To Cease Meds or Not? - Question and Answer Forum - Elaine Moore Graves' Disease and Autoimmune Disease Education

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Wednesday, February 08, 2012

..:: Q & A ::..

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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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To Cease Meds or Not?

7/15/2010 7:13 AM

Madgie

Joined: 7/15/2010

Posts: 1

To Cease Meds or Not?

Hi Elaine

I was diagnosed with Graves Disease 3 years ago and have been on Neomercazole for that whole time - dosage now only 5mg per day. My Endocronologist has now given me the option of stopping drug treatment/or continuing on for another 6 months in the hope of reducing my antibody levels (TRABS). He says my TSH levels are good; but the antibody levels are still "mid range 2's" and he would prefer them to be in the 1.5 range. Two previous TRABS results were mid range 3's; and mid range 4's prior to that (this is over an 18 month period). He says a level of 1.5 would give me a slightly better chance of not developing a recurrence! I have been having GERD issues for over 2 years; and now have positive antibodies for RA: appointment next month with Rheumatologist; joints are aching all over; lactose intolerance; frucrose intolerance; and gluten intolerance. He says these issues are not related to the meds; but I am not so convinced!

I am anxious about stopping the meds; as I want to give myself the best chance of no recurrence; however I do feel the current meds are/or may have contributed to these other health issues. Can you offer me any advice please!

Many many thanks

Madgie

7/16/2010 1:05 AM

Elaine

Joined: 8/1/2008

Posts: 3174

Re: To Cease Meds or Not?

Hi Madgie,

Most people with Graves' disease have very low TSH levels unless their anti-thyroid drug (ATD) dose is too high (and they're hypothyroid) or they're in remission. Joint pain is a common symptom of hypothryoidism, and your saying that TSH is normal suggests that your dose of neo is probably too high. Same for GERD. The antibodies that cause Graves' disease falsely lower TSH levels so your normal TSH also suggests that you could be in remission.

Also, the total TRAb test measures both stimulating (TSI) and blocking TSH receptor antibodies. All you care about is the stimulating ones. Ideally, you'd get down to a neo dose of 1.25 mg and see what your labs look like on that dose. If TSH is at least 0.3 on a very low ATD dose, remission is likely. Best, Elaine

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To Cease Meds or Not?

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