Hashimoto's

[fidgiegirl]

I am reading a new book on Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and had to put it down. I am so fired up. All the pieces of my life just keep falling together since I have taken this diagnosis seriously. There are so many things in the book that apply to me! Symptoms and related issues . . . I am so deeply grateful to have found the doc I am currently seeing and that she put me on a GF diet and has recommended other changes (some of which I have made and some that I haven't, but this book is helping me see why I need to . . . ).

But my deep gratitude is tempered by anger toward all the other physicians - GPs, endocrinologists, GI specialists, OB/GYNs, and probably more - whom I saw and couldn't see past one section of my problem - either the gland itself, or the gut issues, or the gyno issues, or whatever. Or dismissed me as a hypochondriac or whatever other kind of wacko they thought I was being.

I even seriously thought I could be manic depressive at one time! It was the hypo/hyper cycles of Hashi's!! Looking back, it has been manifesting for years and getting worse and worse. I wonder if even my motion sickness, which I suddenly began to have in 2002, is even a part. Geez. Not until 2011 when I go to see Dr. Parker, an M.D. specializing in integrative medicine, do I finally have a doc who validates my deep feelings that all these apparently disconnected issues were at some level related, and the resulting treatments have actually worked to improve my health.

Mostly a vent/share, but are there other Hashi's sufferers out there? I am not good at explaining it, but I can try. Still in the phases where I am trying to understand it myself, so it's hard to articulate, even though I think I do get it at this point.

Thanks for listening . . . you've all been so helpful throughout this - with the GF diet, etc. I am so thankful I haven't had the degree of bad health that others with this disease experience. All in all, I have been so lucky to find it now and treat it now.

[Rosemary]

I don't know anything about Hashimoto's but I can completely relate to the relief of finding a physician who has some new ideas and who actually listens! I am still working on finding the solution to my ongoing reflux. I'm trying the specific carbohydrate diet now and it seems to make a difference, so I'm hopeful. Not an easy diet to stick to long-term... but if it solves the problem, I will. Allowed foods are based on the molecular structure of carbohydrate contained due to the digestive differences - which makes sense for my situation.

Also, putting 2+2 together, wondering if the reason my mom, myself, and DD have this difficult reflux is because of a known genetic mutation that DD and I have. Not sure where I got it, but it is a possibility. It can affect digestion though there aren't a lot of studies on people who just have one copy of it. My inner scientist is fascinated by this.

By the way, a friend of mine was just today complaining about how several doctors put her off for problems that she reported, saying she needed to get more exercise, eat better, etc, when it turned out that she also had a thyroid issue.

[EarthSky]

fidgie girl, I have Hashomoto's also - diagnosed many years ago. However, my 'aha' was around Celiac Disease, which was undiagnosed for decades. This too can be a root cause for so many other ailments, even major events like miscarriages. In fact, my thyroid levels have been much more 'level' since I've gone 100% gluten-free 2 years ago. I have yet to find one Dr that really 'gets it' but I can totally relate to your struggle and your journey. Hugs to you. And please continue to share, so we can all learn from your experiences!

[Tussiemussies]

Glad for you that you found this book and something that will help you. I understanding, it can be so frustrating...

[fidgiegirl]

Thanks, all!!

Rosemary, the more I think about it, the more I think my mom may have a thyroid issue, too, but when I floated it, she pooh-poohed it. Too bad! She's had many symptoms for years.

EarthSky, the reading I have done suggests that if you have one autoimmune disease (i.e. Hashi's or Celiac) you are likely to have the other. I am feeling so good since going off gluten. I never would have believed it seven or eight months ago. I was at my wit's end and willing to try anything different. I am so glad you figured out your celiac. My coworker had GI issues for 18 YEARS before she was diagnosed, and it cleared up within months once she went on the GF diet. What a godsend. Not sure where you are in the midwest, but if it's near the Twin Cities, let me know and I will give you my doc's info.

[peggy]

My daughter has, or rather had, Hashomoto's. Unfortunately she was one of those who was having so many 'health failures' in a very short time that they had to destroy her thyroid. So, problem solved! (so to speak). Yes, she has celiac, and reflux. Really, she is a healthy girl, she just has these issues that we have dealt with as they came along.
She is doing great now! Feeling great, as long as she is careful with what she eats (reflux) and takes her meds, which thankfully aren't really expensive. The celiac isn't an issue at all, really. This disease is in my family so we already knew how to cook this way. It was just a matter of a complete change over for our family. Not difficult at all.
It is frustrating when you have all these symptoms and no one puts it together. It took us awhile, and some tense moments, before we managed to get her to this point.

[fidgiegirl]

peggy, does she have to be on replacement hormone now?

[chrisgermany]

Another Hashi here, but no Celiac.
Even though I have hay fever almost all year round since I was a teen I am not allergic or otherwise sensitive to any kind of food.
The daily pill puts me back to normal in almost all aspects but it seems I cannot get the additional weight off that I put on till I was diagnosed.

[happystuff]

BTDT - I could have written the OP many years ago! I no longer have a thyroid (surgically removed as I developed "unidentified cells" and the goiter started wrapping around my esophogus). And, yes, once the thyroid is removed, thyroid hormone replacement is necessary.

I would also suggest doing a good investigation of the thyroid drugs out there. I spent more years than I want to think about walking around in a moody, barely-functioning fog while on Synthroid(T-4 replacement only). It was amazing when I switched to Armour Thyroid (natural med containing T-1, T-2, T-3, and T-4) and literally saw the veil lifting! Everyone is different! Check out the different meds and amounts to find your proper fit. It all makes life much, much better!

[peggy]

peggy, does she have to be on replacement hormone now?

Oh absolutely. without a thyroid, she needs to replace those hormones it made. But it is one small, inexpensive pill a day. Of course it's for the rest of her life, but really no bother. And since it is total replacement, she really doesn't have to go through the 'adjustments' up and down like those whose thyroids are producing some hormone. The thyroid was causing all sorts of problems, from eye problems to rapid heartbeats, and started growing uncontrollably, which is why it was killed. She opted to have it killed with radiation rather than surgery. But it was after she got settled out and still was having health issues that we discovered the celiac. Celiac has so many diverse symptoms, sometimes it takes time to figure out what exactly is causing the problem. With my daughter, after awhile, we kind of guessed as we were attuned to this condition in my family. A biopsy confirmed. To tell you the truth, it was a relief to find this out as this we could fix fairly easy, as it were. Better the known than the unknown, if you know what I mean.
Perhaps we should start a thread in cooking of recipes suitable for celiac. Really, there isn't anything you can't have. It's just a matter of cooking differently.