[Bobbi]

#1066893

You need to start out by making a separation between the concept of Graves’ hyperthyroidism and the eye disease (commonly known, now, as Thyroid Eye Disease — TED — but also still called Graves’ Eye Disease by some). The eye disease does not give you weight loss, frequent bowel movements or insomnia. Those things are typically associated with thyroid levels (or stress, or other types of illness, etc.). The eye disease affects the eye muscles, causing the protrusion in some cases, double vision, etc.

It is VERY common for our doctors to take a watch and see approach to the eye disease. It is VERY frustrating. But, having been there, scared, wishing for some treatment that would stop the progression of things, I can tell you that the disease does indeed eventually abate, just like I’d been told it would. There is a hot phase when the symptoms seem to run amok, and then things quiet down and symptoms subside. All without medical intervention (at least in my case). More severe cases do need the medical interventions, but our doctors consider those options to have such dire, common side effects that they prefer to watch and wait and only use them if our vision is in peril.

[Anonymous]

#1018756

Almost 3 years ago I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and had radioactive iodine. I am taking Levoxyl for the synthetic hormone that I need. One year ago I was diagnosed with Graves. While my case is not severe (with bulging eyes), both my endocrinologist and neruo-opthamologist have done all they can do, except to monitor my case. Steroids did not make any noticeable difference. I still have some double vision (10% of the time), several symptoms such as insomnia, weight loss, frequent bowel movements, irregular periods, and I have multiple prisms in my glasses. In looking at the web, there are many sites about herbal remedies, such as vegetron and vagrical. Does anyone have any information or experience on these products or any other products that I should investigate?

[mamabear]

#1066894

Please note: I am not a dr. at all. ” title=”Smile” />

Has your eye dr. checked to see if what you are experiencing is Strabismus ?

I know the site says things about symptoms and such but my ex husband had this and had surgery and he had no childhood symptoms. He said he has headaches and double vision and they couldn’t figure out why. Finally they figured it out.

I’m not saying this is for sure it but at least talk to your Dr’s about it. It struck me because my ex kept saying they put prisms in his glasses too, so just thought to pass that on to you too just in case this isn’t related to thyroid eye.

also noting to you: I have been in remission (didn’t do RAI, just had meds done and was taken off of them and have been good so far for almost 3 years). Even being in remission my periods are still crappy. My TSH levels are perfect and yet my periods are just weird, I want to vomit when I ovulate and i get very very sick when my cycle is giong to start. It has nothing to do with my thyroid. This might be your case as well. again I’m not sure, i’m just saying not everything has something to do with Graves’/hypo. I found this out by being in remission almost 3 years and still having some issues that I use to before graves and now after.

Hope you get to feeling better soon and figure this out!

[npatterson]

#1066895

You will not see anything about herbal remedies on any reliable website. That is not to say that there are not things you can do in additional to medical treatment and evaluation to make yourself feel better. (Hopefully, James S. will hop in here)

The double vision in Thyroid Eye Disease is strabismus. That is caused by muscles pulling in the wrong direction. In our case, usually the muscles have been swollen by the reaction to the eye antibodies. That alone can cause the eye muscles to become misaligned. When the inflammation goes away, the eye muscles frequently return to pre-Graves’ condition. However, in some of us, rather than diminish to normal when the inflammation went away, the muscles developed scar tissue. The prisms "pull" the muscles into alignment, and that is the treatment for most strabismus. With small children, it is called ‘Lazy eye", and the treatment there is to cover the good eye, while trying to make the muscle in the weaker become stronger. When our double vision is severe, there is corrective surgery that can be done.

You are also describing the symptoms of active Graves’ disease. STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR DOCTOR, and us!

Take care,

[Author]

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