running its course - Question and Answer Forum - Elaine Moore Graves' Disease and Autoimmune Disease Education

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Saturday, April 07, 2012

..:: Q & A ::..

THE Q & A

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.

Each thread represents one question with one answer and will only appear at the time it is answered. Once answered, further replies cannot be made to the same thread since each thread represents only one question. A new thread will need to be started for additional questions.

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.

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The Q & A with Elaine Moore

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2/28/2012 12:07 AM

kedsgirl33

Joined: 2/27/2012

Posts: 7

running its course

Hi Elaine, I'm very grateful for this website. I was diagnosed with GD almost two years ago and have been on Tapazole since. My endo. is urging me to get RAI but I'm not going to do it. I've read on your website that GD runs its course and goes into remission. Is this correct? I'm trying both western and holistic treatments such as: Bugleweed, acupuncture, vitamins and other herbs. I want so much for this to go into remission because I tired of the physical ups and downs. Its it possible to keep GD under control without taking the medication? Thanks.

2/28/2012 6:36 PM

Elaine

Joined: 8/1/2008

Posts: 3374

Re: running its course

Hi Kedsgirl,

Graves' disease does run its course and when the immune system heals and stops producing TSH receptor antibodies, the patient achieves remission.

You can achieve remission with meds, herbs, dietary changes, or a combination of things, including acupuncture. You always want to be on the lowest dose of whatever med you're using needed to keep your FT4 level at least at mid-range and preferably closer to the high end of the range. You do this by watching the FT4 and slowly lowering your ATD dose over time. Or your bugleweed dose (Thyrosoothe works well). This prevents the ups and downs you mention.

How long it takes for remission can vary but studies show long-term (average 4 years) of low-dose meds has the highest rate of permanent remission (88%). If you're getting by on a low dose of meds now you may want to experiment with Thyrosoothe.

It's also important to follow a healthy lifestyle. Read some of the posts from JES that are loaded with tips on how she achieved and stays in remission. Best, Elaine

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TO USERS: Q&A posts are visible to all readers. Users can delete their own threads at any time. Users must provide information which is true and correct to the best of their knowledge as well as provide sources or references to any health / medical information if not taken from personal experience. All users including the moderator must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Advertising and self-promotion is not allowed. The moderator or site administrator has the right to ban users with or without warning for not following the basic rules of this site. All posts by default are not to be considered that of medical professionals unless otherwise indicated. As sole moderator, Moore has no conflicts of interest in the sponsorship of this forum.

Notes

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Milestone - Wednesday, April 04, 2012

As of this date, our membership rolled over to 1600. We'd like to take this time to thank all members for their inspiration and for making this site a success.

2nd Edition Newly Released - Saturday, March 10, 2012

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