Graves’ Disease Symptoms: Wendy Williams Says Health Condition Changed Her Life

Television host Wendy Williams opened up about her struggle with Graves' disease, which relapsed last year and since then "has completely changed" her life. In a video message at the Graves’ Disease & Thyroid Foundation 2018 Patients and Family Conference, Williams said she was diagnosed with both Graves’ and thyroid disease 19 years ago.

"Everything was fine. I had the radioactive iodine [medication], taking my pill a day, minding my own business,” she said, according to PageSix.com on Wednesday. “Then back in the fall or maybe around July of last year, I started feeling weird in the head but I’m thinking, ‘OK, this is maybe a casualty of menopause or we were ramping up for season nine of the ‘Wendy Show.’ So, it wasn’t until I passed out on my own show [in October] that … Anyway, life has completely changed.”

Williams said her health condition deteriorated as she was on the wrong dose. She also told the conference her illness had even forced her to give up her stilettos.

“The doctors tell me it’s going to take at least six months — maybe a year — to level off my medication, which is why I always wear flats. I’m not wearing heels and falling and tripping,” she said.

Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid. Below are the common signs and symptoms:

1. Anxiety and irritability

2. Tremor of your hands or fingers

3. Heat sensitivity

4. Weight loss, despite normal eating habits

5. Enlargement of your thyroid gland (goiter)

6. Change in menstrual cycles

7. Erectile dysfunction or reduced libido

8. Frequent bowel movements

9. Bulging eyes (Graves' ophthalmopathy)

10. Fatigue

11. Rapid or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)

12. Problems sleeping

13. Increased sweating

Treatments for Graves' disease include radioactive iodine, antithyroid medications such as methimazole (Tapazole) and propylthiouracil, and beta blockers. In some cases, patients also undergo surgery. Graves' disease affect women 8-10 times more often than men. Conditions linked with Graves' disease include rheumatoid arthritis, pernicious anemia, lupus, Addison's disease, celiac disease, vitiligo, and type 1 diabetes.