# Graves and Exericse



## michelle36 (Sep 12, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I am new to this board. I am from New Zealand and I was diagnosed with Graves Disease back in 2004. I have since had 2 girls (aged 6 and 3) and have been on various doses of carbimazole ranging from 5mg to 15mg per day. I found when I was pregnant I would be on a minimal dose of 5mg or nothing at all.

After speaking to my doctor in June regarding my goiter, he got me to do an iodine urine test, which came back a bit low. I began taking iodine drops and increased them by 1x drop a week til I got to 5 weeks and 5 drops. By then my goiter had swelled right up. I called my Endo and spoke to his nurse (as my Endo is always busy) and she told me to come off the iodine drops, as the carbimazole (I am on 5mg per day) and iodine are fighting for space in the thyroid gland. I came off both the iodine drops and the carbimazole for a week to get my goiter back to a smaller size.

I am now back on the carbimazole at 5mg per day. I have since seen a naturopath as my Endo is too busy to see me til October/November. He has given me a thyroidine test to measure the iodine in my urine as well as saliva and I will get this done next week. Once he has the results, he will let me know the right dose of iodine supplementation to take and hopefully shrink the goiter. He has also put my on two tablets per day of magnesium potassium aspartate. When I saw my doctor last he said my muscle was below average. I thought maybe I need to be exercising more! The naturopath has told me to stop running and walking and I can only do gentle exercise and also suggested yoga. He said the more I exercise the more T3 will be produced and my goiter will just get bigger. I am not so happy about this as I wanted to do a half marathon next month, but I want to get reduce the goiter so will give anything a go.

When I have seen my Endo in the past he has never mentioned anything about exericse.

I got a thyroid test done in June and 
TSH was 2.6 (0.4-4.0) 
FT4 was 12 (10-24)
For some reason the FT3 didn't get tested but looking at past thyroid results it is probably around 4.5-4.8 (2.5-5.5)

I have never really been very active but my goal this year was to do a half marathon next month, and now I have been told I can't do it. I already paid the entry fee so will do the 10km walk instead. This will be less stressful and I won't have to push myself hard to do this. The naturopath still wasn't happy that I am doing that even!

What do you guys reckon?
I want to shrink this goiter so have been trying very hard to reduce stress levels and take things slowly. Its'a bit hard with kids though!

thanks
Michelle


----------



## blueyes (Feb 15, 2013)

I'm curious about this too. I just got the "OK" to start light exercise again, but no one mentioned the T3 increase and goiter. My thyroid has been feeling larger (and more annoying) the past week or so and I wonder if it's due to the exercise...


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

michelle36 said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I am new to this board. I am from New Zealand and I was diagnosed with Graves Disease back in 2004. I have since had 2 girls (aged 6 and 3) and have been on various doses of carbimazole ranging from 5mg to 15mg per day. I found when I was pregnant I would be on a minimal dose of 5mg or nothing at all.
> 
> ...


Exercise of a rigorous nature is absolutely contraindicated for Graves' Disease persons who are or are not on anti-thyroid meds. You could have a heart attack or stroke.

You could have a Thyroid Storm and go into vascular collapse.

Your Naturopath is correct.


----------



## blueyes (Feb 15, 2013)

Andros said:


> Exercise of a rigorous nature is absolutely contraindicated for Graves' Disease persons who are or are not on anti-thyroid meds. You could have a heart attack or stroke.
> 
> You could have a Thyroid Storm and go into vascular collapse.
> 
> Your Naturopath is correct.


What about while on ATDs, levels are within range, and heart is healthy? My doctors say I'm good to exercise but I want to know if I should be arming myself with questions and following up on that...


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

blueyes said:


> What about while on ATDs, levels are within range, and heart is healthy? My doctors say I'm good to exercise but I want to know if I should be arming myself with questions and following up on that...


Personally, I would not chance it.


----------



## michelle36 (Sep 12, 2013)

So when is it ok to do any exercise then?

thanks
Michelle


----------



## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

Graves causes potassium deficiencies from sweating and the body being in over drive. Excercise causes oxidative stress on the body causing graves to thrive. Please get your doctors aproval for any exercise.


----------



## blueyes (Feb 15, 2013)

HotGrandma said:


> Graves causes potassium deficiencies from sweating and the body being in over drive. Excercise causes oxidative stress on the body causing graves to thrive. Please get your doctors aproval for any exercise.


Thanks for the responses, HotGrandma. It really helps being able to get answers someone who knows so much about Graves.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

michelle36 said:


> So when is it ok to do any exercise then?
> 
> thanks
> Michelle


Usually after ablation and the person is getting thyroxine replacement. Then you do want to start at ground level. As you continue to get stronger, your doc (a good one) will continue to titrate upward until all pistons are in full flux!

That was my own experience and it was and remains a good one.


----------



## blueyes (Feb 15, 2013)

Andros said:


> Usually after ablation and the person is getting thyroxine replacement. Then you do want to start at ground level. As you continue to get stronger, your doc (a good one) will continue to titrate upward until all pistons are in full flux!
> 
> That was my own experience and it was and remains a good one.


When you say ablation, do you mean RAI? Based on my situation, my endo has said that if anyone has a chance at remission, it would be me... so my current treatment plan is to stay on ATDs as long as they are working and keeping my levels within normal ranges (RAI or TT are the backup plans). I would think there has to be a point at which it's safe to exercise while on ATDs... or is that not the case?


----------



## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

blueyes said:


> When you say ablation, do you mean RAI? Based on my situation, my endo has said that if anyone has a chance at remission, it would be me... so my current treatment plan is to stay on ATDs as long as they are working and keeping my levels within normal ranges (RAI or TT are the backup plans). I would think there has to be a point at which it's safe to exercise while on ATDs... or is that not the case?


ATD's are not the reason exercise is not recommended. I would assume in your case its partly to do with the Propranolol which you are on to calm your heart rate down.

Working out stresses the body out and causes the antibodies to wreek havoc on the body. Until the antibodies calm its best not to feed them.

Back to oxygenated stress:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14757966
http://www.europeanreview.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/1397.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22774406
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21787667

This is fairly new, but I believe, especially since my doc prescribed "allopurinol" a gout medication for oxygenated stress and within 6 weeks, I felt so much better and my GED also went cold.


----------

