Hi, Lauren:
Out-of-whack thyroid hormone levels do have an affect on the eyes, and on the consistency of our tears, making the tears less effective. So our eyes get dry and red and irritated. This is common to everybody with hyperthyroidism, and is not necessarily an indication of the eye disease . There are over-the-counter drops you can use (check back a week or so — Debby Jass posted a list of the various products that work for our situation) to bring your eyes some relief. These drops are the ones that simulate natural tears, I believe, rather than the ones promoted for “tired” eyes. If you cannot find that post, ask your doctor about which ones you could use.
It is probably a very good idea for any Graves patient to see an ophthamologist from time to time. Not only can they give us care instructions for the changes that hyper brings, but in the event that the eye disease does begin, they will have a base line knowledge of our eyes to work from.
And your question about whether RAI “cures” Graves could lead to a lot of debate. ; ) This is a “hot” question sometimes around here. Technically, since the RAI does not get rid of the Graves antibodies, it doesn’t “cure” Graves. Someone can have RAI and still have problems caused by the Graves antibodies — like the pretibial myxedema, or the eye disease. What it DOES cure, in one treatment in about 85-90% of the cases, is the hyperthyroidism that the Graves’ antibodies caused. Since that is what makes most of us sick, you can probably look upon it as a cure for your current illness. The rest of the possible problems those antibodies can cause, you might never experience.
Wishing you good luck,
Bobbi
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