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Well, two things. First, yes, you’d still have Graves’ Disease, technically. It is really more of a "syndrome" than a disease, and it can also involve (for some people) Thyroid Eye Disease (formerly known as Graves’ Eye Disease or Graves’ Ophthalmopathy) and/or pretibial myxedema (an orange-rind rash ~ purple in color ~ on the shins). Those manifestations are rare, but the likelihood of having them has no relationship to your thyroid treatment. You would, however, be free of the thyroid disease, having removed the thyroid. The antibodies may remain, but would no longer have the thyroid to affect. The hyperthyroidism is the most dangerous element of everything Graves’, so that part of it is no longer possible without a thyroid.
Second point, yes, you’d be hypothyroid, but of course we have synthetic replacement thyroid hormone, so once you are on a good dose of replacement hormone, you are no longer hypothyroid, you are corrected by replacement hormone and you are euthyroid, as people are meant to be. The difference then would be that you would need to manage any adjustments that need to be made by regularly checking thyroid hormone levels. After reaching a dose that works for you and remaining stable on that dose for a period of time, you can typically just be tested once a year, in the absence of any symptoms that may indicate your levels need adjustment. Lots of things can affect your need for thyroid hormone, but typically the changes don’t come on rapidly. The things that can affect your levels are activity level, weight, hormonal status (puberty/menopause/pregnancy), and age. I’m sure there are probably more. It’s just important to know that it’s not one dose for life, we do still need to keep an eye on things to some degree.
I hope that helps!
So I have a quick question on treatment related to GD. If I choose to opt for the surgery and have my thyroid removed, do I still have GD or am I know just to have hypothyroid? Do the antibodies still remain even when are thyroids are removed?
Can anyone give me some insight?
Thanks,
Krystal ” title=”Smile” />
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