Did my Hashimoto start after this hardship/trauma?

[FleureDee]

I know this sounds absurd, How do I know when my body started producing thyroid antibodies?

I know that Summer 2015 was stressful and traumatic, someone emotionally hurt me, that was the worst betrayal in my life because I felt I was being used and taken as stupid. Anyway, you don't want to read my horrible story.

- Also that nasty summer I had TMJ because of the stress,

- I had the flu shot. I know vaccines can cause immunity issues.

Then the roller-coaster of all started:

- Suddenly no period despite all hormones were good including thyroid hormones ( I got my period later by medications by my gynaecologist).

- Also I got sick and was on a strong antibiotic,

- I was -foolishly- using hydroquinone and steriod creams for 2 months to get rid of blemishes on my back (blemishes out, hashimoto in!),

- I was also exposed to chlorine in the swimming pool.

- I was eating crap because I was still under the trauma and I did not talk to anyone, I acted as if nothing happened.

What else? Yes, then I developed rash that turned to become Dermatographim (AKA dermatographic Urticaria) after 6 months of the trauma.

It took me almost a year after the discovery of dermatographism to discover that Hashimoto was behind the dermatographism.

The question is, could that trauma and the stresses that came along with it caused hashimoto?

Or did I have if before, and it just help to aggravate it to a point when I could see symptoms?

Sorry for blabbing, but I learnt -to my cost- that it is good to talk about what happens.

[Justiina]

We can never say for sure when did you started to produce antibodies unless they have been frequently tested, which is unlikely.

I know, knowing why can be really important for some if us. I have been hunting down the cause of my illness.

Like it all started around I had infection on my knee, recurrent tonsillitis and loads of antibiotics, never felt healthy since. At first I thought it was the antibiotics, but later on discovered I had bacterial infection that triggered it all. Antibiotics were just the tip of the iceberg.

Unfortunately not all of us can find the cause, in the end it's irrelevant. You had tendency to get hashimoto , you would have gotten it sooner or later.

All bad things in your life didn't help the situation.

No need to apologise blabbing!!!

[FleureDee in reply to Justiina]

Thanks Justiina.

Yes, it feels good to know how this thing happened.

The strange thing, no one in my family has thyroid issues.

Does a tendency means its definitive someone will have an autoimmune disease? I once watched a talk that says there are dictator genes (you will get blue eyes), and genes that work like committees (they give suggestions) but lifestyle and circumstances triggers the "suggestions" to be implemented.

[Justiina in reply to FleureDee]

Is there any other autoimmune diseases in your family? It doesn't always have to be hashimoto for everyone.

It's not 100% definite, trigger is needed, but modern life is full of triggers which are hard to avoid as it can be a simple viral infection.

[FleureDee in reply to Justiina]

Emmm, yes a couple of persons in my family do have autoimmune issues. So I guess I had the predisposition.

Still, I'm trying to detox these stressful memories from my mind, they did a lot of harm to me, even if they were not the cause of Hashimoto.

Thanks Justiina.

[Justiina in reply to FleureDee]

So autoimmune diseases run in your family, so the gunpowder was dry, it just needed a spark to ignition.

Naturally reducing all type of stress including those bad memories will help.

I don't know if you blame yourself for what happened and if you feel you should have known better etc, but if you do, that's the worst type of stress.

[dlbynum in reply to Justiina]

I also developed many things after several courses of antibiotics and have only started recovering my stomach and health with probiotic at the highest levels! Hope you get healthy!

[FleureDee in reply to dlbynum]

Thank you. I wish you the best of health.

I've taken a pro-biotic for a month. It was good. I think I should take another course. I've been taking many antibiotic (almost once every 2-3 months, I was having frequent colds) before I discover I have Hashimot and decide not to take any.

For how long did you take probiotics?

[Lozzer66]

Hashimotos is the reason the majority of people's thyroid become underactive..if you were diagnosed with underactive thyroid before this difficult time you would have more than likely had it then.

[FleureDee in reply to Lozzer66]

Do you mean that I have always had antibodies since I was a child?

It just surfaced when I had those symptoms?

[NatChap]

Thyroid problems run in my family but I firmly believe stress brought mine on as it happened so suddenly shortly after finding out my brother had a brain tumour. I had been absolutely fine prior to that so I do think stress plays a part.

[FleureDee in reply to NatChap]

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope your brother is well now.

No one in my family has thyroid issues. Me too, I'm pretty sure that stress and my negative and supressed feeling cause it.

[NatChap in reply to FleureDee]

I only found out about my 2 Aunties having thyroid problems after I was diagnosed, pretty sure my Grandma had it too.

My brother is well now thank you, unbelievably as he took 6 months to get diagnosed!

I remember being in an almost constant state of anxiety..churning stomach, palpitations etc..as the situation with my brother was very dramatic in that he had brain surgery within 2 weeks of diagnosis, followed by an intense course of radiation and he lives in Canada so we were constantly on edge for phone calls or facebook messages. I think that high state of stress for a prolonged period is what did me. I started having symptoms around 2 months after his diagnosis and I was tested for hypothyroidism a month after that so all very quick.

[FleureDee in reply to NatChap]

Oh, must have been very hard.

It seems that it happens so fast. (sigh).

[Lozzer66]

When I was diagnosed several years ago my mum just said "oh your aunties and cousins have that and I've always been borderline...!!!".....my aunties are no longer around ..but I always remember them never being well ....now in hindsight I know that would of been badly treated /undertreated thyroid! ..I thought I'm not going to suffer like them and after researching my condition demanded that my antibodies were checked ..and low and behold I tested positive for hashimotos .....I'm 50 now..had 2 daughters In the late 80s but then had a son when I was nearly 40 yr old ! ..that really messed me up...I feel I've never been right since (I believe having a baby can trigger it)...I also gave up smoking...there's research to show stopping smoking can trigger hashimotos (wierd!)...I don't think even 'experts' know why we get these auto immune disorders but once we have one we are more likely to get more .! best we can do is try lower the attacks before thyroid gets completely wrecked such as healing our guts (immune system lives in there)supplements such as selenium ,and LDN (low dose Naltrexone) lower antibodies and avoiding things like gluten/wheat/ antibiotics, .fluoride in our water,.removing toxic chemicals around us and removing mercury fillings...eating clean ,lowering sugar intake (causes inflammation)..sigh..the list goes on ....at various times I've tried all of these (apart from removing my fillings!) but bad habits creep back in and good intentions fly out of the window unfortunately !

[FleureDee in reply to Lozzer66]

Thanks Lozzer66 for sharing your story.

You made me google the relationship between pregnancy and hypothyroidism, and I'v found out that pregnancy can cause it!

"Some women develop thyroid problems in the first year after giving birth. This is called postpartum thyroiditis (theye-royd-EYET-uhss). It often begins with symptoms of an overactive thyroid, which last 2 to 4 months. Mild symptoms might be overlooked. Most women then develop symptoms of an underactive thyroid, which can last up to a year. An underactive thyroid needs to be treated. In most cases, thyroid function returns to normal as the thyroid heals."

The good thing it is reversible because it is just an inflammation, not caused by antibodies.

I'm trying to go healthy, I know how difficult it is, especially when I feel that I really need that comfort food to make my mood better. Sometimes I wonder, if the thyroid is going to be destroyed sooner or later, why should we go healthy, but then I have a hope to reverse my hashimoto! My endo said it is not reversible, but still I have not lost hope.

[Lozzer66 in reply to FleureDee]

Yeah I've not lost hope either ...there's so much can be done ..the main thing is sticking to it....unlike your endocrineologist there is thinking that it's reversable(hashimotos that is) and some claim to have done that!...I believe that if hypothroidism could be sorted without medication if caught early enough!....I was naive and had no clue when I was diagnosed. .just went docs and had blood tests as I was tired...then was left a script for levothyroxine as tsh was high saying I'd need to take for life.....it could of just been a blip..if I had of been informed at the time perhaps I could of sorted it without medications.

[FleureDee in reply to Lozzer66]

Well, I'm trying not to lose hope too. If it does not treat my Hashimoto, it will at least prevent other diseases hopefully, and give me better health.

My TSH now is so low Under 0.015, which means I'm going through a hyper stage. I don't want to see my endo, I'm afraid he will put me on medication.

[Lozzer66 in reply to FleureDee]

If i was you i wouldnt see the endocrineologist !with hashimotos tsh is up and down....it may be a different story next time ...if you feel ok just crack on as you are ...we should go of how we feel x

[FleureDee in reply to Lozzer66]

Thanks for encouraging me.

I don't feel fully well, I do have some symptoms, but I want to give alternative medicine a good try.