Hashimoto's Disease

Hello suerte
I too was diagnosed with hypothyroidism back in 2018 and take Levothyroxine.
The endocrinologist I was seeing diagnosed me with Hashimotos.
To confirm this she did a blood test for the antibodies. It came back positive.
From what my doctor explained, that for almost every case of hypothyroidism, Hashimotos is the cause.
Almost every woman in my family has this!
I have a question, did you ever have Epstein Barr virus?
I did in my 30’s- I read somewhere that Epstein Barr is at the root of other autoimmune conditions. I have several different conditions. Other people I’ve asked that have autoimmune conditions also had Epstein Barr. I’m wondering if there really is a connection.
Try not to worry, my TSH has been stable since first getting diagnosed. Your doctor will test your levels periodically to make sure your dose of levothyroxine is adequate.
Take care.

Thank you for the reply. To my knowledge, I have never been specifically tested for Hashimoto's Disease. I do have copies of my blood work going back 3 or 4 years so I can check to see if the antibodies were part of the blood work.

The same holds true for Epstein Barr. I have no knowledge if I was tested for this. I know that it did not come up in all of the visites with my GI.

In the past the focus of my visits with my GI revolved around PSC and ulcerative colitis. My thyroid TSH levels were always in the normal range so Hashimoto's was not an issue. The only time my TSH level has been elevated was in a blood test that was done in late December last year. My latest blood work now shows the TSH level back to normal.

Regarding Epstein Barr I have never shown any of the outward symptoms.

I have several autoimmune conditions as well, it just seems to me that where there is one there are usually others.
There are other causes for an under active thyroid, your doctor would have to do some testing to see what’s going on.
Good luck

Hi, and, yes. I had / have ALL of the symptoms and every doctor ignored me for years until ONE TSH was below normal and then suddenly - boom - synthroid & endo consult. So. Now I'm on that awful medication and my TSH and all the other thyroid labs are normal (btw) and no rheumatologist within 100 miles has an appointment before next christmas. Not that they will care because I have had fibromyalgia for @20 years and they just blame "everything" on that. I'm an RN for over 20 years and the current state of the medical field disgusts me! BUT. DO not stop advocating for yourself!! Not ever!! And yes, google IS the devil but if you know where to look you should be ok - ie: Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, NIH, any legit medical journals. Best of luck!!

@suerte
I have Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism. I had a large nodule on my right lobe and had it removed because it was suspicious (it ended up being benign but they did find a micro cancer).

Hashimoto’s is known to cause nodules. Did you have an ultrasound of your thyroid to check for nodules?

The way Hashimoto’s is diagnosed is not through TSH levels alone. It is diagnosed through TPO autoantibodies showing up in your bloodwork. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed through TSH (high) and T3/T4 levels.

I had “normal” TSH levels but did not feel normal. I did not feel well if my TSH went over 1.0 and the “normal” TSH range can go up to 5.0! When I had my lobectomy, my TSH started to go over 2, then 3 and then 4 before my levothyroxine was increased from 88 mcg to 100 mcg. I felt like a zombie and could not get out of bed because I was so weak and tired. What is “normal” for some is not normal for all. It is better to see historical TSH levels where you felt better and see what levels show when you started to feel lousy.

@sondrachristo1
I have Hashimoto’s and my mom and first cousin did, too. I think there is a genetic link to autoimmune diseases. My mom also had lupus and RA. I had tests that show I may have mixed connective tissue disease and hyper-mobile ehlers danlos syndrome affect g spine and joints.

@sondrachristo1
I had mononucleosis/EBV when I was a teenager (they call it the kissing disease and I did get it from kissing a boy! lol) EBV stays in your body for life and can lay dormant until reactivated. It definitely is linked to many health issues later in life.

Yes, I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and I also have Hypothyroidism. To test for Hashimoto’s have your Thyroid labs run and also have your TPO Antibodies checked. If your number here is high, you have Hashimoto’s. It is suppose to be 0. Mine was near 600, which isn’t horrible, but I was having major balance issues, headaches and hives on my body. I was also gaining weight by the day and had what I call “fat patches” on the flabby portion of my arms, butt and legs. It was happening quickly and I ordered a book on Hashimoto’s, written by Isabella Wentz and she said eliminating Gluten, Dairy and Soy would help with body inflammation. Well, it did and I no longer suffer with the inflammation and the weight gain has stopped. I’m also taking 75 mcg of Synthroid to control my Hypothyroidism. I would buy her book as I learned so much from reading it. If you want to start to feel better, stop eating gluten, dairy and soy…it’s pretty simple.

TSH is not the only measure that should be tested. Have your TSH, T3-free, T4-free and TPO Antibodies tested. The TPO Antibodies are where your Hashimoto’s will show up. Many doctors don’t test this TPO Antibody, but it’s important to know if you have Hashimoto’s. This TPO Antibody number should be 0 and mine was almost 600! By eliminating gluten, dairy and soy, I was able to control it and my body inflammation has come way down.

I have had Hashiomoto's for 25 years and never had a problem until I took a cortisone shot in my hip. Now, my TSH is really high, I am exhausted, sick, GI track is not working, my stomach is burning up, diarrhea, and lost weight. Has anyone heard of a Cortisone shot affecting their Hashimoto disease like me? If you have, how did they get through/survive this horrible period? My endo dr. will not test my thyroid levels for 3 months after I took the cortisone shot.