If all illness starts in the gut then that could be my weak spot and root cause. I had Gut TB even after the vaccine - with Crohns too ! Hashi's diagnosed in 2005.
My hypothyroidism was diagnosed about 45 years ago (I was in my mid-20s) when doctors told you nothing and there was no opportunity to find out information like there is today.
I have no idea why I became hypothyroid but as it was a few months after my second child was born it's possible that may have been the cause. But it may not be because my mother developed hypothyroidism years later in her 60s and her brother developed hyperthyroidism a little while before her. So it's in the family but it's strange that their's happened so much later in their lives than mine.
However, I'm one of those people who doesn't go into the whys, wherefores and what ifs, it's not going to make a difference and it wont change anything, it really doesn't matter one jot, so I just get on with things. All I know is that it's not autoimmune.
Mine happened after watching my best friend die a painful death from a brain tumour. I now try to avoid stress because it does affect my thyroid disease.
I had my tonsils removed when I was 5, back in 1953. I don't have autoimmune thyroid disease. According to Dr P, it's on his list of things that can contribute to hypothyroidism (surgery) and he did ask me if I'd had my tonsils removed. But it doesn't necessarily follow that it will be autoimmune.
Here are the things he lists in his book
Genetic - thyroid gland may not develop properly in the womb, may be totally inactive or partially inactive.
Environment - iodine deficiency, selenium deficiency, environmental poisons such as mercury, fluoride (not naturally occurring fluoride but the toxic waste fluoride added to toothpastes, water, etc).
I have a hyper-nodule so no autoimmune element, but I have had a stressful decade which I’m sure contributes.
I think genetics also a factor, my father had a subtotal thyroidectomy in his 30s. He was never informed of the cause and doesn’t know of it was even investigated and he never had any treatment options or medication. He was diagnosed within a year of terrible traffic collision.
Good point . I forgot to say I was only diagnosed with Helicobacter about 8 months ago. Prob had without usual symptoms for a long time . They only did test cos of low ferritin
Mine started in childhood, due - I imagine - to stress. This was followed by an abusive marriage, with all the stress that brings, and an idiot doctor who prescribed me iodine! Etc. etc. etc. I could go on, but won't - plus I'm pretty sure that, looking at the family photos, most of my relatives have had it since way back, although no diagnoses because my family didn't believe in doctors! What with one thing and another, it would have been a miracle if I'd avoided it.
But, I do so agree with SeasideSusie when she says: I'm one of those people who doesn't go into the whys, wherefores and what ifs, it's not going to make a difference and it wont change anything, it really doesn't matter one jot, so I just get on with things.
I am of the same opinion - although mine is autoimmune. You summed it up nicely, Susie!
Seems to run in my family but I imagine that it’s basically down to stress. Most of the women in my family have been in Fight/flight/freeze mode for long periods of time.
I wasnt diagnosed till after my 4th child. Before that I think it was up and down before it flat lined.
It was my mother who realised something was wrong with me when I was a child, she pushed the doctors to find out what was wrong with me, they just called her a fussing mother. Been on thyroxine for 60 odd years. Mum felt I was probably born with a underactive thyroid but could not prove it. Agree with Greygoose and seasideSusie. You just have to get on with things. Just wish they had the heel prick test when I was a baby, might have been picked up sooner.
Thanks for your reply, I have just got on with it, you never had the annual blood test when I was a child, stayed on the same medication for most of my childhood, that's why I think I never did well at school, my school report used to say could do better.
. But I’ve always been very interested in good balanced nutrition . Think stress doesn’t help digest all the good stuff . That’s why some people can eat not so well and get away with it ( possibly? )
Good nutrition is very different to different people. For all intents and purposes, I ate a "good" diet (on paper), for many years. It seems I had gluten and lactose intolerances though, which means my diet was very detrimental to my health. My partner was diagnosed coeliac after many years together too, so in many ways, his good diet full of the recommended wholewheats, was slowly killing him.
It's not to say our diets have always been perfect, but it's just interesting that even when we were making converted efforts to eat well, we were still harming ourselves.
It, hypothyroidism, is rampant in my family, on fathers side, his mother,2 sisters and brother, then my female cousins on that side and their daughters (4 of 6) then me and my sister and another probably on the way there and my daughter. I am only one with Hashis and gut issues, lots of food intolerances. I am the only one needing T3 along with T4
Graves dx'd in 2015. Genetically predisposed: mom has Hashi, sibling also, dad also has some immune issues. Add environment: stressful job + H pylori infection I believe resulted in GERD and IBS, this went on for years, GERD was treated with PPIs that treat symptoms, not the cause, so gut was terrible for a long time. In late 2014 I came down with a bad flu (trigger), and lived thru my parents moving to a different continent (stress). Shaky and heart was doing flips, I thought maybe it still was the flu. Then one day I noticed I lost 13 lbs in 10 days. And the next day my ankles blew up. A blood test revealed Graves. No one can convince me that autoimmunity is not tightly tied to gut health.
I think my problems started with mercury and heavy metal accumulation. I found out I miss certain enzymes and cannot remove it by myself. I am feeling better and better with now about 30 times chelate therapy and proper T4/T3 management. I have no thyroid and take currently 175 mcg Novothyral in 2 doses.
Mine probably after tonsillectomy aged 5 and I went really downhill at 19 after finding my father dead. I finally had treatment when I was 47. My elder daughter after sepsis aged five , my younger daughter I can’t pinpoint hers. They started treatment when they were 22 and 19.
My son was diagnosed with type one diabetes age four. My Teenage daughter is currently having tests for hypothyroidism (finally tested by our senior GP because the other one said despite her dire drop in health she was likely just stressed due to lockdown 🙄) as became anaemic, low folate, vit D and under range fT4.
I was diagnosed earlier this year with Hashimoto’s. I’ve suffered with underlying stress and anxiety for many years probably starting when my son was diagnosed eight years ago as it was life changing for us both. However, looking back I think I went undiagnosed for many years after having gestational diabetes with my son. So pregnancy may have kicked it off. My daughter was born three weeks late (I know they shouldn’t have done that) and was huge! I had soooo many problems with the hospital my first pregnancy could have even been the starting point. I’ll never know now and like others, see no point in wondering . But regardless I’m convinced the stress of life, ongoing divorce battle etc etc finally caused the rapid decline.
My dad’s auntie had type one but no one else has ever had anything in my family. We just appear to be the unlucky lot! As you asked the question I will say that my son was diagnosed two weeks after having his MMR and my daughter two weeks after having the new HPV vaccine at school (Raynaud’s & now this). I’m not remotely anti vaccine by the way! But obviously I have always wondered.
I agree it’s too late to worry now it’s here, as worry causes even more stress, but I believe it’s vital to think about treatment in order to try and avoid further autoimmune diseases, knowing one can often lead to another. I quit dairy and other food intolerances, eat what helps, take vitamins and minerals and try to keep my thyroid antibodies down. I am more aware of my body than I ever was. And I’m trying to help myself now after many years of putting myself aside for others. I’m learning I can do both. My only regret is not ever getting myself checked over for vitamins, good health etc. So I’m now ensuring I do it for my children 😊
My dad died when I was eleven. My mum didn’t cope well, nor did she deal with my grief at all. I had a miserable time in my teens, got glandular fever when I was sixteen and, despite pushing myself to do well in life subsequently, I don’t think I ever recovered. The whole thing was made a hundred times worse some years ago when I went through a very painful divorce from an abusive man.
I can’t believe it’s only in the last 18 months, and only because I paid to go to a private Endo, and studied this forum, that I’ve understood the impact on my thyroid.
I think the birth of my little one has really triggered things at lightning speed for me.. however i also had Shingles when i was a teenager which made me very very poorly, (i thought i was too young to have Shingles, silly me!) i think my immune system has been weakened since then but I'll never know 100% we can't help questioning these things but sadly we can't change the past.. Lovely to read everybody else's stories too 😊
I think my second pregnancy brought it to the fore. i felt indescribably awful, exhausted and nauseous 24/7 from day one , until a couple of weeks before birth when felt great. With hindsight , i was then hyper a few months after birth. followed by a decline to hypo and diagnosed autoimmune hypo and given Levo 4 yrs later.
5yrs after that i got much worse again , with ME type problems , following accepting a commission for work, which when i saw the scale of the job, made me close the door on the barn and go straight to the nearest pub for a stiff drink ! (i don't usually drink ) I thought i was agreeing to make a cover for a big dome tent.... when they put it up it looked more like St Pauls.
At the same time a boy broke my heart a bit.......... then bingo , i entered the world of " it's not your thyroid, your tests are normal"
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