[Anonymous]

#1075854

It is possible for someone to develop the eye disease even though their thyroid function (and therefore, their TSH level) is normal. Sometimes, quite a bit later, thyroid disease itself will develop. But sometimes individuals simply get only the eye disease. The eye disease is treated by an opthamologist, not a primary care doctor.

Perhaps your friend did not understand that getting treatment for the thyroid would have no impact whatsoever on the eye disease — and asked her doctor for thyroid meds? That might explain the doctor’s response. If this PC needs to give permission for surgery, and has refused, prehaps a second opinion would be in order.

Perhaps the best resource online for the eye disease (at least when last I checked, which was a few years ago) is the Mayo Clinic website. We have a link to that, I believe, from this website.

Bobbi — NGDF Online Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1075855

Thank you the information is much appreciated. She was only diagnosed with the eye disease but she did fear that her thyroid would be effected. I re read her post and she is clear. Her dr. checked her TSH and said she was fine. She went to eye dr. and he said that she has it and that just because you have the eye disease doesn’t mean you have the thyroid disease but it also doesn’t mean you wont get that as well. She isn’t happy with that but is happy that her eye dr. is clear in what he says.

I do not believe her GP is the one who signs off on her surgery thank goodness. I will look up the info for Mayo clinic and give it to her.

Again thank you for the support!

[Anonymous]

#1020056

Girls I have a friend who is loosing her site due to Graves eye disease. I am not sure which word she used but Graves Exophthamopathy and the opthamophy was in the post.

Question. CAn she have this disease for the eyes with normal TSH levels? If so where can I find information on that so she can give her to her dr.

Her general dr. refuses to help her because he says her TSH is fine so therefore she is fine? Please help. She has an eye dr. who is helping her and telling her she needs surgery. But to have a GP not supporting her is beyond me.

Am I missing something here? I thought eye disease didn’t have to show up in the tsh levels?

Thank you for any info on this

[Anonymous]

#1075856

Graves’ disease and thyroid eye disease are two different diseases. They are closely related but as your friend has found you can have one without the other.

That is why the eye disease have been changing names in the medical community over the years. It is pretty much commonly referred to as Thyroid Eye Disease (TED).

We do have some links to sites on our links page. Here is a great link to the cause and symptoms.

http://www.asoprs.org/files/public/InfoThyroid.pdf

We have a link to this site but this is the specific page on TED.

Jake George
On-line Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1075857

Thank you.

[Author]

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