First symptoms

[Awaywiththeheiddoon]

Can anyone please tell me their first symptoms of Graves’ disease? I am having blood tests for this and as my mum died from complications years ago I am suffering severe anxiety. Thank you

[PurpleNails]

Well the most common are

* nervousness, anxiety and irritability

* hyperactivity – you may find it hard to stay still and have a lot of nervous energy

* mood swings

* difficulty sleeping

* feeling tired all the time

* sensitivity to heat

* muscle weakness

* diarrhoea

* needing to pee more often than usual

* persistent thirst

* itchiness

* loss of libido

* a swelling in your neck caused by an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre)

* an irregular and/or unusually fast heart rate (palpitations)

* twitching or trembling

* warm skin and excessive sweating

* red palms of your hands

* loose nails

* a raised, itchy rash – known as hives (urticaria)

* patchy hair loss or thinning

* weight loss – often despite an increased appetite

* eye problems, such as redness, dryness or vision problems

The degree of symptoms and progression of each can vary vastly.

The only way to rule out thyroid issues is the have a blood test. Including TSH FT4 FT3. Ideally thyroid antibodies and key nutrients although GP do not alway test more that a TSH, then labs test FT4 & 3 if out of range.

[Awaywiththeheiddoon in reply to PurpleNails]

Thank you

[pennyannie in reply to Awaywiththeheiddoon]

Hello Awaywiththeheiddoon ?? and welcome to the forum :

My first symptoms were insomnia, dry gritty eyes and exhaustion :

I think the treatment for Graves has improved but understand your concern -

It is said to be a stress and anxiety driven auto immune disease, do you want to give us more information ?

This is an amazing forum and there are several forum members at various stages with Graves Disease : there is also the Thyroid uk website you might like to dip into and there is one Graves Foundation website owned and managed by Elaine Moore, a lady who has Graves and went through RAI ablation back in the late 1990's.

I too have Graves and had RAI back in 2005 and now manage lingering Graves, thyroid eye disease and hypothyroidism.

[Awaywiththeheiddoon in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you . I have had dry eyes for years after long term contact lense wear. I have pins and needles in my feet and severe anxiety. I think pins and needles is an under active thyroid symptom.

[pennyannie in reply to Awaywiththeheiddoon]

Hey there

As you will have seen the list of symptoms for Graves is long and diverse as is the list of symptoms for hypothyroidism.

The only way to know anything, and to try and put your mind at rest, is to start off by having a full thyroid blood panel to include TSH, T3, T4, the basic thyroid antibodies, plus ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D.

I've included your core strength vitamins and minerals as I've read pins and needles and anxiety can be linked to low levels of nutrients.

The Graves antibodies aren't usually run, and I read they can wax and wane, so this may not prove anything at this point in time.

If your doctor can't help with these tests they are all available privately, including the Graves antibody test, by the private companies, Medichecks and Blue Horizon as listed on the Thyroid uk website.

[Awaywiththeheiddoon in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you so much I’m going on Wednesday for blood tests. Just so anxious.

[PurpleNails in reply to Awaywiththeheiddoon]

As you have family history this is good grounds for a full test.

I don’t have Graves but hyper from toxic nodule. My FT3 was almost double but Graves sufferers can have levels 3 or 4 times the range. Personally I had headaches, loosening nails. Uncontrollable appetite but weight gain. My heart rate was elevated but not so I noticed. I was only checked as I had a left sided swelling in thyroid area.

[Awaywiththeheiddoon in reply to PurpleNails]

Thank you I appreciate the help

[Lora7again]

Mine was never sleeping more that 4 hours a night and having lots of energy. I was like super woman and my hair and skin looked very good. However this didn't last and I started to lose my hair and my nails lifted off their beds. I became very thin and I had sweats and palpitations and I felt very anxious. You can read my story on my profile page if you are interested. Elaine Moore helped me get diagnosed and here is a link to her site.

elaine-moore.com/

[Awaywiththeheiddoon in reply to Lora7again]

Thank you I will read it.

[Winterdrop]

Hello and welcome. You have come to the right place as there are so many knowledgeable and kind people on this Forum who are able to help you.

I have Graves Disease and am currently receiving medication for my third 'Flare up'. (First time was 2008). My mother also had it, as did her mother so it has been a 'family' thing for us.

In my experience, initial symptoms have been swollen ankles, palpitations, breathlessness, tiredness, increased appetite leading to weight gain (as I couldn't stop eating), feelings of anxiety, racing thoughts, insomnia and restless leg syndrome.

Once you have had the results from your blood tests you will be in a better place to know the way forward. Read as much as you can about the subject and don't make any drastic treatment decisions until you have weighed up what is right for you. This forum and the Elaine Moore site are the best places to start.

[Awaywiththeheiddoon in reply to Winterdrop]

Thank you

[NIKEGIRL]

Hi. Welcome and sorry u r unwell. My first symptom was a tremor followed by heat intolerance and increased appetite. There were more but these can first in that order. Good luck for the tests

[Awaywiththeheiddoon]

I feel so sorry for you. My mum had Graves Disease. My blood tests were clear I feel so lucky and now have so much respect for people suffering this terrible disease. Take care

[Valarian]

I went to my GP because of a persistent cough, a bit of breathlessness, and a tendency for my voice to go squeaky. Initially she put this down to remnants of a virus, but she noticed my heart rate was well above normal (I hadn’t) so ordered an ECG (generally fine, apart from a rapid heart rate), tested my blood pressure (high, with a wide gap between the two measurements) and a full set of blood tests, mainly because I was in my late fifties and hadn’t had any recent tests.

The thyroid test (TSH and FT4) came back as clearly hyper, so we talked through the other symptoms of being hyper...I had lost a lot of weight very quickly, which until my clothes began to feel loose was so extreme I assumed my scales were broken. I was often thirsty, I got tired quickly, but wasn’t sleeping very well... it all added up, and as I was only prescribed calcium channel blockers for my blood pressure rather than carbimazole, my symptoms got progressively worse in the three months I was waiting to see the endo (anxiety, irritability, muscle issues, heat sensitivity, feeling faint, plus increased breathlessness etc).

Some people get all the symptoms to a degree, some think they have none (although note that I had apparently got used to my thumping heart rate and didn’t question it), so it’s partly a case of putting the picture together, but to be sure, you need a blood test.

[Awaywiththeheiddoon in reply to Valarian]

I am so sorry for everyone suffering from this awful disease. My mum died from Graves’ disease. My blood tests have come back clear I am so thankful. I wish you all the very best. Take care of yourself.

[Valarian in reply to Awaywiththeheiddoon]

I’m sorry about your mum. For most of us, Graves’ is treatable.