health concerns. I hope your doctor is able to help you find a solution for getting these issues in order.

I am a little concerned that you would automatically correlate these conditions with your husband's infidelity. I know that the emotional trauma of the BS is severe, I do not wish to minimize that. And, I know that emotional trauma can manifest itself in physical ways. I don't wish to try and dismiss that correlation either. I would imagine that you are fairly upset after receiving this diagnosis, so I am willing to allow that you were writing from that frame of mind. I would ask that you be careful in making what I feel is a fairly presumptive and unfair conclusion.

 

edited to clear some redundancy...

I am sorry to hear you are suffering. Infertility can have so many causes. The female reproductive system can be a delicate matter. If you lose too much weight too soon, or gain a lot of weight fast, your body can be thrown hormonally off balance making getting pregnant very difficult for the time being. I was very depressed after losing a child and I had some rapid weight gain and was unable to get pregnant, like Pat, a couple of years later after I had lost some of the weight and I was not so stressed about losing the baby, I got pregnant once again. I am not a doctor and I certainly don't have all the asnwers but with all the medical advances these days I do know there is hope. (((((((((((hugs))))))))))))

~ CAL
"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection" ~ Buddha

Fertility...have you tried Clomid? Careful, it has an 8-10% chance of twins. Not a big #, unless you're in that bracket. :D





Seriously.

I would ask that you be careful in making what I feel is a fairly presumptive and unfair conclusion.


Good point - excellent point

Still, all the stress from the A fallout rarely benefits and can increase the symptoms of many, many physical problems.

It puts so much on your plate. I cannot think of a single "normal" "happens to everyone" problem after dday that didn't seem worse because I had so much already going on/going wrong. It stretches you so thin that it doesn't take much to push you over the threshold.

So it becomes a sort of issue where - in "normal" times, normal physical and mental issues might have been manageable (who knows) but the added stress tends to make things worse so the cause/major contributor line gets very, very blurry.

The decisions H and OW made (both own fault (and I sense another thread spawning from that comment)) had a negative impact on my quality of life/health for years.

-Susan

Hope, I am worried that my post came off as flippant, and I don't want that at all. I struggled with secondary infertility as well, for 5 years. There's a good chance much of it had to do with the stress I put on myself by hiding my infidelity, about halfway into that 5 year mark when I began cheating. But even after DDay I still struggled to get pregnant, and it was after 2 rounds of Clomid that the twins were finally conceived.

You are not alone in your pain of health problems compounded by the difficulty in forgiving your H and healing your M, plus the infertility. I hated hearing that I needed to "just relax" and it would happen, but many times that's how it worked. However, I wasn't patient enough to wait for that, which is why the prescription from my OB helped us conceive....this is probably TMI, but I wanted you to know that I have also cried buckets of tears over not being able to get pregnant again, and my last post on this thread wasn't meant to downplay your pain AT all, ok?

Thinking of you,
Sun

Hope,

I'm so sorry sweetie! This just isn't fun - I know!

The fertility issues can potentiall be reversed; is it due to the hyperthyroid disorder? I experienced infertily - my body simply cannot make a baby without a bit of chemical/medical assistance.

Take care my friend - and email me if you want!

Denise

"Our lives begin to end when we become silent about things"

Hope, if you have Graves', let me know. I am a long time Graves' survivor, and I consider myself well versed in the emotional and physical effects of this thyroid disease. I am the State Director for the National Graves' Disease Foundation (do a Google search). I can put you in touch with resources if you wish.
BB

everyone for your kind words. I do admit my initial post was a bit strong, sorry about that.

Blue - YES! I have Graves. Was officially diagnosed yesterday. WOuld love to speak with you.

Hope

As we know, Graves' is a very complex illness with many facets. The emotional effects of Graves' nearly ruined my own life! There are very few diseases which can so profoundly change a person's behaviour and thought processes, and have such a potent negative influence on both personal and professional relationships.

Let's start with what Graves' is NOT: it is not a form of mental illness, mood disorder, personality problem, anger management issue, nor moral lapse. Yet untreated Graves' can give the impression of any or all of these to persons on the outside who do not understand. Over the years, I have received many phone calls & emails from people all over the country who have been fired from jobs, divorced, or otherwise alienated from friends and family because of things they said or did due to the undiagnosed or untreated emotional effects of Graves'. Graves' can be an insidious illness; it creeps up slowly and is often misdiagnosed or left untreated until the afflicted person has already done serious damage to their relationships, as in my own case.

The thyroid is one of the "master glands" of the body. It not only regulates metabolism, but is also intimately connected with emotional states, not directly as the brain is, but through the chemicals it secretes. In my own case, the long term emotional effects of way too much thyroid hormone ("thyrotoxic"---being poisoned by one's own thyroid gland), led to some really nasty personality traits coming out which were, by no means, the "real me"! I recall being extremely impatient, unable to accept criticism, irritable/"snippy", fidgity, nervous, fearful, crying jags, doing everything at hyperspeed, ready to fly off the handle at the slightest thing, etc. Carried to an extreme, I became very difficult to work with and live with! Being a professional social worker and counselor, the ironic situation I found myself in was very difficult. My first doctor misdiagnosed the emotional symptoms as stress related, and was going to prescribe tranquilzers, which would have made things even worse......

Trying to do "damage control" after one has been successfully treated & the thyroid hormones reach a normal level, is difficult or impossible. Many Graves' patients are seen as using the disease as an excuse to rationalize away what they said or did during the acute phase of the illness. This tragic situation has been repeated countless times in divorce courts, child custody cases, firings, and other scenarios. In my own case, it took many months before my colleagues and loved ones accepted the fact that it was the effects of Graves', not my own personality flaws, which caused the unacceptable behaviour. I am grateful that my relationships ultimately withstood these trials! The untoward emotional effects begin to disappear once properly treated, and I became my old self again.....well, mostly, anyway. Not everyone is so fortunate, however. Many judges and employers will need to be educated about this issue. Graves' remains an "orphan disease"; much of the publicity surrounding former President Bush and the former First Lady having Graves' (even their dog had Graves'---go figure!), has died down, and the disease has again become somewhat obscure to the average person.
BB

(((Blue))))

THANK YOU for this!!

It really does explain so much for me, and in that, I am relieved to have the diagnosis.

I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me! I started the PTU meds today...I take 9 pills a day - seems extreme!

Anyway, thanks Blue, I really appreciate it.

FYI - I am a Clinical Social worker, as well!!

I guess we have lots in common!

Hopearoo

No problem, glad to help! I recommend that you join the NGDF. Dr. Nancy Patterson, the President, is a psychologist & Graves' survivor. It is a very good group! They also have an online forum.
As far as the physical effects go, they can vary widely from person to person. Loose stools, profuse sweating, racing, irregular heartbeat, fine motor tremors, weakness, weight loss, hair becoming very fine stranded, bulging eyes, goiter, insomnia, headaches, the list goes on & on. Some people have paradoxical effects, like weight gain, instead of loss. I nearly cashed in my chips with thyroid storm back in 1990.

I'm glad to hear you are undergoing treatment. I had the radioactive iodine once the hormones were brought under control, & it seems to have fixed everything. Now I just take synthroid every day. If you are lucky, you might go into spontaneous remission & not need the RAI.

I am 24 years as a State CPS caseworker & 30 years as a drug/alcohol counselor. That doesn't make me any smarter than anyone else, but it sure has given me the opportunity to talk to & learn from LOTS of distressed people....
BB