Dr. Kepal Patel

But these particular immunoglobulins end up stimulating your thyroid as opposed to destroying your thyroid.

But these particular immunoglobulins end up stimulating your thyroid as opposed to destroying your thyroid.

So in Hashimoto's, your body is making antibodies that destroy the thyroid. In Graves' disease, your body is making immunoglobulins that actually stimulate your thyroid. So Graves' disease is one of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism. And these are patients who present in the exact opposite fashion. They say that they're losing weight. They always feel hot. They have tremors, anxiety.

So in Hashimoto's, your body is making antibodies that destroy the thyroid. In Graves' disease, your body is making immunoglobulins that actually stimulate your thyroid. So Graves' disease is one of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism. And these are patients who present in the exact opposite fashion. They say that they're losing weight. They always feel hot. They have tremors, anxiety.

So in Hashimoto's, your body is making antibodies that destroy the thyroid. In Graves' disease, your body is making immunoglobulins that actually stimulate your thyroid. So Graves' disease is one of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism. And these are patients who present in the exact opposite fashion. They say that they're losing weight. They always feel hot. They have tremors, anxiety.

They feel like their heart's racing. Their eyes sometimes get a little bulgy. And that's all consistent with Graves' disease. And in those patients, your TSH level is going to be undetectable. It's going to be super low.

They feel like their heart's racing. Their eyes sometimes get a little bulgy. And that's all consistent with Graves' disease. And in those patients, your TSH level is going to be undetectable. It's going to be super low.

They feel like their heart's racing. Their eyes sometimes get a little bulgy. And that's all consistent with Graves' disease. And in those patients, your TSH level is going to be undetectable. It's going to be super low.

And your T3 and T4 levels are going to be high. And so that's the way you make the diagnosis of Graves' disease. The treatment for that, since your thyroid is hyperactive, is you take antithyroid medication. So you're actually taking drugs such as methimazole and PTU that actually block the thyroid, from making thyroid hormone. And that medication works great.

And your T3 and T4 levels are going to be high. And so that's the way you make the diagnosis of Graves' disease. The treatment for that, since your thyroid is hyperactive, is you take antithyroid medication. So you're actually taking drugs such as methimazole and PTU that actually block the thyroid, from making thyroid hormone. And that medication works great.

And your T3 and T4 levels are going to be high. And so that's the way you make the diagnosis of Graves' disease. The treatment for that, since your thyroid is hyperactive, is you take antithyroid medication. So you're actually taking drugs such as methimazole and PTU that actually block the thyroid, from making thyroid hormone. And that medication works great.

And so for a lot of patients, that's all they'll need. Sometimes if their heart is really racing fast, they may put the patient on a beta blocker to help reduce the heart rate. But for most patients, that works really well. The problem with some of these drugs, especially in younger women, is that they're not necessarily safe during pregnancy.

And so for a lot of patients, that's all they'll need. Sometimes if their heart is really racing fast, they may put the patient on a beta blocker to help reduce the heart rate. But for most patients, that works really well. The problem with some of these drugs, especially in younger women, is that they're not necessarily safe during pregnancy.

And so for a lot of patients, that's all they'll need. Sometimes if their heart is really racing fast, they may put the patient on a beta blocker to help reduce the heart rate. But for most patients, that works really well. The problem with some of these drugs, especially in younger women, is that they're not necessarily safe during pregnancy.

So if you have a young female patient who is deciding to start a family, wants to get pregnant, or is planning on getting pregnant, they really can't be on those medications.

So if you have a young female patient who is deciding to start a family, wants to get pregnant, or is planning on getting pregnant, they really can't be on those medications.

So if you have a young female patient who is deciding to start a family, wants to get pregnant, or is planning on getting pregnant, they really can't be on those medications.

So the other two options for definitive treatment for Graves' disease are radioactive iodine, where you give the iodine, it's radioactive. The thyroid gland absorbs the iodine. And since it's radioactive, it kills the thyroid. So ultimately your thyroid's dead and you've treated the Graves'.

So the other two options for definitive treatment for Graves' disease are radioactive iodine, where you give the iodine, it's radioactive. The thyroid gland absorbs the iodine. And since it's radioactive, it kills the thyroid. So ultimately your thyroid's dead and you've treated the Graves'.

So the other two options for definitive treatment for Graves' disease are radioactive iodine, where you give the iodine, it's radioactive. The thyroid gland absorbs the iodine. And since it's radioactive, it kills the thyroid. So ultimately your thyroid's dead and you've treated the Graves'.