[KAM]

#1073961

Thanks for posting this. As a spouse of a Grave’s person it is nice to get a better understanding of the psycological side of this disease. Not to then be able to blame every negative situation on Graves but it sure makes things more understandable. I am in a situation of which came first the chickin or the egg? My spouse seems to think that stress from our marriage made her thyroid go wacky. Yes there is stress in our marriage between the kids and work and social obligation but that’s life, isn’t it? I on the other hand would like to piont the finger at the white elephant, Graves, and say that this is why things have been so stressed. It is a disease and no one asked for it to show up. There is tons of stuff out there about treating or removing the thyroid but you have to dig to find information about the psycological effects on the person and their family.

Kam

[sarabear0508]

#1019773

More than 75 years years ago physicians were examining(1) the connection between psychic (mental) stress and the onset or recurrence of Graves’ disease. Not meaning that it was in the patient’s head, but for that patient, events caused them severe psychological stress. We know from the studies on wild rabbits (see below) that one important function of thyroid hormone is to supply the brain with enough thyroid so it can function optimally under stress in order to cope with the crisis.(2) Thus thyroid hormone is even more important at times of psychological stress. If the thyroid itself is damaged from previous disease the gland cannot respond appropriately to the needs of the brain. If the gland does respond correctly and raises the blood thyroid hormone level then the person is able to cope with the stress without ill effects and carries on with their life. So if your events upset you sufficiently this would give a strong message to your thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone. Perhaps the bacteria contributed, but it would be insignificant when compared to your mental reaction to the situation. From your previous treatments and Graves’ disease’s natural burn-out tendencies your thyroid couldn’t rise to the occasion correctly. (3) The attempt by your thyroid to help you could have caused your thyroid to overreact again.

Our understanding of stress was first described by Dr. Hans Selye in Montreal in the 1940s. He described a series of reactions of the adrenal glands to stress which became the basis of our present understanding of stress in the human body. What no one seems to have noticed is that all laboratory animals especially vertebrates and mammals are abnormal. All rats, guinea pigs, monkeys and these types of animals used for experiments to study body functions are in fact adapted to the laboratory environment. This means they have acquired the hard wiring in their brain which prevents them from reacting to captivity. If we were put in a cage, like they are, we would become extremely alarmed. This is the normal reaction of the body to capture and restraint.

Because of this adaptation of laboratory animals one of the most important functions of thyroid hormone and the thyroid gland has been missed for more than 50 years. In 1954 Dr. Joachim Kracht in Germany studied stress reactions in rabbits. (2) He found captured rabbits had a completely different stress reaction which did not involve the adrenal cortex. The full response was TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) stimulation of the thyroid to thyrotoxic levels. The stress was all psychological and the thyroid was the only and most obvious response. Animals frequently died from the reaction to the psychological stress of capture. So he concluded from his experiments there were three types of stress reactions.

Stress reactions as defined by Kracht.

1. Selye’s alarm reaction which is related to physical stress, fractures infections surgery etc. this is strictly an adrenal response.

2. The TSH stimulation Alarm reaction as seen in the captured wild rabbit. (psychological stress) This is strictly a TSH mediated thyroid gland response.

3. A reaction of both the adrenals and thyroid to stress of cold as shown in the rat. This response is both adrenals and thyroid.

It should be emphasized that there was no adrenal response to this huge psychological stress. The thyroid gland emptied rapidly and symptoms of thyrotoxicosis (too much thyroid hormone) appeared in the rabbit. He was also able to prove that this was completely mediated by the TSH pituitary system.

If the captured rabbits were treated very carefully they could slowly adapt to the surroundings. But the slightest bit of increased stress to the captured rabbits, such as humans or walking a dog through the lab once per day, made them die within 5 to 20 days. The death rate was not predictable because each animal was in a slightly different thyroid state at the time of capture. He also proved they did not die of starvation.

So this means one of the main functions of the TSH system is to maintain an adequate flow of thyroid hormone to the brain for its normal mental functions. However, under severe psychological stress, and I assume there are grades of stress and response, the thyroid gland responds rapidly by completely emptying all thyroid hormone into the blood stream. This high level of circulating thyroid hormone is for the brain to handle the mental stress that has occurred as a result of capture. The proper response of the brain would be to psychologically "cope" with the stress. However for many of the rabbits they still were not able to cope and therefore died. Hence the concept, which is so clinically obvious, that thyroid hormone is a coping hormone is backed up by a experiments showing clearly this most important function of thyroid.

This stress reaction also is likely responsible for the thyroid hormone resistance seen in adults who were abused or badly frightened during childhood below the age of 12. (4)It also points the way to treating them. My own experience is that adequate thyroid early after the trauma gives the patient the ability to cope with the incident. So there are no lasting effects on the patient.

One example was of a large boy of about 14 who had been beaten badly with lead pipes the year before at school. He was withdrawn depressed and unable to cope with school life. When placed on 250 mg of thyroid daily he rapidly (over a couple of months) returned to his old self. He took the thyroid for about two years and then weaned off without any ill effects. There appear to be no residual ill-effects from his beating.

In studying the tame rabbits Dr. Kraught was able to get the same but not as marked changes to the thyroid by having barking dogs outside thecages. Again this would be a psychological stress and not physical.

This is a specific thyroidal stress-reaction to psychological stress and has many implications.

I hope this helps to understand parts of the Grave’s disease problem.

`David

I found this on the internet and wanted to share it.I found it very interesting. TAKE CARE EVERYONE!

[sarabear0508]

#1073962

KAM

As a survivor of domestic violence and a newly divorced woman……I can honestly say I have no idea what came first. In my case my symptoms came during the divorce and now remain. It’s very easy to put blame on ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING when we don’t want to face facts or take responsibility for our actions. I can only image that you are stressed and are a little lost as to what to do and how. I view Graves symptoms as PMS. You can scream….act irrationally and be horrid to live with and then calmly apologize blaming the PMS and how it’s just your hormones and you couldn’t help it. THAT"S CRAP…to be perfectly frank. My Grandpa has a debilitating rare disease and has lost the use of his hand legs and most bodily functions. This same man runs his sons Carpentry business from his wheel chair or bed and you will NEVER EVER once hear him complain. He also is in charge of his churches finances. I will go to see him and I can tell he is in so much pain…yet he smiles, cracks jokes and carries on with his daily routines. HOW DARE I think that because I may feel terrible that I have the right to take it out on others when my g-pa is dying of this disease and always remains kind. It just really puts things in perspective. If I were you I would talk to your wife about counseling. I know it sounds dumb…but it gives you both a safe place and an even playing ground to talk about your issues and fears. It couldn’t hurt to call your insurance and see if those services are covered. I wish you both the best of luck. From a feminine point of view I can tell you that when woman scream and blame the men in there lives for things ..yes it may have to do with something you did to make them mad…but most of the time it is a much bigger underlying issues they are upset about. Sometimes when I have a stressful day and I’m mad at someone, my poor family get lectured because they are the people closes to me. For instance…I yelled at my ex on day because he broke my great grandmas dish. I was upset the dish was broken but what I was really yelling about was the fact I felt he didn’t respect my things yet he drilled me on how to treat the things in our home that he brought to our marriage. I could give you hundreds of examples but I will spare you! I didn’t realize this until my aunt pointed it out to me, she said their marriage counselor saw she was angry about a lot more and helped give her ways to get the underlying issues out on the table. No matter the state of your marriage patience is the number one gift you can give that means the world.

Have a great day. I am always hear to listen if you want to vent!!!!

[sarabear0508]

#1073963

For more interesting stuff to read about Grave’s see my post- Life Situations- Emotions and Grave’s Disease!

[sarabear0508]

#1073964

Kam,

How are you? I hope all is well. I was thinking about you when I get online! Take Care

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