[Ski]

#1067373

The first thing you need to know is that Graves’ Disease symptoms mirror MANY other conditions, so it’s impossible for you to say "A-HA that’s it!" just from symptom identification. Ask your doctor to do a simple bloodtest, the routine thyroid panel (TSH and Free T4 at least), and go from there. If that reflects hyperthyroidism, the doctor will likely want to perform a thyroid scan/uptake to be sure that it’s Graves’ and not a "hot nodule" in the thyroid or something else. There is also a test they can do for Graves’ antibodies, but it can give you a false negative, so the uptake/scan is more conclusive. Once you have THOSE results, you can say "I HAVE IT," but not before.

In the event that you DO have Graves’, start doing your research now. There are three treatment options, all of which can return a Graves’ Disease patient to health, all of which have their own pros and cons. Knowing all of that information is critical, because it is up to you to make the decision. Many doctors will say "I’ve done the research, I know what I’d choose, so here, that’s what we’ll do with you." Nice to know what their opinion is, but it’s more complicated than that. Once you know all of your options, you can have a reasoned discussion with the doctor about what their opinion is, why they feel that way, and you can use that information to assist you in making your decision, but it is always going to be YOUR final decision, so you’re the one that needs to know what’s up.

It’s tough, if you’re hyperthyroid, to feel completely rational, so here’s some VERY basic info that may help IF you are confirmed to be a GD patient.

The three options are these: Anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs), typically methimazole, which are medicines that block the thyroid from making hormone, so they can keep you from being hyperthyroid. It’s a delicate dance, requiring frequent monitoring and attention to schedules and such, and there are some rather nasty potential side effects, which are very rare. The second option is radioiodine (RAI), which is a capsule (or liquid) you take that goes to your thyroid and pretty much destroys it. After treatment you should end up hypothyroid, at which point you start taking thyroid hormone replacement and return your body to euthyroid status ("normal" thyroid hormone levels). The third option is thyroidectomy, surgical removal of the thyroid. Again, you end up on thyroid hormone replacement to bring your body back to normal levels. All can work. We have people here representing each treatment option, all have returned to health.

The one thing that’s good to know up front is that you can TRY the ATDs at first just to bring your thyroid hormone levels down, which will help you to feel better and begin to heal, plus it will help you concentrate and look at everything rationally in order to make a final decision. The other two choices are, obviously, permanent once they’ve been implemented, so the advantage to ATDs is that you can decide against them later, if you like, and you can also feel better during the process, even if you decide ultimately to choose another of the three potential treatments.

I’m glad you came to us before being tested, because many patients in a desperate state will plead "FIX ME" and the doctor will choose a permanent option, rather than messing around with the medications, and then the patient is left regretting the decision the doctor made for them.

[Pellis8185]

#1018831

Okay I hope this makes sense and someone can help me. I keep not feeling right. For the last two years. I thought I had IBS because of the constant running to the bathroom with diarreah on a daily basis. I have GAINED weight. 70 lbs. For no reason. Except I am hungry about every 3-4 hrs all of a sudden. Im 27 yrs old and half my head is gray and I have a huge patch of hair missing that I thought was alopecia (an autoimmune diseasse). I cant sleep at night so I take an over the counter sleep aid and when I do fall asleep I toss and turn and then I want to sleep all day. I exercise daily to maintain my cubbimess but I get so winded and I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest! Im so hot all the time and I always am sweating. I turn the heat down and the rest of the family is cold. I sleep with a window open and a fan on me naked at night cause I sweat so bad. And in the summer I have the A/C blarring. I suffer from real bad panic attacks and Im currently on Lexapro for severe anxiety. I am a phobic. I all of a sudden have heart palpations (the doc thinks is due to anxiety) and I get heart burn and chest pain a least 8 times a month that hurt so bad for hrs. Im achy all the time in spots here and there and everyday its a different spot. I feel like an old lady I swear! Im polish so everyone thinks my ditzyness is due to being polish but I really cant control how airheaded I am and i cant make a decision God help me! Also the one that got me that Ive had since I was a teen is how sensitive my knee reflexs are. If someone next to me just barely bumps my leg I kick! The doc thought well its this and that but I wasn’t satisfied. I kept telling my finace I just dont feel right and its getting worse. Especially now that I have a baseball size patch of hair loss on my head now made me do a TON of research and I came across Graves disease. I researched the hell out of it and it basically explains everything I have been suffering for the last two years real bad. Im about 100% I have it. So now what besides making a doc appt. Im sure shes going to test me because Ive complaining of all these symptoms and they’ve just looked at me confused and say its aging and anxiety and maybe IBS too. What can I expect? What do they do? Im really scarred!!!

[teacherhelper]

#1067374

I was just diagnosed with Graves, had my thyroid scan/uptake and am waiting for those results. I have a question. My feet are puffy and HURT so much. Is this normal? At times I just want to scream! I’m not on any type of treatment yet. I still am not sure what to expect. All this is really scary! My eye involvement so far is dry, irritated eyes and my eye doctor gave me the names of two different drops to use that help. I guess I just need to get some concrete answers, be put on a medication of some sort and go from there. With the feelings I’m experiencing, it seems to be taking forever to get answers!

Also, I have not had success in posting my own question. I need help with that.

[Author]

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