This is an interesting new, but v complicated paper on bone metabolism. In part of it, a relationship between bone resorption (reduced calcium level and thinner structure) and active autoimmune disease eg bowel problems. Wouldn't wonder if this doesn't apply also to Hashimoto's thyroiditis as well. Could OP the be due to primarily Hashimoto's and not thyroid hormone dosage?
I have long wondered what effect the years of low thyroid hormones, which so often precede eventually diagnosis and treatment, have already had on bone health?
Thank you diogenes . Me too helvella , and what other long term damage to enzymes and such...might explain why I can't get on with T4 even thought have only partial defect. Think the 10 yrs undiagnosed, despite antibodies and any no of symptoms, followed by T4 mono - that only made me worse, did nothing but irreparable damage.
That chimes with me as well the Levo seemed to exacerbate the bone problems (and other symptoms) perhaps It was just that I needed direct T3 rather than synthetic T4 being the culprit perhaps combination therapy could have saved me a lot of unnecessary suffering. NDT seems to have righted me to a huge degree so it would support my hypothesis on needing T3. As the bone is so dynamic perhaps long term damage can eventually be corrected with the right treatment - I hope so.
Quite detrimental I’d say given all the breakages I got after treatment with Levothyroxine began; I presume the effects of years of hypothyroidism on my bones had reached a zenith. I never broke anything bar a rib/s in a cycle accident. I did go down with a wallop, but I was already very hypo by then and they started snapping sometimes spontaneously later on. I seem ok again now on NDT but my pelvis broke in a fall a few years back - soon mended so not serious but darn painful. Hypo relative has had similar. I aways did huge amounts of exercise, still do, it is my nature. Sounds like I should keep at it from what I managed to glean from the article. Oddly my dexa scan put me in the top 1% of the population for bone strength perhaps bones can vary and my femors might have been tip top but ribs were a bit flakey!
Me too, helvella. Have been on Levothyroxine since 1980.... and I was diagnosed with osteoporosis quite a long time ago although I was able to exercise regularly then.
Thanks for this. I don't really understand it totally but think I get the idea. I am going to post a question relating to me about this if you have time to read please Diogenes (rather than hijack this post!).
I love your concept . I often wondered if thyroid transplants can be part of our hope as to not have to be depended on thyroid meds ?The more I thought about it the less I thought the idea was ideal . My thyroid was bad to begin with because my body was attacking it to begin with . What was I wishing for ? Going through this ordeal once is once to many times . I will stick to my thyroid meds for now and hope and pray that it works well for me and Never have to stress that there will be shortages or reformulations . And Dr's learn to listen and care enough to make us *Optimal*.
I will be downloading this article to give to my OB/GYN. I have been on estrogen replacement (along with a progesterone, of course to prevent endometrial cancer) since the late 1980s. When I reported to my doctors that I believed I had hypothyroidism, I was sent for blood tests and when the results came back, the OB/GYN I had at the time told me that my estrogen levels were too low. She put me on PremPro. It had the wonderful effect of stopping the heavy, blood-clot laden periods. I stayed on PremPro until the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) cardiologists started screaming about increased risks of heart attacks and strokes. True the relative risks were scary sounding, but the absolute risk increase was very, very tiny. drhurlock.com/docs/articles...
Right after the WHI, doctors began ripping patients off HRT left and right. MY PCP included. He made me very ill. When I expressed concern about bone loss, he prescribed Fosamax, which made me nauseous so I stopped taking it. Hot flashes destroyed my sleep. He offered me Ambien. After one dose, I stopped taking it because I couldn't recall any of the conversations I had with my husband that morning.
My cholesterol level soared and he gave me a lecture about saturated fats. I told him my diet had not changed, so, of course, he prescribed Lovastatin. I took it for months, during which I started experiencing sharp pains in my back when I got out of bed. When I tried stopping the Lovastatin, the pain disapppeared, but came right back when I re-challenged with the drug. I stopped taking that, too. I begged him to go back on HRT. He refused. Finally, I took matters into my own hands and started ordering PremPro from a drug store in New Zealand. This went on for several years until I got a new OB/GYN who told me "We can do better than this for you." He prescribed estradiol plus a separate pill for the progesterone.
Meanwhile, I continued to have problems tolerating cold and fatigue. Finally, I was sent for blood tests and told that I needed thyroid replacement. Hallelujah. (I have no idea what my blood results were back then). OK, so now my hypothyroidism is being treated (I recently started on T3 and am already noticing some improvements) and my latest OB/GYN wants me to stop taking estrogen.
I have not found any convincing evidence that continuing estrogen will cause me serious health problems. I already know that stopping it causes me problems I don't want to put up with.
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