[Anonymous]

#1052201

Does anyone know if smoking has an effect on thyroid blood tests? If smoking affects one’s metabolism, wouldn’t if follow that it could affect thyroid function and thyroid readings? I know I should not smoke and I tried to quit, however, I’m too nervous now with impending RAI. So, I thought I would wait until I level on on thyroid stuff and then tackle the nicotine thing. I would appreciate any info on this–either personal stories or medical facts. Thanks

[Anonymous]

#1153464

Without getting into the pros and cons of smoking I have smoked since I was 26 years old. I will be 58 next month and have been on ATDs for five years. Only the last two times did my doctor mention my smoking as something to think giving up. My eye doctor on the other hand really ragged me to quit. Do you smoke is one of the first questions asked when you are having surgery. My response (yes it’s defensive) is that when I can do something beside sit and stare into space I won’t have time to sit and smoke. Be sure your doctor knows how much you smoke. It hasn’t been an issue with my treatments.

[Anonymous]

#1153465

In an “Ask the Doctor” column of the most recent Bridge (from the Thyroid Foundation of America) Dr. Douglas Ross gave the following response to a question:<BR>
“Recently it has been well established that smokers are more likely than non-smokers to get Graves’ disease, that patients with Graves’ disease who smoke are more likely to have ophthalmopathy, and that their ophthalmopathy is more likely to be severe….In one study, patients who had quit smoking before getting Graves’ disease did not have worse ophthalmopathy than current smokers, even if they had smoked as many packs over their lifetime as the current smokers….”

I’m a bit confused as to whether or not Dr. Ross meant to say what he actually did. What this response seems to indicate is that if you have ever been a smoker, you need to be aware of the increased potential for eye problems. But it also seems to indicate that quitting or not quitting doesn’t necessarily change the potential severity of the eye problems. Saying that quitters “did not have worse” problems than current smokers strikes me as a strange way of putting things.

Bobbi

[Anonymous]

#1153466

I just discovered this board! I am not alone! Have been living with graves since last march and i think it’s finally under control. Taking small dosage of tapazole and levothyroxine. ( a block and replace approach) my only frustration is been trying to lose the weight put on in the last 10 months. I am not going the radiation route. I’m praying for spontaneous remission. Any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

#1153467

Hi all,

I just have a ?? I have been dealing with the graves now since Febuary of this year and also the double vision. I know smoking is not good in the first place but does it make the “graves worse” or what. My hair is still falling out by the bucket it seems like. I have put a call into my Endo for some questions to be answered. I think my levels are not doing that good and that is why the hair is falling out. I’ve been told once the levels get stable then the hair loss is to stop. Today has not been a good one for me at all. The whole week really has been kind of rouogh. People really don’t understand this disease at all. You may look OK but in the inside you are really not.

There are times that I would not know what to do with myself if I could not come here and “vent” my heart out. Time will tell for me and I know one day I will get better. Thank’s to you all for letting me “vent” and May God Bless!

Charlene

[Anonymous]

#1153468

Hi Charlene,

All I know is that the tobacco is supposed to contribute to worse eye disease symptoms, and it is better if you stop. Some people have been refused treatment by an opthalmologist until they quit smoking, because it is such a hindrance to treatment.

That said, I was a long time smoker myself (I quit a little more than 5 years ago now), and I do realize that quitting brings its own stress.

Still, better to get it out of your system and move on to better health all around.

-Ski
NGDF Assistant Online Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1153469

Good Morning,

You are so right my friend. I am working on this very hard. My boyfriend smokes and is a true smoker. Some rules have changed in my house. No smoking around me and no smoking in the house. My right eye is the one that is sick and has the disease. I have been going to the eye specialist since I have had the problem (Febuary 02) My eye is no worse but no better either. Still sticking out but it has not stuck out any worse than what it is doing now.

I will be doing some test next week with the eye specialist to check the vision around me and see how well I see and can judge distance I think. Right now I am going thur the stage when the hair falls out. It is comming out by the roots and everytime I comb or brush my hair I get a handfull of hair. I will be seeing my endo next week and doing some more blood work to check my T3 and T4 levels. The last time I talked with my endo she told me the levels were comming down (changed my dosage on thyroid meds) but said we don’t want them to get to low either.

So far I have had to deal with a lot of health issue in the past but this time this has got to be the pitts with this “graves disease” I have been on steriods, did the radiation treatment for the eyes but so far nothing has seem to help me. I have been treated at Standford Medical Center here in the bay area and will be going back at the end of Jan for another evulation. By then it will be six months since the radiation treatments. I jsut hope by then if I am still the same then the doctor will make a decision for the eye surgery. They usually like to wait 6 months to one year to see if the radiation treatments helped.

Side effects from the steriods where also the pitts. Rapid heart beat, high blood pressure (taking medication now for it) risk of getting sugar diabeties (which I now have) mother has it too. So I purchased me one of thoes machine and just wait the sugar level and watch what I eat. Glad to say they finally took me off the steriods due to did nothing for me and I was starting to have to many problems with the side effects of the drug itself. For the 4th of July I ended up in the hospitol due to the heart beat of mine.

I will continue to pray for us all. People really have no clue on how bad this disease is and can be for some of us. Take care of yourself and May God Bless!

Charlene

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