I also wanted to check in to see if there are people out there with a history of eating disorders and thyroid problems? I had anorexia as a teen and at various intervals in adulthood, and have always been very weight conscious and anxious around it. I am finding it incredibly difficult to deal with the weight gain I have had from my underactive thyroid and wondered if there are any support groups online or help other people have found also in this similar boat? I am nervous about mentioning it to my doctor as I feel he will dismiss it and think I'm ridiculous as I'm middle aged now, but the age-old eating anxieties have become really amplified for me since I started suffering with the weight gain and other symptoms. It is causing huge anxiety around food again and a lot of depression at being unable to control my weight. I suspect also that repeated dieting has messed my metabolism too and I don't know how much of it has contributed to my thyroid problems - I have very high reverse T3 levels which I know is linked to stress and calorie restriction. Many thanks
History of eating disorders and thyroid problems - Thyroid UK
History of eating disorders and thyroid problems
It is widely believed that the potato famine in Ireland has caused a lot of people who are descendants to have thyroid disease because people were starving to death. Also in the US they think people who are descendants from the American native indian seem to have thyroid disease because they were also starving. I have no idea if this is true or not but I am half Irish and have wondered if this is why I have this.
This is so interesting!
Odd page that.
The Great Hunger, the Great Starvation, the Famine (mostly within Ireland), or the Irish Potato Famine (mostly outside Ireland), was a period of mass starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1849.
Whereas that article refers to the 1880 return of the blight.
What doesn't appear to get explained is any actual mechanism for the famine causing other issues all these generations later. How does famine cause the thyroid issue in great-great-offspring? (Or whatever level is appropriate to the discussion.)
I did have some other info about this because I started to wonder why I had this disease and the only reason I could find was that I was half Irish.
I am perfectly happy to believe that genes common in the Irish population might tend to result in more thyroid disease.
I am perfectly happy to believe that there was differential impact of famine on different sections of the population. For example, those who already were hypothyroid might have survived better by burning fewer calories.
But I still don't get the multi-generational impact which would anyway mostly be diluted by other genes.
My son had a DNA test to see what diseases he might get and it came back that he was 80% Irish which made me think perhaps I should do the test as well. It is pricey at about £130 so I am looking for a cheaper test.
I keep anticipating the "whole genome" analysis becoming readily available.
We appear to be paying over the top if you look at it from a per-gene point of view. (Most obviously where they do a single SNP or just a few.) But the whole genome options are still considerably more expensive.
The selection chosen for the consumer options is sometimes very odd!
I was amazed that my son was 5% Dutch. I do know my Great Great Grandmother was a Polish Jew and came over on a boat because my Grandmother told me about her.
I have an Irish surname and everyone in my family has an autoimmune disease - MS, Graves, Hashimoto's... there is something genetic going on with us
Hi Sazzle ,I know there is a connection between coeliac disease and being Irish I think this is down to the historical diet in Ireland consisting of potatoes rather than wheat as a staple part of the diet.Maybe that has led to a predisposition towards gluten intolerance which many people with autoimmune diseases ( like all those you listed ) seem to have. That coupled with the strains of wheat being grown these days which contain a higher gluten level has maybe tipped many people over the edge into intolerance.
What did surprise me is the fact that there are quite a few coeliacs in Italy where I always thought the diet had a lot of grains as staples, however after my son ( who has coeliac disease ) studied there for a year I discovered that rice is a much more common staple in Northern Italy, they also seem to be far better clued up on coeliac disease than the UK, I did read that all children are tested for coeliac disease when they are quite young to identify problems early on and thus reduce any long term problems from ingesting gluten when your body doesn't tolerate it.
I can really sympathise with you regarding weight gain, especially if you have had an eating disorder before, sadly the medical community are not very clued up on thyroid disease in this country, and their usual mantra is eat less and exercise more if you gain weight, totally disregarding that there may be another reason why you can't lose weight.
If you have any blood test results that you would like to share with this fantastic community I am sure many will come back and at least let you know if you are optimally medicated for your thyroid condition, because if you are not it will be very difficult to shed any excess weight even if you go on a starvation diet, which you obviously would not want to do.
I also think stress can predispose you to weight gain due to raised cortisol levels, so worrying about weight gain and inability to do anything about it will probably aggravate the situation.
Sending you best wishes and hugs.
That is interesting because even though I have tried going gluten free it never really helped or lowered my antibodies. Do you have any links about this?
Hi Laura Apologies I have only just seen your reply!
When my son was diagnosed coeliac I read quite a few books about coeliac disease which gave me an overview of the disease.
Two books that were especially helpful were
Gluten attack by Professor David Sanders ( he is/was an eminent Uk specialist he is/was based at Sheffield University hospital)
Gluten Freedom by Alessio Fassano a doctor based in the USA but of Italian descent.
Both these books talk about the problems with gluten in general as well as problems specific to coeliacs . Dr Fassano's book also talks about hope for future treatments for coeliacs and he highlights how Italy has been more pro active in diagnosing coeliac disease at an earlier age than many countries.
I can speak from personal experience with regard to getting a diagnosis in the UK , my son was pushed from pillar to post for about 3 years before a young doctor in Scotland ( when he was at Uni ) finally joined the dots and pushed for the correct tests and more importantly followed up on those tests. Up to that point he had been told he was depressed, anxious had IBS had the long term effects from a bout of food poisoning etc...
He is well now and living a GF life. Good luck with your research.
Hello. I also have anorexia and Hashimotos disease. I can relate to what you are experiencing. I'm currently in a hyper phase and have lost weight because of it which my ED loves but I know inevitably i will go hypo again and that scares me a lot. I do wonder if there's any connection between my anorexia and the thyroid problems as they seem to coincide in my case at lease but my endocrinologist says she doesn't think so and it's just a coincidence. She says usually with anorexia you have secondary hypothyroidism but with me I always seem to have a hyper phase at the same time I have a dip with my ED. She wonders if it's more the thyroid effecting my mental health which causes the dip rather than the other way around. I also find it hard that there's a lot of advice to cut out food groups to help with Hashimotos as I've been told I mustn't do any of that due to my anorexia. Lots of love
"Hypo" means low. Therefore hypothyroid means low thyroid due to the thyroid gland not providing optimal hormones. Many people complain of weight gain when taking levothyroxine but it could be due to being hypo(low)thyroid and not on a sufficient dose yet.
Hyperthyroid - on the other hand, means our gland is providing too much.
You state your doctor believes "She wonders if it's more the thyroid effecting my mental health which causes the dip rather than the other way around".
Some people gain weight when hypothyroid, due to their low metabolism and maybe not yet on a sufficient dose of levo to bring TSH to 1 or lower. Many doctors seem to believe that when our TSH reaches 'somewhere' in the range that we're on a sufficient dose of thyroid hormones (levo most probably) but we need TSH around 1 or lower.
Anorexia happens to quite a number of people and it is also difficult to overcome but for some people it can be resolved.
When you have your blood tests always make the earliest appointment - even if you make it weeks ahead. It is a fasting test (this method keeps the TSH at its highest) and may prevent the doctor reducing dose when it shouldn't be. They seem to rely upon the TSH result alone instead of considering our symptoms.
Thanks bunnylover24, I suspect it's a vicious cycle with mood and hashimotos - it causes low mood, then you feel depressed anyway because you are ill and your body doesn't work - catch 22. I cut out food groups too on advice to do AIP but I don't think it has made much difference to me, other than getting rid of dairy which seemed to get rid of my muscle pains etc. I think it's a problem if you have eating disorder history as it encourages cutting out foods... it's very difficult. wishing you the best with your situation and hope it eases x
There is a link, as very low calorie diets drive down T3 levels. I suspect in turn, that would eventually drive up TSH but the study the proved effect on T3 was too short term to show that.
Also we have to consider that putting the body under extreme stress can be a trigger for autoimmune issues, if that is the underlying cause for you.
I have been listening to info on intuitive eating in the last year, and I think this could be a good place for you to find some help. The movement does a lot to promote body acceptance and guilt free eating, and I think that could be a good home for you.
Be careful, as intuitive eating has become a bit of a trend, and there are some out their piggy backing on the term. If they talk about using intuitive eating for weight loss, they are one to avoid. I quite like Victoria Myers who has a podcast/Facebook group called Nourishing Women.
Any idea how putting the body under extreme stress can trigger autoimmune issues?
Thank you
I think it's still in a bit if a theory stage right now. I had a look for the research and all it really shows right now is the correlation, but no real mechanism from there.
health.harvard.edu/blog/aut....
Some suggest the gut is linked (trauma dramatically alters gut bacteria and can cause leaky gut), for others it's the altered immune system to blame, or that stress causes inflammation and inflammation is the real trigger. I'm not too sure which one is most likely correct.
I had a history of eating disorders through my teens and early twenties and developed Hashis in my mid 30s. I would say some of the residual ED stuff has stayed with me. When I feel a little out of control in the world, I tend to find myself jumping on the scales. I am also careful not to go above or below certain weights - my minimum BMI at one end and then minimum + 8 lbs at the other and still jump on the scales occasionally if I’m “feeling fat”, on a bad day “just to make sure”, etc. Other than that, I would say I overcame it by eating what I wanted when I was hungry and really trying to tune in to my body and what foods it was asking for. Nowadays I notice I don’t feel so good with too much gluten or too much dairy, so whilst I allow myself to eat as much of those as I want to, I find myself often preferring other things. I always want a daily latte, mind, and prefer dairy for that and so I have it! I takes a lot of time to learn to listen to your body and I lived without a set of scales for about 10 years until I met my husband who had some...! And they weigh me at the endo...
In general, I can get addicted to anything... booze, drugs, dieting, work, hot yoga, running, cigs..., you name it, I’ve done it to excess at some point! I think, in my case, it is a slight ADD tendency, in as much as ADD is also capable of hyper-focus in a butterfly kind of way! I’ve read that there are often links to other compulsive disorders with ED. In general, I try to see it as both a good thing and a bad thing, if that makes sense. It helps me to accommodate that part of myself. I am more capable of working my butt off than many people and I have a will of iron, on the plus side. On the downside, if I don’t watch myself, I can wreak havoc and turn even positive things - like exercise or healthy eating - into something dangerous and excessive! So, I would say, embrace the positive traits and be vigilant for the tipping point where they can become negative...
A level of acceptance is the only way. I’ve been able to quite easily control my weight since being on optimal NDT but hit a few hurdles recently because of NDT supply and the menopause. I’ve had to go back to the beginning with NDT and have put on around 10 pounds in the last two weeks but I just have to accept it
I’ve been on Levo since age 19, and t3 for 16 years (give or take a while out when the NHS was being ripped off by the t3 manufacturer and stopped my prescription a while). I’m now in my fifties. My early hypo Dx is IMO due to a very stressful, violently abusive family background. I read a few years into taking thyroid meds that “emotional crisis” can bring on thyroid issues, and my Dx coincided when I could finally leave home. I’ve long battled with weight gain, some emotional eating & depression too, but a lot improved when I went vegan a few years ago and cleaned up my dietary act.
Hi Sazzle1969. I also have a history of anorexia followed by bulimia for many years. Always been hyper vigilant about weight and ‘used’ exercise to keep myself thin. Diagnosed with under active thyroid in September. Don’t know if it’s Hashimoto’s (GP said she ‘could’ test for it, she supposed...!). Funny thing is that, although the weight gain has been noticeable, it hasn’t been my biggest issue. This, in itself, is alarming because it’s been so much a part of ‘me’, this need to maintain weight, that it feels really weird that it’s not so much of a bother. I don’t know if this makes sense but it’s just another element of feeling like I don’t know myself anymore. I wish I could be freaked out about it because at least that would be normal (for me).
Hi. I was diagnosed with depression and chronic fatigue on 2014. I had been bodybuilding in 2007.. Weight came off no problems. Then the weight piled on. I ended up with an ED. I saw a professional bodybuilding trainer in 2011. I worked with him. He knew I had an ED. I competed in 2013. Then I had a total breakdown. 2014 my TSH was 4.0. Told I was normal. I had been cold for years with a body temperature of 35.5. Couldnt lose weight. Low mood. 2014 I did nothing. No gym. 2015 to 2020 a lot of medical drama. 2020 diagnosed with Graves. No family history. I firmly believe my thyroid was in trouble in 2014 but even today nobody wants to acknowledge it. I have lost all my muscles and got fatter. I hope to get well in 2021 but I will never compete again which is soul destroying in itself. I believe there is a link between restrictive eating and thyroid issues and the stress it places on the body
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