I have had an interesting day!! Took my eldest son to his university open day and my sister offered to come with me as my hubby working. I gratefully accepted as it was a 150 mile round trip a d fatigue muscle pain bad at the moment. I only see my sister infrequently but her help today was gratefully recieved. Anyway to get to the point she was diagnosed hperthyroid about 5 yrs ago, has been on carbimazole and beta blockers. Then was well for awhile but has had to go back on beta blockers as resting heart rate was 120. She was asked by her endo for family history and mother had Addison disease a sjorgen disease. I am fighting for hypothyroidism diagnosis and my sister thinks I should go back to my gp and tell them about mum as she thinks there is a link. Is she right?? I have never been testedfor adrenals or thyroid antibodies as my gp thinks i'm 'normal'!!
Is there a link???: I have had an interesting day... - Thyroid UK
Is there a link???
Im sure someone in the know will be along very soon. But definitely go back to your GP and tell the family history. Addisons is adrenals and adrenals and thyroid glands are linked. One out of balance can knock the other one out too. Durrant-Peatfields book Your thyroid and how to keep it healthy talks about it. good book! In fact if i remember right the two illnesses have very similar symptoms. Of course he talks about adrenal fatigue which is not the same as addisons but it is in the same direction!
tpauk.com/articles/2949-adr...
I only looked at the link quickly but may be of help to you.
you can find snipppets of peatfields book on the internet too.
Not something to be ignored i think!
Thank you. Not mentioned my mum before to gp as she died 3 yrs ago and he is still trying to say mt problems are caused by grief. Maybe that caused some adrenal stress at the time??
Grief and major upheavals in life are said to start things off. I cant remember but another doc wrote its surprising how major life events coincide with thyroid problems. So your gp is half right! but that doesnt make any of your symptoms less real and undeserving of treatment
xx
There is definitely a hereditary link with autoimmune thyroid disease so you should definitely mention it to your doctor. It would also be wise to get tested for Addison's disease too. This is surprisingly common in people with autoimmune thyroid diseases and can make you feel terrible.
Grief and stress could have stressed your adrenals. It could also have triggered your autoimmune hypothyroidism. Ask him to check your thyroid antibodies given your family history (mum and sister indicates a strong likelihood that you have the same).
Good luck with it. Let us know how you get on 
Carolyn x
Thanks carolyn. Mu mum died in 2010 but I first went to gp in 2008 with thyroid symptoms. I need to go back but putting it off as I can see his face drop when I walk in and a 'what now' look on his face. Thanks for the advice though. I have seriously considered changing gp but the town where I live has 3 surgeries. I used to work at one of them so wouldn't feel comfortable there and the other practice has has problems and a gp has been 'let go'. Ironically I work in a gp surgery but cannot register there as I dont live in yhe town. They use a different lab to my surgery and the ranges are different so I may possibly get my much neeeded meds there.! I must b ite the bullet as I so desperately want to get my life back.
I'm so sorry. I have just re-read my response and realised how unsympathetic it sounds! I must have been having an off day.
I hope you do find a doctor that can help you.
If you are in a position to do so, you can get private blood tests done. I know a lot of people can't afford to do this but I will post the link in case it is useful to you at some stage.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
You can also get a list of private doctors who are sympathetic to thyroid issues here if that is an option for you... thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/forms/...
I hope you get the help you need soon!
Carolyn x
Don't worry carolyn, you are not unsympathetic. I value everyone taking the time to reply and find the advice supportive as well as informative. I hope ypu are not havingva really bad day. Its snowing hard where I am so I am trying to stay warm thank you for taking the time to reply. X.
Thyroid disease often runs in families. (my granmother, brother and me all suffer). Tell you GP and get your antibodies checked.
My brother is Hyper and me Hypo so I was suprised but my GP said Thyroid disease runs in families, not necessarily the same way.
My daughter, aged 28, has the following results: TSH 3.1, T4 13.5, T3 5.7.
Need a smaller dose of Levothyroxine after 5 years?
Worried Daughter is hypothyroid too
What percentage is this T4 results?
