Graves Disease

LegacyUser

Hey

Does anybody suffer from this? My doctor sounds a bit worried when he talks to me but when he explains the effects, i am not too worried about it.

Has this affected anybody or know anyone who suffers from it? Basically trying to find out the worst case senario with it thats all.

Thanks.

trout

I had to google this condition ... I'd never heard of it.

LegacyUser

Ye pretty bad name for it really. Its named after the guy who diagnosed it and not that it would send you to the grave.

OverActive thyroid is the main effect but the info on the net is a bit vague..

r3nu4l

I'm going to move this to LTI forum as it's not just something men get and it is something that people have to deal with in the long term You may get more answers there Original Poster.

LegacyUser

Hi, Im 23 and have Graves Disease,

Its basically effecting me on and off for past 4 years. There is not alot they can do for you per sa. It was a long road to a diagnosis. Well i have had to be admitted to hospital on 3 occasions. The first time was when i was dizzy, blurred vision and an unsteady gait. They thought i had a brain tumour and i had several CT and MRI scans but it just showed up as my eye muscle had swollen to such a stage that it appeared like a tumour. Given iv steroids and oral ones for 8 weeks after and i was fine. The other two times were for pain management for when i had not caught it in time and needed injections for pain. So now i understand it and when it begins to flare up i get oral steroids for 6 weeks.

It not causing me any trouble really, the only thing is that i have a slow metabolism. They had considered taking it out my thyroid but it only flares up now and again and so far i dont think it necessary as the consequences of not having my thyroid are very substantial. All my Thyroid blood test have been normal throughout and just for the tiredness, moodiness and eye pain when it flares up im managing pretty well. (At most twice a year it would flare)

Best of luck with it, but i don't think its a life sentence or anything.....

Bitsie

I suffer from Overactive Thyroid and have a radioactive scan done on my glands and doc told me the cause of my Hyperthyroidism is Graves Disease. He said it is easily controlled with tablets and has settled down a good bit already over the past 3 or 4 months. Its not really serious as can be easily treated although more than likely long term medication

Redpunto

Hiya, ive had it since ive been 14. Dont worry about it. You should be referred to a specialist though.

Main effects are the fact youll have to take tablets to reduce your levels, the two mainly being tested is your TSH, thryoid stimulating hormone and T4. Once your levels have stablised you shouldnt have any side effects, these being heart palpitations, the shakes, increased metabolism, weight loss, dry skin, dry hair but its not a big problem. As long as you take the meds and get your blood checked regular its grand.

ugsparky

My Wife has been diagnosed as having Graves Disease (after a long frustrating consultation process). The original suspected diagnosis was a thyroid problem which has now been re - diagnosed as Graves. Upon looking up articles from the Mayo Clinic website and one or two others, I have to say I feel a little trepidation about her future medication and treatment and also her general well being. A year ago she was full of life and loved walking the dog and playing badminton. Now she has lost this zest and has trouble with pains in her joints and feet. This is very frustrating for her. I would appreciate it if someone can provide a deeper insight about coping with the disease and how it affects their everyday abilities and outlook.

dollydishmop

I have graves / hyperthyroidsim and have had it for years...my TSH hasn't been in lab ranges for I don't know how long, and it swings wildly from hyper to hypo, although my official diagnosis is hyper. My symptoms differ dpending on where my blood levels are at any one time, its got to the point where I can predict my monthly blood results based solely on how I'm feeling on the day my blood is drawn - I'm correct 99% of the time...

I admire the calmness with which you are appropaching it, but I also caution you to take it seriously.
Has your GP confirmed the diagnosis with blood tests etc.?
Has your GP put you on any medication?
Has your GP referred you to an endocrinologist?

You may experience some, all or none of the symptoms...each of us is different.
But left untreated it can become very serious, with some of the symptoms doing irreparable damage.
And don't underestimate the seriousness of a thyroid storm (thyrotoxicosis) the symptoms of which include 'coma' and 'death'...I had this once, and it was damn scarey!

I recommend requesting copies of your blood results and teaching yourself how to read them and understand them...very enlightening when you can recognise a pattern between your levels and your symptoms.

Best of luck with it.

cyning

I have Graves disease and had the radioactive iodine treatment for it after twice going into a thyroid storm (thyrotoxicosis). Had T4 levels of 70+ at one stage so not nice!

For me I am dealing with thyroid related problems for close on 9 years (I was diagnosed at 16). I am currently underactive but much imroved. Get a decent endocrinologist. Make sure you have a GP who understands thyroid problems.

I am not a fan of thyroid websites in general. A lot of it is very frightening, and in reality, a lot may not apply to your wife. Especially some of the message boards. For me now on a daily basis I need more sleep. I sometimes need to go for a nap when I get home! It affects my skin and hair which (and I know its vain) reallllly bothers me (my hair got thin and outbreaks of really dry skin). I also worry about my fertilty etc which may or may not be an issue for you and your wife. I am more prone to feeling a bit down every now and again: depression is a problem for people with thyroid problems, but for me I reckon its just down to feeling tired.

When I was originally diagnosed I also had problems with tremors in my hands and feet. This is really scary, scarier than anything I have ever encountered with my thyroid because I couldn't control my own body. Oh and weight gain sucks (I have weight gain with both under and over active thyroid which is unusual)

Having a thyroid problem is not the end of the world. I don't go out on a Friday and Sat night: I pick one. I take a nap if I have to. Very enthuasiastic exercise won't work for me: gentle is much better. There are much worse things, but it does require slight adjustments in lifestyle!

CathyMoran

cyning wrote: »

I have Graves disease and had the radioactive iodine treatment for it after twice going into a thyroid storm (thyrotoxicosis). Had T4 levels of 70+ at one stage so not nice!

For me I am dealing with thyroid related problems for close on 9 years (I was diagnosed at 16). I am currently underactive but much imroved. Get a decent endocrinologist. Make sure you have a GP who understands thyroid problems.

I am not a fan of thyroid websites in general. A lot of it is very frightening, and in reality, a lot may not apply to your wife. Especially some of the message boards. For me now on a daily basis I need more sleep. I sometimes need to go for a nap when I get home! It affects my skin and hair which (and I know its vain) reallllly bothers me (my hair got thin and outbreaks of really dry skin). I also worry about my fertilty etc which may or may not be an issue for you and your wife. I am more prone to feeling a bit down every now and again: depression is a problem for people with thyroid problems, but for me I reckon its just down to feeling tired.

When I was originally diagnosed I also had problems with tremors in my hands and feet. This is really scary, scarier than anything I have ever encountered with my thyroid because I couldn't control my own body. Oh and weight gain sucks (I have weight gain with both under and over active thyroid which is unusual)

Having a thyroid problem is not the end of the world. I don't go out on a Friday and Sat night: I pick one. I take a nap if I have to. Very enthuasiastic exercise won't work for me: gentle is much better. There are much worse things, but it does require slight adjustments in lifestyle!

I had graves diagnosed when I was 4...31 weeks pregnant at the moment...I had it when I was so young I dont remember everything.

ugsparky

Thanks for the replies and assurances. I should point out that my wife first showed signs of thyroid problems back in the summer of 2009 and it was the nurse taking her blood samples who suspected that it was indeed a thyroid problem. Since then she has been attending hospital for tests and observations and as I'm sure any sufferers will know, it appears to be a 12 to 18 month process to determine the correct amount of medication to control the condition. It was last Monday that the Doctor in charge of her case told her that she has been diagnosed with Graves Disease. Since then I have been trying to gather as much information as possible so that we can both understand her condition and adjust/live our lifestyle accordingly. Her Doctor is indeed an Endocrinologist specialising in thyroidal/autoimmune treatment within the hospital she is attending and she is now happy and confident with the attention and explanation she is recieving (she was concerned that she had seen several different Doctors who were in fact members of a team of Doctors under the man she spoke with last Monday).

So again thankyou to all who have replied to my post - we are a lot happier and calmer about things now that we know more about what we are dealing with.

LegacyUser

Unregistered wrote: »

Hey

Does anybody suffer from this? My doctor sounds a bit worried when he talks to me but when he explains the effects, i am not too worried about it.

Has this affected anybody or know anyone who suffers from it? Basically trying to find out the worst case senario with it thats all.

Thanks.

Hiya from a Graves patient in Dublin. Though Graves Disease is the most common illness diagnosed for people suffering from an overactive thyroid, it only affects about 2% of people and afflicts women eight times more often than men, though guys do get it too. I've been diagnosed since 2007 and I've set up a new website for people in Ireland with Graves and other Thyroid problems. There are lots of resources on the web, but of varying quality, so our new site is trying to help Irish people find the most useful ones, and of course, post our own reviews of the literature available. The main thing I'd say to newly diagnosed people is not to worry too much and don't rush into surgery without considering how diet and excercise can help you.
Please have a look at http://ThyroidSupportIreland.yolasite.com