Guest guest Posted June 28, 2003 Report Share Posted June 28, 2003 Hi Kim, In early GD many people have heat intolerance and that's the only reason for avoiding the sun. Many people are also dehydrated then, and sun can compound the problem. But sun is not a trigger for Graves' disease. It is for other disorders, like lupus so there is some confusion regarding this. Also, some sunscreens and artificial bronzers have iodine in them and this can cause a reaction. Most people with Graves' disease have been found to be deficient in vitamin D, which may be why some of us enjoy being out in the sun. Studies show that people who are exposed to more sunlight at high altitudes receive more vitamin D and have much milder cases of GD. So I don't think the sun triggered your symptoms but it may have caused dehydration or heat intolerance, or it could be a reaction to the sunscreen. Also, if you drank anything with aspartame or ate anything with excess iodine (fast foods, processed foods) that would be a more likely cause. Symptoms also often intensify during the week before your period because of the other hormonal influences on thryoid hormone. Hope this helps, Elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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