Thyroid and Lyme disease

[Yarby]

Hi

I have been receiving the Thyroid UK magazine for years now, and in the early days this support helped me get the proper diagnosis of poor conversion of T4 to T3. I have been on Armour and recently Erfa Thyroid since 2000, prescribed by my NHS Dr, and I got nearly better. I put the rest of my mild problems down to my thyroid problem.

However, I went very ill again April 2009 and as it all felt like pre 2000 I thought it was all due to the thyroid thing. But to cut a long story short, with my GP's help and support, I have recently been diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, contracted in 1997 here in Yorkshire. (Lyme disease is caused by an infected tick feeding on you) This is another illness massively misunderstood and underdiagnosed, and also very controversial in its diagnosis and treatment. It turns out that THIS is the root of my problems and apparently untreated Lyme can cause autoimmune conditions - in my case Hashimotos. So my thyroid problems stemmed from Lyme being missed by the medics. It may be rare, but it may be like thyroid conditions - not as rare as the medics accept.

Fortunately, I have a very good GP, who persevered to find the root of my illness, and didn't just label me with something else.

[Chippysue]

I have just read a little about Lyme disease and can see that it is quite difficult to diagnose and treat, how awful for you!

Thank heavens you have a good GP and well done to your GP for prescribing Armour.

I have read that some people are not doing as well on Erfa, would you say that you felt any difference?

What sort of treatment do you take for Lyme Disease? I do hope that you will feel better soon! and would be interested to hear your story when you have time to share it with us.

[maureenlesley]

After reading your comments it made me check out all my medical history on the internet. I had cellulitis of the face 3 years ago. I have found that it is also related to Hypothyrodism. Am feeling completely pissed off at the moment. I've found this all out in the past week. Wow - just a bit too much at one time.

[Yarby]

Thank you both for your comments, I've been following these blogs for a little while and I gather, maureenlesley that you've been having a very rough time. I am so sorry about that.

I don't really know if I feel different on Erfa than Armour, due to feeling ill with Lyme, but I am so lucky with my surgery. As well as prescribing natural thyroxine, they have done full thyroid profile tests - including T3 on request, and if the readings show out of normal, they ask me how I feel before changing doses. So my recent batch of tests put me bang in the middle.

Treatment for Lyme is strong oral antibiotics for at least 6 months but could be years as I've had it for so long. I've been on meds for 6 weeks so far.

I always knew I'd had a bite on my ankle that had turned my leg bright pink up to the knee, but never connected this with being ill. Two years after getting ill, my Dr started to suspect thyroid problems, and even said 'If I didn't have a blood test to prove otherwise, I'd say you have an underactive thyroid'. Finally tests did prove it, I started thyroxine and made some improvements. That's when I found Thyroiduk, a private doc and natural thyroid med, and slowly got better.

But I did have one clear symptom that I'd never read on any thyroid list - I got a lot of fevers and high temperatures. Since this latest ill spell, I had 12 flu like fevers in 9 months, sometimes only being well for a few days before starting again. It was while trying to find a reason for this that my Dr asked for EVERYTHING that had even been wrong with me, and then came the long road to get diagnosed with Lyme.

The Lyme support group have also commented on my unusually helpful Dr, as most people with it have a battle to get the correct help, just as many thyroid sufferers do. I hope that explains my story a little more! There are so many suffering people around, it's awful.

[fiona]

What are the odds of being hypothyroid and having Lymes? Needless to say people with ME/CFS are being mis-diagnosed and many end up with either one. Sadly both are things that are missed by mainstream medicine. I don't think Lymes is particularly rare as such and sadly struggling on for years is common.

[maureenlesley]

Your experience prompted me to check out the health issues I have had over the years.

I have Vitiligo, and had to have a hysterectomy due to endometriosis, which I have already mentioned.

Three years I had Cellulitis on the face, was hospitalised, put on very strong antibiotics like yourself. However I did not link the 3 problems together until I found that all 3 are - or are classed as, autoimmune diseases. One cause of Hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's disease - an autoimmune disease

Armed with this and half a tree in printed info, I went to my appointment at the Doctors today. The Doctor I saw was not my usual one. Young and keen to get to the bottom of this. He has ordered a full blood test, which I shall do tomorrow.

Thank you Yarby for your comment on my having had a rough time. Much appreciated. At the time when these things happened, however, I was perfectly happy, and still am. A lot of people have a lot worse. It's only now, this past week, when I'm putting the jigsaw together, and I am finding a connection to all of this, that I'm like a pot boiler waiting to explode !!!

It's my own fault though. The internet has been available and I have chosen not to research it until now !

I am a healthy person, who is just not firing on all cylinders at the moment !

I hope Yarby, that you get through it all ok.

[sassicat]

Hi Yarby,

I know it is a long time ago that you posted this. I was wondering what treatment have you had for the chronic lyme, and are you feeling any better as a result.... I hope so!