Grammy winner Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has Graves Disease

By KIM CAROLLO (@kimcarollo)

June 24, 2011

Although she has been out of the spotlight for a few years, Grammy winner Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has been keeping busy with something that has nothing to do with music. The hip-hop star and Grammy winner suffers from Graves' disease, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid, she told People magazine.
"You live with it for the rest of your life," Elliott, 39, said.
Diagnosed in 2008, Elliott said she experienced many of the disease's symptoms, such as dizziness, mood swings, a rapid heart beat and hair loss.
She has spent much of the past three years getting treatment for her condition. She has since dropped 30 pounds through exercise and seems ready to put the focus back on her music.

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"My thyroid is functioning, so I haven't had to take medication in about nine months," she said.
About 10 million people in the United States are living with the condition, according to the National Graves' Disease Foundation. Graves' disease causes the thyroid gland to become overactive, producing an excess of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones help regulate mood, weight and overall energy levels.
Symptoms of Graves' disease include muscle weakness, bulging eyeballs, fatigue, tremor and difficulty sleeping.
The most common treatments are medications that control the thyroid gland, radiation and surgery to remove the gland.
The condition responds well to treatment, but most patients must take thyroid medications for life to regulate hormone levels.
Elliott took to her Twitter page to thank her fans for their good wishes.
"I'm doing great," she said, adding that she's glad she can motivate others.