posted
My doctor ran a test to see if I have Graves disease. Any one know anything about it? Sick
Posts: 538 | From Iowa | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
My husband has Grave's disease. His thyroid is hyperactive and it is thought be be autoimmune.
He has taken medicine to regulate his thyroid. He was able to taper off the medicine and stay in remission for a few years.
He feels the gluten free diet helps him stay in remission. His hyperthyroidism came back after he travelled for several weeks and ate whatever he wanted.
He went back on his med and back on the diet.
Typically, in the US, they only want to give people the meds for about a year and if they need more, they want to remove part (or all) of the thyroid. In Europe, they use the meds for longer.
At this time, he is not thinking about the surgery. I'm not sure if he is in remission or if he found a doctor who will prescribe it longer than a year.
This hasn't been a big deal for him. He still leads a normal life and doesn't feel bad.
Posts: 984 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Does Graves tend to make you over weight. My eye doctor is the one who is testing me for Graves.
Posts: 538 | From Iowa | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
I think bulging eyes are a sign of Graves Disease.
My husband lost a lot of weight when he had active Graves Disease.
Posts: 984 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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chiquita incognita
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posted
Oh boy, have i got some info and experience for you!
Sit back and tighten your seat belts...please choose your medications carefully, read on...
I was diagnosed several years ago and successfully "kicked" it, needing no further medication, by the way.
The symptoms (now long gone) were:
Heart pounding rapidly, palpitations Tremors, startling easily, over-reactions Weight loss Sleeplessness For readers above, yes bulging eyes can be a sign of Graves disease and the eye doc is right to check for it. Good person! Luckily in my case my eyes did not bulge....
Now the wild ride. This is really important, read carefully.
When I was told I would be given a radioactive iodine treatment to stop the thyroid from hyper-secreting, I did not like the sound of that one bit. I wanted to research it.
I went to Pubmed, the government medical database where studies are logged.
Stark contrast from the European to the American studies. I wanted to be sure I was getting the whole story, so I looked at about 6 European studies, and about as many American ones. Not just one or two.
The European studies were absolutely unanimous and vociferous. Italy, Germany, England all said the same thing:
(Quoting exactly) "This is an extremely dangerous drug. The side effects of leukemia are widely under-reported. Use this only as a last resort, when operations are contra-indicated."
American studies were also unanimous. What a fine drug. Praised it. The "Side effect" of leukemia was only an occasional matter, said the American studies.
At that point someone I am not going to disclose, an insider in the medical profession (and this was long before I ever met my LLMD so it's definitely not him, and it also is not my doc either or even any practitioner I have gone to) said that the medical studies are done in the pockets of the American pharmaceutical companies. Another insider said that docs are "encouraged" (the word this person used) to prescribe the drug because it is a one-time treatment, and requires very little if any followup care. So it's convenient for them.
True to that person's word, my endocrinologist actually had a shouting match with me when I refused the drug. I dug my heels in, and stayed my course. I wasn't going to budge.
I ended up taking methimazole plus propanolol to keep the heart palpitations down and protect me from going into thyroid storm (a dangerous thyroid flare occurring with advanced hyperthyroidism.IT's rare by the way so not to worry, you'd have to have a very advanced case, which I did).
The meds worked.
It took about two years, but now I am off all the meds and no need for any medication for my thyroid. It always tests normal. Keep in mind that I had a very advanced case so others may not take as long. Every one of us is different.
Because I am sensitive to meds, a doc (I switched endocrinologists after that shouting match) said I could take N Acetyl Cysteine to detoxify the drug residues without detoxing the drug itself.
You should definitely check with your doctor to make sure that is okay and not contra-indicated in your own unique case.
Please be careful which medications you choose and research them carefully.
I did very well with the methimazole and as sensitive to meds as I am, had zero side effects. For whatever it's worth, because we are all different.
posted
Sick, I was diagnosed with graves in 1991. My symptoms were classic. My heart was racing so fast I had trouble sleeping for the sound of my pulse in my head. I did ingest a capsule containing radioactive iodine. At the time I was a young mother, working full time, and trying to finish my college degree. My responsibilities made it easier for me to take the iodine and get on with my life.
Everyone has a comfort/discomfort level with treatments and therapies. The risk of going into coronary arrest and dying was not an acceptable risk that I was willing to take. I wanted to raise my children.
Now that I reflect back on those times, 20 years later, I have to admit that my first reaction to my diagnosis was a sense of panic. Please take the time to ask your doctor about your anxiety and concerns. Meanwhile, keep in mind that graves is a treatable condition and keep a positive perspective.
Posts: 10 | From San Antonio TX | Registered: Feb 2010
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