Aa
would love some input
If you have hyperthyroidism from Graves disease, and you are on medication, will the medication stop the effects? Can bulging eyes ever go back to normal? Does anybody know or have first-hand experience. My daughter was diagnosed with Graves. Her period had stopped, which had brought her to seek medical help, in the first place. She has always been thin. She has been on meds for about four weeks. Eyes are starting to bulge. Oddly, she's putting on weight. Needless to say. this is upsetting. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Lexi,
My eyes turned bad about 2 months into the medication for my hyperthyroidism and after my other symptoms started to go away. TED is still the most troubling part of dealing with graves for me. AR is correct when he says the diseases are connected, but follow separate paths. I am encouraged to hear from others than in 2-3 years after treatment the eyes do get better, but my eye doctor is not as optimistic. I have good days and bad days, but using eye drops and taking flax seed oil seem to help. Air travel seems to make them worse. Give your daughter lots of support as its hard to see your appearence change...I still don't recognize myself sometimes when I look in the mirror. The main thing is to make an appointment for an opthamologist who has treated TED as soon as possible and then keep going as scheduled. They can give the best advice.
My eyes turned bad about 2 months into the medication for my hyperthyroidism and after my other symptoms started to go away. TED is still the most troubling part of dealing with graves for me. AR is correct when he says the diseases are connected, but follow separate paths. I am encouraged to hear from others than in 2-3 years after treatment the eyes do get better, but my eye doctor is not as optimistic. I have good days and bad days, but using eye drops and taking flax seed oil seem to help. Air travel seems to make them worse. Give your daughter lots of support as its hard to see your appearence change...I still don't recognize myself sometimes when I look in the mirror. The main thing is to make an appointment for an opthamologist who has treated TED as soon as possible and then keep going as scheduled. They can give the best advice.
I want to share the little I know. I have Thyroid Eye Disease and am HYPOthyroid. There are times when the eyes do not water or burn, then there are HOT PHASES when they can be very painful and bothersome. Please ask the doctor for a referral to an opthalmologist. Depending on the condition of your girl's eyes, he MAY put her on a steroid (prednisone?) for a short period and wean her SLOWLY off it (VERY IMPORTANT). She will feel better immediately. As for the swelling, I don't know what to tell you for now.
I had problems focusing and yet the doctors insisted I Have RAI (radioactive iodine)... this is NEVER to be done if there are problems already existing with the eyes (and, in my opinion, should never be done, period). Only once I was put on 40 mg prednisone and found it caused me to feel terrible. I made the mistake of SUDDENLY STOPPING IT. I called the Advice nurse and ER so many times but just did NOT WANT TO CALL 911. FINALLY I found out that Any steroid cannot ever be stopped suddenly (I also think it should be GIVEN GRADUALLY over a matter of 4 days to optimum dose) so I decided on my own to simply go BACK on the prednisone but only took 20 mg and then gradually got off little at a time.
Has this helped? I hope so. My best to you and your daughter, it's so hard when our kids are ill.. All moms should get free medical educations, right>?
Liu
I had problems focusing and yet the doctors insisted I Have RAI (radioactive iodine)... this is NEVER to be done if there are problems already existing with the eyes (and, in my opinion, should never be done, period). Only once I was put on 40 mg prednisone and found it caused me to feel terrible. I made the mistake of SUDDENLY STOPPING IT. I called the Advice nurse and ER so many times but just did NOT WANT TO CALL 911. FINALLY I found out that Any steroid cannot ever be stopped suddenly (I also think it should be GIVEN GRADUALLY over a matter of 4 days to optimum dose) so I decided on my own to simply go BACK on the prednisone but only took 20 mg and then gradually got off little at a time.
Has this helped? I hope so. My best to you and your daughter, it's so hard when our kids are ill.. All moms should get free medical educations, right>?
Liu
Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) is related to Grave's disease, but it is not considered a part of Grave's disease.
Medication for Grave's disease will cause some of the symptoms of Grave's to lessen, but it takes time for that to happen.
TED should be treated as a separate issue. There is not much in the way of treatment options for TED while it is active. It has active phases and dormant phases. It can occur before, during, or after a flair up of Grave's disease.
Special lubricating eye drops are helpful. Grave's actually changes the makeup of tears, and there is not enough fat content in the tears to lubricate. It's more water, and as you know water can actualy dry skin out rather than lubricate or moisten.
If you Google Thyroid Eye Disease, you should find quite a bit of information on it. If you have more questions or concerns, ask away.
You should also ask for copies of thyroid bloodwork when tests are run. Often a nurse will call and say the tests came back normal, but there is "good enough" normal, and then there is "just right" normal. "Good enough" is often not good enough. Having a piece of paper in your hand answers a lot more questions and may contradict the opinion of the doctor's nurse.
Best of luck to you both.
Medication for Grave's disease will cause some of the symptoms of Grave's to lessen, but it takes time for that to happen.
TED should be treated as a separate issue. There is not much in the way of treatment options for TED while it is active. It has active phases and dormant phases. It can occur before, during, or after a flair up of Grave's disease.
Special lubricating eye drops are helpful. Grave's actually changes the makeup of tears, and there is not enough fat content in the tears to lubricate. It's more water, and as you know water can actualy dry skin out rather than lubricate or moisten.
If you Google Thyroid Eye Disease, you should find quite a bit of information on it. If you have more questions or concerns, ask away.
You should also ask for copies of thyroid bloodwork when tests are run. Often a nurse will call and say the tests came back normal, but there is "good enough" normal, and then there is "just right" normal. "Good enough" is often not good enough. Having a piece of paper in your hand answers a lot more questions and may contradict the opinion of the doctor's nurse.
Best of luck to you both.
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