My story...

2 yrs ago (2008), I was found, just by chance, to have nodules on my thyroid with a  MRI of my cervical spine.

I have been monitored starting every 6 months with an US and blood work, then to every year. My Last visit was in December 2009, and the Dr. said everything was fine, they did not do any blood work.

My erratic list of symptoms:

Peri-menopause started about 4 yrs ago and the ob/gyn told me it was normal and everyone has to go through it. Menses had always been extremely heavy and painful with large clots. On occasion even had two ovarian cysts burst.

Joint pain...started so many years ago I can't remember how long...first saw the rheumatologist sometime 2004ish. Pain would get so bad 1200 mg Advil wouldn't help...so stiff after sitting for period of time, I couldn't straighten up at first. Muscle cramps or what would feel like the onset of a muscle cramp but would just ache.

Have IBS, so bought of constipation and diarrhea are normal...loose stools every day are not normal. This started in early to late April. In addition, would be intermittent, not all the time. Contributed it to the Kiefer I was buying to regulate myself and was actually pleased because I wasn't being constipated.

Felt agitated and irritable, and then the sleeplessness started. I would be exhausted and finally fall asleep only to wake up about 90 minutes later. I would then doze off and on all night long, more off than on.

I would lay awake at night and it would feel like my heart would pound out of my body. I would wake up in an anxiety attack, and I was dreaming...worrying. Then my thoughts would race and it would get more anxiety and I couldn't sleep.

I was getting more and more tired and irritable...I started noticing I was real edgy at work, I felt like I was ADD...I'd start something and forget what I was doing...or couldn't concentrate on what I was doing. Something that should or would only take a couple hours was taking me all day...if I as interrupted, I would either forget completely what it was I was doing, or not remember where I left off. I was forgetting things...things I normally wouldn't...I started to feel not quite right.

The sweats started, not just at night, but also now during the day. I would get soaked, couldn't stand the heat, and I rarely had this problem...it was the cold I couldn't tolerate.

Then the anger would set in...An argument turned into a rage session I would throw things, get completely out of control. My thoughts were completely irrational, but at the time were very rational to me. I could only see my thoughts; usually I could put me on both sides of a discussion. I felt out of control...my chest would get heavy and I couldn't breathe. I broke an end table by "just setting the phone down".

May 2010 - I started seeing the psychologist because I was feeling depressed...I wanted to run away, hide, leave, make it all and everyone go away, it would all get better. The first time I talked with her she thought for sure I was into a full-blown major depressive episode, and told me to get on anti-depressants immediately.

Therefore, I schedule an appt with my GP to get a script...who did not write one for the medication she suggested. Ultimately, he did not write one at all...this was karma. However, he did do the blood work for thyroid, although it took him over 10 days to call me and tell me I needed to see the endo immediately. They faxed me the results, which I scanned and sent via email to the endo.

May 28, 2010 - I had an appt to see the PA he works with and started me immediately on the beta blocker atenolol, with an appt for an uptake and scan a week later (June 4), and follow-up  later with the PA (June 11), who then started me on methimazole. The PA said labs proved to be Graves' although the uptake and scan did not. The conclusion, I was in the early stages and not very often do they catch one that early. The uptake and scan also concluded my body does not store as much iodine as others, and therefore I use it rapidly. I have always had a fast metabolism rate.

June 4, 2010 - 25 mg atenolol is prescribed once a day, but can be up to twice if needed. I take one immediately, and within hours I feel relaxed...I took another before bed, and slept that night. Took another in the morning, and continued this for a couple days.

June 11, 2010 - 20 mg methimazole is prescribed once a day, I take it. The next day I take it in the morning...I feel tired, for the next few days I feel good one day, tired the next...the tiredness/sleepiness is getting worse...I change the methimazole to one 10mg tab in the am and one in the pm 12 hrs apart. I figure my stress levels aren't the same all day, they go up and they go down, so therefore the level of hormone my body would normally produce would be more sometimes and less at others, this would help to even it out.

June 25, 2010 - It seems to work then I start to feel ill, and think of the side effects. Have a low-grade temperature, and get blood work for CBC, which is fine. I think, its hot, and read the med alerts again, then I think dehydrated...the meds use a lot of hydration in the body, I drink a full 8oz bottle of water and take a nap...45 min later feel much better.

July 6, 2010 - check up - fell listless that day, see the endo Dr. Not too impressed today with him, didn't say much...he is behind in his daily schedule, I'll forgive him this once. He was supposed to email my labs to me. Nothing yet and it has been 3 days. I decided I was going to chart all the tests myself and see what they look like, so I request a copy of ALL the labs that have been done over the past year. Including the uptake and scan. I hope that I'll have the results and more by the end of this week. (Monday, July 12, I get an email with all labs. Tuesday, I receive Uptake/Scan results in the mail).

July 8, 2010 - I feel good...not as tired during the day but the Dr reduced the methimazole to 10 mg a day at night and the atenolol once at night as well on Wednesday and it is Sunday. I had the 16mo old grandson this weekend and he was ill, so sleep was light for me anyway. I was a little irritable feeling today, but not like before.

7/14/2010 - 3pm - I feel like shit today. Yesterday too. Have a summer cold, sore throat, runny nose, and miserable as hell. Wonder why it is when you tell people, you need to reduce stress in your life, they feel the need to give you more!!! I really want this to end! I am tired of being miserable and stressed; just want people to leave me the hell alone. Feeling as if I want to just give it all up. REALLY! So tired, so miserable.

July 14, 2010 - 9pm - My grandson is sick too, daughter took him the the ped, who told her SP had coxsackie virus.  16mo has no fever, no rash, no sores, just diarrhea.  He has a cold virus, poor thing!  Love that lil'man!!!