# Disgnosed Today



## BostonGuy (Jan 18, 2011)

Hello all, my name is Justin 21 years old from Boston area. I was just diagnosed with GD today and I'm doing ok with it, kinda confused, and not sure what to expect. However my doctor was excellent and was very kind. However I feel a personal experience will help me through this very much. Thank you all for taking the time to read this and I appreciate it. Best wishes to all.

Justin


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## Chase (Dec 10, 2010)

Welcome to the boards, Justin! I was diagnosed in November and am juggling all the joys of our mutual disease (today was a bad day, grrr). Anyway, I think you'll find a ton of support in these boards as I have.

The fact that you like your doc is great. That's going to be your biggest help. You're going to have a few decisions to make as this progresses, and a good doc makes all the difference, in my opinion. There are rough spots, for sure. So, feel free to sound off on here. I am learning that there's always at least someone who has experienced the same thing. They may not be able to provide an answer, but as Andros put it, commiseration is good from time to time. 

So, welcome, and I hope things go well for ya!

CHASE


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BostonGuy said:


> Hello all, my name is Justin 21 years old from Boston area. I was just diagnosed with GD today and I'm doing ok with it, kinda confused, and not sure what to expect. However my doctor was excellent and was very kind. However I feel a personal experience will help me through this very much. Thank you all for taking the time to read this and I appreciate it. Best wishes to all.
> 
> Justin


Hi there Justin!! So, tell us; what tests have you had? Did you have RAIU (radioactive uptake scan), any antibodies' tests?

Do you have a goiter, eye problems, myxedema, thyrotoxicosis?

Has doc put you on antithyroid meds and a beta blocker?

Welcome to the board. Not happy about the reason that brought you here but glad to hear you have such an excellent doctor. That is a huge plus!


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## BostonGuy (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the responses. I just started taking my medication. As for everything else. I haven't had any tests or blood work. My first blood work will be in two weeks. My question is the only thing that upsets me is the whole eyes bulging thing. Is this something that happens with everyone or is it just something that happens when it's left untreated? thanks everyone again


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

Hello Justin 21 and welcome to the Boards.

*"However my doctor was excellent and was very kind" *
Consider yourself lucky and if doctor listen to you, hears you, and willing to work with you, that is half the battle with thyroid disease or any illnesses.

Not all Graves' comes with eyes bulging (TED) and if it does it might not be server.

Thyroid Eye Disease is an autoimmune eye condition that is separate from thyroid disease and is a specific disorder. There is some evidence that people having thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins TSI are more susceptible to TED, therefore may develop in patients with Graves' disease, however, not all Graves' get TED. The eye signs can also be seen/associated with other autoimmune diseases as diabetes, arthritis and in rare cases myasthenia gravis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis Hashitoxicosis, or atrophic thyroiditis as well as in unclassified group, having Normal-functioning Thyroid. Severe thyroid eye disease occurs in possibly only 2% with an overactive thyroid. Smoking increases the risk nearly 8 fold as well as Stress . The risk is worse in males, older women and in those with severe overactive thyroid conditions. Some people develop TED when they take animal-based extracts such as Armour, because the immune system react to foreign proteins found in glandular extracts. Synthetic meds. doesn't cause this probelm.

There are precautions that can be done to help if one is at risk or showing signs. Until then try not to worry.


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

Hi Justin:

I'm so sorry you are going through all this, especially the Graves eyes. Once you get sorted with your blood tests, you might seek out an eye surgeon that specializes in Graves Eye Disease because there are things that can be done to get your eyes back to normal. I will have had Graves and Hashimotos for one year on 2/10/11. I can tell you that having a wonderful doctor is half the battle of this disease. I don't know what I would have done had my doctors not been so awesome. You will have good days and bad days, but hopefully you can get it under control sooner rather than later.

Just remember, you are not alone. There are a lot of us out here that are dealing with the same issues you are dealing with and we are happy to help.

Hang in there! :hugs:

Patti


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BostonGuy said:


> Thanks everyone for the responses. I just started taking my medication. As for everything else. I haven't had any tests or blood work. My first blood work will be in two weeks. My question is the only thing that upsets me is the whole eyes bulging thing. Is this something that happens with everyone or is it just something that happens when it's left untreated? thanks everyone again


Okay; it is very very important for you to see a Board Certified Ophthalmologist who has experience treating GED (Graves' Eye Disease.)

There is much to be done to stave of the infiltration to the eyes and the eyes must be treated independently of the thyroid. Treating the thyroid helps but does not in fact solve the problem with the eyes.

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/eyedisease.html


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## Chase (Dec 10, 2010)

I am seeing an eye doc, myself, for bulging eyes. For me, I think we got it in time so that I am not is as much trouble as others with it. However, I have already had to change my contact prescription, and I now see the eye doc every three weeks so she can measure and see if I'm going to end up like Marty Feldman or not. 

Also, for me, once everything is brought under control / removed, my eyes may return to normal. Or they may not. It's just the way the cookie crumbles, I guess. So, you're going to be your best advocate in all this. Get it checked or at least talk to your endo about what to do next. I find that at least knowing is, as GI Joe once said, half the battle. Whether or not there's a fix for it is the other half. But you're going to have to be proactive and check it out.

But, like GD said, try not to worry. You have your hands full as it is!


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## BostonGuy (Jan 18, 2011)

Also, I was experiencing these symptoms. Tremors, unsteadiness, heart palpitations etc beginning a year ago. It only started being treated 2 days ago.

Here are my Lab Results (1/10/2011):
ALK PHOS: 128 (0-100)
T4: 18.8 (6.0-12.0)
TSH: 0.03 (0.34-5.00)
FT4: 4.0 (0.6-1.6)
ALT: 52 (0-35)


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

Yup, you're hyper.
The ALK PHOS and ALT are liver related. Mine were high when I was diagnosed and went down with treatment. I would ask your doc to do a full liver panel to monitor your levels since anti-thyroid meds can be hard on the liver.

T4 is not really useful when thy measure FT4, and the FT4 is more accurate. I would suggest asking to have your FT3 monitored as well as it is your active hormone and can be much higher.

Here is a link to help you understand your lab tests. 
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid_panel/glance.html

I would also suggest asking your doctor to check your antibody levels: TSI, TPO, and thyroglobulin. They will help you know what is causing your hyperthyroidism.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BostonGuy said:


> Also, I was experiencing these symptoms. Tremors, unsteadiness, heart palpitations etc beginning a year ago. It only started being treated 2 days ago.
> 
> Here are my Lab Results (1/10/2011):
> ALK PHOS: 128 (0-100)
> ...


Labs reflect hyper and something is going on w/ the liver.

In most types of liver diseases, the ALT level is higher than AST, and the AST/ALT ratio will be low. There are a few exceptions. The AST/ALT ratio is usually increased in alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and with muscle injury.

You can read more here.
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/alt/test.html

Has your doc discussed the high liver enzymes w/you?


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## BostonGuy (Jan 18, 2011)

Hello everyone, I had an eye exam today and was informed that the likelihood of me getting bulging eyes was very unlikely!


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

That's great news! I'm glad you won't get bulging eyes. One less thing to worry about.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BostonGuy said:


> Hello everyone, I had an eye exam today and was informed that the likelihood of me getting bulging eyes was very unlikely!


This is very good news.

Now...........this is for "everyone's" edification; the eyes do not always bulge outward from the orbits. They take the path of least resistance when there is orbital infiltration. It depends on the person's facial structure i.e. orbital plate and the frontal bone.


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## AZgirl (Nov 11, 2010)

Chase, im finally going to call the endo for a doc that does work with GD and eyes. I dont have many of the normal symptoms, except, my left eye hurts a lot and hard to move.... causing a livable, but annoying pain. So, can you remember what your first visit was like? Do you know what they did? Ok some people have fear of the dentist, i HAVE A MAJOR FEAR of eye docs! I still at 43 yet to have that eye exam where they shoot the pressure air in them!!! and no one has ever had success putting eye drops in my eyes either! so if you can remember anything, maybe i can prep myself, or better yet, medicate myself!


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## Chase (Dec 10, 2010)

AZ,

My eye doc took a ruler measurement of my eyes to determine how far they were protruding. I go back to see her every three weeks to have them measured. Also, I was having double vision and couldn't read small print, despite the fact that I'm nearsighted. She changed my contact prescription and told me that it was likely it might change again before all was said and done.

As for the tests at the eye doc, NO ONE likes the glaucoma test, but it really IS over in a split second, I promise. It's such a simple test to detect such a damaging disease that can be treated if caught in time. Just remember that it doesn't hurt. It's just annoying. And surprising. I always like to think I know what a dog feels like when someone blows in its face once I get that test. 

Concerning eye drops, I can't stand to have them put in, either. I did find a workaround, though - I put them in the corner of my eyes while looking in the opposite direction. So, if I'm putting it in the right eye, I'll put them in the left corner of that eye while looking right. Works out so much better because there's no sensation or anticipation of something directly touching your cornea. Then, I blink a few times and the fluid is distributed over the eye. Just a thought on that one.

The eye exam, I have found, is an integral part of the treatment for GD. My peepers are my livelihood, so it's important that I be able to use them throughout this challenge. The fact that you're having pain in your eye is something you don't want to mess around with, especially during GD. Some things that you endure in the GD process are frightening, but they are things that have to be done for your own well-being and recovery. We all have those humps to cross (mine was taking radiation for the scan). Going to the eye doc seems like it will be yours, but you gotta do it. I know you can, otherwise, you wouldn't be inquiring about it on these boards. You'd just let it go and that'd be that. So, good for you! You get a gold star!

For what it's worth, eye docs are some of the most meticulous, steady-handed people I have ever seen. They are very good at what they do because they realize their speciality involves a very delicate part of the body. So, try to keep that in mind when you go to see one. Try not to psyche yourself out before you get there. Mostly, they're just going to measure your eyes and take a good look into them to make sure there are no bleeds or anything going on that need immediate care. And if they do find something, again, they're pretty danged meticulous and steady.

I know it's frightening, but you can do this. It's a step in taking charge of your recovery from GD. I go back to my doc next week, so maybe we can swap stories of our ocular adventures! As someone else on here said, live strong!


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

My eye doc told me people with Graves are more likely to develop glaucoma. So, I consider the test very important.


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