[Raspberry]

#1060169

So I got to thinking about this and the life events that led to my Graves’ onset. Lots of intense back breaking stress, mental and physical over a period of months – and chronic stress for years before that. And now I’m showing signs of slowly slipping into subclinical hyper again (sinking TSH) and again this has been preceded by weeks of intense stress. Things have let up so I’m hoping if I do lots of TLC that I can get things to calm down again.

Comparing the two time periods it seems the same – that my need for my body and mind to work past their ability was strong and ongoing. So maybe the immune system decided to declare “Code Red” and force the thyroid to do more than it should and does this by way of Graves’? People who don’t have the genes for Graves’ wouldn’t be able to have this response, but for people who do it hardly seems a coincidence that period of prolonged intense stress precede it. Are our bodies trying to help us out in some crazy confused way rather than it simply being a malfunction? I wonder how we can really say “thanks but no thanks” to the misguided immune system…

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180920

Hmmmmm…. definitely food for thought. Now that I think about it I had just gone through a very prolonged, stressful period when my “borderline” thyroid condition of many years finally blew up and demanded attention. And then it was pretty much under control (with meds and a remission) for about 6 years until I went through the WORST stress-filled 6 months of my life. It blew up again demanding I take care of it, and myself.

I’ve recently had a TT so what does that mean for the future stressful periods in my life (since none of us can avoid them completely). Does it mean it will trigger it to attack our eyes instead? Geez, that thought is enough to keep me sedated on tranquilizers for the rest of my life – scary!

Sue

[Raspberry]

#1180921

SueAndHerZoo wrote:

I’ve recently had a TT so what does that mean for the future stressful periods in my life (since none of us can avoid them completely). Does it mean it will trigger it to attack our eyes instead? Geez, that thought is enough to keep me sedated on tranquilizers for the rest of my life – scary!

Sue

I wonder too. My mother had a TT forty years ago and has had significant stress since then, but she never has had eye problems. Still I know some people have years later too. Seems to be no guarantee on that one. I guess with a TT you can be really sure that you will never ever be hyper again without your permission and that’s got to be worth a lot!

[npatterson]

#1180918

This is an interesting approach. You are correct in that people without the gene will not develop Graves´, but they develop heart disease, ulcers and a host of other maladies.

It is so trite to say we MUST take care of yourselves. But we MUST! And we must each one find out what works for us, and then actually do it.

Take care,

Nancy

[KatyPop]

#1180922

I do think that Grave’s is, at base, a stress or inflammatory response!
And I bet the genetics that create it wouldn’t have stayed around so long, if maybe somewhere in there, it was advantageous, or at least ‘covered for’ in some way.

Katy

[ChristinaDe]

#1180923

My illness was preceded by years of unrelenting stress as well! And it always worsened w/ increases in stress, and lessened when stress went down. I’ve always believed that there is a relationship. Genes activated by stress sounds like a good theory to me!

[Harpy]

#1180924

I firmly believe that GD is a response not a disease, there ure underlying health fundamentals that need to be corrected before the thyroid will rebalance and antibodies will abate. Some of these factors are diet & lifestyle related, others may be more subtle disturbances such as circadian disturbances, on our journey into health we looked at all the areas of our lives and tried to make positive changes, much research and we are still learning new things and adapting our lives and I think that in itself is a significant component, the positive engagement with ones health and becoming more intune with your own body.
Your body has been sending out messages, just no one has been listening, learning to listen is a big part of ones health.
The process is long and slow, patience is required, ill health did not happen overnight and hence good health also takes time, the body needs this time to heal and re balance itself.

[backdoc]

#1180925

I’m with harpy , have been researching this since my diagnosis and strongly believe that there is much more going on regarding graves than the standard allopathic model would imply , the meds are great in putting the fire out but I’ve found that the right nutrition addressing the Cause is the correct path in actually Healing a sick body…….. my 2 cents

[barbra]

#1180926

Hi,

I had also gone through prolonged stress, 7 years worth, before I was diagnosed with Graves. My symptoms didn’t appear until after my husband passed away. It was a good thing that we were not ill at the same time because he would not have been able to stay at home, even with the help of hospice.
Just one more thing. Nutrition is a wonderful concept, the right diet may even help with this disease and I admire anyone who makes it work. But eating what I like is about the only thing I have left. I quit smoking because, like Sue, I am afraid of TED.

Hugs.
Barbra.

[dvbharris]

#1180927

I would like to encourage all forum participants with Graves to go to the American Thyroid Association website for some educational articles regarding, heredity, Graves antibodies and what triggers the onset of the disease. Very enlightening information. The site as well as AACE, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, has been very helpful to me in understanding Graves. I was diagnosed in May 2005, RAI same month and battling affects of 20 years of over-stimulation to my body by excess thyroid hormone. There is NO CURE. Thyroid ablation only stops the damage an over productive thyroid is causing. The damage already caused is irreversible, physical and cognitive and emotional.

The antibodies can lie dormant for years until and extreme illness or stress related event causes them to activate. Immediately after my diagnosis, I had my daughter tested and she tested positive for antibodies. That was in 2005. In August of 2012 she left home to attend college 4 1/2 hours away, and immediately began showing sign of Graves. Her TSH was tested and she was high-normal and put on 50 mcg of Synthroid which alleviated the issues she was having that were affecting her school work. The stress of a new environment and being on her own activated the antibodies.

Graves Disease is familial, meaning that there is usually someone else in family with it and it has been discovered that it is usually passed from mothers to daughters, occasionally to sons, but usually to daughters. My sons, ages 32 and 34, have not been tested, but I see “signs” in my youngest. I sometimes wish I had known what I know now before I married and had children. I don’t believe I would wish this disease on my enemies, much less my children.

I hope someone out there benefits from this information.

dvbharris

[snelsen]

#1180928

Debbie, that is one wonderful and amazing post, crammed full of reliable and useful information with the resources listed.
I suggest you begin a new topic, titled “Marvelous references for anyone with Graves’. Or something like that!
Shirley

[Author]

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