Just been diagnosed with Graves Disease (Hyperthyroid), Please tell me your experiences?

[supergluebum]

After much faffing by Docs, I have a diagnosis. But been prescribed Carbimazole and propranalol. One for the thyroid and the beta blocker for my jitters! It's only been a couple of days and I think the beta blocker is working. How long will I be on it for? I don't drink often, but can I have any alcohol? I'm steering clear for at least a month until I can feel better, but just wondered what other hyperthyroid suffers experiences are.
Thank you

Bumping as this was about to drop out of unanswered after 24 hrs.

Best wishes.

Sis has had this since a teenager. She is on thyroxin and has it tested when she can be botheres. She drinks like a fish and is into keep fit right now. She has had no restrictions in what she does.

Thyroxin is the treatment for hypOthyroidism, which is the opposite (underactive thyroid).

However, Grave's disease is sometimes treated by deactivating the thyroid gland, and because it's easy to treat hypo- than hyper- they tend to err on the side of knocking out too much and then prescribing thyroxin. My DH takes this (being hypo) - no side effects and you get ALL your prescriptions free thereafter.

Thank you puzzlerocks

Thanks georgiemum and GrimmaTheNome, it is Hyperthyroid for me, so it is good to know no side effects. I happened to see my GP today and she clarified that the beta blocker is short term, so I'm a bit happier about that. The thyroid medication side of things I am resigned to the fact that it's probably for the rest of my life! But it's taken a while to diagnose so I'm just happy to have a diagnosis!

You are fine drinking with both those meds.
Youll be med of some sort for ever probably now-youll get lots of support from thyroid uk.
I havent got long now but you may put on a little weight with the carb-make sure your tsh t3 and t4 at least are checked every 6 weeks for the first year. Propanalol will slow your racing heart and shakes and if you felt a bit manic (i did ) will slow you down to a more chilled out you. I found propanalol completely zonked me for about 4 weeks-i could quite easily have fallen into a deep sleep about 3 pm ! , but stick with it and youll feel the full benefit after about 6 weeks-prob wont realise how naff you feel now until you feel better.
Good luck and getting a diagnosis is brill because you can now move forward. x

I was on both those for about a year, and I was lucky as after that my thyroid gland seemed to reset itself and i could come off them/ The doc says that does sometimes happen, but they don't really know why - one possiblity is the shock to the system of giving birth puts your thyroid out of kilter, but the pills for a year switch it back. God I felt better on carbimazole and propalonol though - though I was going mad before as was so hyper - even went to hospital with it!

Thank god! It's a weird one isn't it! I am already feeling the effects of propranolol, but obviously it will be a while until the carbimozole kicks in.

Good news that yours went after 12 months sickofsocalledexperts, but santababi I am prepared to be on this forever . Know what you mean about the sleepiness too! But I've been feeling that for a while. x