[Kimberly]

#1065057

Hello – Graves’ Disease is an autoimmune condition where the body’s own immune system mistakenly launches an attack on healthy tissue. The “family” of 80+ autoimmune conditions includes Lupus, Type 1 Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis. In Graves’ Disease, the immune system’s attack is usually focused on the thyroid (resulting in hyperthyroidism), but also can involve the tissues behind the eyes (causing dryness, “bulging” eyes, double vision, and sometimes vision loss) and the skin, usually on the front of the shin.

I have never heard of "untruthfulness" as a symptom of Graves’, although Graves’ *can* cause mood swings, anger, anxiety, and irritability. It can also affect our cognitive ability to the point where it is difficult to concentrate.

I can’t really shed any light specifically on your Mother-In-Law’s case. However, there is a condition referred to as "Euthyroid Graves’ Disease" where the autoantibodies that cause Graves’ are present, but they are *not* causing hyperthyroidism. Some patients with Euthyroid Graves’ Disease can experience eye complications, even though they do not have any thyroid involvement.

Another issue to consider is whether it is possible that your MIL was treated for Graves’ in the past with Radioactive Iodine (RAI) or with surgery to remove the thyroid. It is *rare*, but not unheard of, for patients who have been through these treatments — and therefore *thought* they had no thyroid function — to have thyroid tissue actually grow back and re-activate one’s Graves’ Disease.

Can your Father-in-Law be of any assistance? It sounds like perhaps he is closest to the situation. Also, if the endo is affiliated with a hospital, you might see if there is a social services department that can help you sort through the confusion. Best of luck!

[Summer9]

#1065058

Thank you Kimberly. I should have used my words more carefully–I read on this web site (ngdf.org) that oftentimes patients can confuse their diagnosis (memory loss/issues) and therefore may not be able to relay information to family and friends correctly. She has repeatedly given us incorrect diagnoses to explain away some of her beahvior and we are not sure if this is just another attempt to excuse some of her past actions that have created the significant rift in the family.

As for my FIL, I wish I could say that he was a reliable source of information, but he has requested that we talk about other things with him. I am not certain how involved he is with her treatment and recovery. Before seeing an endo–suggested strongly by my husband–she was seeing her regular physician who said she had a thyroid "problem" and then spent the next 17 years giving her medicine to try to regulate her hormone levels. After doing so much research on the thyroid, it is clear that the #1 thing to do is to see an endo immediately and develop a good relationship. She refuses to allow any of us to accompany her to the doctor to ask questions so we cannot firmly grasp anything about her illness/condition (or even obtain a correct and accurate diagnosis for that matter). My husband and I have "turned off" communication with her for the past 6 months feeling that we have done more harm than good trying to move her into active rehabilitation. See below.

Before this said diagnosis, she has been dealing with alcoholism and addictions to prescription drugs. Needless to say, her health is an ongoing concern and a constant conversation. We are trying to approach this with her best interests in mind BUT with her recovery as our number 1 goal.

We are confused and feel helpless…

[Summer9]

#1018468

Hello–
I am a family member of someone who has said she has been diagnosed with Graves. Unfortunately, we believe we are receiving conflicting information as she claims she has a "dead" thyroid as well which is, of course, hypothyroidism. My mother-in-law has had a history of untruthfulness (which can be a symptom of Graves I’ve noticed) and we are trying to sort through the details to find how we can best help her. Our relationship with her is very strained but we desperately want to do what is best for her treatment and recovery. Can anyone help my husband and I sort this out before we cause more issues? Can she have a ‘dead’ thyroid (a diagnosis from an endo that her husband heard and relayed to us) and have Graves? We have tried to talk to the doctors but they refer us to the internet.

Thank you

[Ski]

#1065059

It’s impossible for us to do anything but guess, of course ~ I can only tell you that if, indeed, she HAS had Graves’ for a long time and her doctor was giving her meds to keep the levels in check, it is POSSIBLE that her thyroid has finally stopped functioning (it can happen due to the antibody attack), which would necessitate a move to thyroid hormone replacement instead.

You’re in a tough position on this one, and with the history you describe, I would suggest that unless you can have a consultation with her doctor to clarify everything, just go with what you’re told and leave it at that. Some people have a real need to "tell stories" (let’s say it nicely), and they find some solace in that. Trying to find *the truth* can just cause more trouble, because they tend to act as if you are attacking them (since they have no *truth* for you). As long as you can protect yourself from being led around by these "stories," they do you no harm. If the stories and lack of honest communication do your family member harm, well, they’ve put you in a position where you are unable to deal with it or help them deal with it, so you can’t blame yourself.

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