From the "Fair Warning" department

[featherynscale]

Something else about the medical blitz of the other week: They decided that my thyroid levels were in a sort of grey zone between the point where they want me on a .175 tab of replacement hormones or a .200 tab. They opted to go high instead of low.

I have fairly high sensitivities to most drugs, and this one is no exception. Bumping me up 25 micrograms has resulted in a fairly constant hypomanic state over the last few days, AND I'VE ONLY BEEN ON THE NEW DOSE SINCE SUNDAY. According to the literature, any noticible change from starting or stopping the hormone is supposed to take three to four *weeks*. And that's talking about a change of at least 75 micrograms - more for most people. I'm running hot on a 25 mcg upswing in less than a week.

On the one hand, I don't mind hypomania. I really don't even mind full-on mania on the rare occasions that I get to that. It's a lot better than depression and sluggishness, in any case. I get a lot more done, certainly, and I have a lot more fun. HOWEVER. There are a few downsides. One is that it can be difficult to focus on non-fun things. The other is that I may annoy the living light out of people I'm around.

So do me a favor, would you? If I'm irritating you with my moodstate, or especially if I am continually pestering you to go do something fun or obnoxious or whatever, please tell me to sit my chemically-enhanced ass down and shut the hell up. Thanks.

Comments

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

Whoo, chemical enhancements!

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

We likes our hormones and our neurotransmitters, we do.

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

They are preciousss, yesss.

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they warned you about becoming bug eyed and having heart palpitations lol.

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

Great Icon. Waters, right?

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Heh. I started this thyroid adventure as a Graves patient -- I'm familiar with the palpitations and I'm already about as bug-eyed as I'm going to get (hopefully -- I got treatment before that got terribly noticible.)

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've only been on the under side. Mine died when I was pregnant with Zach.

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yes, it's the inestimable Mr. Waters, whose image I use as icons for roleplaying Smeagol/Gollum.

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

I can totally see that, which is kind of scary lol.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I've played both sides (as usual). Under sucks, but over is a little scary. Plus, the pills for under don't taste like anything. The pills for over have an alarming bitterness that spoil the taste of everything else you put in your mouth for several hours.

I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease when I was in high school, following a period of about a month in which I had migraines and vomiting every afternoon. They put me on the suppressant, then decided that radioactive iodine to kill off some of the gland was a better plan, especially as I had communicated how much it pissed me off to have to take pills every day to function. I was slated for the maximum iodine dose, but requested that they cut it to the minimum dose for starters. The minimum recommended dose destroyed the entire gland (whoopee), so now again with the dependence on pills to function :(

I have heard that pregnancy did damage to a lot of women's thyroid function, but (fortunately) have never had to deal with that.

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

Between both my pregnancies I had a lot of stuff damaged, but they were worth it:)

[chainwoman.livejournal.com]

Been there done that. That's what prednisone (sp?) does to me... Well, that is until they found they can take me down to a dose half that size that works just as well... So, be manic all you want around me. Won't phase me and perhaps it will rub off some and give me some energy...

Re: hypomania

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

Another warning in regards to hypomania:
You can become involved in something enough and overdo it enough that you can actually damage yourself. Be sure to do physical checks of yourself or ask others to do so. That's a pretty nice looking body you have, we don't want it to get too damaged. :)

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Prednisone? Wow. I've never taken that, but my mom's been off and on it for years -- it always makes her megatired and grumpy.

Perhaps I will have the opportunity to be manic around you at my birthday party, since it looks like we'll have that on Friday the 19th instead of against your murder mystery party. :)

Re: hypomania

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. I remember. (un)Fortunately, I have a few built-in safeguards on that sort of thing, which is to say that if I try anything too over the top, my knees will remind me. On other stuff, I try to keep a good watch on myself, but you're right, in that state you're not always able to tell when you're being excessive. So, I always appreciate a spotter :)

Yay, hypomania!!

[opaljax.livejournal.com]

Yeah, hypomania, I have no idea about that. But, if you want to do something fun, and I can find a sitter (I love you, orcjohn), I will go with you. And I can pretty much guarantee that I won't complain about your mania. Love you.

[teross50.livejournal.com]

ain't tothin hotter than a girl who knows her chemistry and nuero-transmitters ;-)
Wanna Dance?

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Now honey, you know I don't know how to dance standin' up.

Re: Yay, hypomania!!

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Sounds dangerous :)

has anybody noticed??????

[teross50.livejournal.com]

Today might be for all of the reasons that are just a record posting day on our little corner of Lj?

[teross50.livejournal.com]

You darlin, always make me blush so wonderfully One of the 47,540,321 million reaosns I love U

Re: has anybody noticed??????

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Yay, postiness!
It helps me to have something else to think about besides wanting to choke the VP :)

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

What, a dirty old man like you blush? I must be feeling better if I can make that happen :)

Re: has anybody noticed??????

[teross50.livejournal.com]

yep we need to tie him down and do that slow torture thing Then you could show it at the party after he leaves

[teross50.livejournal.com]

I am yours to command I will be right over here cleaning the kitchen dancing to the oldies as I clean ROFL

Re: has anybody noticed??????

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Meh. No thanks. I only torture people I *like*.

Re: Yay, hypomania!!

[opaljax.livejournal.com]

Danger is my middle name. :D

[chainwoman.livejournal.com]

Kewl. Have you decided on a theme? I might have to be fashionably late as I usually work Fridays...

Prednisone tends to make most eat a lot and be grouchy, but I loved it. I would bounce off the walls and when I'd go to sleep I was asleep but totally aware of what was going on around me like I was awake, and yet I'd wake up feeling awesome. When I was taking that high of a dose was the only time I was a bouncy happy morning person. LoL My allergist stopped giving me that high of a dose after I ended up in there at 7am for a follow up appointment on time bouncy happy and saying how GGGRRREAATTT Prednisone is (He had seen me many mornings prior and I was never like that so he had a very worried/concerned look on his face)... I do wish I would not have said anything as being that manic is fun. Tons o' stuff got done.

Re: has anybody noticed??????

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

Otherwise, it's such a waste.

Re: has anybody noticed??????

[teross50.livejournal.com]

Oh silly me I should have remembered

Re: has anybody noticed??????

[teross50.livejournal.com]

BTW you have sooooooo added to my day TY

hugs

Re: has anybody noticed??????

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Hey, I live to serve.
*hugs back*

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

Wow. I thought my "fingernails" comment was naughty.

I bow before your superior wickedry.

Also, I am totally going to steal that line.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

:D
It helps if you can manage a Southern accent to say it in.
Also, in my case, it happens to be true as well as naughty, which is doubleplusgood.

Re: Yay, hypomania!!

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I thought Robocop was your middle name.

Re: Yay, hypomania!!

[opaljax.livejournal.com]

Hee hee hee, maybe I have two middle names.

25 long years of experience

[cynthiaweb.livejournal.com]

Yep, my thyroid burned out 25 years ago. They say it was autoimmune thyroiditis. First I was hyperthyroid, due to excess thyroid hormone released as my immune system was destroying thyroid tissue. Afterward I was hypothyroid and have been on thyroid replacement ever since. My first endocrinologist told me this was gonna be easy - just stay on 0.2 daily the rest of my life. Oh, and I should be checked out at least yearly in case some vague, unspecified other developments occurred. I should also beware of doctors who didn't know enough about treating thyroid patients and would try to decrease my dose. Well, let's just say things have changed a lot since then. The one thing you definitely need to know is that they have never been able to really standardize the amount of thyroid hormone available in any pill on the market today, so you can never be sure how much you're getting and it varies from batch to batch even from the same manufacturer. I went through a lot of nonsense when I was forced to keep switching brands, depending on what was cheapest for the military healthcare system to buy, back when I was a military wife. Now I at least stick with one manufacturer. These days the doctors tell me almost no one needs a dose higher than 0.15, so I'm very surprised by the 0.2 dose. I definitely prefer being on the high side to being on the low side though. Feel free to commiserate with me as needed...

[kcwitch.livejournal.com]

see this would be a good time for you and i to go out and party or shop or something like shop. :)

Re: 25 long years of experience

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I started on .100's and have been steadily climbing ever since, for some reason. And I find that for some reason I seem to do better (which is to say: be higher-functioning) on generic levothyroxine than on the synthroid brand.

I didn't realize that you also were thyroid-nonfunctional. We should start a club.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Hrm.... I do need a new dress. But I am saving money (or at least trying to), so it will have to be a thrift-store dress. Wanna go thrift-store diving?

[kcwitch.livejournal.com]

i need to anyway, school is getting ready to start and the kids (diva mainly) needs new jeans.

Re: 25 long years of experience

[cynthiaweb.livejournal.com]

I'm using Levoxyl manufactured by Jones. It was treated as a generic by my insurance company when I had insurance. It's also cheap enough that after we finally stabilized my dose I had my doctor write a prescription for a 100 day supply and I paid for it out of pocket rather than having to go get it every month as my insurance company required when I went through them. It took about a year to get my dose stabilized recently. We couldn't get stable lab results until I stuck with one pharmacist and insisted on getting the same manufacturer every time. I've been reading the transcript of an FDA meeting with manufacturers that explains why this is a problem. Also, I didn't realize that TSH values vary at different times of the day. Doctors don't even take that into account when interpreting test results. Great.