Graves' disease and plummers disease?? - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

140,408 members165,187 posts

Graves' disease and plummers disease??

Gretna99 profile image
6 Replies

Been recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and antibody tests were positive for Graves' disease. A scan of my thyroid also showed 2 nodules at either side of my thyroid. Do I have Graves and plummers disease?? I have no eye symptoms at all.

Written by
Gretna99 profile image
Gretna99
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
6 Replies
Clutter profile image
Clutter

Gretna99,

Positive antibodies confirms Graves disease. Not everyone with Graves has thyroid eye disease (TED) but sometimes they develop later so if your eyes become dry or swollen see an optician and advise you have Graves.

If you have a multinodular goitre and nodules you may have Plummer disease.

Plummer disease, also called toxic multinodular goitre, thyroid condition characterized by marked enlargement of the thyroid gland (goitre), firm thyroid nodules, and overproduction of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism). Plummer disease, which usually occurs in older people, is of unknown etiology.

Plummer disease | pathology | Britannica.com

britannica.com/science/Plum...

Gretna99 profile image
Gretna99 in reply to Clutter

I like to think out of the box so I can't get this thought out of my head. Here goes......

Graves' disease lies dormant apparently until something sets it off (namely stress), if my graves wasn't active but dormant would the blood test still show up antibodies at a low level for Graves? Is it the plummers that is causing my hyperthyroidism and the graves isn't active just there?? This could maybe explain why not everyone with apparent graves has or gets eye symptoms. It is also said that plummers disease presents with less severe symptoms which would fit with me.

PS I know this is a long shot but it's just bugging me.

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to Gretna99

Gretna99,

If you have antibodies then Graves is active and has caused your hyperthyroidism.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447 in reply to Clutter

Thank you for those links. It seems that most blood tests only do the first two for antibodies. I have been diagnosed with Hashimotos because of the hundreds of peroxidase antibodies but I am sure I have or had Graves, I am always feeling hot and jittery but when this first started with the racing heart, insomnia and nausea I was put on mirtazapine which I think masked the symptoms as I was never depressed.

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to elaine2447

Elaine2447,

Unless you were hyperthyroid before you became hypothyroid it is unlikely you have Graves disease as well as Hashimoto's. Hashimoto's can cause the symptoms you described as can being under or over medicated on thyroid replacement.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447 in reply to Clutter

Thanks for your quick response. I think I had all the signs of hyper or high cortisol 18 months ago. Went through hell for 13 weeks of no sleep, racing heart, insomnia and nausea and lost a couple of stone. GP's too thick to pick anything up. In the end put me on mirtazapine which did help the nausea and I gained weight but I always felt it was masking something.

Three months later I went to an endo surgeon to see about my primary hyperparathyroidism and the doctor he referred me to did an ultrasound, he said (unlike a previous sonographer) that he didn't think there was an adenoma but a lot of inflammation and possibly Graves and told the endo surgeon I should have antibodies test.

He ignored this even though I said what about this Graves thingy (not knowing anything about thyroid) and he said let's concentrate on pumping you up with vitamin D (even though I was not deplete) to stir up calcium and parathyroid. So I ignorantly went along with it.

Was only months later I was found to have hundreds of these peroxidase antibodies and top of the range was the others(not the third test in your link). So I have been GF since November of last year, did a medicheck in December, both had come down very slightly and I did another today but have a feeling it will be a failure as the blood was dripping fast and furiously and went over the line.

I did see a functional medicine practitioner back in March who prescribed 1/4 grain NDT but after 5 days felt I was back in hell. This I think was due to high cortisol because the one day I felt okay I had popped an old mirtazapine the night before as I wasn't sleeping.

I since read that this anti depressant was used in a study of healthy individuals and quite dramatically decreased cortisol.

I feel awful at the moment as I found I had a crushed vertebrae that wasn't picked up at the time (I have severe osteoporosis) so always have back pain and I bent over a train seat on Monday and got awful pain but just hoping it is not a cracked rib and more likely costochondritis. It never ends, lol. Someone sent me this today which I found quite interesting goodhormonehealth.com/artic...

Not what you're looking for?