I found this ARTICLE interesting as I've always maintained that my Hypothyroidism was caused or at least exaggerated by the Chenobyl disaster in 1986... Coupled with me becoming a vegetarian in 1988, a vegetarian that didnt like meat - all those soya alternatives...
Any one else have a "Cause" for their hypothyroidism... ?
Mine: RADIATION and VEGETARIANISM oh and FLUORIDE
Hi, i was a veggie because of the risk of mad cow disease in the 80's. Obviously this had an impact on B12 and possibly iron. All the soya pretend meat, my cholesterol was very low, but now i'm wondering have i damaged my children too?. Then the menopause, i drank gallons of soya milk for years.
I have damaged vertebrae in my neck, so i've had numerous x rays. Every time i had a hospital appointment i was sent for a new set of x rays. I've had mri's and scans of my spine, head, knees who knows the effect of those? Plus i've had 11 ops with that waterever you call it rammed down my throat. A dentist that loves his x ray machine, i think the list is endless. I've had enourmous levels of stress, bereavement, divorce, losing my home etc etc. When you sit down and think about it, a lot of things could well have contributed.
Poor diet as a child and teenager - low weight : a lot of missed meals - fussy eater. A stressed needy child. Whooping cough, Measles, German measles Chickent pox etc. Child abuse from a dentist, xrays, swallowed lots of mercury.
Always had sore throat and swollen throat glands never had any treatment.
Vegetarian from the early eighties but just a normal diet without meat so dodgy nutrition and couldnt donate blood., Chernoble. Severe pains in my throat in my twenties - no diagnosis and no testing.
Felt a lot worse after starting thyroxine treatment. Neglected too long so adrenals probably nackered. The one size fits all treatment model doesnt work.
My mother was pregnant (end of first trimester) whilst this was going on.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winds... and washing Iodine-131 over her in the north of England!
I had just started school downwind of Windscale - 25 years later I had a 'very slow growing' thyroid carcinoma removed. Incidentally, as I was diagnosed while living in St Albans, I became a cluster of one, epidemiologically speaking, whereas I should have been added to Northumberland statistics. The official estimate of 240 cases caused by the 1957 Windscale fire could be wildly under, given how far Geordies can travel in 25 years...
Well, I am 200 miles removed from where I was!
Thanks to everyone for replying - Im sure its at epidemic proportions - the damage caused by Nuclear accidents to the very fragile thyroid gland. Please keep your insights coming.
I'd be very interested in what happens in Japan - in the light of Fukushima. When will we realise...
Probably some years before anything shows... and of course it has to BE shown, as we know, statistics for the bleeding obvious are well covered and hidden, for all sorts of political intent and reason so something as subtle as that sort of thing may never really see the light of day 
I've mentioned the Windscale fire as a possible source of my cancer to every Endo I've seen since 1982 ( must be about 30 by now... ) to total indifference - except one, a Greek registrar , who said 'yeah, I wouldn't be surprised, we've had loads of Thyroid cancers in Greece since Chernobyl'.
I live in Greece and have done so for 10 years ! Yes doctors are far more open here and say as it is ! A friend of mine recently had her thyroid removed in Athens - she had cancer - her surgeon reassured her by saying he did at least 4 a day. That is just one surgeon.....We also keep our own medical records - so much more freedom and not the somewhat arrogant attitude that we may not understand them....as happens elsewhere. Am sure you have a point....
I think in my case it was multifactorial, Tons of dental xrays & new fillings in my late teens, excess oestrogen when in my reproductive years, & eating loads of broccoli & soya products over the years because I didn`t trust the meat industry to provide safe products after the mad cow publicity.
Wow I never considered the intense amount of orthodontic work and Xrays I had done at the age of 14 - 18 could be a culprit too... ug
Your most welcome - I think what is needed in the "Hypothyroid" community is conciseness and helpful advice. This community is great - but its hard to find any real advice. I was never told that if you drink tea in the morning and take your Thyroxine medication at the same time that the calcium in the milk this will lessen its effects... or dont eat Broccoli because its a Goitrogen... Maybe we could attempt to create a guide for Hypothyroidismists?
Keep it brief and I'll collate... Bx
New Article - Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypothyroidism
Optimizing the treatment of hypothyroidism
Really interesting article on central hypothyroidism 
