Thyroid’s “fellow travellers”
In a recent issue of your magazine “Harmony”, a correspondent in the Q & A section wrote, “I have been diagnosed with under-active thyroid. I still have lots of symptoms even though I take 50mcg of thyroxine a day. Can I take any supplements on top of this that might help?”
If your continuing symptoms are aches and pains, fatigue, ‘scratching’, dry eyes, migraine, memory loss, balance problems – take note.
As you know, thyroid disease, especially underactive thyroid, is recognised as an “auto-immune” disease. – and autoimmune diseases run in families. Many of these families have histories of other autoimmune disease.
Two of these conditions commonly – probably very commonly – accompany thyroid problems. These 2 conditions are Sjogren’s Syndrome and Hughes Syndrome.
Sjogren’s Syndrome. Henrich Sjogren, a Swedish eye doctor, described a condition which included dry eyes, dry mouth and rheumatic pains. Sjogren’s is now recognised as being due to an overactive immune syndrome. The clinical picture includes vaginal dryness, bladder symptoms (recurrent cystitis) and aches and pains (commonly given the unhelpful label of ‘fibromyalgia’). It is a common condition especially in women over 40.
And yes, it is commonly found accompanying a thyroid diagnosis (especially Hashimoto’s).
Hughes Syndrome: Recognised 30 years ago, this is another so-called autoimmune condition, called “sticky blood” by the media. The cumbersome medical title we gave to the syndrome 30 years ago is “Antiphospholipid syndrome” – APS – as the condition can be detected by a simple ‘antibody’ blood test).
The condition appears to increase the risk of ‘sludging’ or even clotting of the blood, leading, for example, to DVTs (vein thromboses).
Two organs appear to be especially vulnerable to “sticky” blood. Firstly, in pregnancy, the placenta. Sludging of the placental blood supply leads to poor nutrition of the foetus, to miscarriage and even to late pregnancy loss – Stillbirth.
Hughes Syndrome is now recognised as the commonest, treatable cause of recurrent miscarriage – some women having suffered a dozen or more miscarriages.
The other organ particularly affected is the brain. Perhaps the 2 commonest ‘brain’ symptoms of Hughes Syndrome are migraine – often severe and dating back to childhood, and memory loss – sometimes mild – but occasionally bad enough to lead to worries about Alzheimer’s.
Other ‘neurological’ features are pins and needles, balance and visual problems (frequently misdiagnosed as ‘multiple sclerosis’). In extreme cases, patients can suffer TIAs (transient ischaemic attacks) and stroke – indeed, one study found that 25% of young (under 45) women with stroke tested positive for Hughes Syndrome.
Of course, the impaired circulation can affect other organs – the heart (angina), the limbs (clots and “claudication” – pain the calves on walking) – the gut (“gut angina” – tummy pain after a big meal).
Recognition
Hughes Syndrome is now becoming recognised internationally (at an international conference in October, 600 clinicians and researchers met to update knowledge of the condition).
Thyroid’s fellow travellers – Important to recognise?
Both Sjogren’s Syndrome and Hughes Syndrome can and often do, respond well to treatment
Sjogren’s – in particular the fatigue and aches and pains, often respond surprisingly well to an old fashioned medicine – quinine (the agent used is Plaquenil – a safe and widely used medicine).
Hughes Syndrome usually responds well to treatment of the ‘sticky blood’ – with either baby aspirin (75mgs once a day) or with heparin (now widely used in Hughes Syndrome pregnancy), or, in more severe cases, with warfarin.
The results have been spectacular – the pregnancy success rate in Hughes Syndrome, previously less than 20%, is now over 90%.
And one of the most satisfying results is the disappearance of migraine attacks and the improvement in memory loss, seen when simple anti-clottng treatment is started.
So, Q & A lady, don’t just think Thyroid or ‘supplements’ – ask about Thyroid ‘fellow travellers’.
For further information (including the monthly ‘blog’ “Listen to the patient”, contact:
ghic.world
Graham Hughes
The London Lupus Centre
London Bridge Hospital
MaryF
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