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Scared anxiety will cause Grave's Disease...?

Posted , 8 users are following.

Cherish25
Cherish25

I am really freaked out about grave's disease! I can't calm my mind and I don't know much about Grave's disease but I am assuming it's linked to anxiety disorders?? I think it's an over stimulation of the thyroid gland? Is that right? Can u die from it....? Ahhhhh :O

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • kylie59034
    kylie59034 Cherish25

    Posted

    I was dianosed with graves disease early this year . Due to overactive thyroid . Unfortunately graves disease has no cure but can be managed with medication though . As long as its treated there is no reason you cant live a full life. I was also freaked out to start with im 28 with 2 young girls and thought that i would never be able to live a normal life again , but you can . I see my endo regularly and currently have a stable thyroid levels . I believe graves is a auto-immune disease . Can sometimes cause eye disease.

    Left untreated can cause more damage and in some cases fatal.

    I find that i have some good days and some bad. I already suffer anxiety but i just deal with it as it comes . Easier said than done sometimes .

    I know its scary but you just have to learn to adapt with the disease . I personally found that it got easier to live with graves over time although i hate having it.

  • vanessa45115
    vanessa45115 Cherish25

    Posted

    Graves is an autoimmune disease that is the cause of an over active thyroid (hyperthyroid). Your thyroid is producing too much hormone. I've been told that it does cause anxiety disorders by many people on this site, I also have generalized anxiety disorder. As for dying from it, I have no idea but I'm hoping not.

  • linda187
    linda187 Cherish25

    Posted

    People who have untreated Graves can suffer from anxiety but if it is treated, they do not.  It is caused by antibodies attacking the TSH receptor in your body and producing excessive thyroid hormone.  Untreated, it can cause thyroid storm which is life threatening.  If is treated by thyroid hormone blocking medication, radioactive iodine or surgery.  In the latter two cases, thyroid hormone replacement will be required.
  • kristyk
    kristyk Cherish25

    Posted

    Hi amba02971. I was diagnosed with graves disease and a multiglandular goiter that was growing backwards to the back of my neck not the front. I ended up having to have a

    Thyroidectomy iin 1998. A very very long time ago. I really had no choice and because of my age. It actually went great. I have to be on thyroid medication for the rest of my like. I have periodic testing to see if my dosage is off. Only 3 times did I have to change the dosage. And it certainly is autoimmune disease, because soon after that I developed a few more autoimune diseases. Lupus, Raynauds disease, Sjogrens Syndrome and Fibro.

    They didn't happen all at once, it to several years to develop a few of them. This no way means any of you will get an other autoimmune disease at all. I'm not a doctor nor do I claim to be. Most people may develope another autimmune issue, still no guarantee. It's actually NT too bad. I got moody, tired alot, dry hair brittle nails and always being cold. Just take your meds and you become used to it or maybe just learn to live with it.

    God bless you

    Kristyk

  • Guest
    Guest Cherish25

    Posted

    The replies above explain that Grave's is an autoimmune disease. To answer your question directly: Anxiety does not cause Grave's disease. 

     

    • icecool
      icecool Guest

      Posted

      According to my endo anxiety can cause graves disease by stressing out the thyroid gland.

      Sorry.

    • linda187
      linda187 icecool

      Posted

      My thyroid disease was triggered by stress.  Also stress can cause the disease to return even if you have been in remission.
    • Guest
      Guest icecool

      Posted

      The incident rate of Grave's disease (in the UK) is 100-200 per 100000 per year. It might be useful to point out that several autoimmune thyroid disease susceptibility genes have been identified.

      Your endocrinologist was of course right and was likely refering to you as patient with a thyroid disorder. For the fraction of people (1 in 500) that have a genetic predisposition, factors like a viral infection or stressfull periods in life may indeed trigger an onset  of Graves disease.

      The author of this post asked if anxiety 'will' cause Grave's disease without mentioning any preexisting thyroid disorders. In this context I think it is safe to say that for the general population it is unlikely that stress and anxiety will cause Grave's disease. 

        

    • linda187
      linda187 Guest

      Posted

      I agree Dan.  I have read that the belief that the immune system is attacking the body is erroneous, that in fact autoimmune diseases are caused by viruses such as Epstein Barr which lie dormant in the liver and when stressed are activated.  This is what the immune system is fighting.  The author said it is going to take the medical profession 20 years to identify this.
    • icecool
      icecool Guest

      Posted

      I think it is important to answer questions with as full an answer or explanation as possible, this enables people to search further and also it gives them as much informtion as possible. I was employed and trained in Health education.
  • Anachr
    Anachr Cherish25

    Posted

    Grave's Disease is an autoimmune disease which in majority cases is inherited. Many people do suffer from anxiety while experiencing symptoms from Graves Disease but I fortunately did not, my symptoms were different. As far as I know, it cannot be caused by anxiety, although we all realize the effects of stress and anxiety are far reaching unfortunately. I do hope you find professionals that will help you cope with your anxiety and will be feeling less anxious very soon!

    • icecool
      icecool Anachr

      Posted

      Anxiety and depression figure very highly on the multiple signs and symptoms of thyroid disorders be they hypo or hyper.

      Some endos are ignorant of this.

      May I ask you if your thyroi disorder was checked thoroughl for example were your thyroid antibodies and ebv checked to exclude/diagnose graves disease, hashimotos, epstein barre virus exposure, glandular fever, sle etc. Not forgetting sjogrens syndrome?

       

    • Anachr
      Anachr icecool

      Posted

      To answer your question, yes, I have been tested. Although I trust my doctors, I always follow up with as much self education as possible and hearing from fellow sufferers is often times most helpful which is why I'm here.

      No one is denying the connection of stress with the onset of Graves, or any other disease for that matter. How stress manifests itself is an entirely individual thing. I guess it's best said by noting experts claim that all humans have cancer cells in our body. Some of us die with them without ever having cancer.

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