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THE Q & A

Welcome to The Q&A with Elaine Moore. Registered members are invited to ask any question of Elaine Moore on autoimmune diseases, Graves' disease, other thyroid diseases and subconditions, laboratory work, traditional and complementary medicine, triggers and environmental influences, thyroid and immune disorders in pets and animals, and other relevant areas of inquiry.

Each thread represents one question with one answer and will only appear at the time it is answered. Once answered, further replies cannot be made to the same thread since each thread represents only one question. A new thread will need to be started for additional questions.

Questions are answered solely by Elaine Moore, a medical writer and clinical laboratory scientist, MT, CLS, with more than 30 years of experience in immunology. Moore has also authored and edited over a dozen books in the area of health sciences and is an editor for McFarland Publisher's Health Topics Series.


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 7/5/2010 11:43 PM
 
Ok, I am starting at the beginning to give you a clear picture. I'm 37 w/ 4 kids. In July 2007 I lost my grandmother who was like a mother to me and I just could not get it together after that. It was very stressful. In Feb. 09 I started birth control because my periods were not regular (junel fe), I had a bloodtest then and my thyroid was fine. April 09 I joined a weight loss group and lost 17 lbs. Aug 09 my husband lost his job they were going out of business and that was very stressful. End of Aug 09 I started noticing my hands shaking. First thought was Parkinsons. Recluctently I went to the dr. and did bloodwork and it showed hyperthyroid. Dr. wanted me to do a thyroid scan but I refused at the time thinking it may have just been stress. He said to get another blood test in a month but I waited till April of this year. At that time this is what the test showed
TSH 0.04, Free T4 3.8, Free T3 1314, Thyrogolb AB 33, Thymicrosom AB 2054 (not sure what the last 2 are) I then opted for an ultrasound which showed the thyroid being a little big as in a goiter, but not to worry about it. Not sure what the "normal" size is to be. I then just got a thyroid scan and its showing Graves. I know my 5 hr scan showed97% and my 24 hr showed 87%. My family dr says I should have RAI but I would rather try meds or surgery cause of putting that radioactive stuff in your body and almost get the same result (just me) I'd do the antithyroid meds since that helps the thyroid and you may be able to be in remission. At this time my only symptoms are hands shake (usually in am) sensitive to heat. I've lost 30 lbs in 14months but I work out. I do not want to gain it back and if meds will make me gain it back that may not be an option. I had one episode where my heart raced and dr put me on Metoprolo which I no longer take. After taking for a couple days every 3-4 hrs after my chest got tight and that never happened before, so it had to be the meds. I see and Endo in 2 weeks and am worried he'll push RAI. Noone in my family ever had thyroid issues so I'm not sure why I'm starting. Thanks in advance for any help.
Tina
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 7/7/2010 12:39 AM
 

Hi Tina,

Thyroglobulin antibodies are seen in high levels in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and in low levels like yours in Graves' disease. Anti-microsomal antibodies are the same as TPO antibodies, and they're markers of thyroid inflammation. Your thyroid hormone levels are high and your mild symptoms suggest that your levels have likely been steadily rising rather than abruptly changing.

Anti-thyroid drugs do help the immune system heal while lowering thyroid hormone levels. They're taken until you achieve remission and then, in most cases, thyroid function returns to normal although some people spontaneously move into mild hypothyroidism. Once your thyroid hormone levels are corrected and FT4 falls within the normal range, you won't lose weight easily although you won't necessarily gain weight. Weight gain while on ATDs is modest and with meds the dose is gradually reduced over time and eventually stopped.

With treatment that causes permanent hypothyroidism, weight gain is a common side effect and an average gain of 30 lbs within the first few years is typical. Because hyperthyroidism untreated can affect your heart, bones, and other organs, it's important to use appropriate treatment. And it's important to take charge and keep an eye on your thyroid hormone levels (keep copies of all results) to make sure that you're not over-medicated.

Autoimmune disorders tend to run in families and these include rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lupus, pernicious anemia, psoriasis and many other conditions. It could be that other family members have one of these other autoimmune conditions. Best, Elaine

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TO USERS: Q&A posts are visible to all readers. Users can delete their own threads at any time. Users must provide information which is true and correct to the best of their knowledge as well as provide sources or references to any health / medical information if not taken from personal experience. All users including the moderator must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Advertising and self-promotion is not allowed. The moderator or site administrator has the right to ban users with or without warning for not following the basic rules of this site. All posts by default are not to be considered that of medical professionals unless otherwise indicated. As sole moderator, Moore has no conflicts of interest in the sponsorship of this forum.

 

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