[Keira]

#1060016

I’m recently diagnosed and thankfully my symptoms thus far have been limited to lethargy, sleeplessness, depression, hot flashes (?), and occasional mild shakiness. All of these were easily attributed to other recent and chronic conditions (including menopause – sigh). But my very smart doc said, ‘Let’s just check your thyroid.’ I didn’t think anything would come of it, but lo & behold: Grave’s! I immediately opted for methowhatchamacallit. It’s only been a week on that, so I can’t report progress. But what I *do* want to know from you very kind people is this:

1) Is my Grave’s likely to progress? Will/can new symptoms develop (e.g., the poop thing, the eye thing, the crazypulse, etc.)?

2) Is there any general nutritional advice y’all can impart? Yes, I intend to stay on the meds, but I know that good nutrition helps darn-near anything anyway, so am just seeking guidance on where to start. Because the online Grave’s nutritionists list so many potential nutritional culprits and deficiencies, and because I know every Gravesian is different, I’m just not sure where to start on nutritional changes… Or who to believe in the blogosphere.

For the record, I’m not bothering with any ‘what caused this?!’ ruminations. I know it could be any 1-50 possibilities from a range of hundreds – or none of those. (And right away my endo doc said, “Don’t worry. It didn’t happen because you did anything wrong.”) I’m just looking for advice about where to start on the nutrition side to maximize my body’s ability to manage this thing.

And thanks, by the way, to all of you who’ve blazed this scary trail and left lights and markers for those of us following behind you.

[Kimberly]

#1179699

Hello and welcome! Every patient is unique, so no one can predict the exact course that symptoms will take. However, once your levels are under control, you should start to see *improvement* in symptoms. Methimazole starts working right away to block production of *new* thyroid hormone, although it can take a few weeks for your body to burn off its existing stores.

Patients who are hypERthyroid are advised to avoid foods/supplements that have lots of iodine, like the seaweed wrap that comes with sushi. Many patients also choose to boost their overall health by minimizing or eliminating intake of processed foods with unpronounceable ingredients and instead focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods.

I’ve heard of patients trying other dietary approaches (vegan, gluten-free, paleo, anti-inflammatory, low iodine, eliminating food sensitivities), but there really isn’t any good research to determine if one of these approaches is better than the others for Graves’. And definitely consult with your doctor before cutting any major nutrients out of your diet.

Take care – and please check back to let us know how you are doing!

[karenz516]

#1179700

Hi Keira,

I too have Graves and had RAI on 12/14/12 so I am also new to this. I can only speak from my own experience. I eat no fast food, and try to eat as healthy as I can, no specific diet, I do not use salt and watch my salt intake, no caffeine or chocolate, lots of vegtables and good protein, limit the amount of meat to maybe 1 time per week. No junk food or candy, I have switched to organic tea and only water. I never drank diet pop (cannot stand the taste) and would much rather drink water. Once in a blue moon I will have decaf coffee. Hope this helps.

Karen

[bigad]

#1179701

Hello Keira,

I too was recently diagnosed with Graves in May. My only symptom is rapid heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) and some anxiety (after I found out I have Graves). After meeting with my Endo, I decided to schedule a RAI for this week (Karen was a big help with RAI info- I bugged her a lot via PM ). However, after some heavy thought and soul searching, I decided to take MMI with a heavy dose of healthy eating.

No matter what treatment we choose, I think we give our bodies a fighting chance with healthy eating. I’ve always tried to eat healthy, but on the day my atrial fibrillation started, I had krispy Kreme donuts, pepperoni pizza and a cheese steak (I live in Philly). Those days are gone…I’m now trying to stick with a combo of the diets Kimberly mentioned- Paleo/Low iodine…basically Whole Foods (Organic when possible). I’ve read where some people did well with ATD’s and a healthy diet, so I’m giving it a try.

James

[karenz516]

#1179702

James, good for you!!!! Even though I had RAI, I agree with you everyone has to make their own decisions on what is best for them. I also thought I ate pretty healthy but have been more dedicated with it as of late, no caffeine, no chocolate or fast food. Lots of salads and lean chicken, trying to stay away from red meat, etc. (You never bugged me, it was a pleasure to help a fellow Graves patient!). Keep us posted on how things are going!!

Karen

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