Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
Reminder: Tonight’s the night! Hope you can join us on Facebook at 8:00 p.m. EST / 5:00 p.m. PST.
If you aren’t able to join us live, the event will be archived at https://www.facebook.com/TheAAES.
in reply to: All of a sudden I’m hypothyroid #1185706Hello – I know this is super frustrating. Hopefully, your doc is exploring possible causes. Potential reasons for fluctuation include aging (people often need to lower their dose as they age), remnants of thyroid tissue regenerating, major changes in weight, the onset of other gastrointestinal issues, getting a different prescription at the pharmacy, or even a manufacturer changing the formulation of their medication.
in reply to: On ATD two years-plus? #1183805Hello – The more common situation is for agranulocytosis to occur during the first 90 days of starting (or re-starting) antithyroid meds, but we have seen a handful of individual case studies where this situation developed years later.
As far as I know, the concern with longer-term use of PTU is with a specific complication called ANCA-positive vasculitis. It’s rare – and is more commonly reported in individuals of Asian ethnicity and in children, but it’s certainly something to be aware of.
Hopefully, you will get some responses. We have this thread “stuck”, so I will put in a reminder in the main section.
Hello – TSI and TRAb are the two antibody tests that are specific to Graves’ disease. The TSI test is specific to the antibodies that cause *stimulation* of the thyroid in Graves’ disease, leading to hyperthyroidism. The TRAb test picks up both stimulating and blocking antibodies in Graves’ disease. (Blocking antibodies *can* sometimes cause hypOthyroidism in Graves’ patients).
TPOabs are tricker, as that is a “marker” for autoimmune thyroid disease. They are very common in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, but a certain percentage of Graves’ patients (even those who do not have HT) test positive for them.
Your doc will likely help you make your treatment decision based on your actual levels. If your TSH is too high, your Free T4 and T3 are too low, and you are having symptoms of hypO – your doc will likely recommend replacement hormone (Synthroid, Tirosint, generic levothyroxine, etc.).
The info above was from a general CDC briefing. The video in the link below is specific to Graves’. We are still learning about COVID-19, but in general, the understanding is that you don’t have an additional risk *just* from having Graves’ disease. However, if you are on immunosuppressive therapy (for example, taking a medication like Prednisone) for thyroid eye disease or for another autoimmune disease, that *does* come with additional risk.
If you missed last night’s Tweet Chat, you can still catch up on the conversation by logging in to Twitter and searching for hashtag #thyroidchat! Many thanks to all the endocrinologists and endocrine surgeons who participated and shared their expertise!
We got great feedback on Saturday’s virtual patient forum with the ATA Alliance for Patient education! Hopefully, this is a tradition that will continue!
A reminder that the Tweet Chat is tonight (Monday)! Details below:
On Monday, Nov. 16th, the American Thyroid Association, American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, and GDATF will host a Tweet Chat starting at 8 p.m EST / 5 p.m. PST. To participate, log in to Twitter and use the hashtag #thyroidchat.
in reply to: Covid 19 and Graves #1185844Jumping on a call shortly, but will dig into that piece. We’ve not heard any ophthalmologists require isolation for their TED patients, although certainly immunosuppressive therapy is cause for caution.
This piece from the American Thyroid Association & Medscape painted a more optimistic picture of COVID and Graves’. (Login might be required, but registration should be free.) https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/938753?fbclid=IwAR2jBnHJar6kQE0_TLcTbrt1gAWmVf-xA08oPlHEiKE1O-K2d-E1pdtej4s#vp_2
“There is no evidence to date that patients with existing autoimmune thyroid disease are more susceptible to contracting viral illnesses, including infection with SARS-CoV-2, or that they are at higher risk of developing more severe COVID-19 disease.”
If you missed our webinar on Thyroid Eye Disease, the program is now available on our YouTube channel! Huge thanks to Dr. Don Kikkawa, Dr. Kyle Godfrey, Dr. Suzanne Freitag, Dr. Bradford Lee, and to our special guest Carl for sharing his personal experience with TED. https://youtu.be/WsjpFAPyjaE
in reply to: How to tell if I also have Hashimoto’s? #1185842Hello – We’re fellow patients and aren’t allowed to interpret labs, but here is some general info that will hopefully be of interest.
TPOab and TGab are “markers” for autoimmune thyroid disease. They are very common in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, but a certain percentage of Graves’ patients (even those who do not have HT) test positive for them.
I would really encourage you to get a hard copy of your labs, so you can see where your levels are compared to the lab’s “normal” reference ranges – and keep track of them over time. Different labs can use different “normal” ranges, so the actual numbers are only useful in the context of your specific lab’s range. Are your levels right in the middle? At the upper end? The lower end?
How are you feeling? Symptoms of hypOthyroidism can include can include fatigue, joint pain, unexplained weight gain, constipation, dry skin, cold intolerance, and slow pulse.
in reply to: Elevated TSH Receptor Ab #1185840Hello – My understanding is that TRAb measures both blocking and stimulating antibodies in Graves’ disease. Your doctor will likely not initiate treatment unless you go hyper (high T3/T4, low TSH) or hypo (low T3/T4, high TSH). (Or possibly if TSH goes out of range *and* you feel symptomatic.) It’s a super frustrating waiting game, but it sounds like your doctor is keeping close tabs on your levels and your antibodies.
There’s still time to register for our Thyroid Eye Disease webinar tomorrow (Saturday) at 11a EDT / 8a PDT! You can find the speaker list and registration form here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_H7SJdtCVT2ymb9PU4t3MHg
in reply to: Tsh .06 anyone else have this with normal T4 #1185829Just a note that the doctors who have presented at our past conferences *do* recommend getting the flu shot.
in reply to: Tsh .06 anyone else have this with normal T4 #1185828Just a note that the doctors who have presented at our past conferences *do* recommend getting the flu shot.
Hello – Hopefully, you’ll get some responses here, but you might also check our our Facebook group @GDATF or onegravesvoice.com.
My understanding is that it’s rare for TED to recur, but it can happen, particularly with exposure to smoking/second-hand smoke and also with stress.
If the doctor who did your original surgery is still practicing, hopefully, you can get back in – as it would be helpful to get an evaluation done.
-
AuthorPosts
