General Medicine

» Elaine Moore - Found Bipolar Article

In response to Internal Racing Feeling posted by aviano:

Hi Avi,
I'm not sure why I didn't find this before, but here's the link for the article I wrote on autoimmune thyroid/bipolar disorders:
http://thyroid-disorders.suite101.com/ar...

I have some other info on autoimmune diseases/bipolar in general so I'll try to write another article on that within the next week. Best, Elaine

» nurseheatherone - Internal Racing Feeling

In response to Internal Racing Feeling posted by daisyelaine:

Hi Elaine,
I wanted to ask you about the blcoking antibodies. I have TSI of 179% after going from a TSH of 2.61( overmedicated) to now of around .5, my FT4 and FT3 are in the mid to normal range. Is it possible that I am having trasient hyper symptoms even with normal throid results or do the blcoking antibodies only effect the TSH. I have finally been diagnosed with a bit of an anxiety disorder. I am now taking lexapro for about 2 weeks so far and have begun to speak with a therapist. She also wants me to take a very low dose of klonipin at night until the lexapro fully kicks in and so I can sleep better. I had a test for the pheochromocytoma and it was negative as well. I am not sure what triggered this sudden panic,a nd I am not sure I can blame it on the thyroid, but I had to start some sort of treatment to be able to function. The good news is my menstrual cycles are pretty normal now, my acne has cleared up, I have lost almost all of the weight I gained ( almost 30 lbs), my hair is falling out less and those awful headaches and muscle aches are barely noticable anymore. Stress could have triggered this anxiety so I am really trying to not think about the thyroid disease as much these days and just try to relax! Have a Great weekend!

-- posted by nurseheatherone

» aviano - Found Bipolar Article

In response to Found Bipolar Article posted by daisyelaine:

Hey Elaine:
Thank you so much for the article..I really appreciate it..Are there new ways/methods/treatments; e.g., hope on the horizon for those that suffer? Where do you think LDN will fit in to all this? The "anti-Graves monoclonal" study currently being done in Barcelona?
I have definitely suffered severe mood impact with the Graves exacerbation..while not psychotic, nor schizophrenic..(3 psychiatrists have assured me of this) I do experience what my Grandmother (and my neurologist kindly described) as "spells" from time to time. Feeling disoriented, like I'm going to black out, a little detached/out of it..(these are also symptoms commonly described on perimenopause boards).
Where are the best places for treatment?
Thank you,
Avi

-- posted by aviano

» aviano - High TSH and TSI

Elaine:
While trying to explain how TSH/TSI get measured, my doc showed me (confidentiality preserved, of course) a set of labs where the individual in question had a TSH of 54 and a TSI of 254. What is your off the top of your head assessment of this?
Avi

-- posted by aviano

» aviano - high normal calcium levels; autoimmune parathyroid disease?

Elaine:
In reading up on Vit D, I have found that it is NOT wise to supplement Vit D IF your calcium levels are high/high normal which mine consistently are; (Ionized Ca sat right on the borderline of high)..When I take Vit D (50,000/wk ergocalciferol)..I feel BAD in a day or two..Without D or supplements (I do 2-4 servings of dairy daily), again..my calcium levels stay up.
While I'm not hugely concerned about parathyroid (my PTH's have been low side of normal) issues, I wonder what the likelihood is..and also I'd like to know a little bit more about autoimmune parathyroid illness. Is this a subject you are versed in? I've read up on the web, but can't really find much of significance except where related to tumors.
Avi

-- posted by aviano

» Elaine Moore - Internal Racing Feeling

In response to Internal Racing Feeling posted by nurseheatherone:

Hi Heather,
Sounds like you're doing great and have seen lots of recent improvement.
TSI can block both TSI and TSH from reacting with the thyroid receptor and causing hyperthyroidism.
You could still have transient hyper symptoms from times when TSI are able to latch on to thyroid cell receptors and stimulate hormone production. Normally, your pituitary via TSH works hard to keep your thyroid hormone levels pretty stable. So you'll normally see some changes in TSH and thyroid hormone levels will stay the same. But with TSI affecting things, you can have some slight changes in thyroid hormone levels. So even though the levels aren't abnormal, symptoms can occur. Thyroid hormone is very potent and even slight changes can be noticed depending on your sensitivity to thyroid hormone.
As your healing continues and TSI levels fall, these transient symptoms should improve. Best, Elaine

» Elaine Moore - Found Bipolar Article

In response to Found Bipolar Article posted by aviano:

Hi Avi,
I think research in the last decade showing the autoimmune nature of thyroid disorders has improved the way thyroid diseases are viewed and treated. Here's some of the links I came across
www.mhsource.com/expert/exp1070802b.html
www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/16033289?prt=true

You might want to look for journal abstracts on the pub med library of medicine search engine. Many of the abstracts contain contact info and tell where studies are being conducted. In this way you can find the top researchers. Best, Elaine

» Elaine Moore - high normal calcium levels; autoimmune parathyroid disease?

In response to high normal calcium levels; autoimmune parathyroid disease? posted by aviano:

Hi Avi,

Both Vitamin D and PTH help regulate calcium levels. But other things affect your calcium levels too, including phosphorus and magnesium levels and medications. Vitamin D helps increase calcium absorption. The small amounts in supplements shouldn't cause your calcium levels to rise too high. Higher amounts in prescription medicines like rocalciferol are used for people with PTH deficiency. You can do some searches for causes of elevated calcium but unless your levels are consistently elevated significantly, I wouldn't worry about it. Best, Elaine

» nurseheatherone - Internal Racing Feeling

In response to Internal Racing Feeling posted by daisyelaine:
Thanks Elaine, about how often should you check TSI to see if you are heading towards remission? Is it strange that I have TSI but am still technically Euthyroid?
Thanks, Heather

-- posted by nurseheatherone

» Elaine Moore - Internal Racing Feeling

In response to Internal Racing Feeling posted by nurseheatherone:

Hi Heather,
No, it's not strange to have TSI and be euthyroid. If you also have blocking antibodies, they prevent TSI from reacting with your thyroid cells and causing hyperthyroidism. There is also some variety in the subtypes of TSH receptors that your have on your thyroid cells. You may have ones that only cause TSI to have a mild effect. In general, levels of TSI higher than 125% cause hyperthyroidism, but this varies. Some people have hyperthyroidism with lower levels and some people remain euthyroid at higher levels.
Because TSI are proteins that remain in your circulation for several months before breaking down, there's no reason to have TSI levels and more often than every 6 months. Best, Elaine