Guest guest Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 My daughter was diagnosed with GD (Graves Disease) approx 10 years ago, in the last 5 of those years she has had two children, the youngest now 4 months. She is as stiff as a board during the shaking and trembling periods. Also thinning of her hair is becoming noticable Her teeth are also a concern as they seem to be losing their calcium and looking almost transparent. I would like to hear from people who have experienced this with GD or its relation to medication taken for GD. Because of the worsening of her GD there is medical discussion on removing the thyroid. I would be very interested in hearing also from others who have had their thyroid removed, and the pros and cons regarding the surgery. concerned mum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 motherofu wrote: > > I would be very interested in hearing also from others who have had > their thyroid removed, and the pros and cons regarding the surgery. Sorry to hear your daughter is not well. The surgery for Graves disease is very safe. The main concern is how much thyroid tissue to remove, and how difficult it may be to manage hormone levels afterwards. Subtotal thyroidectomy is very common in Europe, and I and many people I know have had the surgery, all safely, but with varying degrees of success in controlling the hyperthyroidism, most are very positive about the outcome of their surgery. It isn't unusual for thyroid problems to change with pregnancy, but your daughters symptoms sound like they haven't managed to control the disease at all with drugs. Symptoms like shaking are usually readily controlled with drugs. This seems odd, as unless you have a bad reaction to the antithyroid drugs (usually rashes) they are normally very effective (if given in the right doses and frequency!). Often PTU is given in pregnancy, and it needs to be taken at least every 12 hours and preferably every 8 hours, as I disovered when I was prescribed it once a day <ouch>. In terms of medical advice is she consulting with a specialist? (Usually an endocrinologist), has she sought a second opinion on the treatment she is receiving already? It may just be that she is a difficult case, but I'd want to double check that before they cut my thyroid out again. Where possible I think waiting till breast feeding is finished has much to recommend it, as this is often a key turning point, but that isn't always possible. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQE+wQ26GFXfHI9FVgYRAoAnAKCiJ/N3Pm+bh1cbvtW/Mx2J8bTVnACgoPXU BAjbp1+7CDbbfniEYUEu7nk= =w1MX -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 > their thyroid removed, and the pros and cons regarding the surgery. > concerned mum Surgery under the right circumstances is a fine option. The right circumstances includes having given ATDs a really good shot - starting at a high dose and gradually decreasing them, possibly taking up to 1-2 years to get on a maintenance dose or off them completely. Are you from the UK and do you currently live there now? Our members on the other side of the pond can help you navigate the NHS. All the best, Fay P.S. If your daughter isn't on ATDs now and she is able to tolerate them I would think it would be a good idea for her to go on them. Post-partum hormones are enough to deal with, let alone a misbehaving thyroid. ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 > Where possible I think waiting till breast feeding is finished has > much > to recommend it, as this is often a key turning point, but that > isn't > always possible. If the baby is in good health and can handle formula (what kind - soy, dairy, etc. - is a loaded issue in itself) weaning the baby and giving one's reproductive system a rest can be helpful in achieving remission along with ATDs. 4-6 months is a good age to introduce solids so soon the baby won't be relying on formula alone for nourishment. If this is an emotional issue for your daughter please feel free to pass my address on to her and we can communicate via email off-list. Weaning is not strictly necessary for the anti-thyroid drug PTU but again, could be helpful. In fact, if she has email you may want to encourage her to join this list. She'll meet other people in the same boat which should give her a boost. Take care, Fay ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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