[Kimberly]

#1062740

Hello and welcome to the boards! Wow, I’m sorry to hear that you have had to deal with so many different medical issues in a short period of time.

Graves’ Disease *is* an autoimmune condition where the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Different autoimmune diseases target different parts of the body; other common autoimmune diseases include Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Type I Diabetes. In Graves’ Disease, the most common target for the attack is the thyroid gland, followed by the cells behind the eyes, and more rarely, the skin, particularly in the shin area.

The current theory regarding autoimmunity is that there is a genetic defect that makes us predisposed to getting an autoimmune disease…and then some "trigger" actually activates the disease. The "trigger" is often stress, physical injury, illness, or some type of environmental factor. Because of this genetic component, autoimmune diseases often cluster in families – although scientists have yet to discover why one family member gets Graves’, another gets Type I Diabetes, and still another might not ever contract an autoimmune condition.

The fact that we have one autoimmune condition does make us statistically slightly more likely than the rest of the population to contract another autoimmune condition. I can’t speculate on what your symptoms might mean — or tell you if they are autoimmune in nature — as the facilitators are not medical professionals. However, you might start with your General Practitioner…or perhaps with a rheumatologist, since you mentioned having joint issues.

Best of luck – please keep us posted on how you are doing!

[momp109]

#1018109

I kind of feel like I have been on a roller coaster ride for the past year and a half. I was official told in June that I have Graves’ . I have choose to take the anti thyroid medicine. My endo doctor believes I have an underlying auto immune problem that might have trigger the Graves’. To give little history my gall bladder was removed at a younger than normal age (23 or 24). I have had disc degeneration in my back since in my 20’s. Since then I have 3 herniated disc in my neck and 2 in my lower back. Also on and off through out the years have had at times exteremly tender joints. Getting older should not be this hard. I am only in my early 40’s. My endo wants me to see a different doctor to find out what other auto immune problem there is I just have no clue what kind of doctor I need. On top of that you look in the mirror and wonder if you went 50 rounds with Mike Tyson. Please Help guide me in the right direction. What kind of auto immune problems can cause these issues or are they by chance?

[yelwacs]

#1062741

I am brand new to this online bulletin board, but I joined for my daughter’s sake.
She was diagnosed with Graves Disease while in college. She is now out of college,
and her Graves is in remission so she is not on any meds. However, she is having
other problems which keep getting worse despite treatment. In addition to
skin problems (they think she has psoriasis), she has been having issues with her
left foot for over 6 months. It started with a sore and swollen middle toe. She says
the next toe is now swollen and sore just like the middle toe. She has seen an internist and
2 podiatrists. One podiatrist did an MRI and said her foot was broken right where it joins the toe.
She has been treated with a cortisone shot, wearing a boot (which is causing problems for her good
leg), ice, OTC anti-inflammatory meds, etc. She is getting depressed with the constant doctors’
visits and continued downward spiral of her condition. In addition, she hyper-extended one of her
fingers a year ago, and it has never healed properly–still swells and does not bend completely.
Does anyone have any recommendations? Can this be related to Graves? What kind of doctor
should she see at this point? Help!

[Kimberly]

#1062742

Hello and welcome to the boards! I can’t speculate on what your daughter’s symptoms might mean, as the facilitators are not medical professionals. However, here are a couple of thoughts:

The fact that an individual has one autoimmune condition does make them statistically slightly more likely than the rest of the population to contract another autoimmune condition. Perhaps reminding her doctors to consider the *possibility* that your daughter’s issues might be autoimmune in nature could help get her closer to a diagnosis. Also, a consult with a rheumatologist might be worthwhile, since it sounds like your daughter is experiencing some sort of joint issue with her finger injury.

Also, has your daughter had a bone density test done? I don’t know how long it took your daughter to get an initial diagnosis, but untreated hyperthyroidism can impact bone density, so that might be worth checking out as well.

Best of luck to you and your daughter…please keep us posted!

P.S. Your daughter might find it helpful to post here. Even though her Graves’ is in remission, we’ve all "been there, done that" when it comes to having illnesses and doctor’s visits interfering with our personal lives!

[Author]

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