[Momof5 April 6, 2013 at 5:15 pm Post count: 118]

#1059827

Ok, so hypothetically speaking, if you can find out what triggered your immune system, and the formation of the antibodies, and if you can eliminate that trigger – would it be logical to assume your antibody levels would decrease over time? Or, would they keep multiplying just because your immune system was triggered?

I’ve just been doing reading about all of this, and wonder if this is why some people go into spontaneous remission or have a better chance at remission.

[ChristinaDe April 6, 2013 at 5:23 pm Post count: 115]

#1178021

I’m looking forward to seeing what sorts of responses you get on this. The whole “autoimmune” part is still so mysterious to me! And even tho I’ve already had TT, I’d still like to keep my antibodies down…maybe that’s key to avoiding the whole eye thing & all the other possible Graves’ symptoms that people experience despite being euthyroid. So a good question – for those seeking remission & also those seeking better overall health following one of the definitive thyroid treatments.

Plus, there is so much out there that suggests an increased susceptibility to other autoimmune diseases once you get ONE of them. Would love to avoid that is possible!

Great question Momof5!!
😎

[emmtee April 6, 2013 at 5:34 pm Post count: 148]

#1178022

I understand your thinking, but I don’t think it works that way with Graves’. Lots of diseases have triggers – like migraines. I know that one of my migraine triggers is a lack of sleep. If I keep to a regular sleep schedule, I get fewer migraines. But migraines are caused by low seratonin levels, not antibodies. Once you develop the antibodies, they’re part of you. I believe my Graves’ Disease was triggered by stress (being laid off of a job I loved) combined with low vitamin D. Eliminating the “trigger” in this case would be like trying to unshoot a gun. Your antibody levels may go up and down on their own, but there’s no way for you to control it. That being said, I think that living a healthy lifestyle makes people feel better in general, and even if they don’t feel better, they’ll be healthier and possibly avoid other health issues down the road. Emotionally, it’s good to be able to maintain control over something (our diet and exercise habits) when so much is beyound our control.

[Momof5 April 6, 2013 at 5:34 pm Post count: 118]

#1178023

Thanks, Christina!

I’m kind of a “got to know what I am dealing with and figure out how to fight it” type of girl. I have been so freaked out by it all and just today, I feel like it’s time to fight this stupid thing with all I’ve got. I don’t think mine is stress, because I have had waaaayyy more stress in my life. So, I’m going to look at other things in my life over the past few months and see if I can find a trigger

My logical brain says if you eliminate the trigger, you should, in theory, be able to reduce the antibodies. I just don’t know if this is true, so I asked.

[Momof5 April 6, 2013 at 5:38 pm Post count: 118]

#1178024

Emmtee. That makes sense for things like stress, but what if it is a food thing? Like gluten, for example.

[emmtee April 6, 2013 at 5:47 pm Post count: 148]

#1178025

Christina – You made a good point. It may not be possible to get rid of the Graves’ antibodies, but maybe we can do something to avoid getting an additional autoimmune disease. The only real trigger that I’ve read about is stress, but I’ve read that there may be some correlation between low vitamin D levels and developing autoimmune diseases. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I had had low Vitamin D levels in the past and had been taking a D supplement for years. I remained healthy while I went through 2 moves, a broken ankle, the illness of my father, and the death of my sister/roommate. After I was laid off the job I loved, I started working a job I hated and stopped taking my vitamins. That’s when my symptoms began.

Momof5 – It wouldn’t hurt to have your Vitamin D levels checked. This deficiency is becoming very common. When my doctor found my deficiency years ago, she had been testing all her patients and about 50% of them were deficient. I live in Phoenix, and one might assume that we get plenty of sun here, but it’s so hot that we stay indoors more.

[emmtee April 6, 2013 at 5:52 pm Post count: 148]

#1178026

Carrie – I haven’t heard of any correlation between gluten and Graves’. Maybe a moderator can comment? There are certainly other autoimmune diseases that are worsened by gluten, though, and we may be at increased risk of developing them. I don’t think it would hurt anything to try avoiding gluten for a while and seeing how you feel. I don’t know all your health issues, though, so you should probably check with your doctor to make sure this is okay.

[Momof5 April 6, 2013 at 5:52 pm Post count: 118]

#1178027

I did have mine checked and it was smack dab in the middle of the normal range.

[Momof5 April 6, 2013 at 5:55 pm Post count: 118]

#1178028

I was just using gluten as an example because I read a lot of people go gluten free and swear it helped them.

[amosmcd April 6, 2013 at 5:59 pm Post count: 231]

#1178029

Hi, Carrie–

I have a history of autoimmune disorders on both my sides of my family. I was diagnosed with psoriasis when I was 5, but it has been in remission since I was in my early 20’s. Then diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009, although My antibodies for that weren’t very high. My labs were normal, but I had every symptom of being hypo. Put on a trial of Levothyroxine and did well for about a year or so, then started getting hyper, the Levo was stopped and I was even more hyper, and then got the Graves diagnosis last Sept. Over the summer before I was diagnosed I developed vitiligo (an autoimmune disorder where you lose the pigment in your skin.) Starting on the ATD halted that from progressing, but I think it’s interesting that my TSI last month had gone up a bit in 2-3 months. I worry about some other autoimmune process beginning. But so far, so good.

I need to ask my new endo about all this. My other endo was like “yes well things like this can run in the family”, but no info about any preventive measures that might be out there. He was a pain in the rear, hence the new one!

Amy

[Harpy April 6, 2013 at 7:02 pm Post count: 184]

#1178030

There are multiple triggers for GD to manifest in an individual, food, stress, toxins etc, I don’t think there is one particular thing, I think it is a combined assult on the body which finally causes a disease to manifest, and most chronic diseases would work this way in my eyes.
So therefore if you proceed to improve all your health markers including diet, stress, weight management, physical fitness, lifestyle etc, this gives your body the best support in the healing process.

The many individuals have positive TSH antibodies, but they are in range and never go out of control and result in GD, so there is much more to it than just the antibodies.

We believed from the start that we could reverse my partners GD, and although it’s been a long haul, in year 7 now, her labs are all normal, she feels great, is weaning down PTU dose and looking forward to remission at the end of the year.

[KimberlyOnline Facilitator April 6, 2013 at 7:21 pm Post count: 4294]

#1178031

Hello – I really wish I had a better answer for you! I’ve certainly heard theories that eliminating food sensitivities, allergens, etc. can potentially help autoimmunity, but I just haven’t seen good research to back this up. The following presentation from Dr. Noel Rose at our 2012 San Diego conference talks about autoimmunity in general. There are some things that researchers know…but there is SO much more out there that isn’t understood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjTBZObWuPY

As for gluten, that is another area where there are plenty of theories, but just not a lot of hard evidence related to Graves’. (Of course, for patients with Celiac disease, they have to eliminate gluten for life – that’s the only autoimmune condition I know of where eliminating a trigger corrects the disease).

For those who are interested in going gluten-free, definitely talk to your doctor or to a nutritionist first. Those who swap out whole grain gluten-containing foods for their processed gluten-free counterparts can miss out on fiber and vital nutrients.

[amosmcd April 6, 2013 at 8:57 pm Post count: 231]

#1178032

Thanks for the video link, Kimberly! It was a fascinating lecture and very well-presented. It was reassuring and frightening at the same time.

I find it interesting that I have had 3 autoimmune diseases, and am the only one of 4 siblings to have any! Not that I’d wish them on anybody, but no fair!!

Amy

[adenure April 6, 2013 at 10:29 pm Post count: 491]

#1178033

I believe my trigger was child birth. Then I took azithromycin (which my body did not agree with) and whammo! Into hyperthyroidsim I spiraled. I had some symptoms 2 months after my baby was born (before the azithromycin), but it wasn’t too much or too severe. But, after I took the azithromycin, things got pretty bad and stayed that way. I think my body was just over stressed and worn out. So, now I really do try not to stress too much and take care of myself better. I’m not always successful, but I try.

[Raspberry April 6, 2013 at 11:10 pm Post count: 273]

#1178034

Momof5, how long since you gave birth to the fifth? My endo said last appointment that pregnancy is often a big trigger because the immune system is suppressed during the pregnancy and bounces up afterward I’ve read about many cases like Adenure’s where pregnancy seemed to do it. For me it was a death of someone important to me after a long period of stress.

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