Hello! I am a newbie and still on the process of getting familiar with this web server. Forgive my ignorance, I just don’t know where to put my question. I am genetically affected by this certain illness but been diagnosed when I was still 12 years old and I am now 32. Is there a possibility that I still carry the disease (is it really a disease?). My mom died due to toxic thyroid which eventually complicate throughout her system, same with my grandma. I’m afraid it will do the same with me. May I know what are the signs and symptoms of Graves’ disease? Hope to hear from this community! Thanks!
I copied this from another post, this is our first message from donita101, I wanted her to get her own answers on her own thread.
Hi Donita,
First, if you were diagnosed at 12, and the diagnosis was accurate, then yes, you still have Graves’. Thyroid imbalance can occur with any of us, at any stage of treatment, for different reasons. If you were treated with ATDs and went into remission, then you could potentially come out of remission and end up with hyperthyroid levels again. If you were treated with RAI or thyroidectomy and currently take replacement hormone, then your thyroid hormone needs could have changed (due to age, activity level, hormonal issues, etc. etc.), and you may have incorrect thyroid hormone levels in either direction (hyper or hypo). All GD patients can potentially be affected by Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) or pretibial myxedema (nasty rash on the shins), at any point in time. Treating the thyroid disease does not do anything to treat, prevent or postpone TED or pretibial myxedema.
The generic potential symptoms of hyperthyroidism are on the main webpage, take a look and see whether you’re feeling a good deal of those symptoms right now. Not many of us have ALL the potential symptoms when we’re hyperthyroid, but if you can add up about five of them, it’d be worth getting tested — it’s simple and it can give you guidance.
Glad you found us! Please let us know how your journey is progressing.
