I have had Hashimoto’s now for about 3 years and I’m still finding it hard navigating my way through the symptoms and flare ups. I have suffered from very bad crippling anxiety over the last year and half which hasn’t helped with the lockdown and dealing a 4 year old and 1.5 year old while attempting to work from home. I recently came down with shingles about a month ago, 3 weeks after I stopped breastfeeding. Actually after I stopped breastfeeding my anxiety and moods lifted greatly as well, I think it must of took a lot out of me while dealing with the Hashimoto’s. 2 weeks after my shingles cleared up I started getting severe joint pain, I was limping by the time I get home from a walk, my hands and fingers would get very tight and stiff after typing for any length of time and my wrists become swollen and painful. I spoke with my doctor about it and and he ran bloods to see if my rheumatoid factors where high. They weren’t, thankfully as it runs in my family. I’m only 33 and usually very active so this intense pain all of a sudden was a shock. I feel like I’m limited on what I can do at the moment, very frustrating when I have 2 wild children running around. I am currently waiting on seeing a neurologist that my doctor has referred me to for further investigations.
I was wondering if anyone else suffers from severe joint pain with a bad flare up with Hashimoto’s or if they too have had shingles and then experienced pain like this with Hashimoto’s? I am currently doing a dairy free diet, 3 days in, on top of being gluten free already to see if it helps until I see the neurologist at the end of April.
Any advice would be welcomed.
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Purple_dog
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Do you mean a flare-up of hypo symptoms? Or a Hashi's flare - aka Hashi's 'hyper' swing? A Hashi's flare/'hyper' swing is just after an attack on the thyroid when the dying cells dump their stock of thyroid hormone into the blood, causing the FT4/3 to suddenly rise sharply, and the TSH to drop. Did your doctor include thyroid tests when he tested for rheumatoid factors? Because the change in levels would show up in a test.
But, I'm afraid I don't know anything about shingles or its effects. Sorry.
Many people find different brands are not interchangeable
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
Awww poor you. You sound as if you have an awful lot going on.
Infections & viruses are common in Hashi sufferers due to all the reasons associated with autoimmune disease whether previous or ongoing: gut issues, nutrient deficiencies, high levels of inflammation, etc, all make us susceptible to some degree.
Izabella Wentz (The Roof Cause) explains virus cells have been found living within the thyroid cells and this encourages a ‘Hashi attack’ as the immune system attacks the thyroid gland in its effort to rid the body of the virus. The virus can also remain dormant in the thyroid gland until a trigger reactivates it, and possibly triggers another 'Hashi attack'. This is why people have recurrent bouts and never appear to quite 'get well'. Other viruses found living outside the thyroid gland can still trigger a ‘Hashi attack’ by molecular mimicry (similar proteins to the thyroid gland like gliadin in gluten food) that can also be reoccurring.
Everyone's trigger for Hashi is different. They may be direct, for instance: stress, nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, other infections, toxins such as mould that all test our immune system, or indirect such as medications (ie acid blockers, depressants, statins, etc) that may cause the above.
And this why strengthening immunity is continually advocated on this forum: optimising thyroid hormones & nutrients, balancing other hormones (particularly adrenal ones such as cortisol) and dealing with gut issues that could be the result of something like parasites or SIBO which unless dealt with will never go away.
You are taking the right steps by trying to identify dietary triggers that are particularly common and can be very destructive. I haven’t had shingles but hear it can be immensely painful, and inflammation within the body can manifest in many different forms. Maybe others will share their experiences.
Looking after children when you feel ill is difficult. I hope you feel better soon 😊.
I had blood taken about 8 weeks ago and according to the doctor they came back within range, this isn’t uncommon for me though. Even at the very beginning when I was extremely symptomatic it always came back this way for the TSH. I had half my thyroid removed a year ago due to a tumour on it that was one to watch for cancer so they decided to remove it. My thyroid is inflamed and I have high antibodies, which how the Hashimoto’s is diagnosed. The levithroxine has always been the same brand for me and it does help for the most part. I’ve had a lot of stress in my life outwith the pandemic with health issues and family health issues etc so I put my anxiety down to that. It got to the point where I didn’t recognise myself with the anxiety and the moods that I spoke to the doctor and he gave me antidepressants, much to my resistant as there is a family history of allergic reactions. Anyway I caved and tried it and low and behold I took a reaction, then he tried me on propanonol and I didn’t like the way that made me feel and I think that interrupted my thyroxine. 2 weeks later I take shingles but while I’m not taking Andy anxiety meds or antidepressants I notice my anxiety has got a lot better from. If breastfeeding. After I took the antiviral meds for shingles a I notice my joints are in agony and nothing I seem to do helps it.
I seem to be very sensitive to medication these days, over the last 3 years I have been hospitalised with a bad reaction to an antibiotic and had several more less severe reactions to medication to treat gastritis. I have a problem with acids reflux. I’m currently taking lansoprazole. However since doing dairy free I have noticed this being less a problem.
According to the doctors I don’t have a vitamin deficiency either but I think I am going to do my bloods privately to see.
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