Life and medical update

[moominmuppet]

G's off at Frostburn and it wasn't a Kidlet or clinic escorting weekend, so Chad and I had a very quiet, relaxed couple of days together. Sunday we finished off Buffy Season 6 (largely because I really want to show him Creepy!NathanFillion in Season 7), and we at least managed enough housecleaning that we turned up the missing Netflix DVDs. Now

Comments

[lunatickle]

Thanks for laying it all out. I'm happy to hear an update, sad it's not awesome for the most part. Hope the new medication does you some good. Hugs for your body and smooches for your heart.

[moominmuppet]

*hug* Thanks; the single biggest plus is that I'm finally out of that nightmare of a depression. I never quite hit suicidal, but I could see it on the horizon and it's the worst-off I've been in at least a decade. I know a lot of it was the bipolar dropping down, and a lot was situational, but I find it somewhat comforting to hope that some of it was due to my thyroid levels tanking during that period as well -- if so, and if I can control those, maybe it's less likely I'll ever end up back there again. Similarly, since libido problems are common with hypothyroid, I have some hope that mine might re-emerge once I get the thyroid levels stabilized. That still just makes me sad every damned day. Like there's a color missing in the spectrum, all through my interactions with the world, not just in bed. I've talked to GP, to Psych, to Endo, to Gyn, and gotten next-to-nowhere, but once the thyroid issue came up at least there's another step of "things I can definitely do" before I end up feeling hopeless about it again.

[syrinx_77]

:( and :( and just more :( we had that discussion about what the lithium could do and I'd had my fingers crossed. re: Cymbalta--that's two of us now who may have had that as a tipping point. If you haven't had at least your D checked recently, please do? Also, I have piles more notes on what to take and not if you're up for a few extra tests, especially. *hug*

[moominmuppet]

My D is generally low, so I do take a supplement every day. I'm also taking zinc, and fish oil + CoQ10, but that's it in the supplement department at the moment.
Regular meds, courtesy of MyChart:
LEVOTHYROXINE 125 MCG TABLET
BUPROPION (WELLBUTRIN) 75 MG TABLET
LITHIUM 300 MG CAPSULE X 3
CELECOXIB (CELEBREX) 200 MG CAPSULE
MODAFINIL (PROVIGIL) 100 MG TABLET
LISINOPRIL-HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE 10-12.5 MG PER TABLET
LEVONORGESTREL (MIRENA) 20 MCG/24 HR INTRAUTERINE IUD

As Needed:
ASPIRIN/ACETAMINOPHEN/CAFFEINE (EXCEDRIN MIGRAINE ORAL)
METAXALONE (SKELAXIN) 800 MG TABLET
TRAMADOL (ULTRAM) 50 MG TABLET

[syrinx_77]

would you consider skipping the zinc while your antibody count is that high? Or only if you get sick? (and did they check to be sure you're not Graves'/Hashi's?)

the Nature's Bounty Coral Calcium has 400IU of D in it--and if you're taking a D supplement (as D-cholecalciferol, ideally) you should get cal/mag so it absorbs--also, you probably know to take more than the daily recommended dose. (I take one of those a day plus a D3 gelcap at the same time, minus the Vitamin A to avoid toxicity)

Can you get your selenium checked?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20883174
(4 brazil nuts every few days or L-selenomethionine, NOT sodium selenate or other selenium salts)

Iodine--given your list of meds, it might be worth checking (it could go either way, and be a matter of cutting something from your diet or adding)

The rest of my stuff is at home and Joe lingers; will email you when I get home later.

[moominmuppet]

The zinc is actually more for libido issues than anything else -- one of the experiments I've been trying.

I went off calcium because my levels are usually normal, and I have some concerns about the new studies showing possible cardiovascular effects from high levels (I worry about cardiovascular risks more than most, due to smoking and other general risk factors)

I'll ask my GP about the selenium. If brazil nuts will do it, that's no chore at all -- they're one of my favorite foods.

[dimensionm]

My most recent Buffy watch-through got interrupted when I got caught up in the re-imagined Battlestar Galatica. I haven't even finished the last half of Season 5 of Angel yet.

How is Eureka? Haven't heard much about it other than the little blurbs on Netflix and a trailer commercial I saw years ago, but it does look intriguing. I believe it's on Netflix streaming, so you don't necessarily have to wait for DVD's.

On my media to-do list: The rest of Battlestar Galactica (only mid-way through Season 2 now), Caprica and the remake of V, with possibly more of Dr. Who and the Torchwood spin-off. To say nothing of a multitude of books I haven't gotten to yet. So yeah . . . Eureka might be a while down the road.

[moominmuppet]

Eureka is really fun, basically. Nothing too serious, basically hour-long scifi-comedy (although not quite so much as Warehouse 13). The first four seasons are on Netflix streaming, last season is only on discs at this point.

Doctor Who: Oh yes, yes, yes. Torchwood: I love it, but with caveats. the first two seasons are my favorites, although it's a mix of good eps and pretty mediocre ones. The third season is depressing as hell, the fourth (produced in the US) is also pretty damned depressing. Third season is a pretty good storyline, good drama, but I just can't stomach it overall. Fourth I probably won't bother rewatching. The thing is, I love the various characters so much (especially Jack), but I don't think Torchwood as a show ever quite found its footing.

[dimensionm]

Haven't seen enough of Torchwood to comment one way or the other really. I do think the re-imagined Dr Who series is the best incarnation of The Doctor.

Battlestar Galactica is really intense so if Eureka's a fun one, I may just start watching a little of it concurrently for a change of pace. I do think you would enjoy the new Galactica if you haven't seen any of it -- it has a strong focus on a lot of different social issues.

[anthologie]

A couple of thyroid notes: I have Hashi's too, and wow, 29 TSH is freaking high. No wonder you weren't feeling well! Make sure to take a BRAND name thyroid supplement -- synthroid or similar -- and not generic. The dosages are much more reliable and uniform, and it's not that much more expensive (and it's worth it, healthwise, to pay the little more it costs). If you don't feel well once you get back into the "normal range," urge your doc to increase your dosage. I feel best with my TSH between about .7 and 1, which is lower than many docs will bother with. But again, worth it. Good luck.

[moominmuppet]

Thanks, that's really helpful!

Yeah, the 29 was disconcerting, especially since that was while I was already on 75mcg. I'd hate to know what it'd be if I weren't.

[syrinx_77]

(lots of the folk in STTM and the other thyroid groups are on upwards of 150mg before they start to feel level-ish)