I'm in way over my head here. My understanding is that the PTU doesn't do anything about the antibodies; it simply shuts down the over-producing thryoid gland by not allowing it to absorb the iodine it needs to function. So when we're in Graves' remission, doesn't it just mean we're not producing too much thyroid hormone? And that the antibodies are still there? I don't know.

And what about the people who do have their thyroid glands destroyed by radiation: does that somehow stop their immune systems from producing the antibodies?

I'm not knowledgeable enough to say, and just barely smart enough to realize I shouldn't make any assumptions!

Abby