I wanted to offer you up some common symptoms of Graves Disease and the side effects of the medication that I have been on.
Some of the skin changes that I was experiencing are quite common with Graves, as well as hyperthyroid problems. Common side effects include,
"unusually smoother, younger-looking or velvety skin (due to rapid cell turnover.) Some people experience worsening acne, bruising, spider veins on the face and neck, blister-like bumps on the forehead and face (called "milaria bumps"), flushing in the face, hives, itching, vitiligo."-About.com
Some of the common hair and nail changes include,
"Excessive hair loss from the head and body is a common symptom. Other signs include thinner and finer hair, nails that easily break. Thyroid acropachy, where fingertips and toes swell and become wider, even clubbed, and onycholysis/Plummer's nails, where the underlying nail bed separates away from the skin, are also symptoms of Graves' and hyperthyroidism."-About.com
Although, some of the changes in each person may differ. I found many other helpful informative links online that are there to help thyroid patients with information on a wealth of problems. Many forums provide people answers to some of their common questions. If you have any questions, I hope that you find some good factual advice and answers right here on the world wide web.
The medication that I was on to help control my overactive thyroid was Methimazole. The side effects from taking the medication in relation to my hair and skin was,
"Methimazole is generally well-tolerated with side effects occurring in 3 out of every 100 patients. The most common side effects are related to the skin and include rash, itching, hives, abnormal hair loss, and skin pigmentation. Other common side effects are swelling, nausea, vomiting,heartburn, loss of taste, joint or muscle aches, numbness and headache."-Medicinenet.com
Again, many experience a wide range of problems, it tends to vary in each individual.
The relief that I have found for my hair issues was using moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. The brand that works best for me and helps with my dryness is Aussie Moist. I find it to be cheap and effective, although there are many other moisturizing brands that are more costly and probably work better, I find this to be the best for my budget. There are also brands of shampoo that you can buy to help with hair loss, although they tend to be pricey, and hard to find in any drugstore. I have also found a few vitamins that can help and different herbal remedies to help with hair loss as well. I use a hair, skin and nails vitamin, although when I asked my doctor, she shrugged her shoulders.
For my skin, I use any moisturizing lotion, I have been using Olay, but there are many different brands that help when used daily and often. Avon offers a good hand lotion that I recommend, it helps tremendously with cracked dry hands. Especially when my hands are washing dishes, cleaning, and stuff around the house. Along with lotion, I also use Dove Deep Moisture in the shower to help keep the dryness down. It works awesome, and again, for my budget is very cost effective.
I also learned from the dermatologist that my son goes to, not to use chap stick on your dry lips. If you are looking for moisture, chap stick will only dry them out. She recommended using Aquaphor for your lips, I tried it, it works amazingly. I highly recommend!!
These are just some of the products I find helpful to get through my days. You may try these out, or try by trial and error on your own. Products work differently for everyone, so find what works best for you!!
If you do find a GREAT product and want to share, please comment on the post and let me know. I love every one's idea's, and would love to try something new!!
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