thyroid

[lorenzod]

when should a person turn to RAI treatment for graves disease?

[Barb135]

I meant to say that the symptoms of Graves Disease will go away, but once you have the disease, you always have it.

[Barb135]

No, methimazole can't cure Graves Disease; nothing can.  Once you have it, you have it for life, even if you have your thyroid removed or it goes into remission.

[lorenzod]

I hear that by take methimolzola pills for so long that it can cure the graves diease. have you hear that ?

[Barb135]

That depends on your individual situation and what you and your doctor decide.  Typically, Graves (hyperthyroidism) is treated with anti-thyroid med, and sometimes a protocol called "block and replace", which is when you're given anti-thyroid med to prevent your thyroid from producing hormones, then given replacement hormones to keep your levels up.  But if that doesn't work, then your options are either RAI or surgical removal.  

Both RAI and removal will leave you with hypothyroidism and you will be on thyroid replacement hormones for life.