[Anonymous October 5, 1998 at 2:46 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147687

Interesting we should do a toll on the BB on how many smokers and ex-smokers there are amoung us.
I for one am an ex-smoker!!!

Interesting, Sincerely
Sally

[Anonymous October 5, 1998 at 2:53 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147688

Jake is an ex-smoker, pipe, cigar and cigarettes!!!!

[Anonymous October 5, 1998 at 3:36 pm Post count: 93172]

#1049768

Prummel MF; Wiersinga WM
(93124613 NLM)

OBJECTIVE:To assess if smoking is associated with
Graves’ disease and, if so, to ascertain whether this
association persists when controlling for confounding factors.

DESIGN:Consecutive entry case-control study with two
age- and sex-matched control subjects from two different
populations per case patient.

SETTING:University hospital.

PATIENTS:Five groups were studied: (1) Graves’
ophthalmopathy and Graves’ hyperthyroidism (n = 100;
divided in four subgroups according to the severity of the
eye disease); (2) Graves’ hyperthyroidism without clinical
eye involvement (n = 100); (3) sporadic nontoxic goiter (n =
100); (4) autoimmune hypothyroidism (n = 75); and (5)
toxic nodular goiter (n = 75). The study comprised 200
subjects from a hospital-based population, and 200 from a
population-based group served as control subjects.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:Smoking status was
determined from a questionnaire at the time of onset of the
disease to exclude any effect of the disease itself on
smoking.

RESULTS:Smoking greatly increased the risk for Graves’
ophthalmopathy (odds ratio, 7.7; 95% confidence interval,
4.3 to 13.7), but patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism
alone were also more often smokers than control subjects
(odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 3.2).
Smoking was not associated with the other thyroid diseases
studied. Essentially similar results were obtained after
adjustment for differences in education between case
patients and control subjects. Among the patients with
Graves’ ophthalmopathy, smokers had more severe eye
disease than nonsmokers, but no association was found
between the number of cigarettes smoked per day or the
duration of smoking and the severity of the ophthalmopathy.
However, there was a significant increase in the odds ratios
in patients with more severe eye disease.

CONCLUSIONS:Smoking is associated with Graves’
disease, and it especially increases the risk for the
development of more severe ophthalmopathy. Thus,
smoking appears to be one of the multiple factors inducing
Graves’ disease in genetically predisposed individuals.

[Anonymous October 5, 1998 at 7:30 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147689

Interesting I am having a hard time believing everything that is said about smoking. I work with three people that have gd. Three of us smoked and one was a vegetarian who never smoked. Two of us have the eye disease, the veg and myself. I quit smoking 7 mos ago my eyes do seem to be improving. To ans the other poll about eye disease. I live in the midwest (OH) I have moderate eye disease. treatment is artificial tears and ibuprofen for pain. I see the dr every 6 mos. If you do the RAI and you smoked do you always have the eye problems? Just wondering how all this works.

Thanks
Helen

[Anonymous October 7, 1998 at 7:45 am Post count: 93172]

#1147690

According to what I’ve read:

Smoking — EVER in your life — has been identified as one of the conditions that might predispose an individual to more severe-than-average eye problems with the Graves’. I don’t quite understand how they can say that smoking aggravates the eye problem, when they cannot demonstrate that amount smoked, duration of smoking, or even having quit makes any difference, but there’s a lot I can’t understand. ; ) (I was a smoker when I got Graves’, and I asked my endo if there was evidence that it would help my eyes if I quit, and she said “no” — For a doctor to say stopping won’t help……) Anyway, there is at least one study that has demonstrated that for people who have a stronger than normal chance of getting eye problems, they can still have RAI, and not have their eyes get worse, if they also take a corticosteroid at the same time. My endo does this. So you might want to ask your doctor about it, if you think you need RAI.

Bobbi1436@AOL.com

[Anonymous November 4, 1998 at 8:29 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147691

NEW SYMPTOMS: PAST FEW DAYS,
RED PUFFY EYES IN AM.
WET EYES, THEN DRY, FEEL LIKE HOLDING EYES TOO OPEN , CANNOT TELL IN MIRROR ANY CHANGE. GIRLFRIEND CANNOT TELL BUT MAY JUST BE TRYING TO SHEILD ME, SHE HAS SEEN ME GO THROUGH TOO MUCH. MAY FEEL MORE WORRIES ARE TOO MANY.

THOSE WITH EYE PROBLEMS WHAT WHERE EARLY SYMPTOMS.?

THIS DISEASE SUCKS……………………………………….JUST DO NOT ASK ME WHAT.

THINKING OF SKIPPING HOLIDAY OF DEAD TURKEY, BIG FAMILY THING, TIRED OF TALKING TO OTHERS ABOUT THIS, AM MIDDLE KID: TOO MUCH SECOND GUESSING OF MY DECISIONS. GET OLD. DO ANY OF YOU JUST GET TIRED OF EXPLAINIG THIS ROT I FEEL LIKE I MAY SOUND LIKE A DOAMNNED HYPOCHONDRIAC.

FEEDBACK DESIRED…THANKS.

[Anonymous June 1, 2005 at 2:14 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147692

I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease back in March. I’m on Tapazole, and so far, so good. My last blood results show I’m responding well, and my levels were already down less than half what they were in March. I also have TED, with some protrusion in my right eye. I’ve seen one Opthomologist, I didn’t care for her, and am now going to see a different one Friday. My endocrinologist did tell me that smoking could aggravate the TED. I’ve smoked for the last 12 years, and he highly advised me to quit. My problem is that I’ve always been thin, and I’m so afraid of gaining weight…I’ve already gained some weight being on the meds, and now I’m going to gain even more weight from quitting smoking. I know this sound so superficial, but for those who’ve smoked, you know how hard it is to even think about quitting. It’s like my constant security – and especially right now I’m going through a hard time. Of course being healthy altogether is more important than a few pounds, but I’m just having a hard time taking all of this in. I see my endo again next week, and am so embarrassed to tell him I’m still smoking.

Has anyone had to deal with this? Will my eye get better once I quit smoking? Does the TED ever go away? Any insight would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous June 1, 2005 at 6:43 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147693

Hi Deffie,

This is a tough one, I know. I smoked for many years, but fortunately I quit prior to my Graves’ diagnosis so I didn’t have to go through exactly what you are going through.

There are a couple of things you should know. Smoking will absolutely aggravate your TED. I’m not certain, though, that quitting today will remove any effect it may have, other than day-to-day irritation of the smoke near your eyes. Then again, that is not a small consideration. Day-to-day irritation of the tissues could easily lead to more stress, which could possibly lead to more antibody involvement due to higher stress levels. The higher stress from quitting is transient, and it gets less and less every day, so it’s not likely that the stress from quitting would aggravate your TED in quite the same way.

The weight issue is a very sensitive one for me, because I have had a lifelong struggle with it. I have never felt “thin” (unless you count the time before I was 8 years old), and I have constantly struggled to keep my weight under any kind of control. When I did smoke, I would tell myself that “I can’t afford to gain any more weight,” but the truth was that I couldn’t afford to be smoking. For my health, for my children’s health, for my financial health, smoking was FAR WORSE for me than the extra weight.

Try to adopt that viewpoint and it may make it easier. You can exercise, you can change your diet, you can do many things to keep weight under control sensibly. You cannot smoke “safely.” It is not possible.

I do understand the mentality that you have enough stress just now, and perhaps a different time would be better to quit. I used that mentality to continue smoking through two pregnancies and into my children’s young life. They were 4 and 5 when my husband and I finally quit.

The overall weight gain I experienced from quitting smoking was very small. Did you know that, while you smoke, your body does not metabolize 100% of the calories in the food you eat? You will need to cut your food intake after quitting, to balance that out.

It IS worth it to quit. You WILL be happy you’ve done it. I do think there is a benefit to waiting until you are truly prepared, absolutely disgusted, and completely committed to quitting. Otherwise you’re just spinning your wheels and finding another excuse to feel bad about yourself.

Try to get to that day as soon as possible. In the meantime, try not to feel “less than” because you do smoke. We all have far too many reasons to feel inadequate. Tell the doctors that your goal is to quit, and ask them if they have any helpful literature or advice. Put your mind in the direction of WANTING to quit, and you’ll get there sooner than if you spend your days justifying smoking…

~Ski
NGDF Assistant Online Facilitator

[Author]

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