[Jake_George]

#1071755

Good question.

The usual treatment is to go on antithyroid drugs for a period of 18 months to 24 months. Then to decrease the dose to see if your thyroid levels go back up. The reason for this is the ATDs let the thyroid get a rest from overproducing hormone. In some cases people can go into a remission when the ATDs are removed gradually. If this happens then the doctor and you will have to have watch for your thyroid levels to go back up indicating that the thyroid is over active again.

If you go over active again then you need to consider going back on the ATDs for a longer period, a thyroidectmy or radioactive iodine to kill off the thyroid.

What your doctor is doing is a prudent treatment plan. In two months he/she will know if your thyroid levels will increase with the lower dose. If so then you need to think about follow on treatment. Normal levels after two years on ATDs is a good thing. Your thyroid levels remaining in the normal range would be a GREAT thing.

Do what the doctor recommends and see what happens in two months. The reason you wait two months is it takes about six weeks for the change in dose to reflect in your new thyroid levels.

I hope this helped to answer your questions.

[cwilson]

#1019456

Hi,
I was wondering something. I got diagnosed in early Jan 2009 with Graves and had an appointment yesterday April 21 2009 and my levels were back to normal. I am taking Methimazole. My dr. lowered my dose to one table a day. My question. He is telling me that even though my levels are normal that I have to keep taking the meds for at least two years. I am just wondering if anyone knows why that is because I cant’ see to get a good answer out of him. I have an appointment in two months and I am going to continue to take my meds just like I am told but if my levels are still normal I want to stop taking them. It seems to me that I wouldn’t need to keep taking medicine for a problem that has been fixed. Thanks for any information.
Christa

[Ski]

#1071756

Hi Christa,

Just one comment to add to Jake’s response ~ just because the medication has helped to lower your thyroid hormone levels in the past few months, that does not indicate your problem is "fixed" by any means. Graves’ Disease is far more complicated than that. It’s a good time for you to do some research on GD and all the possible treatments, now that your levels have dropped and you feel well enough to focus on the information.

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