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WEBSITES WITH ALTERNATIVE ADVICE AND UNCENSORED SUPPORT GROUPS
The three treatments currently available for Graves' Disease all have some significant drawbacks, and none of them treats the basic problem--which is autoimmunity, not the thyroid itself. For that reason, many people--quite understandably--seek to find answers that allow them to avoid choosing any of those three options. Unfortunately, just because we don't like the options we have doesn't mean there are currently any better ones out there.
It's important for people to challenge old ways of thinking if progress is to be made, so in my opinion there's a positive function to online discussion of these new ideas; but those of you who wish to explore alternative options--please do so without abandoning conventional medical advice, and make sure your doctor knows what you're doing, so that dangerous substances and/or interactions can be avoided. Untreated hyperthyroidism can cause serious (in some cases irreversible) complications; which are occasionally fatal.
There is also evidence that hyperthyroidism causes cell death in the cerebral cortex of the brain; where thought, reasoning, and memory occur. Some doctors (such as Dr. Ridha Arem in the book: The Thyroid Solution), have observed that lingering brain impairment after treatment seems to be worse in people whose hyperthyroidism was severe, or that was undiagnosed/untreated for a long time. For that reason alone, forgoing treatments that are known to work (in favor of experimental ones) is risky business.
Since Graves' Disease can in some cases follow a course of spontaneous exacerbations or remissions, those who try alternative approaches tend to attribute changes in thyroid function to their own efforts (or lack of effort); when in fact, there is no evidence their disease would follow a different course if entirely untreated. Consider the point that If there really were new approaches that worked (a statistically significant percentage of the time)--and which honestly treated the underlying autoimmunity--their originators could easily document this, and it would soon be brought to the attention of doctors and researchers who are working very diligently to find causes and cures for autoimmune disease.
Keep in mind as you read "information" in websites and online support groups that many people like to "practice medicine" without the qualifications to be doing so, and there are also real doctors online who have lost privileges and try to make a living on the internet; giving advice that's far from acceptable standard of practice, and which can actually be dangerous to people who follow it blindly. Our doctors often cringe when we tell them we read something on the internet--for good reason. There's some really scary "information" available there.
So again--it's good for new ideas to be considered. Progress can't be made without them. Just be careful not to rely too heavily on untested ideas where your health is concerned.
Take good care of yourself in every area of your life, and use alternative treatments if they make you feel better or make you feel like you're doing something--but again, always keep your doctor informed of any other treatments you wish to try.
* The information in this web site is for educational purposes only and is not providing medical or professional advice. It should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. If you have or suspect you might have any health problems, you should consult a physician.
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