Hi M*, Our prior discussion and your concerns led me to do a *little* sleuthing for Covid-19+endocrine and, then, "spike proteins and graves disease". I was actually surprised at the number of useful hits, since the link is not talked about and probably the risk is not considered whatsoever! I hope I am okay with sending this to you. I, especially, don't want to violate Ashley's personal preference, and maybe she will not appreciate my searching the topic.

Getting off gluten is the first thing the M.D. cited below recommends at this point. Then dealing with "leaky gut".

A SEPARATE search found a relationship between Covid->endocrine->Graves->adrenal insufficiency (which is what I suspected might be an issue with thyroid). Was Ashley tested for adrenal insufficiency and is she currently being tested? (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8601687/. "COVID-19 targets human adrenal glands")

Covid-19 DOES contribute to autoimmune diseases in general, endocrine system disruption, and has even been (pretty heavily, imo) implicated with triggering Graves disease:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34939881/.

Graves Disease Following the SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine: Case Series
Michael A Weintraub 1 , Barbara Ameer 2 , Naina Sinha Gregory 1
Affiliations

PMID: 34939881
PMCID: PMC8724979
DOI: 10.1177/23247096211063356

Free PMC article
Abstract

Widespread vaccination is a principal strategy to mitigate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and lessen the global burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Information is rapidly evolving about the impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on the immune and endocrine systems. This case series heightens clinical awareness of possible thyroid effects and conveys knowledge of what to monitor, which are fundamental components of public health and pharmacovigilance. We present a case series of Graves disease following mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, with symptoms and altered thyroid function tests developing within 7 days of the first dose in 2 women aged 38 and 63 years, and 28 days after the second dose in a 30-year-old man. New-onset Graves disease occurred following administration of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Based on the timing of signs and symptoms relative to administration of the vaccine and the absence of other probable causes, we consider the vaccine as a potential contributor to the diagnosis. The viral spike protein, delivered indirectly through an encoded mRNA vaccine, may be capable of triggering an inflammatory cascade and immune response triggering thyroid dysfunction.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; Graves disease; SARS-CoV-2; case report; endocrinology; immunology; pharmacovigilance.
Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Figures
Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Timeline depicts onset of symptoms…
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References

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Also found website of an M.D. who was diagnosed with Graves disease during her medical training and, it appears, has developed a functional (nutriional) approach to dealing with Graves AND AFTERMATH OF GETTING THE RADIOACTIVE IODINE TREATMENT (which she regrets she accepted; says surgical is a BETTER last ditch intervention as it leaves you some thyroid function).

https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/graves-disease-causes-solutions/

Comment response from comments section:

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Amy Myers, MD Mod Shirl T • 4 years ago

Hi Shirl,

I'm so sorry I just got to this comment now! I can empathize with you so much on this. A decision like this is ultimately yours to make, however I personally went through radioactive iodine and still regret it to this day. Though it may be a little late to change the course of things, I would recommend reading the following articles for some background and my own personal perspective on this experience:
https://www.amymyersmd.com/...
https://www.amymyersmd.com/...
https://www.amymyersmd.com/...

Regardless of your decision, do not stop taking any medications without consulting your physician first.

And whether or not you end up going through with the procedure, I would still recommend optimizing your diet as a way to naturally reverse your symptoms. Junk food contributes to the inflammation that underlies most chronic illnesses:
https://www.amymyersmd.com/...

I sincerely wish you the best of luck moving forward, and please let me know if there is any other way I can help!