Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley opens up following Graves' disease diagnosis

Daisy Ridley has revealed that she has been diagnosed with Graves' disease. An autoimmune condition, it causes the thyroid gland to become hyperactive and produce more hormones than the body requires. It is among the leading causes of hyperthyroidism globally. Common symptoms include shakiness, weight fluctuation, hot flashes, and more.

Ridley, 32, told Women's Health in an interview published on Tuesday that she visited an endocrinologist in September of 2023 after feeling signs like racing heart rate, weight loss, fatigue, and hand tremors.

Initially, the Star Wars actress thought it resulted from portraying a mentally demanding role in Magpie, a psychological thriller in which she plays Anette, a wife and mother struggling with her personal relationships. "I thought, 'Well, I’ve just played a really stressful role.' Presumably, that’s why I feel poorly," she said.

However, when the doctor she saw referred to Graves' disease as a "tired but wired" feeling, Ridley realized that her symptoms were stemming from the disorder.

"It was funny, I was like, 'Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,' but [it] turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can’t chill out."

Ridley, who has been a vegan for years, decided to go gluten-free following the diagnosis, aiming to use conscious dietary and lifestyle changes to better tackle the disease. She said she's not being "super strict" about the diet change but is generally avoiding anything that can cause the symptoms to flare up. The changes seemingly worked for her, as she noticed improvements in her health shortly after implementing them.

She is also integrating infrared saunas, cryotherapy, massages, acupuncture, and other holistic treatments into her routine. All this is part of her learning to take better care of her health. "We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed and sort of coming to terms with saying, ‘I really, actually don’t feel good’ and not going, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.’ It’s just normalized to not feel good," she said.

Ridley was also diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovaries earlier in her life. But despite the long list of health issues over the years, she finds inspiration by thinking about those who have it worse.

"In the grand scheme of things, it’s much less severe than what a lot of people go through," Ridley said about her Graves' diagnosis. "Even if you can deal with it, you shouldn’t have to. If there’s a problem, you shouldn’t have to just [suffer through it]."