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Hi Theresa,
I just joined the site today! I didn’t know it existed.
Welcome to the party of Graves’ Disease.
I’ve had Graves (WOW) for 23 1/2 years! Yours sounds A LOT like mine!
Yes, stress causes Graves.
Yes, it can flare with stress events and calm down when they’re over. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Your labs can show normal when your thyroid is just a little off, but you still feel it – if you’re sensitive to it.
Weight gain? If ONLY it was just 10 pounds. I tell my friends I’m a pro at losing 50 lbs. I’ve done it about 5 times now, and I’m doing it again. (The up side of that comment is that yes, you CAN lose weight with Graves) I’m in grad school (Nurse Practitioner) and when I’m under too much stress, my body gains weight just by me breathing. ;} I’ve gained that 50 lbs just this last year. :{
Most people think you can’t gain weight if you have Graves. I was just doing an assignment on Graves today and found where the Mayo Clinic discusses weight gain with Graves. I was told long ago that about 20% of people with Graves have hypo-active type symptoms. Looks like you and I get to help make up that 20%.
I agree with everyone else in not allowing the docs to push you into anything drastic. I refused to let them touch my thyroid. Try the medications while you nourish your thyroid. Nourishing it is key! The problem is that stress stresses your thyroid and depletes it. It needs nourishment in order to function properly. I blew mine out the first time from the stress of nursing school for my RN degree. I put it in remission for 13 years then blew it out again in accounting school. (Long story). I put it back in remission about 6 years ago and except for an occasional stressed out week or two, it has been in remission ever since.
Don’t ever stop taking your thyroid pills until your labs show you’re in remission!
I take a vitamin supplement called Trace Minerals B -12 by Standard Process. You can only get them through health care professionals like chiropractors,acupuncturists, or nurse practitioners. It is specifically formulated to nourish the thyroid. The only time I’ve worried that it was coming out of remission was when I got really sick last January and after a couple of weeks realized I hadn’t been taking them. (I forgot to get out a new bottle and put it with my regular supplements.) I started taking them again and I could feel my thyroid settling back down. They are my life saver, literally.
If you’re battling with constipation, which also isn’t normal for Graves, but is for us, (Almost 24 years of it now) the best thing I’ve found is Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets and Papaya Enzyme Tablets from the health food store for helping with digestion. I started taking these about 2-3 years ago, and I have not had a problem with constipation since.
Okay, I know this is a lot of information, but I want you to know you’re not alone. Keep your chin up. Graves is crazy but it doesn’t have to make YOU crazy.
Tami
