Hashimoto's thyroiditis

[Suerender]

Hi I am new on here. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis two years ago. I also have thyroid nodules. I have a pain in the right hand side of my neck and feel exhausted. I had my blood tested last week. I have low blood pressure and a low heart rate. Was wondering if this could be connected.

[greygoose]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

So, what were the results of your blood tests? Can you post them on here - with the ranges? What are you taking, and how much?

Low blood pressure and low heart rate are indeed hypo symptoms. Sounds as if you are under-medicated.

[Suerender in reply to greygoose]

I am not taking any medication. I was tested last year at my levels were ok. But. Was tested again last Saturday 18th February as I am due to have a shoulder operation. This is when they said I had a pulse rate of 41 and low blood pressure. I am waiting for the results.

[greygoose in reply to Suerender]

I very much doubt your levels were ok last year, but still... If they know you have Hashi's, you should be on thyroid hormone replacement, to support the gland during the antibody attacks.

When you see the doctor about your results, don't forget to ask for a print-out - with the ranges. If you live in the UK, it's your legal right to have one, and you need to keep your own records. When you have Hashi's, things are only going to get worse, so best to have a base-line. You can then post them on here for comment, if you wish. Members will be able to explain anything you don't understand.

[Suerender in reply to greygoose]

When first diagnosed with this no one explained it to me properly. I was just told I have got it and would have to have my blood tested every year. If I have this pain in my neck will it be linked to the nodules? I have itchy skin sometimes. I wanted to know do you have the symptoms even if they say my blood is ok? I do feel the cold. The only thing is I haven't put weight in but have lost weight.

[greygoose in reply to Suerender]

There are over 300 known symptoms of hypo, and you don't have to have them all to qualify. Not everybody puts on weight. But, then again, depends where you are with the Hashi's, how much damage has been done to the gland.

You most certainly could have symptoms even if they say your blood is 'OK'. 'OK' is just an opinion, and given how little doctors know about thyroid, their opinion could be wrong. That is why you always, always need to get a copy of your results. You need to know exactly what was tested, and exactly what the results were.

Then again, the antibodies themselves can cause symptoms - although doctors deny it.

I don't think the nodules themselves cause pain. But, your gland could be inflammed, which would cause pain. Itchy skin could very well be due to the Hashi's.

[Suerender in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for your help. Just one last thing. Can the problems be intermittent. You could feel ok sometimes and the. Not at others. I will find out what my results are. Thank you once again

[greygoose in reply to Suerender]

Most definitely you can. Especially with Hashi's.

I don't know how much you know about Hashi's, but, basically, what happens is that your immune system attacks the thyroid gland, mistaking it for the enemy, and destroys cells. As the cells die off, they release their stored hormone into the blood, so you get a temporary surge of thyroid hormone - which could make you feel hyper, or could just make you feel better. When all that is used up, you go back to being under-active, only more so, because you now have a smaller gland. So, hormone levels vary - sometimes wildly.

There are several ways to combat this. One is to get your TSH down to zero. But, doctors really hate that.

Another thing is to go onto a 100% gluten-free diet. This can lower antibodies. As can taking selenium. But, doctors know nothing about any of that, I'm afraid.

[Suerender in reply to greygoose]

Thank you. I will look into the gluten free diet. I will also get my results from the doctor.

[greygoose in reply to Suerender]

You're welcome.

[Suerender in reply to Suerender]

Just one last thing would you recommend I went to see the doctor about the pain in my neck?

[greygoose in reply to Suerender]

It wouldn't hurt to go. You never know, he might actually examine you and find something relevant.

[Jaqs71 in reply to greygoose]

Hi grey goose

What do you mean when you say "when you have hasish things are only going to get worse "

Iv been diagnosed for two years now, I'm in 50mcg levo and 5mcg liothyronine, I'm desperate to feel better!! I work full time and have a 7 year old daughter, iv waisted so much time because Iv been so exhausted at times, my only hope is that things DO get better, and that's why I'm concerned when you say with hashis things are only going to get worse

Jp

[greygoose in reply to Jaqs71]

Because Hashi's is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, and slowly destroys it. So, after each attack, you get a little bit more hypo.

But, that remark was addressed to the OP, who isn't yet getting any treatment. So, obviously, it is going to get worse. She should be on thyroid hormone replacement, to support her gland, and suppress her TSH.

If you are already on thyroid hormone replacement, then it's a question of managing the treatment so that you don't get worse - an entirely different scenario. You need to be on enough thyroid hormone to suppress your TSH, to minimise antibody attacks. And that's where most of us come up against a brick wall, because doctors are so terrified of a suppressed TSH.

However, what you can do for yourself, to reduce antibodies, and therefore reduce antibody attacks, is to go 100% gluten-free, and take selenium. Your thyroid is never going to regrow, so you are always going to be on thyroid hormone replacement. So, in order for things to get better, you need to make sure you're always on enough thyroid hormone replacement.

[Jaqs71 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you

[greygoose in reply to Jaqs71]

You're welcome.

[Adam10 in reply to greygoose]

Grey goose, You say take medication to protect the thyroid during attacks by antibodies. Are Hashimoto antibody attacks on the thyroid gland constant or only after we eat certain foods (with gluten etc)?

How long do antibodies remain in our system?

Thank you

[greygoose in reply to Adam10]

That's not what I said at all.

For a start, it's not medication that we take, in the normal sense of the word. It's not a drug, it's a hormone. And, it doesn't protect, anything. It might support the thyroid, that's what they say, but two years on - and this thread is two years old, I'm not sure quite how it supports - remember, knowledge is progressive, not static. However, I do still believe that suppressing the TSH will reduce immune system attacks on the thyroid, so it is a desirable thing. But, no, thyroid hormone replacement doesn't protect, it replaces the hormones our thyroids are no-longer capable of producing in large enough quantities.

Secondly, TPO and Tg antibodies do not attack anything. That's not their job. Their job is to clean up the debris - traces of TPO and Tg - that are left after the attack. Which is why they fluctuate. The appear in large numbers after the attack and do their job, then reduce again. But, there will always be some there. Not even non-Hashi's people have zero antibodies.

No, the thyroid is not under constant attack. It happens from time to time. Frequence and force of the attacks varies from person to person. But, they become less and less severe with time, as there is less and less thyroid to attack. Whether or not they are triggered by food, is not something that has been proved. Even gluten-free people can suffer from Hashi's 'hyper' swings from time to time.

[Adam10 in reply to greygoose]

Grey goose. Fascinating and informative as ever, thank you.

So that’s why ends are uninterested in tegulat testing for antibodies although I still insist as per comments on this forum.

I still feel dread when I hear that our thyroids will shrink and ‘disapoear’ over time. Is it inevitable that our entire thyroid will ‘go’ in time? Can a mix of ‘teplacement, diet, and lifestyle extend the life of the thyroid

Many thanks as always for sharing your knowledge.

[greygoose in reply to Adam10]

Endos know nothing about Hashi's and antibodies. They think antibodies are irrelevant!

I believe that, if you live long enough, it is inevitable that your thyroid will completely stop working, yes, but I don't know if it will disappear. But, I don't believe that diet and lifestyle have much to do with it. You need good levels of nutrients obviously to be as healthy as you can, but there is not magic food you can eat that is going to reverse the situation. As for cutting stuff out of your diet, well, if you react badly to it, the of course you should cut it out. But, I don't believe that affects your thyroid - I've never seen any convincing proof, anyway.

The advice to cut out gluten and dairy is sometimes good advice because Hashi's people tend to be gluten-sensitive and/or lactose intolerant. But that's not going to stop the Hashi's. And, does it reduce antibodies? How do you prove that without testing every day? Antibodies will reduce with time, anyway, plus they fluctuate, so if they've gone down, they can go up again. Besides, what's the point? Antibodies are not the disease. Even if you managed to get rid of them completely, you would still have Hashi's.

I think that if you stuff yourself with sugar and soy and artificial sweeteners and processed oils (in other words, most processed foods) you're going to be unhealthy, and cutting them out might make you feel better but it's not going to get rid of the Hashi's or make your thyroid regrow. Sorry, I don't know of anything we can do to help that.

[Adam10 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you Greygoose. Sobering to read but one needs to know.

What happens when the thyroid stops working? Do I increase my Levo replacement to provide as replacement for the total hormone amount required by the body?

Is that about 300 mcg daily?

[greygoose in reply to Adam10]

Impossible to say in advance. But, your dose should be increased slowly as you go along, not one huge increase at the end.

People taking large doses like 300 mcg are usually those with conversion problems. And continually increasing the levo is not the solution. They need T3 added to their levo.

[ClaireMacnamara]

Hello Grey Goose I'm new to the group having found you only in the last couple of weeks but I'm very interested in the link between Hashimotos and selenium / GF diet you mention here. Please could you direct me to some reading on this topic or perhaps explain the links and why they help people feel better?

My thyroid started failing in 1996 and eventually after badgering lots of gps with most of the usual hypo / Hashi symptoms I was started on replacement treatment in 1999.

I've been taking multivitamin/mineral inc selenium for at least that long (Sanatogen Gold A-Z) and swear it's why I don't get colds but I didn't know about the selenium link - is there something you could direct me to to have a read of about this, please?

And what is the GF connection? Very interested especially as I have IBS and have had testing to rule out allergies /Coeliac disease etc...

I know my IBS is also connected to my Thyroid (started 1999) so would love to potentially help both if there is evidence it works... have managed it so far by cutting out swathes of foods from my diet over last 18 years but if GF diet would make a difference, I'd love to hear about it!

Hope that gives you enough info to go on - would be very interested to hear your thoughts!

Claire

[SLWS]

I'm going to tell you to go to the ER.

I know someone who like myself was diagnosed with thyroid problems but as we all have experienced we are aware of how bad it is but the doctors seem to KNOW better.

She was rushed to the ER via ambulance and she actually had to be revived because her nodules blocked her blood flow to her heart.

She to this day suffers from the effects of doctors neglect of actually caring about how horrible Thyroid complications actually are.

Her symptoms were similar to yours and her near death experience didn't happen immediately it progressed slowly because she kept doing what doctors said... deal with it/stop making it up/stop being lazy etc...

I know it's frustrating as heck though when you cannot get doctors to listen and care.

I do hope you take this seriously though and MAKE the doctors listen to you.

I'm not trying to be bossy or insensitive by any means but I want you to make sure those nodules aren't causing you damage.