'Star Wars' sequel trilogy star Daisy Ridley says she has Graves' disease
English actor Daisy Ridley of Star Wars sequel trilogy fame bared that she has Graves' disease.
Ridley told Women's Health magazine that her diagnosis came in September 2023 following bouts of hot flashes and fatigue.
She began feeling ill after filming the neo-noir movie Magpie in which she portrayed Anette, a wife and mother dealing with her rocky relationship.
"I thought, 'Well, I’ve just played a really stressful role; presumably that’s why I feel poorly,'" she said.
Ridley then talked to an endocrinologist, who explained to her that the symptoms, including racing heart rate, weight loss, fatigue, and hand tremors, were signs of Graves'.
She then felt "super irritable," according to the magazine.
“It was funny, I was like, ‘Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,’ but turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can’t chill out," she said.
Ridley also experienced "some sadness," as Graves' felt like a "random blow" especially since she "takes good care of herself physically."
Nevertheless, it led to a "more routine pattern" of daily medication and mindful diet.
Ridley, a vegan for years, decided to go gluten-free after her diagnosis.
She also found herself listening to the birds and noticing the color of the sky.
“I didn’t realize how bad I felt before," she said. "Then I looked back and thought, 'How did I do that?'”
Her Graves' diagnosis also gave her a renewed sense of body awareness, reminding her that not everything can be anticipated.
“I’ve always been health conscious, and now I’m trying to be more well-being conscious,” she said.
She included in her routine infrared saunas, cryotherapy, massages, and acupuncture.
Ridley appeared in movies like The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, as well as Murder on the Orient Express, Chaos Walking, Sometimes I Think About Dying, and The Marsh King's Daughter.
What is Graves' disease?
According to a study published on National Institutes of Health, Graves' is an autoimmune condition that causes the thyroid to become hyperactive, making it work harder than it needs to.
With Graves', the immune system attacks the thyroid, causing it to overproduce hormones that help regulate metabolism. The overproduction causes several problems in different parts of your body.
Graves' usually affects people between 30 and 60 years old. It is also more common in women and people assigned female at birth than in men and those assigned male at birth, with a ratio of 4:1.
Symptoms include the following:
- Nervousness, anxiety, or irritability
- Tired or weak muscles
- Shaking in your hands
- Frequent bowel movements or diarrhea
- Difficulty sleeping
- Greater sensitivity to heat or increased sweating
- Unintentional weight loss
- An enlarged thyroid (also called a goiter)
- A fast or irregular heartbeat
- Changes in your period
- Erectile dysfunction
- Loss of sex drive (low libido)
In treating Graves', the study noted two goals: to stop the thyroid gland from overproducing hormones or stop the increased levels of thyroid hormone from causing problems in the body.
As an autoimmune disease, it is a lifelong condition that has no cure. Only the symptoms can be stopped, though it can be temporary.
Treatment procedures include radioactive iodine therapy, anti-thyroid medications, beta-blockers, and surgery.