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A MyMSTeam Member asked a question 💭
Preston, UK

Morning all I hope your all doing ok,

Did anyone else develop Graves Disease after having the lemtrada treatment? I ended up losing my thyroid entirely about 2 years after this treatment. This side effect is apparently quite a high risk after treatment.

I developed an over active thyroid, this caused me to sweat excessively, have chronic anxiety and significant weight loss. I also had thyrotoxocosis twice where the hormones fire off and go nuts inside you body.

Im now on Levothyroxine for… read more

August 17
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Learn more about the drug treatment mentioned above
A MyMSTeam Member

Oh wow thank you, ill look into getting one of those ❤️

August 18
A MyMSTeam Member

I have never heard of that. What an awful side effect .

August 18
A MyMSTeam Member

I do see a lot of people online that did after lemtrada

August 18
A MyMSTeam Member

Sorry t y I can t help not had this
But hope your answer comes

August 18
MyMSTeam

What a journey you've been through — and thank you for sharing something so personal. It sounds incredibly tough, and you're definitely not alone in this experience.

Graves' disease after Lemtrada is a well-documented risk. In fact, autoimmune thyroid dysfunction — particularly Graves' disease — can develop in up to 40% of Show Full Answer

What a journey you've been through — and thank you for sharing something so personal. It sounds incredibly tough, and you're definitely not alone in this experience.

Graves' disease after Lemtrada is a well-documented risk. In fact, autoimmune thyroid dysfunction — particularly Graves' disease — can develop in up to 40% of people who take Lemtrada for MS. That's a significant number. The symptoms you described are very consistent with what others experience, including:

- Excessive sweating
- Anxiety
- Significant weight loss
- Irregular or fluctuating hormone levels

Many MyMSTeam members have shared similar frustrations. One member said: *"My thyroid hormone levels go crazy at times. One day they can be normal, the next not. I also can tell when they are off. My husband can too. I become very irritable — basically, just pure mean!"* The way Lemtrada affects the immune system is thought to trigger these thyroid changes, though it's not fully understood yet.

The good news is that thyroid conditions resulting from MS treatment can often be managed — as you're doing with Levothyroxine. It's always worth keeping your neurologist and endocrinologist closely in the loop, especially when regulating temperature and hormone levels remains a challenge. 💙

August 17

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