Consider Hashimoto's (Underactive Thyroid) Disease

[marmicros]

I've struggled with fibromyalgia for fifteen years, but over the past six to nine months my symptoms have worsened relentlessly to the point where I am almost housebound. I tried going lactose free, gluten free, alcohol free, and a hormone supplement, but nothing has slowed or improved the symptoms. Because there is thyroid issue in my paternal family, and because a cousin has Hashimoto's, I decided to research the condition. I had had a number of "minor" symptoms over the years which I wrote off as allergies (light bleeding in my nose), must need more magnesium (restless legs recurrence) getting old (hair loss - I'm female nearly 73) asthma (breathlessness, discomfort in chest) fibromyalgia (fatigue and pain) must need open toed shoes (tips of my big toes were sore) diagnosed with Reynaud's phenomenon at 18 and told it was caused by smoking (numbness in toes) but don't smoke any more, dry skin (diagnosed in my fifties) and family throat condition (increased choking on fluids). Living on and affected by the lie that women are hypochondriacs, I wrote it all off to other things. But I've now found that all of these things can be related to an underactive thyroid condition. My thyroid was tested years ago, but I've now found that some cases can be "sub clinical" - they don't show up in tests. I've now asked for extensive blood tests and need to do more. This may not be the answer for me, but it COULD help others. Give it a try if you haven't already. Parathyroids should also be tested as well as a saliva cortisol test, TPO antibodies, T3 and T4.

 

[30 plus years]

@marmicros I have to compliment you. That was so well written!
I'm 63, have had fibro symptoms soon after having a C-section with my second son.
So I was in my thirties, and not only did I have a host of new aches and pains, but I was finding I always felt cold. I suggested thyroid to my dr and he said "Why didn't I think of that?" And so began the thyroid journey.

Yes, it tested low and I was put on medication. I didn't notice a whole lot of improvement. I have an inordinate amount of knee socks I wear almost year round, cling to thermals, use a heating pad, etc.

Through the years the dosage of medication changed a lot. Up, down, down, up. Whatever. That's what the test showed.
But what test?

Every time I've asked a dr, even an endocrinologist, about that blood test and if it's comprehensive, they say yes. And everything I've researched says it needs to be tested differently. The suggestions you wrote at the end are impressive. But I don't know where to get those tests. I definitely think there are crossover symptoms with fibro and hypothyroidism, but I haven't a clue where to go to get it truly straightened out.

 

[johnsalmon]

I suffer from Hashimoto's disease and have for many years it is an autoimmune diseases that attacks a number of the body systems - with me - the skin, the eyes, the nails etc I am heat s intolerance rather the cold intolerance as is common in this disease there is no medication cure for it you instead treat all of the Symptom separately however it does not give any Symptoms similar to fibro - you should have regular blood tests for TSH T4 and T3 ie a thyroid blood panel which will tell you what level of thyroid medication to take

Hashimoto's disease is a real pain in the arse

 

[marmicros]

My sister has Graves' disease - over active thyroid - and is successfully treated. However, she told me that at one stage she had an MRI on her neck which confirmed the diagnosis. I'm not sure of the name of the MRI, but your doctor should be able to guide you. Cheers.

 

[SBee]

I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism ( underactive thyroid) for over 25 years. The replacement thyroxine has been gradually increased. End of last year I went up to 150mg, my second increase in a year. So I asked to have T3 and T4 rechecked next week.

I too am really feel the cold- gloves indoors and layers of clothes. And then summer comes and I hate the heat! Am certain my internal thermostat is broken...

@johnsalmon does having underactive thyroid mean the same as Hashimotos do you know? I already have autoimmune arthritis, and I know autoimmune conditions like to have their other friends join in too. I read conflicting info online and want to speak with my gp about thyroid after the new test

 

[johnsalmon]

does having underactive thyroid mean the same as Hashimotos do you know?

basically yes the reason why you have underactive thyroid is due to the autoimmune system attacking the production of thyroid hormones - the thyroid is responsible for many functions of the body. An overproduction of the thyroid is called Graves disease which is also an autoimmune condition - once you have one of these conditions then you can develop a number of other autoimmune diseases.

you should have your tsh, t3 and t4 checked at least 6 monthly .

 

[marmicros]

Today I received the results of thyroid blood test and my doctor assured me that there is nothing wrong with my thyroid. I'm going for further tests because he insisted that the blood test was an accurate indicator and I know people for whom this has not been true. Further, available information from medical sources state that thyroid conditions DON'T always show up in blood tests. I'm also finding a new doctor who takes my condition more seriously.

 

[SBee]

Thanks @johnsalmon I have never been certain if the two were actually one and the same thing. Thats interesting just for the knowledge of realising I do have more than one autoimmune disease. I dont know if its just my medical practice, but they tend only to test levels once a year, or at least three months after a change in thyroxine meds.

Had hypothyroidism for many many years, the autoimmune arthritis has only been diagnosed a year, but had symptoms for far longer.
I am aware how much trouble a thyroid imbalance can cause. Thanks again

 

[johnsalmon]

or at least three months after a change in thyroxine meds.

should be before a change in meds not after testing before is the only way to tell if the meds need adjusting or changing

 

[SBee]

Should be ok @johnsalmon . I had a blood test in oct\nov which showed the levels were down again, and had thyroxine upped from 125 to 150. So next weeks test is to see if the increase in dosage was enough to bring my levels back into acceptable range.
i agree its a total pain in the arse

 

[Moose]

The thyroid connection by Amy Myers is a good read and gives some detailed info on blood testing. She’s a doctor that went through being let down by her fellow doctors not listening to her - she has graves I believe. She went towards being a functional md after her own issues were ignored by her doctors. Anyway it helped me understand better thyroid issues. I have Hashimoto’s.

 

[marmicros]

I have now had confirmed that thyroid disease is on both sides of my family. I had a vague memory of my maternal grandmother having a goitre and a cousin has now confirmed it. Reading the comments posted here and the reference by Moose to the Amy Myers book, it makes me wonder just how often women are written off when they present their symptoms to doctors.

 

[marmicros]

In researching why my "fibromyalgia" symptoms have worsened relentlessly over the past six to nine months, I've tried a number of approaches such as going gluten free, lactose free and thinking about my diet. Up until about June last year (when my worsening symptoms presented) I was eating about three avocados each week. I always eat my avocados with a mixture of tahini and date syrup. Wondering if tahini and date syrup might have had an impact, I researched both, and found that they both contain substances which are good for the thyroid. I have restarted my avocado, tahini and date syrup meals and can honestly say that my brain fog has lifted. Physically, I haven't noticed much difference, but it's early days yet. Food for thought.

 

[Frizzybee]

Some of us with fibro do not have autoimmune thyroid issues, as shown by normal anti-thyroid antibody tests, but we do have a cellular resistance wherein the T4 hormone either cannot convert to the T3 the body uses, and/or get into the cells. We need to take zinc, balanced with a small amount of copper, plus selenium to fix this. I had to take expensive, desiccated thyroid for a couple of decades before finding this out, and by adding pumpkin seeds for zinc and a selenium supp., I was then able to take the cheap synthetic thyroid hormone and it worked. It was an M.D. who practiced as an N.D. who put me on the medicine, since my TSH was "normal", but unlike most allopathic doctors, she actually reads the research, so she knew that the American Society of Endocrinologists admitted the normal ranges were much too high and changed them back in 2003. Labs still use the old ranges and so does the average American allopath, who according to research, is practicing 17 years behind in general! The normal range should be 0.4 to 1.6. Up to 2.6 is a 29% increase in heart attack risk and over 2.6 is a 69% increase in risk. Most labs still say that up to 4.4 is normal, and some use the even older 5.5! Stop The Thyroid Madness is a good book and website to learn more about this. My TSH was 3.57 when she first saw me and put me on Armour Thyroid. I was dragging badly. Within a week I was driving again, so I sent her a bouquet of flowers. Back when I first got sick, my TSH had been 4.4 and the allopathic Neurologist said it was borderline, and "We don't treat borderline". My extremities were numb and I was too weak to walk without falling, a lot of my hair fell out, I lost my job, lost my partner and lost the home I'd just bought with 20% down to foreclosure. If he'd just given me a trial of thyroid medicine.....

 

[marmicros]

That is tragic, but I'm so glad you finally got appropriate treatment. I've been using Stevia as an alternative to sugar and I've just read that Stevia prevents the conversion of T4 to T3, so I'm also addressing that. Thank you so much for this information. Don't know if you saw my post regarding date syrup and tahini, but they contain selenium.