[sabinaa]

in reply to: Anyone that tried natural methods/diet? #1073663

And consider this directly from the governments "National Library of Medicine" (I suppose this government link would not be adequate as well?)

"Two of the most compelling features of the last twenty years have been dramatic achievements in the laboratory and striking advances in biomedical technology. Together, they have literally extended the frontiers of the mind by embodying emotions in the biology of the brain more successfully than ever before and by creating the possibility of identifying the intricate interconnections between brain-based emotions and the functioning of the neuroendocrine and immune systems.
…
In perhaps the most exciting development of all, a new field has emerged which is starting to combine the latest in the neurosciences with the latest in immunology to provide the scientific basis for understanding relationships between emotions and disease once explored only in clinical settings. Not yet possessing a generally agreed upon name, this new field has been able to demonstrate previously unsuspected but now verifiably direct connections between the immune system and the neuroendocrine system."

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Anyone that tried natural methods/diet? #1073662

Apparently selected links with suggestions about natural healings are not accepted here, and my previous post was deleted for that reason. So, if you are really trying to find info on alternatives to RAI, you apparently won’t find much support here. Nonetheless, I am living proof that they exist, and there are many others out there who have been successful with the same non-conventional approaches.

I am back to refocus on the actual reason for Grave’s – the autoimmune disorder. Since I can not provide the link or reference, I am just summarizing here what I found:

According to Professor of pathology Harvey Cantor from the Harvard Medical University, recent work shows: “a proof of principle, that you can mobilize the body’s own cellular mechanism for controlling the immune system to dispose of unwanted self-reactive cells”.

Dr. Norman Cousins and Dr. David Simon, Director of the Chopra Center for Well Being, suggest that the immune system doesn’t work independently. In fact, the mind and nervous system play a profound role in immune system function.

PNI studies, the science of psychoneuroimmunology, show that auto immune diseases are triggered by stress and diet and emotions. Supported by thousands of studies, PNI explains a mind body connection and its role in health. They continue saying that the mind body connection plays a major role in healing as well. Various methods of stress reduction, including yoga, meditation, tai chi, and spiritual healing, have all been shown to reduce symptoms. And, as in my case, Graves’ patients can enter remission through a combination of stress reduction techniques and dietary changes. This without destroying your thyroid!

Physical and emotional stress can trigger an autoimmune disease, as can different environmental chemicals, as well as foods that contain saturated fats and sugar. These elements have shown to cause changes in the immune system. And, quote: ”Especially saturated fats and sugar are responsible for a decline in the number of white blood cells, suppressor T lymphocytes, which would ordinarily stop the autoreactive immune (autoimmune) response before autoantibodies were produced. Hormonal disruptors mimic and displace the body’s natural estrogens, triggering the development of several different autoimmune diseases.”

Further: “The role of self-care in autoimmune disease cannot be emphasized. The most important factors are 1) stress reduction, 2) improved diet with an emphasis on high nutrient foods such as vegetables and fruits, and an avoidance of foods which tax the immune system such as meats, dairy, saturated fats and sugar and 3) an avoidance of hormonal disruptors such as certain plastics and chemicals, particularly artificial sweeteners, pesticides and fertilizers.

In terms of treatment, certain agents such as radioiodine used for hyperthyroidism, merely perpetuate immune system dysfunction. While aggressive measures are used to destroy the thyroid, which is the victim not the cause in autoimmune hyperthyroidism, these agents may lead to the development of other autoimmune conditions. Before any aggressive measures for autoimmune disease are considered, holistic health options should be employed.”

I am posting this because there are a lot of people interested in alternatives to RAI and they e-mail me. If you already destroyed your thyroid, fine. It’s too late for you. But please don’t dam those who still have a chance to recover without harming your body! May be if more people would try something else first, there would be more cases showing remission without RAI!

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Anyone that tried natural methods/diet? #1073657

Ski, I agree with you in that you first have to find your balancing point when taking medication. This is a time consuming and frustrating period every Grave’s patient has to go through. I know that I did. But I also think that patients have to be actively involved in the amount of medication prescribed, and doctors should be willing to work with the patient and encourage the patient to find this balance. Its like sitting on a balancing bar, whewre you have to find the balancing point. It’s tricky and it does require time and sensitivity.

However, encouraging the patient to be involved will have two benefits. For one, you can prevent damaging your thyroid too much; second, patients will learn how to "feel" the affects of the medication, and then be better able to determine when the balancing point is reached. This will be different for every person. Because only they themselves will be able to make that call! If I had followed my specialist directions, I would have taken SIX TIMES the amount of PTU prescribed! The thing was, once I understood what was happening to my body, I didn’t want to slam bang myself down. I wanted to come down slowly. That’s what felt right to me. So I took very little PTU, just enough to see how it would affect me. And sure enough, I could feel the flip over to the hypo side. I didn’t like it, and I reduced the PTU even more, even though my thyroid specialist insisted that it was crucial that I continue the prescribed dosage!

What if this slam bang conventional medication treatment isn’t the way to go? It may work for laboratory animals to quickly resolve the symptoms, but for a human organism, it may just be too harsh.

Well, if you are the kind of person who already pops pills for every little illness, than you may have already deprived your self of the sensitively needed to detect malfunctions and imbalances in your body. And may it be noted here that I do not claim that my approach works for everyone!

But for those who usually avoid medications / toxins from entering your body, and if you are NOT genetically predisposed to Grave’s, I believe that you can attend to your immune system for recovery, by participating in your balancing act!

Sure, I may be part of the “exception” group where Grave’s went into remission without anyone knowing exactly why. But if physicians would encourage people more to participate in their own treatment plan may be we would see more success stories!

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Anyone that tried natural methods/diet? #1073653

Ok, first of all, I am here to share my own successful experience in hope I can inspire people to think twice before doing any permanent damage to your body. I am not here to persuade or change beliefs people have about science.

In the old days, I remember that tonsils were surgically removed when infected. Today, most physicians agree that it is not the best way to treat them. We thought certain vaccinations were good, as were antibiotics. Today we know that doctors can be wrong. Generally, when it comes to my health, I am not willing to blindly follow every doctor’s directions. Especially when it involves permanent damage to my body!

I think the disagreement here is that some people have absolute faith in this idea that medicine is a proven science. A treatment is either true or false. It may work this way for a car. But you can obviously see that it doesn’t work for every human being! I happen to believe that the human organism must be considered as a whole, with emotions, psychology, proper nutrition and loving care. And before anyone even considers a change in lifestyle to address an auto-immune disorder for recovery, one has to have no doubt about their own inner abilities.

Statistics and scientific evidence do not necessarily deliver facts. They are speculation and interpretations, and often they are funded by pharmaceuticals and medical organizations that profit from them. It is unfortunate that studies that support recovery with less invasive measures and less medication are often ignored because they lack funding.

Further, in the medical field, statistics are usually based on participating physicians or their medical boards. Those are usually the ones that prescribe the conventional treatments, and most of their patients will follow them. So of course destroying your thyroid and taking meds will get rid of the symptoms – and – of course they can claim those are effective treatments. But what have you done to your body now? Now you are dependent on pills for the rest of your life and your thyroid is destroyed! How effective is that for a solution to a disease that is still not fully understood?

Consider also the fact that US medical students are still not required to take nutrition classes, or courses that study the interaction of human emotions with the human body. Medical students are still trained to deal with specific symptoms without addressing the human factor, meaning emotions are completely left out. That is changing however. Today we know that love and positive emotions benefit our arteries, while anger harms them. Consider the strength that the human emotion love can create. We can no longer deny that human emotions have a direct link, influence and impact on our health.

Addressing the emotional factor here makes especially sense because the thyroid manages hormones, and hormones are directly linked to your emotions. Why is it so hard to understand that humans are organic bodies that go hand in hand with your emotional and mental state? We are not cars! Science makes sense when we built rockets, or build ships.

Scientific evidence is also based on animals tested in laboratories, and linked to studies performed by the same doctors who call the destruction of a patient’s thyroid and dependency on meds effective treatment. And please understand that I am not saying that my approach will work for everyone. Every human is different and I think every case requires different approaches. We are all so unique, yet, we insist on these one for all solutions! What I am saying here is that if you want to prevent RAI or surgery, focus on your auto immune disorder, and believe in your bodies ability to sustain and heal itself. Many people are quite capable of riding out the disease. And if it doesn’t, you can still take RAI.

If people want to blindly follow directions of every conventional doctor because of so-called scientific evidence – fine. If you want to place your faith, health and life in the pharmaceutical and medical industry because they claim to have the only right methods – fine. If that works for you – great! But please respect that I have chosen a different route and it worked for me. And I am here to inspire anyone who thinks they can conquer it differently too. I got involved with my own treatment; I refused to follow so-called effective treatment methods – because I wanted to be healed, not left with more health issues. For me, living on meds for the rest of my life is NOT an option! I attended to my immune system in spite of most doctors telling me the same things that I read right here, too. I am completely healthy again. I know that I will never deal with thyroid issues again! And I have a problem with people telling me differently because they are not the ones sticking on my skin and flesh! They are not the ones in touch with my soul and body! I didn’t appreciate this arrogance from my doctors, and I certainly don’t appreciate it here!

People should be encouraged and inspired to try new approaches by using their own inner strength and judgment. That is what we should promote. And that is in fact what many people here are looking for. I received private messages from individuals who are very interested in non-conventional methods. They are looking for hope, they are looking for alternatives, they are looking for inspiration. Many tell me they are uncomfortable posting here, because they get lectured by people who give them the same phrases they got from their doctors. And doctors will usually rush them into a decision. Shouldn’t this forum be an open place where all people feel comfortable discussing their ideas and experiences? Or is this board meant to be a lecture hall, where many will ask, and a few will claim the truth? Should we really narrow ourselves into believing that conventional treatments are the only scientifically proven ones? Because, they are not. You can simply not prove to me that I am not cured! My thyroid may be scarred, if at all, but I now live a life without meds, with a functioning thyroid, and I am fully confident that it will remain this way.

For those who think I am just an exception, or got lucky, well, again, you want to believe that so-called scientific evidence is in fact prove. I can’t, and won’t, argue with that. I am not here to change anyone beliefs. You may view my principles of healing and health as unsupported. They may be unconventional and progressive, but they are not unsupported. A little research will show plenty of people who have overcome illnesses and diseases with similar principles and methods. Look at their extra ordinary stories and examine what these people have in common. They all share a certain attitude. It doesn’t matter so much what specific diet they use, or how much they exercise, or what herbs they take. What matters is that they all maintain a positive outlook and faith in their own abilities. They let their bodies know that they care and they are good to themselves. It matters that you avoid toxins. It matters that you increase positive feelings and decrease negative ones. And it matters that you laugh, feel empowered, and allow love in your life. However you can get there – that’s what got me there. Not luck. It is a mental adjustment as much as it is a physical adjustment. It starts with encouragement – your own encouragement. And who do you think will pay for a scientific study that will attempt to measure such principles on recovery and health? The pharmaceutical industry?

Take simple analogy. Most of us have had headaches I am sure. Well, how many of us out there know why they got that headache? You may have a headache after yelling at some kids all day long. Or may be you partied too much the night before. The point is, there are people who have a sense for why their body reacts in a certain way. And that is a good thing! Nurture that ability! A doctor may tell you to pop some pills, and there is probably scientific evidence saying that this will be an effective treatment of headaches. Even though, you may be better off in the long run by not taking pills because it will allow your own body to develop strength and your immune system may become stronger because of it.

A previous post complained that he / she can not reduce stress and avoid work. Well, anyone who is not willing to put the well being of your body first has the choice to destroy the thyroid and live on medication for the rest of their lives. It is not my choice to make. And I am certainly not here to persuade anyone. I like to encourage anyone who is confused and desperate to find your inner strength, to give your body the attention it needs, and most of all to give it some time. Everyone has the ability to learn a feel for what their bodies are lacking, and what they need. What do you have to lose?

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Anyone that tried natural methods/diet? #1073640

Ski, Dianne – thank you for your responses – I do follow them with great interest. They are however, no different from what I have already heard over and over again from the many "western" doctors that I have seen. You add nothing new to the science of Grave’s. So please allow me to respectfully disagree with both of you on a few things.

For one, Grave’s to this day is not fully understood, and I think we can all agree on that. So, how do you suppose doctors can successfully treat a Grave’s patient if the cause is unknown? Again, the treatment that doctors in the old days came up with only focused on treating the symptoms – not the disease. And those treatments are apparently still a preferable option for many doctors in the US today. Despite the fact that there are many cases out there where people have gotten Grave’s under control without destroying their thyroid. I am not a unique case! One lady even "sells" her cure online, even though it is founded on the same principles that I promote here for free. My principles are not based on diet and alternative treatments alone. They are founded on the idea that you can work on being in tune with your body, and restore your immune system by riding out the disease without destroying your thyroid.

As German native, I have extensively researched treatment approaches in Europe and found that the use of RAI is a last resort only for patients with extreme cases of Grave’s. The most common treatment in Germany is in fact medication alone. And there are many cases where Germans chose to only take beta blockers and simple let the disease take its course until it goes into remission on its own – which seems to happen frequently for those people who learn to adjust to a healthier living.

As to the eye problems, they may never go away, even if you do the RAI or surgery! The eye problems are a result of your auto immune disorder – not your thyroid! That is a fact. If the eye problems disappear after some years, it only shows that the disease took its course and now goes into remission. It means you didn’t have to destroy your thyroid to get there! In most cases, your immune system will eventually start to balance itself, if you provide your body with some loving caring attention. Be good to your self! So instead of running to destroy your thyroid, give yourself some time, use whatever minimal meds get you by, and work on healing yourself!

You seem to somewhat believe that I promote an unproven alternative treatment plan that is statistically speaking ineffective. My cure of Grave’s isn’t due to a specific diet! What I am saying is that you should avoid destroying your thryroid at all costs possible! The more invasive your treatment, the more long term your imbalance of your immune system! That is what I am saying. And my current "western" physician will only attest to that. At last, I found a doctor who recognizes the importance of the mind going hand in hand with your body.

I overcame Grave’s because of a combination of factors. For one, I never believed in taking meds for every little illness and bug to begin with. I have always been in tune with what goes on inside of me. I let my body fight the bugs and my body becomes stronger because of it. Unless I am faced with a real life threatening condition, I will not put myself through unnecessary treatments that will only weaken my body in the long run. And the many HIV infected people out there who live with the disease without an outbreak for many years will attest to the fact that your own body will be your biggest protector – if you treat it right!

So, my cure in essence begins with an inner belief that I have to give my body the rest, sanctity, nutrients and time it needs. When I was diagnosed with Grave’s, I was horrified because I never thought I would have to face anything like that. But once I started to learn, research and come to terms with it all, I became determined to heal myself.

True, herbal and natural remedies will not stop an overactive thyroid. And I did have to take beta blockers, or else I would have probably died. I took a minimal dose though, of 20 mg may be once or twice a day. Eventually, I decided to take some small amount of PTU because I started to literally waste away. Since I am sensitive, since I never took meds in my life, I wanted to get a "feel" for these pills first, so I started with one daily – even though I was supposed to take six!

My point here is not what I specially did or didn’t do to cure myself, but rather that everyone has the ability to get a "feel" for their body and that will help you boost yourself back to normal. This will be different for everyone. Do whatever you have to do to minimally go though Grave’s, and I believe that over time (2-5 years), the disease will remiss, your eyes will normalize, and you can then start to rebuild a strong immune system by getting the medication toxins out of your body and begin a life style that will soothe you.

As a woman in her 40s, I was diagnosed with Grave’s in 2004. Several docs told me I would have to deal with this for the rest of my life. But today, I enjoy a life without meds, and with a thryroid that is intakt. And that is a fact! I have nothing to gain from sharing my experience, and I don’t care whether people out here believe me or not. But the fact is that I am healed, my eyes are pretty much back to normal, and my doctor is absolutely certain that thyroid problems will not be part of my future. But what is even more important is that I myself feel and know that my thyroid will be fine. Why? Because I addressed my auto immune dysfunction. And not a single day goes by that I don’t do something nice now for my body. I avoid stress, I relax more, I eat right and I keep toxins out of my life as much as I can, all while appreciating every single day of my life.

” title=”Wink” />

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Life Situations, Emotions, and Graves’ Disease #1073887

Propylthyracil is what I took for about 7 months but I only took a low dosage, against the advise of my doc. When I started to feel tired, sluggish, depressed and gained weight, I stopped taking the meds all together. Since then I have been working on repairing my immune system with a new doctor. He started off by making me eat lots and lots of seaweed, as it pulls the toxins out of your liver. I also used herbal remedies to detox my colon and I stopped drinking coffee and learned to relax more and avoid stress, sugar, fats and junk food. After about a year, I noticed that I felt much better and stronger again and that’s when my eyes started to very slowly get better too. It took about 2 years for them to return back in position. I don’t think they are completely back yet – but I think in time they will.

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Anyone that tried natural methods/diet? #1073637

US doctors will usually focus on eliminating the symptoms of Grave’s, not the healing of the actual disease. Grave’s is an auto immune disorder, and that’s what any treatment should address. Four out of the 5 doctors / specialists that I saw recommended that I take RAI and destroy my thyroid. In Europe, doctors will actually try to avoid this method, because, if you destroy your thyroid, you will be on meds for the rest of your life. Not to mention that your immune system may still attack your eyes and cause other health problems.

Here is what I did, and I consider myself completely cured of Grave’s: I took very little PTU after trying all kinds of other alternatives that didn’t work. I also did take some beta blockers – they saved my life! The PTU did calm my over active thyroid and even though my then-doctor prescribed a very high dosage, I only took one a day and that was more than enough for me. Once my levels were somewhat normal (after about 7 months), I stopped the PTU all together – against the advise of my doctor. Then I switched doctors again, and finally found someone who explained that it is the immune system that needs attention. Most conventional doctors will not even consider the immune system, even though Grave’s is caused by an impaired immune system. In my case, I began with some herbal colon and liver detox remedies, stopped drinking coffee, learned to relax and avoid stress, added massages, avoid sugar, fatty foods and junk food. I also make a mental effort of "talking to" and feeling my body. I put my mind to telling my immune system to relax and to not attack my thyroid and eyes. It sounds silly, but I think it is important to be in touch with your body and learn to understand and listen to it.

My eye problems continued for another year, but once my immune system became more balanced, my eyes started slowly to move back in position. It has been over 2 years since I had an over active thyroid and today my thyroid is completely healthy and normal, and even though my eyes are still slightly puffy in times, they look pretty much back to normal, too.

I truly believe that some of these invasive treatments (RAI and surgery) will be part of the past one day – when medicine allows a better understanding of our complex human body. And I am just glad that I didn’t listen to the first 4 doctors! Had I followed the orders of the first 4 doctors, I would live with a destroyed thyroid, depend on medication for the rest of my life, and would still have bulging, irritating eyes. Instead, I still have a healthy working thyroid, my eyes look pretty much normal again, and my new doctor is confident that I will never have Grave’s again.

Well, hope this will give you an alternative perspective.

Good Luck to you!

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Newly Diagnosed Today #1073768

Ski wrote: It is always best, once you’ve arrived at a decision to take ATDs, to follow the doctor’s instructions. The dose would have been lowered in time, per the regular course of things.

See, the problem I have with Dr. recommendations is that they focus on eliminating the symptoms, and not the healing of the actual disease. Grave’s is an auto immune disorder. That’s what any treatment should address! Four out of the 5 doctors / specialists that I saw recommended that I do a radioactive treatment and destroy my thyroid. In Europe, doctors will actually try to avoid this method, because, if you destroy your thyroid, you will be on meds for the rest of your life!

Now, I am not saying that for some people this is not the appropriate treatment, but it is very well worth to try meds first to calm an over active thyroid, and THEN, focus on putting your immune system back into balance. My 5th doctor finally explained this to me – and in my case, I feel completely cured of Graves – including the eye problems! The key to curing Grave’s is really your immune system. Dealing with repairing your immune system will take time and patience, and knowing how to be good to yourself. So, boy, I am really glad that I didn’t listen to the first 4 doctors, because now I still have a healthy working thyroid, and my eyes look almost normal again.

I am really thinking that some of these invasive treatments will be part of the past one day, when medicine allows a better understanding of our human body and the importance of each and every organ in a complex balance. Doctors are not gods!

[sabinaa]

in reply to: More Eye Questions – driving me crazy… #1073685

Oh, eye problems are the worst!

As to your question, the reason the eyes become irritated is not because of your thyroid, it is because Grave’s is an auto immune disorder. So, unfortunately, even if you remove your thyroid, your eye problems may not disappear. For that, you really have to bring your immune system back to balance. In my case, I took minimal PTU for a little while. Once my T4 and T3 were close to normal – I stopped the meds all together and began some life style changes, like eating healthy, liver and colon detox, relaxation activities, no more coffee, reduce sugar, fats, junk food, and most of all, stress.

My Grave’s has been dormant for 2 years. My eye problems continued for a while but they are finally beginning to look normal again. It takes time. There is no quick fix. But in my case, my eyes moved pretty much back in to their sockets, and the right eye, which stood out with a glare so much, is looking pretty close to the other one. I still have some puffiness. Lubrication is a must and I still use lubricating eye drops every day. Sometimes I gently massage my eye balls and I focus on telling my body to put them back into place. I am thinking that they will eventually look completely normal again.

Anyhow, good luck to you!

[sabinaa]

in reply to: PTU Induced Hepatitis #1074345

Boy, this is a touch one. If I had been in this situation, I would certainly not rush into surgery either. You can deal with Grave’s for a while without meds and do some more research and get more opinions, may be from some reputable holistic specialists. I only took a fraction of the PTU that was prescribed to me and felt that was more than enough. And I got my thyroid down without liver problems and now my thyroid is functioning normal without meds – against the predictions of my past doctors! But then, every body is different. It is hard to advise on this as I only understand my own body. But I would certainly take the time to explore other options first.

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Graves vs hyperthyroidism #1073801

Well, all kinds of damage can occur if hyperthyroidism is left untreated in the long run. You will suffer from muscle weakness and since your heart is a muscle, too, it will weaken over time. But you also put more strain on your heart because of the increased heart rate. In the long run this can do some serious damage to your heart.

Also, your mental state will deteriorate. Instead of feeling depressed, you may feel like you are on a temporary high, then restless, constantly ready to go and do something, but too weak to actually do it. Difficulty sleeping will be hard on your body. Concentration and the ability to focus will diminish. You will feel more achy, and anxious. You may have anxiety. This is not a healthy mental state to be in.

Finally, when I left my Grave’s untreated for a while I noticed that my skin became really thin, itchy and dry. I lost a lot of hair, felt like I was aging more, and I always looked exhausted and tired, not to mention that I had to breath so much faster because of my increased heart rate. The disease was generally really hard on my body, and I literally felt like I was wasting away.

All this is damaging to all parts in your body. There may be no serious permanent damages in the short run, but if Grave’s is left untreated, in the long run, you can face all kinds of un-repairable health problems, especially to your heart.

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Newly Diagnosed Today #1073758

Kathyb – definitely start with the meds first! It is the best first step in getting yourself together again, like the previous post suggests. Do not rush into destroying your thyroid! You may be able to conquer your Grave’s and it is worth a try.

The first 3 doctors that I saw about my hyperthyroidism all suggested that I take radioactive iodine to destroy my thyroid. My T4 levels were really high at the time. But I loudly refused this type of treatment. I absolutely did not want my thyroid destroyed, and I did not want to be on medication for the rest of my life!

I actually tried all kinds of herbal and natural remedies for a while. Unfortunately, none of them made any difference. I started beta blockers just to keep my heart palpitations under control – they did save my life as my resting heart rate was 120. I just put up with the other symptoms for many months. It was awful, but the weight loss was welcomed. But my T4 levels kept rising up and my TSH levels became pretty much non-existent. Then I realized that I was literally wasting away, and my mind was just too spun up, so I started taking some PTU (medication that will suppress the production of the T3 and T4 hormones in your thyroid). I was supposed to take 2 in the morning, 2 at noon, and 2 in the evening. Well, since I had never taken any meds before, I only took one in the morning, and one at night. My Dr. kept lecturing me about it, but I didn’t care. I could feel what was happening. And over the next several months I was slowing down from this wacky high, and I was gaining weight for the first time in years. That’s when I stopped PTU all together and I changed my life style to address my dysfunctional immune system (rest, reduce stress, no coffee, detox liver, fresh foods, etc.) For the past 2 ½ years my Grave’s has been dormant. My thyroid is intact and functioning normal.

So, don’t rush into destroying your thyroid! Study Grave’s, learn your symptoms, listen to and understand your body, and face the disease front on!

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Graves vs hyperthyroidism #1073798

The difference between Grave’s and hyperthyroidism is that Grave’s is an auto-immune dysfunction in which your own immune system attacks your thyroid, thus, creating hyperthyroidism (overproduction of hormones such as T4 and T3). Grave’s disease can also affect your eyes and skin, and that’s when doctors are sure that it is Grave’s. Hyperthyroidism by itself can occur for other reasons as well, but it may not mean you have Grave’s.

My Grave’s has been dormant now for over 2 years – I got there with life style changes, like quit drinking coffee, becoming more calm, yoga and relaxation, avoidance of stress and eating healthy. I did take PTU for about 1 year – much less then what was prescribed, and it did lower my thyroid levels, however, I came down hard (gained weight, felt tired, felt down). It was as if I was turning hypo (under production of hormones). Even though I wasn’t hypo according to my blood work. But I didn’t like that down feeling – especially after feeling so up and high with the Grave’s. So I quit taking PTU all together and just focused on fixing my dysfunctional immune system. I did this by treating my body with the best care I could give it. Lot’s of rest, fresh foods, I did some detox for colon and liver, I exercise moderately, and most of all, I avoid stress now by staying calm instead of getting worked up in any situation. I surrender rather than fight when in conflict. And I feel great! My new holistic Dr. thinks that Grave’s won’t come back into my life.

Anyhow, I hope everyone gets well and I wish everyone Good Luck!

[sabinaa]

in reply to: Life Situations, Emotions, and Graves’ Disease #1073885

My Grave’s disease also started after a couple of years of non-stop stress and fast lane life style. I remember exercising a lot to deal with the stress, and I began to feel a pressure in my thryroid at that time. Then the heart palpitations started and the thryoid gland became enlarged. While I feel that stress certainly ignited my disease, I also wonder about the affect of the 1986 Chernobyl fall out, in which radioactive iodine 131 was released into the atmosphere. I was in Munich at the time and enjoyed the "warm" rain – an hour later I had the worst headache I ever experienced. Another hour later and they finally reported the accident in the news and advised people to stay away from outside, shower, and not to drink milk or eat veggies grown in the area. Kids were not allowed to play outside and it was all very horrible.

I used to have perfect health – no family history of thryroid problems or any other diseases, so when I was suddenly diagnosed with Grave’s I was in complete shock and disbelief. To this day I don’t really know what exactly caused my Grave’s. But I do think that stress was a great part of its awakening.

My Grave’s has been dormant for over 2 years now. I refused the radio active treatment and surgery. Instead, I took a 1/3 of the PTU prescribed, used beta blockers for my heart, and made some life style changes, like stop drinking coffee, less alcohol, and most of all – less stress! I began yoga, rested more, and eat healthier. I stopped taking the PTU after about 9 months (and after all my other herbal and natural remedies had failed!). My Dr. kept telling me I should continue PTU, but I always went by what my body was telling me – and the PTU really got my thyroid levels down quick. I had never taken any medication in my life before – not even for headaches (and I hardly have any), so taking PTU wasn’t easy for me – that’s why I always took less than what the Dr. said I should take. In any case – it worked – for me at least. So my best advise to people who are just diagnosed with Grave’s is to try mild medication and life style changes first before destroying your thyroid forever!

Good Luck everyone!

[Author]

Posts