[Anonymous December 30, 1997 at 12:56 am Post count: 93172]

#1052356

I have a question out there, whoever can answer this. I have recently encountered a friend who said they had Graves’ disease too. What I am confused about is that they said they were HypOthyroid.

Now, I understand you can become hypOthyroid after a time with Graves’, but I didn’t think one started off that way. I asked this person if they had ever had the symptoms I encounted w/Graves’, such as sweating, shaking, muscle weakness, etc., and they told me no. Just tired, depressed, etc. She was told she had Graves’??????

Well, I know that those would definitely be hypO symptoms. But I really am confused on this. Anyone shed some light? Thanks a bunch.

[Anonymous December 30, 1997 at 2:14 am Post count: 93172]

#1153787

Doesn’t sound right. Grave’s is a form of HYPERTHYROIDISM, and never starts out as hypo. Maybe ends up that way, but not in the beginning. The factor that needs to be addressed here is the TSH reading of this person. One of the things that you see with pituitary problems is a low TSH along with corresponding low levels of T3 and T4. Some medical professionals that are not well versed in this kind of thing may think that the low TSH signals Grave’s, but in this case, NO. The levels of T3 and/or T4 are in the hypo range (rather than than the hyper range) which would singal hypothyroidism, caused by a lack of circulating TSH from the pituitary.

Is this person seeing an endocrinologist?

Something though definitely doesn’t sound right. Perhaps it could be Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? I have heard of several non-endocrinologists get the two mixed up.

Good Luck

Ron
“Sleepless in Kent” (posting at 2:15am, again)

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