[Ski]

#1072067

There is evidence that a person with one autoimmune disease has a slightly higher likelihood of ending up with another, but your question about the other elements (allergies, susceptibility to disease in general) is harder to answer. There isn’t evidence to say that Graves’ makes us weaker, in and of itself, but the fact that our body is busy fighting something can make it less able to fight the next thing that comes along, I think. As we all know, we are more susceptible to catching things when we haven’t gotten enough sleep, when we aren’t eating right, when we’re stretched to our limit by other things in our lives. So my GUESS is that the same thing applies with us.

[azroses2322]

#1019503

Does anyone know if GD makes one more susceptible to other diseases/ailments? Either other auto-immune disease or things like the flu,,common cold, allergies?? I came down with Shingles after going from hyper, through RAI, to hypo and then was almost regulated on replacement when out of nowhere I broke out in Shingles — and now over a year later I still have post-shingles neuropathy. I have been trying to recovery physically for almost 2 years from all of the GD physical impacts. My physical strength is about 90% now compared to pre-GD (I have come a long way from being totally bed-ridden in a severe hypo state after RAI did it’s job by Sept 2007). I am finally beginning to be able to travel again, and be more out in public and do more. (I flew for the first time in 2 1/2 years in March and I noticed when I got to both ends of my trip I had a couple of days of leg cramps). Is there anything I should know or be aware of in returning to the real-world?? I get flu shots every year and I was surprised my Endo said yes it is OK — I need them. I noticed I seem to have more migraines at least more severe ones and more allergies (at least more sensative to them). I still tire much easier than I did pre-GD. I hope to soon to be able to return to working out of the office instead of telecommuting 100% of the time but yet last Nov. when I had to spend a part of 2 days in a row in the office to get my laptop re-imaged, within a few days after that, I came down with a upper-respitory infection — just being in public.

[belldandy112]

#1072068

Interesting question …

Aside from allergy-related stuff (sinus infections, ear aches, etc.) that are pesky but nonthreatening, I don’t "catch" anything. Never had the ‘flu, don’t even get colds or chest infections in the winter. I live in the Southwest, where the weather is warm and we have mostly sunny days, even in the bleakest of months.

However, I did live in Anchorage for a year. Which is basically the arctic. I was sick … All. The. Time. One thing after another. Mainly bad chest infections that never seemed to go away. If someone in the office had it, I caught it! I also had what could have been food poisoning or the stomach virus — several times. Nightmare. My GD shot right out of remission, and my endo told me that it was directly related to living in this kind of climate, where it’s just very hard to keep warm and dry.

Once I moved back, I stopped getting sick …

I think that chances are, I would have had the same problems living in Anchorage even without GD, because everyone there seemed to be fighting off ailments, so … while I think that getting sick all the time triggered my GD out of remission, I think that I would have suffered the same fate, regardless.

Melissa
Austin, TX, where it’s sunny and warm out right now! ” title=”Very Happy” />

[DianneW]

#1072069

When my dog was hypOthyroid, my vet told me that being in that state made her susceptible to infections (such as urinary tract and skin infections), and I know that when my thyroid was out of balance either way (hypO or hypER) I seemed to catch more colds and flu than I do now that I’ve been stable for a number of years. I will ask my endocrinologist if what my vet said about the dogs also applies to people, and I think it would be a good question to write down to ask the experts at the conference this year as well. (I have a list going.)

[belldandy112]

#1072070

Dianne,

I’d be interested in how various climates affect GD and if really cold-weather states are worse for people with auto-immune illnesses. I’m quite curious to find out if living in the arctic made me go out of remission, as to avoid this situation in the future.

[TraceyAnne]

#1072071

Being that I only recently joined this site, I need to question/comment on this over a year old post.
I was also wondering whether or not GD makes one more susceptible to viral infections. I was diagnosed this time last year but haven’t started any treatment yet, but will in a couple weeks. I have always been a very healthy person. I have lived in NH my whole life and if I get sick, I get a cold of some type maybe once a year. This year though, I have been sick 4 times in 2 months, head colds, sinus colds and some weird sore throat/neck thing. Although I know that this cold season several people in my workplace have been sick more than once, I have never been one to get sick this often. Also, I have had the Herpes Simplex Virus for 20 years but have not had a breakout for over a year, until now. Along with the 4 times I have been sick, 2 of them have been accompanied by menstruation and a breakout, lucky me! So, is it that my body is weak from the GD or am I just unlucky this winter? I see my endo in a couple weeks and will discuss with him, but I was just curious about what all of you have to say about it and what your experiences have been. Thanks and I am so happy to have found this site!

[snelsen]

#1072072

Hi, welcome to this great site!
My though is that this has been your unlucky year to "get stuff." Not sure how long your "whole life" has been, (: But I’m thinking
that you are still a healthy person. I suspect if a large number of people were asked about their health over a number of hears, most of them would be able to remember a year like you have experienced.
One that that is not clear in your post, is if you are/are not in a euthyroid (optimal, normal) state with Graves’. ARe you currently hyper or hypo, or just fine?
Re the herpes simplex virus, outbreaks tend to vary over time, even within an individual. But when your body has been stressed by viral illnesses, etc etc, they tend to increase in frequency.
Re flying. Leg cramps may be related to the distance of the flight, and I think they are probably related to sitting in the tiny, crowded seats, being fairly immobile for the duration of the flight. Next flight, try to get an aisle seat, get up and walk and stretch during the flight.
Do write again, I presume since you are seeing your endo in a couple weeks, that you will have more current lab info relating to your replacement hormone. In the meantime, are you having any readily recognizable hypo or hyper symptoms?
And, Ski had a good reply in the last post!
Shirley

[Bobbi]

#1072073

Hi, Tracey Ann:

I think you need to distinguish between "having Graves" and "being hyperthyroid." While we are hyperthyroid, our bodies are weakened by a disease condition. And, yes, you can be more susceptible to any ambient germ, just as if you have another disease, and get sick with colds, etc. But just "having Graves" antibodies does NOT cause us to be more susceptible to available germs in the environment if we are otherwise healthy, and our thyroid levels are at the proper place.

[Kimberly]

#1072074

Hi TraceyAnne – I’ve been on Anti-Thyroid Drugs for just over 3 years, and my White Blood Cell Count is perpetually on the low end of normal. I try to compensate by being extra, extra careful to wash my hands frequently, to avoid touching common surfaces (like doorknobs) whenever possible, and to be very cautious around people who are ill. I do think that this has been helpful in keeping me from getting every single bug that comes along.

Of course, like Bobbi said, being hyperthyroid can put our bodies in a weakened state…and as Shirley mentioned, sometimes old-fashioned bad luck comes into play!

I hope that 2011 brings you good luck…and good health!

[TraceyAnne]

#1072075

Thank you everyone. I will just clarify and explain a few things. I saw an endo last year, once. At the time I was not presenting symptoms even though my blood tests revealed I was Hyperthyroid. (This was discovered by accident when another doc did blood tests for something else) During that one visit, the endo did a thyroid scan and did not find anything, so ultimately diagnosed me with GD. I was not yet willing to be treated because of my lack of symptoms, and I’m terrified that if meds don’t work I will nee RAI. Almost exactly 1 year later (2 months ago) symptoms emerged with a vengeance, the sweating, constant eating, heart palpitations, (severe) irritability and restless sleep. That was about the time I got my first cold. I called my PCP and she ordered new tests and found that my T3 & T4 levels had doubled since last year, so I made another appointment. Generally speaking I am in excellent health and rarely get sick, which is why I am concerned at the number of times I have been sick this season. I have told my PCP, that if I get sick again this season, I will be calling her to see if there is a reason, or if it’s bad luck. Thanks again for your feedback.

[Ski]

#1072076

Abnormal thyroid hormone levels can easily weaken the body overall, and make you more susceptible to the normal virus and bacteria activity at this time of year. That’s the hyperthyroidism though, not exactly "Graves’," if you see the distinction. If your thyroid hormone levels had been well managed and remained normal during this period, even though you’d still have Graves’, you might not be seeing the same increase in illness.

You could do yourself a favor by being ultra-obsessive about keeping germ activity around you to a minimum right now ~ wash hands, wash hands, wash hands, etc. etc. etc.

[Author]

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