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Physiology & Medicine / Re: Graves disease/radioactivity/thyroid eye disease
« on: 10/06/2004 12:38:21 »
just thought i'd give a quick rundown of the option for treatment of hyperthyroidism. they fall into two catagories
1 - partial reduction of thyroid hormone levels to normalise
2 - compleat removal of endogenous hormone with easy to control replacement.
options under catogary one include treatment with low to moderate doses of carbimazole, titrating to TSH levels or subtotal removal of the thyroid (not in graves)
catagory two includes hi dose carbimazole with replacement - chemical ablation.
thyroidectomy with replacement - (carries intrinsic risks of surg and can dammage local nerves and parathyroid glands) od radioiodine ablation.
Most endocrinologist try a catagory one stratergy first then move to two but not always.
Radio iodine is very safe - more so than surgury. Carbimazole blocking tend to need gradually increasing doses of carbimazole and so you get two sets of side effects, and its not a good long term option.
As all have said. best control of thyroid eye disease, including eopthalmos, is achived through good thyroid control. But be warned that your exopththalmos may not regress even if you achive euthyroid status.
Mike
1 - partial reduction of thyroid hormone levels to normalise
2 - compleat removal of endogenous hormone with easy to control replacement.
options under catogary one include treatment with low to moderate doses of carbimazole, titrating to TSH levels or subtotal removal of the thyroid (not in graves)
catagory two includes hi dose carbimazole with replacement - chemical ablation.
thyroidectomy with replacement - (carries intrinsic risks of surg and can dammage local nerves and parathyroid glands) od radioiodine ablation.
Most endocrinologist try a catagory one stratergy first then move to two but not always.
Radio iodine is very safe - more so than surgury. Carbimazole blocking tend to need gradually increasing doses of carbimazole and so you get two sets of side effects, and its not a good long term option.
As all have said. best control of thyroid eye disease, including eopthalmos, is achived through good thyroid control. But be warned that your exopththalmos may not regress even if you achive euthyroid status.
Mike