Hi all, This is a long shot, but just wondering if anybody has this disease. In laymans terms , it is an overactive thyroid. I have been battling with this for 8 months and am convinced it is all connected with my lifelong history of varying mental illnesses. Has anybody here had experience with this, and what was the long term outcome? Medications dont seem to be stabilizing it and now they are talking about radio active iodine treatment on the thyroid to treat it. I am not keen on this! Fingers crossed, somebody can help. Thanks

[Skully]

About 3 years ago they thought I had graves disease but as it turned out I did not. They told me that eventually your thyroid would burn itself out and you would become HYPO. Which is exactly what happened....it just took 3 years to do it. I have had the radioactive iodine treatment and it wasn't too bad. It makes you a little sick to your stomach but overall it isn't that bad. It helped to slow down my thyroid some. I hope any of this is of help to you

[NoBread]

Have you been tested for Hashimoto's thyroiditis? It can cause alternating hyper and hypo thyroid symptoms.

yes i have, was not that....

[purple_fins]

Thyroid disease is very prevalent in my family-- many of us diagnosed in our 20's. (I was 27- diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease) A sister had Graves Disease and had an operation at 21, most of her thyroid was removed... and then.... 10 years later, at 31, the thyroid resumed it's Graves symptoms so the doc had her take radioactive iodine. It was weird how no one else could use the same bathroom as her for a few days.... but... it worked, it seemed to have left her thyroid unfunctioning-- so-- no more heart palpitations, shakey hands and she started gaining weight on her emaciated body..
She, like I, will be taking thyroid meds for the rest of our lives... pretty much all our adult lives...... and now-- her daughter has recently been diagnosed with Graves Disease....

I don't know if there is a link to mental illness, but I've heard that thyroid troubles can be genetic.

with all that said--- thyroid issues could also come about when women are in their 40's due to menopause onset(not mental illness, as far as I've heard)... my mother in-law had that issue and within 12 years of taking thyroid meds her thyroid kicked back in and is running normally now so she doens't have to take synthroid anymore-- lucky duck!

I wish you the best with this -- it can be so frustrating to not know what is going on with a struggling body. At least, if one is going to have an affliction this is not a bad one to have-- very treatable

fins