[msmissy00]

#1073361

Since 2004 I have had 4 different doctors tell me I either had RA, Lupus or Cancer. I was hospitalized for 5 days and they ran more tests than I care to remember. My symptoms were sporatic joint pains. High sed rate, fever everyday. My skin is always HOT. My feet and hands feel like they are on fire at night. And at any time I can take my temp and it will be 99+ and at night it will be in the 100’s. My WBC is always elevated, sometimes up to around 17000. Never normal. I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism and GD in oct 08. My endo thinks it could have all stemmed for the GD. I feel blessed after reading posts here, I have all the symptoms of GD except the TED. Beta blockers are working well on my heart rate. I have a lil anxiety but nothing like other victims of this disease are having. Not long after my diagnoses my dad was diagnosed with Leukemia. He passed away in jan 09. During the time he was being treated for AML my RUDE endo said I HAD to have RAI because my levels are off the charts. I asked him if I could wait he said NO. ( Rudely ). I couldnt have RAI at that time because I wouldnt have been allowed near my dad when he needed me. He had radiation treatments 6 yrs before he developed leukemia. So RAI scares me. I changed endo’s and she says I need RAI also. I had reacted ( I thought ) to the methimazole. I developed a rash on my shins.. and then reacted to the other anti-thyroid medication PPU. I still have the rash on my shins but now they say its from the graves disease. So Im having another uptake and scan tomorrow and then I am going to ask that my endo try me on the methimazome. Because I do not want the other treatments that are offered.

[erobinson219]

#1073362

I was justed tested and got a positive ANA result with a titre of 1:320 and a nucleolar pattern. It says that the result is associated with systemic sclerosis. This is also called scleroderma. I have to go to a rheumatologist now for evalluation and further tests. I am hoping that this is not going to be the final diagnosis. Not sure if it is realetd to Graves or if I may have another auoimmune disorder yet or not. The RF result was normal so it does not sound like it could be RA. I searched the site and it does not appear that anyone else discussed this disorder before so I hope that means there is a good chance that I don’t have it since it does not seem to be associated. Too early to tell what it means yet. I would be interested in anyone that did get positive ANA results with a nucleolar pattern though. What else can it possibly mean?

I wonder if there is a board like this for other automimmune disorders such as scleroderma to check in with.

[eunah]

#1073363

My 12 year old has Graves and alopecia universalis.

[belldandy112]

#1073364

I have Graves. I also have extremely bad allergies that have been very difficult to control. But at least I outgrew the asthma …

[DianneW]

#1073365

Julesef,

Has your endo ever checked your Free T3, or does he always just check your TSH?

I felt like you did and wasn’t able to feel better until I got on a replacement hormone with both T4 and T3 in it (Armour Thyroid). The downside to this is that any replacement hormone containing T3 really needs to be split into 3 daily doses in order to be kept even in the bloodstream or the patient will be hyperthyroid right after taking the pill and hypothyroid when it wears off, for the rest of the day. Taking it every 8 hours will keep it fairly evenly dosed in the bloodstream.

Not all doctors will prescribe Armour Thyroid or other replacement drugs containing T3, and most patients don’t need this. It should be reserved for the minority of patients who don’t feel well on T4 drugs, after adjusting the dose.

Try what Ski said, and if that doesn’t help then ask your doctor about testing your Free T3. He would then have a good idea whether you would benefit from a drug containing T3. However, a lot of doctors simply won’t do this, and if yours is one of them you would have to ask around to find one who will.

Best wishes,

[grneyeladydi]

#1073366

I think I read somewhere that someone that has a history of autoimmune disorders are more likely to get Graves. Now I could be wrong but I, myself have had Interstitial Cystitis since 1986 and also Fibromylgia. I do know that Graves and my other autoimmune problems can be caused by a major stressful event in your life. My IC was in remission for many years until I was diagnosed with Graves. Then it decided to attack me again at full speed. My heart goes out to everyone here with Graves and for those of us having to deal with other medical problems.

[Ski]

#1073367

It’s actually more general than that ~ people with one autoimmune disorder are slightly more likely to present with a second, statistically. Interesting that Graves’ would present and IC would also flare up at the same time ~ perhaps there’s some kind of "autoimmune activity cell" that could accelerate symptoms from all autoimmune conditions at the same time. Anyone else find that their autoimmune diseases flare up together?

[lmr1023]

#1073368

I have had autoimmune progesterone dermitis (APID) for 5 years and just developed Grave’s disease. APID causes one to break out in horrible hives/welts, causes angioedema especially in the feet and occurs around a woman’s monthly cycle, the breakouts can last up to 10 days! about 6 months ago the hives all of sudden stopped and a few months later I have Graves’ disease. why I went from one auto-immune disease to another is a mystery! I can’t say I rather have one disease over another but the hives were horrible, days of just huge red welts that were hot, itchy and just plain uncomfortable. the only treatment I had was a regimen of antihistimines to help the symptoms and the only documented treatment to complete remission was a course of taxomifene and eventually ophrectomy. thankfully it seems to have gone into remission on its own (or I have stopped ovulating) though I still take a daily dose of antihistimine just in case! When I started the symptoms for Grave’s disease I thought I was just going into peri-menopause but there could be a connection between to the two. who knows!

[erobinson219]

#1073369

I looked back at my thyroid lab tests done and I can’t find any for Free T3. The tests doen are TSH 3rd Generation, T4 Total, T3 UPtake, T4 Free Calculated and T3 Total. All these are now in normal range. I also had Thyroid Peroxidase AB, Thyroglobulin and Thyrogloublin AB, TBII, TSI. All of these are not normal.

My allergies have been very tough to deal with. I have been getting weekly shots for a year now and am very slowly progressing. Much more slowly than most other people. I wonder if Graves has anything to do with that.

The positive ANA with nucleolar pattern is a new thing I have to find out more about when I see a rheumatologist. I feel like my health is going in the wrong direction.

[Mickey65]

#1073370

I asked my endo today if there was a chance since I had Graves if I was susceptible to getting another autoimmune disorder and she said it was a VERY slight chance and how thyroid disorders are generally the "main" ones.

[parentwithgrace]

#1073371

[color=#8000BF:2qouohc6]My daughter developed vitiligo at age 4, type 1 juvenile diabetes at age 10 and Graves Disease at age 11. So she has quite a load. Right now the Graves is the most difficult for her. She had her thyroid ablation in late Sept with radioactive iodine– and went on levoxyl in December. Her muscles still ache and cramp so she has not been able to resume a normal level of activity yet. She loves to run, play soccer and lacrosse but just can’t do it. It hurts too much. We have her blood tested every 6 weeks and they have adjusted her levoxyl levels every time. Any advice or comfort is most welcome. Thank you so much. [/color:2qouohc6]

[Ski]

#1073372

I’m surprised at how often we hear this ~ "been through SO much, yet Graves’ is the hardest." Funny how doctors tend to dismiss us at diagnosis ~ oh, RAI and a pill afterward, piece of cake. Not so much, right? I’m glad to hear that the tests are so frequent, she is obviously in good hands. If you both look very closely, you should be able to find a little something each day that’s just a tiny bit better than yesterday. Celebrate that thing each day, and one day you’ll find that most everything is resolved. It won’t be tomorrow, but she ought to be feeling MOSTLY herself in due time. Try to help her focus on the long view ~ she’ll get there, and in the end, this will be a bump in the road. BIG BUMP, but it’ll be behind her, and that’s important.

Let us know how things are progressing, and give her a BIG hug from me. ” title=”Very Happy” />

[Hopeful23]

#1073373

Are you guaranteed to get another autoimmune? Is there blood work to see what else i am pre disposed to… I was told diabetes had to run in the family to get it?

[Ski]

#1073374

No guarantees. As a matter of fact, our chances of a second autoimmune condition are only [i:2ynuk78j]slightly[/i:2ynuk78j] elevated due to already having Graves’. No predictors for which or if, sorry about that…

[Author]

Posts