Grave's Disease vs. Hashimoto's Toxicosis - Question and Answer Forum - Elaine Moore Graves' Disease and Autoimmune Disease Education

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Monday, February 11, 2013

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Welcome to The Q&A with Elaine Moore. Registered members are invited to ask any question of Elaine Moore on autoimmune diseases, Graves' disease, other thyroid diseases and subconditions, laboratory work, traditional and complementary medicine, triggers and environmental influences, thyroid and immune disorders in pets and animals, and other relevant areas of inquiry.

Questions are answered solely by Elaine Moore, a medical writer and clinical laboratory scientist, MT, CLS, with more than 30 years of experience in immunology. Moore has also authored and edited over a dozen books in the area of health sciences and is an editor for McFarland Publisher's Health Topics Series.

As sole moderator and site owner, Moore has no conflicts of interest in the sponsorship of this forum.

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Grave's Disease vs. Hashimoto's Toxicosis

6/29/2009 11:39 PM

Joined: 5/26/2009

Posts: 3

Grave's Disease vs. Hashimoto's Toxicosis

Elaine,

I was diagnosed in March 2009 with a hyperthyroid (Graves Disease) but now my endocrinologist thinks there is a possibility that I have Hashomoto's Toxicosis instead. Could you please explain in laymans terms what the difference is between the two and how does one determine if it is Grave's or Hashimoto's? I am supposed to be scheduled for a iodine scan uptake. Can you explain that as well, and will that help determine my condition?

Thank you.

7/1/2009 4:23 PM

Elaine

Joined: 8/1/2008

Posts: 4365

Re: Grave's Disease vs. Hashimoto's Toxicosis

Hi KK,

If you're hyperthyroid and have thyroid antibodies, you have Graves' disease, which is autoimmune hyperthyroidism.

If without medication, you're hypothyroid and have thyroid antibodies you'd have Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Some doctors get confused by the antibodies. Long ago, labs thought that TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies were only seen in Hashimoto's. Now we know that they occur in as many as 70-90% of people with Graves' disease. Still, doctors get confused by this.

The uptake test is no longer considered necessary or reliable for that matter. Here, the patient is given radioiodine orally and hours later the amount of radioiodine taken up by the gland is measured and the gland is scanned to see how the radioiodine was distributed. Many, many factors influence this test, including diet. If you've been on meds in the last month, the test won't be accurate. The scan can show if you have nodules but an ultrasound would be a better method as it doesn't expose you to radioiodine.

Your best diagnostic tools are FT4, FT3, and TSH, which tell your thyroid status and tests for TSI antibodies, which are the cause of Graves' disease. Best, Elaine

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